WWE Rivalry rewind: 5 biggest moments from John Cena Vs AJ Styles.
WWE introduced a new era of pro wrestling in 2016. Their product went through several crucial changes during this time. The company also reinstated the Brand Split, which provided RAW and SmackDown with their separate rosters.
WWE's intention to present a more exciting product led to many never-seen-before rivalries. One such dream rivalry happened between John Cena and AJ Styles.
The feud started before the 2016 MITB pay-per-view and continued for the next seven months. The two superstars, surprisingly, shared incredible chemistry. They brought the best out of each other every single time.
The character development, in-ring action and promo work during this feud were simply flawless. It was a career-defining rivalry for both superstars. Let's go down memory lane to relive this iconic WWE feud.
In this article, let's look at the five most memorable moments from the John Cena Vs AJ Styles rivalry.
#5. AJ Styles turns heel on John Cena: WWE RAW
John Cena made his much-awaited return to WWE RAW in May 2016, after being out of action for months. He talked about WWE's new era and questioned the toughness of the new superstars.
After Cena's promo, AJ Styles made his way to the ring. He told the Franchise Player about his long time desire to share the ring with him. The two superstars shook hands afterward as a sign of mutual respect.
However, they were soon interrupted by AJ's former teammates Gallows and Anderson (The Club). Due to some internal conflicts, Styles decided to separate himself from his teammates. It didn't sit well with Gallows and Anderson, who now looked to beat up both AJ and Cena.
The Phenomenal One pretended to team up with Cena. However, Styles quickly showed his true colors by attacking his own teammate. The Club also joined him in this beatdown. It was one of the most perfectly executed heel turns of all time.
It brought back relevancy to AJ Styles, who had got lost in the shuffle after his consecutive losses to Roman Reigns. It also gave John Cena a tough opponent to deal with. Moreover, this segment introduced the world to the popular #BeatUpJohnCena trend.