John Cena has paid tribute to AJ Styles with a throwback image ahead of his upcoming WWE Royal Rumble match.
AJ Styles will put his career on the line against GUNTHER at WWE Royal Rumble on January 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
John Cena, himself having retired recently, has shared a throwback photo of AJ Styles on Instagram without comment, as is the case with his posts.
The photo features AJ Styles as a member of Bullet Club, holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, a title that he would hold twice in his NJPW career.
Styles first became IWGP Heavyweight Champion with a victory over Kazuchika Okada at Wrestling Dontaku in May 2014.
He would lose the title to Hiroshi Tanahashi in October of that year, recapturing it at the February 2015 The New Beginning in Osaka show.
It would be Okada who would end Styles’ second run as IWGP Heavyweight Champion at the July 2015 Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall.
Styles would remain in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, with his WWE signing confirmed in January 2016.
During his own retirement year, John Cena defeated AJ Styles at October’s WWE Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia last year.
With reports that Styles is set to retire this year, a potential spoiler as to his in-ring future has since emerged.
John Cena has given a nod to AJ Styles, amid retirement speculation ahead of WWE Royal Rumble 🫡 pic.twitter.com/8q8TDtp4QV
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) January 26, 2026
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