When AJ Styles walked towards the ring wearing his old TNA gear, opting for the trunks instead of the pants he’s worn throughout his WWE stint, it’s as if the mood for his last-ever match with John Cena shifted before it even started.
But when Cena handed ring announcer Alicia Taylor a piece of paper from where she read, “Ladies and gentlemen, the definition of Total Non-Stop Action, The Ace and Undisputed Boss of the Bullet Club, it’s our honor as fans and my honor as an opponent to see if he can beat up John Cena one final time. He is the face that runs the place, the Phenomenal AJ Syles,” we knew this match would be an instant classic.
It would be a fitting tribute to two titans of the industry—the top names from different wrestling companies who would converge in WWE at the perfect time, not just once or twice, but five times.
The face/s that run this place
It was apparent from the start that they had no plans of going outside the ring, similar to their sensational 2017 Royal Rumble match when Cena won his then record-tying 16th world title.
Top rope? Sure! Apron? Have to. But outside the ring? Announcer’s table? Barricade? Nope. Not needed. These two didn’t need anything else but the squared circle and a story.
Cena and Styles were prepared to sell a professional wrestling match in its purest form.
The match itself was great. The pace was fair for two wrestlers who have been doing this for more than two decades. But what really stole the show were the signature moves that they sprinkled throughout the contest to pay tribute to the other legends they once shared the ring with.
We’ve seen this from some of Cena’s last few matches. But it was great to see more from him, and then some from Styles.
The Phenomenal One paid tribute to some of his TNA rivals in Samoa Joe (Coquina Clutch), Christopher Daniels (Angel’s Wings), Sting (Scorpion Death Drop), and Kazarian (Fade to Black, a.k.a. Dead Eye).
Although they did not share the ring together, Styles also tipped his hat to Shawn Michaels by tuning up the band and hitting the Sweet Chin Music.
Why was this important?
Well, because it means that the WWE values Styles so much that he’s allowed to blur company lines.
Yes, there is a great relationship between TNA and NXT now, but references to non-WWE material still come few and far in between on the main roster, especially on a main event level.
This Cena-Styles match only proved that rules can be bent to help a legend pay tribute to his path towards greatness.
In fact, Styles’ Crown Jewel ring gear was more than just a throwback. It’s the same style that was featured on the cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2005, alongside Cena.
Styles owned TNA’s signature six-sided ring. He arguably made it famous as the star of the company’s X Division. The Phenomenal One was so good that everyone imagined what it would be like if he faced the best from the WWE.
Before Styles’ 2016 entry in WWE, a crossover event between TNA’s main man and WWE’s top star just seemed in possible.
Five major matches later, a series that John won 3-2 with his Crown Jewel victory, Cena-Styles will have a special place in wrestling lore not for the number of times they actually battled it out, but for the quality of their matches that included this one-of-a-kind ending to their story.
John Cena hits the RKO on AJ Styles. Photo: WWE
John Cena does not suck
A popular critic of Cena that was referenced during his ongoing retirement tour is that he can’t wrestle, and that he only has “five moves of doom.”
But for his final match with Styles, Cena pulled out all the stops and continued his recent trend of using his rivals’ signature moves.
We saw the Skull Crushing Finale from the Miz, and The Accolade from Rusev. He also went vintage Randy Orton with a Draping DDT and RKO combination, but just missed on a punt kick.
Cena also hit a Chokeslam, complete with The Undertaker’s crazy eyes, and locked in the Walls of Jericho.
Up to now, I’m still not sure if Cena was goaded by the hot Perth crowd into faking out a 619 or if it was really part of his plans that the Australian crown just guessed correctly.
John Cena takes a moment to admire the fireflies. Photo: WWE
However, among all these tributes, the best was hitting Sister Abigail as a tribute for Bray Wyatt. Everything about that move was goosebump-inducing. First off, Cena hit it well. I mean he did it with so much force that he might have convinced some it was the finish.
The WWE Universe at the RAC Arene then understood the assignment, unleashing the fireflies to make the moment all the more epic. The meaningful gesture allowed Cena to take it all in, briefly staring at the heavens as if to see if Bray was smiling with approval.
When it came to the finish, Cena went to a mind-numbing combination of a Tombstone Piledriver and his own Attitude Adjustment for the three count.
While Cena’s match history with The Undertaker is complicated, it only seemed right that he used one of WWE’s most protected finishing moves in combination of his own to put way a worthy rival like Styles.
With Crown Jewel on the horizon, Cena now has just four appearances left before he wraps up his WWE career.
It’s been quite the ride, but this match felt extra special because he gave Styles the spot that he deserves.
When people were fantasy booking the final matches of Cena, few mentioned Styles. Currently, he’s in a program alongside Rey Fenix and is in between still wanting to chase the Intercontinental Championship or the World Tag Team Championships.
However, with no set-up whatsoever, the Cena-Styles match was willed into existence for Crown Jewel and we should all be glad it happened whether it was a work or shoot.
With Styles announcing his intention to also retire in 2026, this final showdown with Cena felt like all the good things coming together to make two legends deliver an all-time classic.
As much as this match was part of Cena’s farewell tour, it might also serve as the highlight of Styles’ phenomenal goodbye.