The recent social media campaign suggesting a final match between John Cena and AJ Styles might not happen was reportedly a deliberate storyline to build fan demand. According to Dave Meltzer, the match was always planned for WWE Crown Jewel on October 11 in Perth, Australia. The creative strategy centered on portraying scarcity around Cena’s limited retirement tour schedule to increase interest in the bout.
The on-screen angle featured social media posts from Cena asking Triple H to make the match, along with an off-air promo on Raw where Styles voiced frustration with his booking. Meltzer detailed the kayfabe logic behind the approach.
“The idea was they’d tell people ‘you’re not going to get this match’ — so to create a demand for the match, they basically told the story that Cena is paying tribute to him because he’s only got limited dates, and AJ ain’t getting it,” Meltzer reported.
On September 23, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H officially confirmed the contest via social media. The Crown Jewel clash will act as a tiebreaker, as the singles record between Cena and Styles currently sits at 2-2.
This encounter renews a rivalry that delivered several acclaimed matches between 2016 and 2018. At the 2017 Royal Rumble, Cena defeated Styles to capture his record-tying 16th world championship.
Following Crown Jewel, Cena’s retirement tour includes two Raw appearances in November, Survivor Series on November 29, and a final match scheduled for December 13.