John Cena continued his farewell tour, wrestling at WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Australia on Oct. 11. Yet this particular match was as much about Cena as it was his opponent – AJ Styles.
In the moments leading up to its start, a raw emotion filled the air when Cena had the ring announcer read a special introduction he had written for Styles.
“It definitely caught me off guard,” admitted Styles. “When I heard ‘The definition of Total Nonstop Action,’ I thought to myself, ‘Wait a minute.’ He took this from just being about John to making it about John and AJ Styles. It’s something he didn’t have to do, but that’s John. That’s just who he is.”
Cena and Styles then wrestled a phenomenal 27-minute match, one that paid tribute to many of their past opponents. For Styles, it served as further affirmation of a legendary career. He wrestled outside of WWE for the first 18 years of his career, carrying the smaller TNA promotion but rarely receiving credit for his place as one of the most captivating pro wrestlers in the world.
“When I was in TNA, I accepted as reality that I was never going to have a WWE moment,” said Styles, who is 48-year-old Allen Jones. “The fact that I was able to wrestle John when I got to WWE [in 2016] was definitely a blessing. Who would have thought that two guys who are drastically different would have so many amazing matches?
“But the moment this match was announced, we had a feeling we had something special. I don’t know why, but it’s magical when we get in the ring together. And it’s funny because we’re drastically different in every way. The only thing we have in common is wrestling.”
The match was full of meaning, which included Styles’ gear. He wore wrestling attire that was modeled after the gear worn in October 2005 during the first episode of TNA on Spike TV, which up to that point had been the most significant moment of his career. It was also the same gear he was wearing on the cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated – opposite Cena – from a January 2006 issue of the magazine.
“For those who remembered that magazine cover, this was for them,” said Styles. “That wasn’t the same gear I wore. I don’t even know where that gear is. I had to get a new set made. Fortunately, my gear-maker researched and made it exactly the way I wore it back in TNA.”
Beginning in 2014, Styles reached a career-altering level of prominence during a two-year sojourn to Japan. Yet even that pales in comparison to the notoriety he continues to achieve in WWE. As Styles prepares to wrap up his own career – confirming that 2026 will be his final year – he shared that it was his series of matches with Cena that catapulted him to a whole new tier of stardom.
“I’m not sure there is anyone in the ring I trust more than John Cena,” said Styles. “He’s incredible at understanding what the fans need when they need it. He’s even more incredible with the way he treats people.
“During our match at Crown Jewel, which is the last time we’ll ever wrestle each other, I was in the moment. I embraced and enjoyed it – I mean, it’s hard not to love what you do when you’re having so much fun doing it. People might be surprised to hear this, but for John and myself, it was another match until it was over. Afterward, we were able to reflect on its significance. In the moment, we were doing what we do to entertain people.”
The match reached its finish when Cena hit an Undertaker-inspired Tombstone piledriver – followed by an AA – for the winning combination. More than a week later, the match still echoes through the minds of wrestling fans.
“We’ve been doing this for decades, this is what we do,” said Styles. “The greatest part is it meant a lot to a lot of people. We wanted to give wrestling fans something special, and I think we accomplished that.”
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