WWE Monday Night RAW was held on Monday, January 26, 2026, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This episode served as the final RAW leading up to the Royal Rumble, which is set to take place on August 31st in Saudi Arabia.
A major highlight of the evening was AJ Styles’ appearance, which further intensified the buildup to his Royal Rumble clash against Gunther. With the stakes extremely high, Styles’ presence on RAW drew significant focus to their heated rivalry, one of the top storylines heading into the premium live event.
In recent months, Styles has publicly discussed his potential retirement, and the Royal Rumble match features a career-altering stipulation: if Styles loses to Gunther, he must retire from WWE. This looming possibility made his appearance feel deeply significant, as fans in Toronto speculated whether they were witnessing the start of his final chapter.
The show opened with a promo segment featuring AJ Styles. Despite the cold weather outside, the Toronto crowd gave him a warm reception. Styles addressed the audience, reflecting on the Royal Rumble and expressing his belief that Gunther aims to end his career there.
Styles responded defiantly, stating he has no plans to leave WWE just yet. Although retirement might be on the horizon this year, he still wants to face other challengers and aims to become world champion again.
After putting forth his argument, Styles acknowledged Gunther’s skill but not his dominance. At that moment, CM Punk appeared, taking issue with Styles’ retirement talk because he wanted the chance to compete against him in the WWE ring.
Styles dismissed Punk’s remarks as disrespectful, while Punk called Styles’ stance selfish. Styles confidently claimed he could defeat both Gunther and Punk. Punk countered that if Styles lost to Gunther, he would never get the opportunity to prove it.
Styles then declared that if he could beat Punk tonight and survive the challenge against Gunther, he would earn the number one contender spot for the title. Punk reminded everyone he won the championship on November 1st and vowed to remain a fighting champion. He then officially announced the title match would take place that same night in Toronto.
When the match finally began, the Toronto crowd was fully engaged. It was a tightly contested bout that held fans riveted until the very end, with chants of “This is awesome” echoing throughout the arena as the two WWE Hall of Famers battled fiercely.
During the match, CM Punk intercepted AJ Styles’ sliding knee attempt on the apron and responded with a Go To Sleep (GTS) move outside the ring. The fight continued back inside, with Styles landing a Styles Clash for a close two-count.
As the contest progressed, Finn Balor unexpectedly entered and delivered a shotgun dropkick to Punk. Balor was visibly frustrated after being removed from the Royal Rumble match. He then dominated Punk around the ring, culminating in a Coup de Grâce, taunting the crowd before delivering two more devastating strikes to Punk’s ribs.
For now, all attention remains on AJ Styles, whose legendary in-ring career is set to conclude in 2026. While the details of how he will end his journey are still unknown, fans in Toronto won’t soon forget this intense World Heavyweight Title showdown.
What are your thoughts on AJ Styles potentially retiring from WWE? Do you believe he still has a chance to reclaim a championship? Share your opinions in the comments below.
Fan Take: AJ Styles’ retirement storyline adds emotional weight to WWE’s future, creating anticipation around one of the sport’s greatest performers potentially stepping away. This moment could redefine upcoming rivalries and championships, making 2026 a pivotal year for WWE fans worldwide.
