It has been nearly seventeen years since the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair won his final world championship on WCW Monday Nitro, officially being recognized by WWE as the only sixteen-time world title holder in wrestling history. Until tonight. John Cena defeated the “Phenomenal One” AJ Styles in the semi-main event of the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view to become the WWE Champion for a record-tying sixteenth time.
Both men took each other to the absolute limit, pulling out every finisher in their kit multiple times, with nearfall after nearfall bringing every fan inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX to the edge of their seat. Styles put up the fight of his life, but it was Cena who took the title home, in a display of aggression fans have not seen out of the leader of the “Cenation” in a very long time. At one point, the now sixteen-time champion even locked in Flair’s signature Figure Four Leglock, poetically signalling the changing of the guard happening in the middle of the ring. Cena won with a duet of Attitude Adjustments, having already hit several throughout their epic battle, including one off the top rope.
Perhaps even more poetic, John celebrated his victory and even offered a brief embrace to the referee for the bout, “Lil Naitch” Charles Robinson, before taking his leave as the new WWE Champion.
