AJ Styles and John Cena were drafted to SmackDown in the renewed introduction of the WWE Draft lottery in 2016. After his first stint in the promotion in the early noughties, Styles returned to WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble and soon fought Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns for the WWE Title. Styles turned heel and started feuding with John Cena in 2016 and mid-2017. They met in the ring on numerous occasions, with some of the most renowned encounters coming during special events like the 2016 Money In The Bank and the Royal Rumble 2017.
Also Read: Who won the head-to-head feud between John Cena and Randy Orton?
John Cena vs AJ Styles head-to-head record
| Parameter | Matches | John Cena Won | AJ Styles Won |
| All matches | 63 | 35 | 28 |
| All Singles Matches | 21 | 18 | 3 |
| PPV Matches | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Singles Match at PPV | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| WrestleMania | - | - | - |
*All stats are from cagematch.com
*Last updated February 14, 2025
John Cena vs AJ Styles major matches
Money In The Bank
One of the most significant matches between AJ Styles and John Cena took place at the 2016 Money in the Bank. During the match, Styles' stablemates at the time, Luke Scaffold and Karl Anderson, distracted Cena. Styles exploited the opportunity to secure one of the biggest victories in his WWE career. (via Cagematch)
Where and when?
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on 19th June 2016
Winner
AJ Styles
Summer Slam
The long-awaited rematch between AJ Styles and John Cena happened at Summer Slam 2016. In the match, The Phenomenal One executed the hurricanrana and Cena answered with an AA from the top rope. However, that wasn't enough to stop Styles from securing another win over Cena with the Phenomenal Forearm. (via Cagematch)
When and where?
Barclays Center, New York City on 21st June 2016.
Winner
AJ Styles
Royal Rumble
History was on the line for John Cena at the 2017 Royal Rumble as he was hoping to emulate Ric Flair's record of 16 world titles. During the match, Cena executed the AA on Styles from the top rope. After 24 minutes and 10 seconds, Cena secured the victory and became a record 16-time title holder after delivering two AAs to Styles. (via Cagematch)
Where and when?
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas on 29th January 2017,
Winner
John Cena
SmackDown Live
The last one-on-one encounter between John Cena and AJ Styles took place on February 27, 2018, on SmackDown. The Phenomenal One was the reigning WWE Champion in this non-championship match. Cena was hoping to be added to the multi-competitor match for Styles' WWE Title at Fastlane 2018. During this matchup, it was Cena who countered the Calf Crusher and applied the AA to take the victory home. (via Cagematch)
Where and when?
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California on 27th February 2018.
Winner
John Cena
FAQ's on AJ Styles vs John Cena
A. The first singles match between John Cena and AJ Styles was the 2016 Money In the Bank. They wrestled in the ring for the first time during a Dark Tag Team match in June 2016, with Roman Reigns joining Cena and Seth Rollins joining AJ Styles.
A. John Cena won the match against AJ Styles during the Royal Rumble 2017.
A. AJ Styles has won 3 singles matches against John Cena as of February 2025.
A. AJ Styles made his WWE debut in 2016.
A. No, it was a storyline in WWE.
