During a recent appearance on the RAW Recap podcast, AJ Styles opened up about his upcoming match with John Cena at the 2025 WWE Crown Jewel Premium Live Event, calling it likely the final chapter in one of WWE’s most acclaimed rivalries.
“Alright, well, let’s just be honest about the whole thing,” Styles began. “I don’t know if you guys noticed, haven’t been in the main event picture lately. So, I just assumed that I wasn’t that important. But it sounds like, to me, the fans wanted this match, and at the end of the day, when it comes to John Cena’s retirement tour, we’re gonna give them what they want.”
Styles confirmed that the bout — set for October 11 in Perth, Australia — will be his final encounter with Cena. “I’m happy to have the opportunity to face John one more time and I can tell you this, it’ll never happen again,” he said. “I don’t care how much money they offer us, we’re probably still — I said probably — we’re not going to Saudi Arabia to have another match. This is it. I know in my heart, this is the right thing and John’s gonna be retiring soon and I’m gonna be right behind him. It’s just the reality of two guys who have busted their butt for so many years, and busted their bodies at the same time. It’s time.”
Styles also expressed deep gratitude for Cena’s role in elevating his WWE career. “He definitely made me. There’s no question in my mind that he helped make AJ Styles,” he admitted. “He put me on a different level, and some of my best matches have been with John. That is also no question. So, I don’t know where I would be exactly on the charts right now if it hadn’t been for John, but it certainly did help being in the ring with him.”
Cena and Styles have shared some of WWE’s most memorable bouts of the past decade, including their acclaimed clashes at SummerSlam 2016 and Royal Rumble 2017. Their upcoming showdown at Crown Jewel is expected to serve as both a celebration of their storied rivalry and a symbolic passing of the torch, marking a fitting farewell for two of WWE’s most respected veterans.
