5 times new WWE Champions were crowned in January

5) New WWE Champion: John Cena, January 2017

John Cena tied Ric Flair's record for world title wins.

John Cena’s feud with AJ Styles delivered some stirring encounters. It also boosted Styles' status on the roster. Four months into his first WWE Championship reign, Styles was in a groove. He was exuding the confidence of a long-time WWE veteran.

Since his WrestleMania loss to Chris Jericho, "The Phenomenal One" had dramatically bounced back. He had clearly earned the respect and appreciation of Vince McMahon himself with his consistently remarkable performances. His adaptability and his good attitude also helped him win over "The Boss."

As the WWE Champion, Styles had renamed WWE SmackDown as "The House that AJ Styles Built." This boast drew the ire of Cena. He challenged Styles for the title to determine the true face of WWE SmackDown.

There is only one @JohnCena, but I'm the PHENOMENAL ONE......AND #WWEChampion. See you at #RoyalRumble.

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) January 25, 2017

At the end of a competitive contest, Cena countered a Phenomenal Forearm and hit two consecutive Attitude Adjustments for the win. He earned his sixteenth WWE world championship and tied Ric Flair’s legendary record.

When Cena defeated Styles at WWE Royal Rumble, it seemed like WWE was setting the table for a marquee title match at WrestleMania. But this victory only led to a two-week reign for Cena. He dropped the title to Bray Wyatt at WWE Elimination Chamber.