WWE icon John Cena recently provided a stunning assessment of his long-time rival AJ Styles, declaring “The Phenomenal One” to be the greatest professional wrestler to ever step inside the ring. Speaking on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Cena was asked to provide a word association for Styles and immediately offered effusive, career-defining praise, even if it meant subtly shading a former rival and mentor, Shawn Michaels.
The tribute comes after the two last met at WWE Crown Jewel 2025 in what was billed as the final time the two legends would compete against each other in the ring. The match was a half-hour back-and-forth battle that was lauded by fans and critics alike, earning an A grade and being considered the highest-rated match of the evening. Cena played word association and was asked about Styles. The full quote cemented the lasting legacy of “The Phenomenal One”:
“Best to ever do it. Shawn’s gonna be pssed, and God did Shawn ever take care of me. There’s not a lot he [Styles] can’t do, and he makes the difficult look easy. But that is not God-given talent. That is practice. When you see difficult become seamless, it’s because it’s been done 10,000 times, and the amount of sht he can do seamlessly. Man, he’s the best to ever do it.”
The legendary rivalry between Cena and Styles is considered a modern classic, featuring acclaimed matches at SummerSlam 2016 and Royal Rumble 2017. Their final encounter at Crown Jewel was more than just a match; it was described as a “poetic love letter to their craft, their rivals, their legacy, and to the fans.
John Cena’s Praise For AJ Styles
During the match, both wrestlers paid homage to previous rivals: Styles was seen utilizing moves made famous by former TNA Wrestling rivals like Sting, Samoa Joe, Frankie Kazarian, and Christopher Daniels, as well as Shawn Michaels’ Sweet Chin Music. Cena was also seen paying tribute to the late Bray Wyatt. The conclusion saw Cena put Styles away with a combination of a Tombstone Piledriver and an Attitude Adjustment.
Cena expanded on his praise for Styles, saying he is far more unique than merely being “once in a generation.” Cena offered an even higher compliment, calling him a “once in a genre” performer whose unique presence and talent may never be replicated in wrestling history. This high praise from Cena highlights the incredible legacy the former WWE Champion has built outside of WWE in promotions like TNA Wrestling and NJPW before making his WWE main roster debut.
Cena’s praise for Styles’ in-ring dominance aligns with Styles’ current position as one-half of the reigning WWE World Tag Team Champions. Styles, alongside his partner Dragon Lee, successfully defended the titles against The New Day on the December 1 episode of Raw. The champions are set to defend their titles again at Saturday Night’s Main Event this Saturday, December 13th. They will face a challenging team in the TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater, who has close ties to Styles, and the breakout NXT star Je’Von Evans.
