AJ Styles reveals reason behind putting gloves back on at Royal Rumble

AJ Styles has revealed the reason behind putting his gloves back on in the middle of the ring after his retirement match against Gunther.

The WWE Royal Rumble ended with fans leaving with two questions. Why did Styles put his gloves back on in the middle of the ring following his retirement match with Gunther? And who was the hooded man who attacked Bron Breakker?

One of the questions has already been answered as per the High Spots Podcast: the masked man who attacked Bron Breakker was actually Grayson Waller.

And now it seems like the second question has also been answered, and the man who revealed it is none other than Styles.

Styles' career was ended by former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, who is also known for ending the careers of John Cena and Goldberg.

Gunther delivered a dominant and emotionally charged performance as he defeated AJ Styles at WWE Royal Rumble 2026, bringing an apparent end to the veteran superstar's illustrious WWE career.

AJ was forced to submit by Gunther, and after regaining consciousness from the submission, Styles received praise from the WWE fans in Riyadh, basking in his retirement moment in the middle of the ring.

Following that, Styles took off his gloves to lay them in the middle of the ring, the move all fighters do in their last match. However, after that, he seemed hesitant to place them on the canvas. After a few seconds of consideration, he then decided to put the gloves back on.

Recently, on Stephanie McMahon's podcast, Styles was asked about the actions at the Royal Rumble.

In response, the veteran said: “I don't know. Never say never, right? That's the saying. I think everybody's allowed at least once to come out of retirement. What if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once, you never know.

"I'm not saying that I'll do it anytime soon. There'll be a time when the gloves never go back on. It may be now, but we'll see.”