Amidst their intense clash at WWE Crown Jewel, John Cena and AJ Styles paid tribute to a number of their current and former wrestling colleagues. In honor of Samoa Joe, Styles cinched in the Coquina Clutch on Cena.
“It’s really, really cool,” Joe told Forbes when asked about his reaction to seeing the spot. “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,” he continued. “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.”
In addition to Joe, Styles utilized moves associated with fellow former TNA peers Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Sting. From the WWE realm, Styles nailed Cena with a Sweet Chin Music, the finisher of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. In the end, it still wasn’t enough to overcome the Attitude Adjustment that came his way and sealed victory for Cena.
Currently, Styles is a regular fixture on the “WWE Raw” brand. Meanwhile, Joe reigns as an AEW World Trios Champion, with a shot at the AEW World Championship also scheduled for him at AEW WrestleDream.
