Gunther Says He Made AJ Styles 'Pass Out Like A Little B****'

On December 13, John Cena wrapped up his legendary in-ring career by tapping out to a sleeper hold applied by "The Ring General" GUNTHER. Seven weeks later, AJ Styles' own career came to an end, not by tap-out, but by fading to the submission. Either way, GUNTHER is evidently proud of being the man responsible for it.

"I'm gonna make this short. I intended to make AJ Styles tap out. I intended to win the Royal Rumble. Those two goals have not been fully achieved, but I sure as hell made AJ Styles pass out like a little b****," GUNTHER said on the WWE Royal Rumble post-show.

Styles officially debuted as a WWE Superstar at the 2016 Royal Rumble, where he went on to last nearly 30 minutes in the titular match before being eliminated. Across the next decade, he'd solidify himself as a Grand Slam Champion under the WWE banner thanks to reigns as Intercontinental, United States, World Tag Team, and WWE Champion. In more recent weeks, Styles rekindled his in-ring rivalry with long-time friend Shinsuke Nakamura and even challenged CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. After the events of the 2026 Royal Rumble, he now walks away from his WWE career at the age of 48.

GUNTHER, on the other hand, left the premium live event with an abundance of admiration, but not for "The Phenomenal One." "I walk away with a lot of respect for myself, because tomorrow morning I'm going to look myself in the mirror, and I'm going to look at the man that retired AJ Styles and went until the very end at the Royal Rumble," he said.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.