AJ Styles has revealed a surprising behind-the-scenes detail about his final WWE showdown with John Cena — and it turns out one of 2025’s most celebrated matches had almost no roadmap before the bell rang.
Speaking on his Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles opened up about their Crown Jewel 2025 clash in Perth, Australia, which many fans viewed as a WrestleMania-worthy classic despite taking place halfway across the globe.
While the bout looked polished enough to headline any “Big Match John” highlight reel, Styles admitted the two legends barely planned anything ahead of time.
“Our last match, we didn’t have anything called in the beginning. Nothing was called,” Styles said. “He just said, ‘I’ll call it.’ I go, ‘Okay,’ and I trusted him so much that I wasn’t worried about it.”
That level of trust spoke volumes about the chemistry between the longtime rivals. Styles explained that Cena took complete control once they stepped through the curtain, guiding the match entirely in real time.
“Let’s just go out there and call it, bro, I’m listening to you,” Styles recalled telling Cena. “He would take control of it and he would call the match. He’s different, man.”
AJ Styles praises John Cena’s unique in-ring awareness
According to Styles, Cena’s greatest strength wasn’t just experience — it was his ability to read the audience second by second. Styles noted that Cena could “hear things that nobody else could” inside the arena and adjust the match accordingly.
The improvisational approach matched the unpredictable atmosphere surrounding the bout. Before the match even started, Cena surprised Styles by handing ring announcer Alicia Taylor a handwritten introduction praising Styles’ history in TNA and Bullet Club. It was a rare curtain-call moment before two future Hall of Famers locked up one final time.
Cena ultimately won the match during his retirement tour before officially stepping away from the ring in December 2025. Styles followed shortly after, retiring in January 2026 before entering the WWE Hall of Fame later that year.
Sometimes the best matches aren’t scripted — they’re just phenomenal.
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