Felix Upton on January 7, 2026
John Cena might be WWE’s golden boy, but even he got in trouble backstage for going off-script at Crown Jewel 2025.
During his epic match with AJ Styles in Australia, Cena had ring announcer Alicia Taylor deliver a custom introduction for Styles—one that name-dropped TNA and Bullet Club, two promotions WWE typically avoids acknowledging. And apparently, it wasn’t something WWE signed off on.
On the Six Feet Under podcast, AJ Styles broke down how the surprise moment went down. He said the line caught him off guard the second he heard it in the arena:
“I hear ‘The definition of Total Nonstop Action…’ and I was like, is he talking about me?”
But that wasn’t the only eyebrow-raiser. When Taylor dropped the Bullet Club reference—another direct nod to Styles’ past—AJ’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Styles later found out Cena didn’t get that moment cleared with WWE ahead of time. And yes, he got “spoken to” about it backstage.
“I didn’t know that Bullet Club was gonna be in there. If you watch my reaction, I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa!’ “e got in trouble a little bit for that whole thing.”
The idea of Cena getting in trouble was so absurd to Styles that he couldn’t help but poke fun at the situation.
“I was like, you’re John Cena, right? So yeah, I’m with you. I’m like, oh, John got in trouble? What does that mean?”
And when The Undertaker, who was also part of the discussion, heard that Cena got heat for it, he chimed in: “What are they gonna do, fire him?”
So it’s clear that even a legend like Cena isn’t above WWE’s internal red tape when it comes to naming rival promotions on a global Premium Live Event. Whether you see it as Cena showing respect or poking the bear, the moment was unforgettable—and clearly, it got noticed behind the curtain.
What do you think—was John Cena out of line or just showing love to AJ Styles’ legacy? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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