The recent social media campaign teasing a final showdown between John Cena and AJ Styles was not a spontaneous development — it was part of a carefully orchestrated plan by WWE to maximize fan anticipation for the match, which will now officially take place at Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the highly anticipated match was “always scheduled for Australia,” and the storyline suggesting it might not happen was a deliberate creative tactic. WWE wanted fans to believe the bout was in jeopardy due to Cena’s limited retirement tour schedule, thereby increasing demand and emotional investment.
“The idea was they’d tell people, ‘you’re not going to get this match,’” Meltzer explained. “So to create a demand for the match, they basically told the story that Cena is paying tribute to him because he’s only got limited dates, and AJ ain’t getting it.”
Meltzer also revealed that AJ Styles’ off-air promo on Raw — where he vented frustration over his recent booking — was part of this long-term build, designed to make the storyline feel more authentic and organic.
The rivalry between Cena and Styles is one of WWE’s most acclaimed of the modern era, producing a string of classic matches between 2016 and 2018. Their clash at the 2017 Royal Rumble, where Cena defeated Styles to tie Ric Flair’s record with his 16th world championship, is widely regarded as one of the greatest matches of the decade.
The plan appears to have succeeded, as excitement is high for their final encounter on October 11 at Crown Jewel. After the event, Cena is scheduled for just two more appearances on Raw in November, the Survivor Series premium live event on November 29, and his final career match on December 13 at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C.
