AEW Champion Reacts To AJ Styles Paying Tribute During Recent Match

AJ Styles paid tribute to one of his greatest rivals during a huge WWE match, even though the former rival works for AEW now.

At WWE Crown Jewel, John Cena defeated AJ Styles in a classic match that saw the two future Hall of Famers rekindle their rivalry with one final match that will be remembered forever.

A big reason why WWE fans loved the Cena-Styles match so much is that the two legends paid tribute to many wrestlers they have competed against and with during their illustrious careers.

During the match, John Cena used moves like Chris Jericho’s Walls of Jericho, Randy Orton’s RKO, Bray Wyatt’s Sister Abigail, and The Undertaker’s Tombstone, among others.

As for AJ Styles, he used Christopher Daniels’ Angel’s Wings. Sting’s Scorpion Death Drop, Frankie Kazarian’s Fade to Black, and the Shawn Michaels Sweet Chin Music superkick, even though Styles never wrestled Michaels in his career.

AJ Styles also used the Coquina Clutch submission move that Samoa Joe used throughout his career in ROH, TNA, WWE and now in AEW. Styles and Joe wrestled many times in multiple promotions, so it was great to see Styles pay tribute to the Samoan Submission Machine like that.

What Did Samoa Joe Think About The AJ Styles Tribute Move?

In addition to AJ Styles, Samoa Joe also has a history with John Cena since the two men trained together in California at UPW about 25 years ago before they made it in the pro wrestling business.

When asked by Forbes about the tribute by Styles, the AEW Trios Tag Team Champion Samoa Joe said he was flattered by it.

“I mean, it’s cool. It’s really, really cool. Obviously, I’m super flattered, but I think my friendship with AJ over the years has always been super duper strong. So, I mean, any tribute always pales in comparison to the phone calls and trash talk that usually happen anytime we get together. So, yeah, I’m obviously more than honored and flattered.

It’s good to know that your peers appreciate that sense, especially when it talks about the breadth of their career and what it means to them. I’m beyond honored—it’s an awesome thing to see. I have unyielding amounts of respect for both men involved in that match, and I’m so happy that [Styles and John Cena] are getting their flowers.”

While John Cena will retire in December after a few more matches, AJ Styles has also made it clear that he will retire as a wrestler in 2026, although the specific date of his final match is not yet known.

Make TJR Wrestling your choice for news by clicking here.