#6 John Cena vs AJ Styles - SummerSlam 2016
In his own words, this match with John Cena at SummerSlam 2016 made AJ Styles' name in the WWE. In another star turn at the biggest party of the summer, the Phenomenal One looked to finally prove himself better than the Doctor of Thuganomics. Upon his entry to WWE, this dream match was considered the encounter most fans of AJ Styles and the WWE Universe wanted to see.
Often viewed as the once the biggest star outside of WWE, Styles would make his anticipated WWE debut as the number three entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble. After two fantastic matches with WWE Champion Roman Reigns at Payback and Extreme Rules, AJ Styles would move on to set his sights on John Cena. The Face That Runs The Place would be caught by surprise as Styles made things personal by turning heel on Cena, setting up a fierce rivalry between the two on SmackDown ahead of SummerSlam.
After their first-time encounter at Money In The Bank ended in controversy, the rematch was set for SummerSlam 2016 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. In front of a raucous crowd in Brooklyn, Styles and Cena put on an all-time SummerSlam classic which had everyone in attendance on their feet for this 20-plus minute encounter. This was a back and forth bout with countless near falls and spellbinding sequences, all of which made for a memorable match.
After a Styles Clash and Phenomenal Forearm, AJ Styles had pulled off the biggest win of his career, defeating John Cena. This contest not only elevated Styles, but also showed how Cena could make a star with a single match. This win at SummerSlam propelled Styles to win the WWE Championship the following month and set him up as a top star in the company, which he remains today.