Shinsuke Nakamura Spoils Exact Plans For AJ Styles’ WWE Retirement In Statement On Social Media, Quickly Deletes It

Shinsuke Nakamura may have unintentionally revealed the outcome of AJ Styles vs. Gunther ahead of the WWE Royal Rumble.

Following Nakamura’s recent match with Styles at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Montreal, the former Intercontinental Champion took to Instagram and posted a message reflecting on his longtime rivalry with Styles.

The post has since been deleted, but not before fans captured screenshots that quickly made the rounds online.

In the post, Nakamura claimed that Styles previously told him he was planning to retire at this year’s Royal Rumble.

“During last year’s Australia tour, at a house show in Melbourne, AJ gave a speech after the match,” Nakamura wrote. “Listening to it, it was clear he was thanking the fans. But somehow, it also felt like he was hinting that retirement might not be that far away.”

Nakamura went on to share a more direct conversation the two allegedly had during the same tour.

“The tour continued to Japan, and before the shows there, I asked him something,” he continued. “We were in a van on the way to the meet and greet. I asked him, ‘When are you going to retire?’ He answered, ‘The Royal Rumble. I’ve already decided.’”

The Instagram post is no longer live, but screenshots remain circulating across social media, fueling speculation about Styles’ future, and whether Nakamura just spoiled the finish (see below).

As previously announced, AJ Styles’ career will be on the line when he challenges Gunther at the January 31 WWE Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.