John Cena shared that AJ Styles informed him of plans to retire in January prior to their match at WWE Crown Jewel Perth last year. Speaking at MEGACon Orlando, Cena described the unique atmosphere and audience connection during the bout. He noted it was one of the few matches he has rewatched.
During an appearance at MEGACon Orlando, as transcribed by Fightful from the Kickin’ It With Keegan interview, John Cena discussed his singles match against AJ Styles at WWE Crown Jewel Perth last year. Cena revealed that Styles had shared his intention to retire in January before the event, prompting Cena to aim for something special. 'I knew AJ shared with me that he was going to retire in January. So I really think the world of him and wanted to do something special and make it special,' Cena said (h/t Fightful). The match paid tribute to their past rivalry. Cena highlighted the extraordinary atmosphere in Perth, where the crowd wore an abundance of yellow t-shirts matching his attire, despite no giveaways. 'The atmosphere in Perth was like something I’d never seen. I’d never seen that many like t-shirts... I wore yellow that night and like the whole crowd was yellow,' he recounted. Typically facing split crowds, Cena praised the Perth audience for grasping the performers' intentions, leading to a serendipitous moment. The smart crowd even called spots midway through, which Cena appreciated. Unlike most matches, which he avoids rewatching to stay in the moment, Cena has revisited this one multiple times. In the same interview, Cena mentioned wearing wrist and armbands from SummerSlam in what he called his final match, adding personal layers to his reflections.
