John Cena and AJ Styles dug deep into their pasts at WWE Crown Jewel. Their match, a high point of the show, saw them use signature moves from past rivals, including Samoa Joe, someone who has a rich history with both superstars.
At Crown Jewel, Styles snatched a Coquina Clutch, Joe’s longtime rear-naked choke submission move. It was a nod from Styles to his legendary TNA rival, one of many dedicated to professional wrestlers who were cornerstones for the company’s Spike TV era.
“It’s incredibly cool,” Joe told CBS Sports before challenging “Hangman” Adam Page for the AEW world championship at Saturday’s WrestleDream pay-per-view. “Both those men are people I have unyielding respect for. I’m so happy to see they’ve enjoyed the successes they have had in their life. It was wonderful to be thought of in their big moment.”
Joe also has a deeply personal connection to Cena, despite never wrestling each other on WWE television. They started wrestling around the same time, training and performing in the now-defunct California-based Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) promotion. Joe recounted how Cena and Frankie Kazarian once cleaned out his father’s fridge, each consuming six pounds of chicken breasts in an impromptu eating challenge.
Cena vs. Styles, their fifth and final encounter, was a memorable stop on Cena’s ongoing retirement tour. The 17-time world champion will retire at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on Dec. 13. Styles recently confirmed that he’d retire from in-ring competition next year. While Joe, who confirmed he’d likely retire whenever his current AEW deal expires, sympathizes with fans who are sad to see the legends go, he’s happy that his longtime friends are winding down.
“AJ is one of the few wrestlers who changed the face of wrestling. He’s definitely the prototype of an ideal wrestler and expanded that category,” Joe said. “Much like John, both had fantastic careers. I know for many fans it’s sad to see them go, and I can obviously see why. They’ve been such a big part of the industry for so long.
“For me, it’s a bit of a different perspective. I’m super happy for them both. These are both men who’ve achieved in this industry. They really have careers they can kick back their feet and look at with tremendous pride and satisfaction. I’m always happy to see people enter that phase of their life in a healthy manner with great future prospects of other things on the horizon.”
Add Comment