AJ Styles says he completely agrees with Triple H’s comment that his WWE Crown Jewel match with John Cena was a love letter to professional wrestling.
Speaking with No-Contest Wrestling, AJ Styles was asked about the memorable moments in his career that he’s most proud of. He said that creating moments is more important than big moves because fans remember those moments forever.
He mentioned the first time he and Cena faced each other at SummerSlam in 2016. Styles then talked about their recent match at Crown Jewel, explaining that he and Cena intentionally filled it with many small callbacks and details from their past.
“We created a lot of different moments in that match. And it wasn’t just moves. It was like I was trying to create a moment based on what I was wearing. A lot of people don’t know, but there was a magazine out and it had John Cena and AJ Styles.”
“I was in TNA; he was in WWE, of course. Well, I was wearing the gear that I had on in that magazine. So, for those who put it together, it was cool for them, I guess. For those who aren’t old enough to remember it, they’re like, “Well, he’s wearing shorts, I guess.” You know?”
He also mentioned specific moments in the match and said the match was filled with small throwbacks referencing their history and the opponents they’ve both faced over the years. Styles said that all of this was exactly why Triple H described the match the way he did.
“It was exactly what Triple H said. It was like a love note to pro wrestling, you know? Like, that’s what we wanted to create out there. All the people that we’ve wrestled, all the things that we’ve done, we’re just going to mash it all together and just kind of make history with that match. That’s what we were trying to do anyway. I think a lot of people enjoyed it.”
AJ Styles explains why John Cena’s surprise introduction meant so much
AJ Styles explained that he had no idea John Cena wrote a special introduction for him. He said he was completely surprised by it. He said, “When I heard the definition of Total Nonstop Action, I was like, “Wait, were they talking about me?” And so I was like, “Oh, okay.”
“And I realized—I was like, this John you could see me look at him, “What did you do?” You know, kind of thing. And it was pretty freaking cool, man. That was an introduction I had no idea that I was getting, but he found a way to make me feel just as important as he was in that ring. And it’s very much appreciated.”
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