John Cena has revealed why it meant so much to him to give AJ Styles a meaningful sendoff when the two faced each other at WWE Crown Jewel in 2025.
The longtime rivals renewed their storied feud one final time last year, with Cena ultimately defeating Styles in a match designed to celebrate Styles’ career. Speaking on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, Cena explained that once Styles told him he planned to retire at the Royal Rumble, he immediately realized the veteran might not receive the farewell he deserved.
“When he told me that he was going to retire at the Royal Rumble, when we were planning our thing in Australia, I immediately was like, he’s not going to get a sendoff,” Cena said. “I told myself he’s going to get one in Australia.”
Cena said he holds deep respect for Styles both personally and professionally, describing him as someone who has pushed him to perform at his best throughout their rivalry.
“A lot of people love AJ Styles. I love AJ Styles,” Cena explained. “He’s a person close to my life. He’s brought the best out of me, he’s virtuous, he’s a nice guy. He’ll give his body for the business until he can’t go anymore. And he never wants to be a diminished version of himself.”
Knowing their match could be one of Styles’ final major appearances, Cena said he carefully thought about how to structure the bout.
The match itself featured a number of tributes to wrestlers both men had faced throughout their careers. WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H later described the match as a “love letter to pro wrestling.”
Cena explained that part of the idea was to allow Styles to showcase the full range of his abilities while also paying homage to the many performers who helped shape their careers.
“I started doing some homage moves knowing that I had him,” Cena said. “I’m like, ‘Dude, you do so much stuff. I want to have a match where you can do all your stuff.'”
The concept evolved even further after Styles suggested incorporating tributes to wrestlers he admired during his time in TNA Wrestling.
“He said, ‘What if I do it as a homage to the guys I dig in TNA?’ And I said, ‘That’s perfect,'” Cena recalled.
Although Cena was not present for Styles’ final WWE appearance after his own retirement match, the moment at Crown Jewel served as a symbolic farewell between two performers whose rivalry helped define an era of WWE.
