John Cena beat AJ Styles on Saturday in “Crown Jewel” as the two legends pulled out all the stops to best one another, using signature moves and finishers of different rivals.
Cena’s outing was seen as a celebration of his time in the WWE, as he utilised different moves from other wrestlers he had previously faced during the gruelling back-and-forth match that went on for nearly 30 minutes.
Styles also paid homage to his old foes in Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling by using their moves.
Before the match started Cena paid respect to his opponent, as he gave announcer Alicia Taylor a note to read out to introduce Styles.
“The definition of Total Nonstop Action, the ace and undisputed boss of the Bullet Club.”
“It is our honour as fans, and my honour as an opponent to see if he can beat up John Cena one final time,” Taylor read out, referencing Styles’ stint in TNA and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
“He is the face that runs the place, ‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles!” the announcer said as the fans went rabid.
Styles, who wore gear similar to what he used to back in his TNA days, was visibly surprised with the impromptu introduction.
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Stars make their tributes
Cena kickstarted the finisher mimicry with The Miz’s “Skull Crushing Finale” to counter a “Styles Clash” attempt, calling back to his rivalry with The Miz in 2011.
He then locked Styles in the “Accolade”, referencing Rusev who he had a feud with in 2015.
“The Last Real Champion” also stretched Styles in a “Walls of Jericho” in a nod to industry legend Chris Jericho, who has been rumoured to return to the WWE.
Styles pulled out some tricks of his own as he locked Cena in a “Coquina Clutch”, paying tribute to Samoa Joe who he had feuds with in both TNA and WWE.
Cena lit up the arena with a “Sister Abigail”, recalling his rivalry with the prophetic Bray Wyatt, who passed away in 2023.
He also channeled his inner viper, hitting his opponent with a “Draping DDT”, into an “RKO” in reference to Randy Orton, who is seen as one of Cena’s greatest rivals.
Throughout the match, Styles dug deep into his TNA roots, using Frankie Kazarian’s “Fade to Black” and Christopher Daniels’ “Angel Wings”.
He also hit Cena with Shawn Michaels’ “Sweet Chin Music”, acknowledging a what-if dream rivalry with Michaels.
But it was Cena who won the bout, finishing off Styles with the Undertaker’s “Tombstone Piledriver” into his own “Attitude Adjustment” in quick succession.
What’s next for Cena and Styles?
The two men then shared a hug and raised each other’s hands, as Cena will conclude his career in December and Styles is set to retire in 2026.
Commentator Michael Cole mentioned that Cena has four dates remaining in his retirement tour.
“Four dates remain, I don’t know how you top what we just saw. But I know John Cena will try,” fellow commentator Wade Barrett added.
Styles, on the other hand, stated that he will retire next year, hinting at the move throughout the year.
“I will probably appear at ‘WrestleMania’, but it’s not confirmed yet.”
“The details are still undecided, but I will definitely retire within the next year,” Styles said during an interview with Tokyo Sports previously.
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