AJ Styles' retirement may be closer than we thought, according to a recent Instagram post by Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura shared a story titled 'The diary I wrote the day before' which has since been deleted, but it contained a revealing conversation with Styles. In it, Styles hinted at his impending retirement, stating that he had already decided on his retirement date - the Royal Rumble. This isn't the first time Styles has hinted at retirement. In an interview with The Ringer, Styles himself mentioned that he was nearing the end of his career and was worried about embarrassing himself. He also cited his physical health, stating that his body was hurting every day when he rolled out of bed. Nakamura, however, wants to have one more match with Styles before he retires. He praised Styles' balance of expression and technique, calling him truly one of a kind. The two delivered a hard-hitting, Japanese-style classic at Saturday Night's Main Event, with Styles ultimately winning. Styles' program with Gunther is also building up to a showdown at the Royal Rumble. Gunther forced John Cena to tap out in December, and Styles demanded a match against Gunther. At the Jan. 12 edition of Raw, Styles turned the tables and forced Gunther to tap out, but the referee didn't see the tap. Gunther then struck with a low blow, leading to his victory. Last Monday on Raw, Styles called for a rematch, which Gunther accepted under one condition: Styles must put his career on the line. Styles accepted, but plans can change in pro wrestling, and Styles may have since changed his mind. If Nakamura's account is accurate, Saturday's match in Riyadh could be Styles' last.
