John Cena Reacts to Samoa Joe’s STF Tribute During AEW Dynamite

John Cena just acknowledged Samoa Joe’s tribute—and he did it without saying a word.

On the December 10 episode of AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming, AEW World Champion Samoa Joe paid homage to Cena in the middle of his title defense against Eddie Kingston. Joe locked in the STF, a submission hold made famous by Cena, then turned to the camera and delivered Cena’s signature salute.

Now, Cena has responded in his signature style: a silent but unmistakable post on Instagram. He shared a photo of Samoa Joe mid-salute—no caption, no context, just a quiet nod that longtime fans instantly recognized.

It was clear Cena saw it—and he approved. Cena and Joe’s history runs deep. The two trained together at Ultimate Pro Wrestling in the early 2000s and shared WWE rings on multiple occasions, most recently at Survivor Series 2017. But despite their overlapping careers, they never had a true one-on-one rivalry in WWE.

Joe’s tribute, coming just days before Cena’s final WWE match against GUNTHER on December 13, felt like a full-circle moment. And Cena’s Instagram post? A subtle show of respect for an old friend now holding the top prize in a rival company.

What do you make of Cena’s silent salute? Was it just a friendly nod—or could it mean something more? Hit the comments and share your thoughts.