• 2 WWE Stars Received A Standing Ovation Backstage At Crown Jewel
John Cena and AJ Styles went head-to-head one final time and put on a classic today at WWE Crown Jewel in Australia. The two men wrestled for nearly half an hour. In the end Cena defeated Styles after hitting a Tombstone Piledriver followed by an Attitude Adjustment. This was Cena’s 100th PPV victory.
Fans in the arena and at home thoroughly enjoyed the match. ESPN highlighted it as the best match of the night in its review.
During the match, Cena and Styles paid tribute to various wrestlers that they worked with during their illustrious careers. Below is the list:
– The Undertaker
– Chris Jericho
– Randy Orton
– Bray Wyatt
– Shawn Michaels
– Sting
– The Miz
– Samoa Joe
– Rusev
– Christopher Daniels
– Frankie Kazarian
Honorable Mentions: Rey Mysterio (John set AJ up for a 619, but Styles clotheslined Cena) and Triple H (they almost hit a Pedigree)
The Undertaker called the match a “masterclass” and a “beautiful tribute to wrestling.” Frankie Kazarian described it as “a poetic love letter to their craft, their rivals, their legacy, and to the fans.”
According to Fightful Select, the match also received significant praise in WWE, as Cena and Styles received a standing ovation backstage following their match.
Also, Styles was unaware that the surprise introduction segment was planned. Additionally, the “Bullet Club” mention isn’t expected to cause any internal problems.
With the 17-time World Champion’s battle against The Phenomenal One at Crown Jewel concluded, there are now 4 dates left in his Retirement Tour, including two episodes of RAW, Survivor Series: WarGames and Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
• ESPN’s Rating For WWE Crown Jewel & Worst Rated Match Revealed
WWE kicked off its partnership with ESPN last month at the Wrestlepalooza Premium Live Event. The show was expected to be a major spectacle, but ended up being underwhelming. ESPN writer Andreas Hale criticized the event and gave it a C grade, which sparked a lot of discourse online.
Many fans were eagerly waiting for Hale’s review of today’s Crown Jewel PLE. His review is now out, and he has given it a B.
Here’s what he wrote about the event:
“A show that stumbled out of the gate with a relatively tame street fight and a far too brief fight between women’s champions was rescued by an absolutely stellar match between Cena and Styles that put an excellent bookend to their rivalry.
Rollins finally getting his comeuppance against Rhodes — by any means necessary — and the women’s tag match were both strong and anchored a memorable bounce-back for WWE after a middling Wrestlepalooza.”
Hale enjoyed John Cena vs. AJ Styles the most, giving it an A. Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY vs. The Kabuki Warriors and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes both earned a B.
Roman Reigns and Bronson Reed’s Australian Street Fight received a C, while the lowest-rated match on the card was Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer vs. WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, which received a C-.
