#1.) John Cena vs AJ Styles – Royal Rumble
In the conclusion of their PPV trilogy (they did face a year later on SmackDown, but we won’t count that), John Cena and AJ Styles’ third battle wasn’t just for pride – it was for the biggest prize in the industry. AJ Styles was running strong, with over 130 days under his belt as WWE Champion. The longest reign in over three years at that point, Cena seemingly declared himself number one contender and got the match at Royal Rumble.
In front of over 50,000 crazy fans at the Alamodome, Styles and Cena put on yet another masterclass, with many saying it was better than their SummerSlam match. It was truly a fantastic one, and the attention to detail was nothing short of outstanding. The two men didn’t leave the ring even once through the match and it was a well-built and calculated performance from both.
Despite Styles clearly being the popular heel champion, fans couldn’t deny John Cena when he won and became a 16-time World Champion. Over 50,000 people stood on their feet to give him an ovation, being awestruck at witnessing one of the greatest of all time.
