[9.0] "My prediction was that they would've had AJ get his revenge for the cheat loss in their first match and that AJ would truly retire at Wrestlemania, so the result was a small shock. And with that added element of the retirement, even after the fact (I knew the result before watching it), it gave it much more drama to a match that had it already. And like their previous match which wasn't driven by its high spots, but rather them building off small moments, this was built around the aim to win. Gunther beat AJ up badly throughout the match, trying to soften him up for the sleeper, but AJ thought back, attacking the leg and using very clever counters throughout. Gunther's selling of the leg was excellent throughout the night, continuing on until the Rumble. Despite his strength and physicality, he can portray vulnerability better than anyone. The best part of the match was Gunther killing AJ with chops to the point where the ref considered stopping it, but I did love them calling back to the finish of the first match and playing off that. This was full of great moments like that. A masterclass on wrestling in its finest details. And no, I don't think AJ will have his last match here. But the Saudi's certainly did, so it had a nice atmosphere to match it. ****1/4"
[9.0] "An insanely (and surprisingly) good match, even if i'm not a fan of the ending (give AJ a final WM match! ) it's still a good match overall and was a very emotional and visceral experience. Thank you AJ!"
[6.0] "So this is the match I was watching this show for and honestly I am still really disappointed. Even tho it was a decent the story of this match wasn't as good and the match wrestling wise it was decent. However this match did give me hope that AJ will go to a better promotion weather its AEW, New Japan or if he is gonna try and save TNA. Overall Imma give this match a 6/10"
[9.0] "If this is really the end, I can think of few ways better for the phenomenal one to close the curtain. A pure, unabashed babyface performance on display here, built off nothing but sheer resilience and determination in the face of Gunther's relentlessly physical onslaught. Almost heart stopping when AJ finally passes out."
[6.0] "Okayish. Even tough they created this narrative of AJ not being able to stop Gunther, it was kinda boring in some moments, so the ending felt a bit more lackluster than expected. Also what a boring crowd lol"
[4.0] "I guess the storytelling here was good but it did not make for a very interesting match. Given that Gunther had retired Cena via a sleeper hold and AJ wanted to make Gunther tap, most of this match is submissions with some fairly underwhelming strikes in between. To me the match felt really slow; there was nothing to really see here and if this match was held under any other circumstances this would probably not have the rating it does right now."
[9.0] "AJ Styles is one of my all time favorite wrestlers. I don't think this is gonna be his final match. This just didn't have that feeling of watching someone go out of the business like that. I know it's supposed to be a shock win that WALTER actually made him pass out to the choke, but like vibe just wasn't there. Despite that this was an awesome match and exactly what you'd want out of their performances. WALTER is easily one of the best in-ring wrestlers WWE has next to Chad Gable, Akira Tozawa, Ilja Dragunov, CM Punk, Sheamus & Oba Femi. So him being AJ's last match was a perfect choice as these whooped each other's ass and had some awesome counters. I dug this but I can still see there's a better match in them, that we probably won't get. Four and a Half Stars out of Five."
[10.0] "It was even better than the John Cena vs Gunther match. Pure brutality and survival for the career, under the cheers of passionate fans in Saudi Arabia. Intelligence and tactics in the fight, with Gunther's very powerful domination. Glad I watched this epochal, upgraded in every sense, match live. Styles literally made history, and there were so many options to create an incredible outcome. Styles fought for his career, took hits, and kept fighting back. Plus, many moves are intertwined with their previous match on Raw, which was also awesome. Basically, this match has everything I love about the John Cena vs Gunther match, but it's even more refined. 6 stars."
[9.0] "We all believed in it, I believed in it, I'm disgusted by AJ's retirement and I pray that he continues in other promotions, notably AEW. However, I think the match was very good, with Gunther dominating and looking threatening. I loved this match despite the difficult result to accept.""
[4.0] "I will comment in spanish:La lucha para ser en Arabia fue una lucha adecuada, nada del otro mundo estaba por mucho mejor la lucha que tuvieron en Raw, pero en el significado y lo que estaba en juego esta es más importante siento que no es el Fin de la carrera de AJ sigue tiene algo de gas en el tanque y sea en WWE u otra empresa se que se puede retirar de mejor manera."
[8.0] "Absolutely fantastic match, and I can understand wanting something like this to be at a WrestleMania but I think there is also something to be said for not letting perfect be the enemy of good. There will always be a way to give a wrestler an even better sendoff, but at some point you just have to do it. They wrestled a great match and you could hear a pin drop in the arena after the final bell. My only gripe is that this match was happening at an event that shouldn't exist."
[8.0] "It wasn't perfect, as it lacked the WrestleMania stage that would have made it feel even more grand, but it was one hell of a way for AJ to say goodbye to the WWE audience. Gunther is on a ridiculously incredible run of great angles and matches, and this was no exception. Styles was an excellent babyface, bumping his ass off for the big Austrian, while Gunther didn't pull back at all, which made this a really gritty encounter. The painful chops, AJ's phenomenal backdrop bump, and the fluid, crisp work throughout were all outstanding. I was ready for more, so the finish felt a bit abrupt, but I still bought it, as it gave Gunther even more heat by choking out yet another legend. A great match and a great story told by two true professionals."
[9.0] "This is the best match in the entire ple. Yes better than rumble itself. Man I wish this fight lasted longer. And more than that I wish I could see Aj Styles still wrestling in wwe or aew or anywhere. Aj is the greatest to ever do and forever will be. I just wish he would have retired in mania but I understand that he wanted to retire in rumble, the place were his entire wwe run started. Wrestling will never have someone like aj styles. Gunther is really good in this kind of matches. He is indeed a great wrestler. I wish wwe book gunther 'career killer' gimmick well and give me storyline. Overall this match was phenomenal."
[6.0] "Incredibly well-structured match. Gunther's beat-down sections where he's clobbering AJ are great, and play into the idea that the babyface will eventually triumph, before subverting that with the finish. That being said, the sleeper hold may genuinely be the most boring move in the history of wrestling, and completely slows down the pace of the match."
[9.0] "Wow man, just wow. This was one heck of a match. The counter of the Calf Crusher into a Sleeper Hold was insane, and the constant times I thought AJ was gonna tap just to fight back was exciting, but I think the part that hit the most was AJ's reaction after waking up from the sleeper and he hears the triumphant music for Gunther. After exactly 10 years in the WWE and multiple months saying he'll retire in 2026 and it comes crashing down in the first 31 days. His heartbroken face along with the ref unable to explain what had just happened followed by the crowds applause for his legendary career really says it all. This is all great but why Saudi? And why now? Why couldn't AJ win this match and retire at Wrestlemania? That would have been a 10/10. But anyways, fantastic match. After this let's hope there's a feud between Gunther and Randy Orton so he can retire Randy too, imagine that. Great match, great ending and I'm happy to hear that epic AJ Styles music for one last time."
"Gunther wrestled so intelligently here, building off from what he learnt about AJ from their first match and using that knowledge to keep the upper hand throughout. And the ending was special. AJ not being conscious for his last moments as an active wrestler (presumably) and being in a kind of denial once he wakes up and realises what has happened - beautifully heartbreaking. Gunther denied him the experience of his retirement."
[8.0] "Such a tough match to rate man. I am super afraid of that being literally the last match from AJ Styles' career, because if really is, my fucking god, it was so bad. AJ Styles retiring his legendary professional wrestling career, highly consider as one of the best wrestlers of all time, retiring at january in the middle of the Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia? That is awful bad booking. I know that WWE wants to build Gunther as a real hated heel and they're quite getting that, but that is a fucking bad idea overall. The match itself is super great, Gunther learned so well about his last bout and tried to avoid each moment that Styles target his leg that is still injured from their last bout. It became much more a submission match than a normal one itself, because Styles also knew that close to retire, beating Gunther with his normal finishers would be much harder. In the ending, AJ Styles felt his career went off his lungs, he tried to survive, tried to keep it alive, but he wasn't able to resist when his last breath came out of his mouth. I really hope that his career isn't over, but if really is, can't protest against the execution, just at the booking."
[9.0] "Fantaatic match. The tensity of the whole thing was insane. I literally was clutching at the end of my seat. I think Styles losing gave the match shock factor As I had no expectation of him losing."
"One can't help but feel that this is the match finish that John Cena and Gunther should have had. AJ looked strong and valiant in defeat while still putting over Gunther as an unstoppable force. This was easily the best of the three retirement matches Gunther has wrestled (Goldberg, Cena, and now AJ Styles). While the match itself was solid, it feels as though AJ deserved a better venue if this is his final match. It was hard to tell if the crowd was underwhelmed or shocked by the finish. A more active crowd like the one AJ and Cody wrestled in front of at Backlash in France could have really elevated this match to elite status."
[10.0] "In art and entertainment the viewer is brought along a shared experience with the artists; we most commonly see artists work to create a bond of joy and fun through the media they create, however, those artists who offer us insights on the uncomfortable and painful emotions we experience can be the most moving. Gunther makes me feel, as a storyteller he is sincere and he is vulnerable with the audience. It's painful to witness, and uncomfortable to see the state his opponents will be left in. Standing in the other corner is an artist who left an undeniable mark on his art, birthing the contemporary North American style we have today. We watched our hero die a slow disheartening death to inevitably of time. This is a dance which leaves the viewer questioning more than it answers, and for me as a viewer the mystery it leaves us with is far more inspiring than a vast majority of storytelling in the modern age."
[9.0] "Styles vs Nakamura is still the best match of Styles' retirement tour, by just a hair. This one was also fantastic. Full of emotions. I still believe Styles is not over yet, but for now: thank you AJ"
[5.0] "Again, I'm surprised to see so much praise for this match. It wasn't a terrible match by any means but the second half of is just a bit of a slog to get through. I watched this with other people as well and they felt the same way. The unrelenting sleeper holds is not as tense as they think it is. I hope this isn't the end for AJ yet cause he really deserves better."
[10.0] "Really incredible match between both men with absolutely brilliant and hard hitting in ring work and psychology between each other, it added more to Gunther's career killer character, and it was a fantastic way to end Styles' WWE career. Thank You Styles."
[10.0] "I liked this more than the Cena match for a couple of reasons. First of all it wasn't certain that AJ was retiring and that was play very well into the match. Unlike John, AJ was trying his absolute hardest to get out of the sleeper because he knew that he still had a lot left in the tank. The ref was GREAT here too. This will probably go down as one of my favorite matches of the year and I think this is the best retirement match Gunther will have considering he's gonna retire more later this year."
[9.0] "I can't remember the last time that I watched a career-threatening match where the result was an unknown in any company; this felt huge, this held weight, this was meaningful. Both men fought like it too: Gunther looked to dominate (and looked incredibly powerful with every strike and move; the blood, albeit unintentional, added to this feeling), AJ looked to tread carefully early on and relentlessly look to take the win in the one way he knows he can. The Styles powerbomb and sleeper attempts were excellent, the false-finishes on the Styles Clash and low-blow weren't convincing but were enjoyable regardless, and the late Gunther brutality was raw. A long-running WWE match without outside interference or dull pacing, and with quality in-ring storytelling, is a breath of fresh air. The finish was absolutely excellent; genuine silence, genuine heartbreak. The quality of wrestling left a little to be desired, but most boxes were ticked. In 2026, I wouldn't even call myself a WWE fan. This, however: Phenomenal."
[3.0] "Basically same booking as the Walter vs. Cena match. Never thought I'd see so many weak kicks and strikes from Gunther of all people. Lol Michael Cole describing one shot from Gunther as a "lariat-like clothesline." AJ deserves a much better send-off."
[9.0] "Not enough to (seemingly) end AJ's carrer but objectively really well worked. After the firts half the drama got intense, also due one or twoo good kick-outs, but when the match ended I thought it should have featured more than that even though the ending itself were quite good. Relatively underwhelming but great nonetheless. ****1/2"
[9.0] "That was awesome match. They started in a equal fight, but GUNTHER started to show a brutal performance almost from the first minutes. Styles's attacks was cheered up so cool. The ending was a very intresting, when GUNTHER just showed no mercy to his opponent. That chops, closelines etc were so powerful. And AJ loses this match and now his career ended. I'm not like this, but it was inevitably. Thank you, AJ Styles."
[8.0] "AJ went out fighting and made Gunther look even more beastly in the process. They told a terrific story based around a sliver of hope, but tonight wasn't the night it paid off ****"
[9.0] "AJ Styles vs. Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble was an outstanding match and a fitting way to close a legendary WWE chapter. From the opening moments, it was clear that this wasn't just another big singles bout, but a carefully constructed story designed to highlight everything AJ Styles has represented in the ring, while further cementing Gunther as an unstoppable force. The match thrived on pure in-ring psychology. Gunther's methodical, punishing style clashed beautifully with Styles' resilience, experience, and technical intelligence. Every exchange felt deliberate, with each man wrestling in a way that was completely true to his character. Gunther dominated without making AJ look weak, while Styles fought from underneath with the urgency and creativity of a veteran who knew this was his final stand. It was wrestling at its most mature and disciplined. AJ Styles deserves immense credit for the performance. He gave everything he had, selling the physical toll of the match and drawing the audience into every comeback attempt. There was a genuine emotional weight to his struggle, as if each rally was driven by pride and legacy rather than hope of victory. Gunther, in turn, was the perfect opponent for a farewell match of this magnitude, controlling the pace and projecting an aura of inevitability that made every moment feel earned. The outcome itself was never in doubt, and it didn't need to be. Styles' decision to step away from this chapter of his career was respected by the booking, and the loss felt meaningful rather than dismissive. The rivalry was handled with care from start to finish, building logically and paying off in a match that honored both men. It was a loss that elevated AJ's legacy while simultaneously reinforcing Gunther's dominance. By the end, the match left behind a powerful question rather than a sense of closure. Gunther's reign now feels more terrifying than ever, his momentum seemingly unstoppable after dismantling a legend like AJ Styles. The real intrigue lies in what comes next: who can realistically stand in his way, and who has the credibility, resilience, and brutality required to finally slow down this machine? If this was AJ Styles' goodbye, it was a masterclass in how to say farewell."
[5.0] "I never had a really strong connection to AJ Styles in his WWE run so this one didn't really connect that strongly with me. I'm glad he got to have a good run, don't get me wrong, but the nostalgia wasn't connecting that strongly. Gunther was good as always, though WWE seems to have no strong interest in really pushing him to the top, capping him out at this weird "big threat except to the true stars" ceiling. The whole situation just left me feeling deflated about the match, what a lousy place to have such an important match. At least Styles sold the finish well and didn't smile like a weirdo. See you on the other side, AJ."
[9.0] "The gloves are still on, so we will see him again. That doesn't really affect my love for this match though. This was fucking fantastic. Two all-time greats battling in high-stakes, hard-bumped, brutal action. Gunther collects another soul. I have this slightly over the Cena match honestly because this felt more authentic even if it wasnt a true retirement match lol. But if it is, what a way to go out man. Somebody stop this Austrian devil! ****3/4"
[8.0] "I'm giving this an 8 solely out of respect for the Phenomenal One, because honestly? I am so over this Gunther 'Career Killer' push. You feed him Cena and now Styles back-to-back? It feels lazy and forced. I genuinely don't get the hype around Gunther; I find him boring and vastly overpushed. He killed the match's pacing every time with those repetitive sleeper holds, while AJ was the one actually carrying the excitement and bumping his heart out. Retiring a legend like AJ Styles in January feels way too rushed and disrespectful, he deserved a WrestleMania send-off at the very least. It's a heartbreaking end to his WWE run, but seeing him leave the gloves on gives me hope. I can't wait to see him tear it up in another promotion where he can actually wrestle without being smothered. Thank you for everything, AJ."
"9/10 An incredible match to end AJ's career. He tried really hard to beat the monster he had to face, but in the end, pure power made the difference."
[9.0] "A great match with a tragic ending. Both men did great in this match. Gunther looked as lhysicslly dominating as ever with his unstoppable submission holds that unfortunately met the end of AJ in a very dramatic and intense finish. AJ, despite getting bounced around, used all of his energy to try and win. Countering Gunther's power bomb and using all of his strength to hit Gunther with his own finisher showed just how much fight AJ was willing to give. I'll miss having AJ but glad to see him go out with a good match. 9/10"
[10.0] "This match had me at the edge of my seat the whole time, An absolutely incredible match, and I didn't believe it, I thought there no way he's retiring, it the second match, with a world title match next, I thought all the teasing was going to end with AJ on top, but when they ringed the bell I just brust into tears, Thank you AJ Styles! You are truly are The Phenomenal One!"
[10.0] "[4.75] Watching Gunther so much makes you realize why this match felt so different. Gunther rarely trades momentum back and forth with his opponent. AJ Styles creates momentum almost every 3 seconds, only for it to get broken. That constant cycle made the match extremely mentally exhausting--especially when watching it without knowing the result, And "mental exhaustion" is a very accurate description because you get mentally drained just watching him. Despair has reached its absolute peak, while the man who's spent weeks bragging that the decision to "put his career on the line" was the right one is still putting up fierce resistance. If you don't have a real, genuine reason for resisting -- the same kind of reason (Stiles) had or something close to it -- then don't resist with this much intensity"
[9.0] "Match had high stakes, felt important, and had two fantastic wrestlers with a reason fighting. AJ and Gunther continue to show the world how good they both are. AJ can still go, no question and Gunther really is a generational talent. It does feel shitty for AJ to kinda retire from WWE so suddenly, as well as in Saudi of all places, but hey AJ doesn't pick the location. Great match"
[9.0] "Very special match, but it is kinda tough to evaluate right after its existence, because we don't know the real consequences yet, but the fact is AJ Styles lost a career match, and at least for the WWE, he's done for good. That was very unexpected, to see AJ going out like this, just a few months after Cena's retirement, we had another one, but the match was incredibly well worked, it was a very smart match, with a great psychology, and it was very captivating as well, it made people live the experience, specially if you didn't want AJ to retire like most of the people. Gunther thrives under those kind of matches, and his performance was incredible, maybe one of his best, in terms of storytelling and the way he read the room, he brought the best gameplan possible and the wrestlers respected the story they've started to tell weeks before this match, when Styles made Gunther tap with the calf crusher, and that move was the biggest story of the match. Styles tried to submit Gunther a lot of times, specially with the calf crusher, a move that already proved to be sucessful against Gunther, but the ring general is a killer, and he was prepared for that, showed a lot of counters, but also some fear, he tried do dodge from AJ's submissions all the time. Although this is not the best or most impressive match of both, it's one of the most mature, they wrestled like two pros, and that's amazing. The ending was extremely tense, with Gunther choking Styles like a predator over and over, strangling him like a snake, until he finally went down - {****1/4}"
[8.0] "Good? For sure. Great? I will dare to say yes. Phenomenal enough for AJ's last match? Probably not. You would expect something more, specially since his rival is as good as Gunther is and being AJ still in great shape. I guess I put the bar a little too high. Still an awesome match."
[8.0] "Very good match in my opinion, kind of expected with these two, but damn, it's really over with AJ, he went out with a great match but still doesn't feel real sort of, would be cool to see him going to other companies for a bit to have some other dream matches."
[8.0] "Weird. I don't think this is the end though. The low blows will be the excuse. Just doesn't make sense but I'll have to assume that they have more story for us. Otherwise, weird."
[0.0] "In my opinion, this Gunther character is already overused and tiresome. It's ridiculous that to revive your career you have to end the careers of wrestlers like Cena and Styles. AJ could easily have been world champion again. The match in the ring was basic, with AJ just carrying, and the ending felt disrespectful to Styles' career. How could they submit him like he was just some jobber? HE'S AJ STYLES! I hope he's just finished his WWE career and goes to AEW; they'll appreciate him more there. Besides, if they keep using this Gunther character, he'll eventually retire everyone and no one will be able to stop him. Currently, there's no one with the credibility to beat him. I can't imagine what would happen if he retired Rey, Orton, Punk, Brock, etc."
[8.0] "****. Great graps. Thanks Gunther. Kinda sick of the 5 minute sleeper sequences. They're building to someone breaking it, idk who tho. One of Gunthers weaker matches since his summerslam return (compliment)"
[10.0] "This was unholy levels of peak, I swear to god. It was genuinely one of the best matches the Fed has put on in years (well, since Gunther vs. Punk last year). It was just great, super intense, super physical, and great technically with godly heel and face performances from two of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots, and it was also a match neither man could afford to lose, so it actually had me on the edge of my seat. Gunther is the best man. Another godly performance from him, just dominating at every turn and snuffing out any hope AJ had of a comeback every single time it looked like the match would turn. The point late in the match when he was battering AJ in the corner and the ref was trying to pull him away was godly as he kept going back for more to try and end the match, and the end where he kept killing the hope of AJ until he fully passed out was so bloody good. AJ was just so damn good; he gave me every hope he was going to win the match and had me going crazy on the 450 into the Styles Clash for the 2.99. He was just rolling back the years and showing he can still go like anyone because he is that good. The finish was just peak the way to kill all help but also giving AJ a dignified and protected end to his excellent 10 years in the Fed and make Gunther look like an even bigger killer. Overall probably the best match of the year so far joint with Tanahashi and Okada, just Uncs locking up and showing why work rate graps are the best way to do it. See you at Wembley, AJ. (*****1/4)"
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