One of the most hyped matches at this year’s Royal Rumble is the much awaited 3rd singles match between John Cena and AJ Styles. This will be the first time Cena and Styles will face off in a match with a championship on the line, and with Cena on the verge of his 16th title, the match has an extra layer of importance.
The build-up to the match has Cena and Styles at each other’s throats, showing a level of disdain and hatred for each other that we haven’t really seen before between them. Styles has been justifiably unhappy at the way WWE have diminished him, especially with his placement on the Royal Rumble poster.
Follow our WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Results and live coverage
Cena on the other hand has shown nothing but disdain for Styles and his title run, also exhibiting heel-ish tendencies that we haven’t seen from him in a while.
Regardless of who wins, this match could very well steal the show, especially if their match at SummerSlam is anything to go by. As the time for the much-awaited match draws near, let’s take a look at 5 possible ways this match could end.
#5 AJ Styles wins with the help of Anderson and Gallows…..again
When AJ Styles and John Cena faced off for the first time, the match itself was stellar but it ended with the blemish of Gallows and Anderson interfering on behalf of Styles and costing Cena the match.
With Gallows and Anderson in the Alamodome for the Rumble, it only makes sense that Styles would ask for help from his “good brothers” as a contingency plan. The only problem with this finish, other than the fact that we’ve seen it before, is that it would be a terribly underwhelming finish to one of the biggest title matches in recent memory.
#4 Styles wins clean
AJ Styles is going into his Royal Rumble match with John Cena with a point to prove. Cena has shown Styles no respect in recent weeks, even going as far as saying that Styles isn’t even on the “level below him” in recent weeks. Add to that the disrespect of calling Styles “that guy from Atlanta” on the TODAY Show and we really have something to chew at.
Styles has carried SmackDown Live since the brand split and if WWE are wise, they’ll have Styles win at the Rumble. Cena can wait for his 16th title and this win would propel Styles into an even bigger star as Wrestlemania season comes around.
#3 Cena ‘buries’ Styles by winning clean and wins his 16th world title
When I said bury in the headline, those weren’t my words. Cena used the same word earlier this week on SmackDown Live during his confrontation with AJ Styles.
The problem with Cena winning clean is that after all the insults that Cena has thrown at Styles over the last couple of weeks, Styles losing clean would really make him look like a chump. Cena has already accused Styles of copying him while also saying that Styles isn’t on his level.
However, with that being said, Cena is poised to win his 16th WWE world championship and with Wrestlemania season almost here, that may be the exact kind of publicity WWE are after as we head into Orlando.
2: Samoa Joe interferes
The rumours of Samoa Joe making his main roster debut at the Royal Rumble match is getting stronger by the day. With most backstage rumours that Joe will be heading to SmackDown Live, this brings up an interesting possibility – what if Samoa Joe interferes in the title match between Cena and Styles?
Imagine Joe coming out and laying waste to both Cena and Styles before holding the WWE Championship belt aloft. He would immediately he integrating himself in the main event scene of SmackDown Live and could even be a part of the Elimination Chamber match in February.
1: John Cena turns heel and wins his 16th Championship
Cena turning heel is a moment that many fans are waiting for – especially fans of Cena’s Doctor of Thuganomics gimmick from the Ruthless Aggression Era. Cena has been showing more heel-ish tendencies since returning to WWE Programming late last December, even freestyling in a similar way on the last episode of SmackDown.
Cena could get frustrated at Styles repeatedly kicking out of everything and finally just turn heel on Styles before winning the championship. Technically this would be a double turn. Cena turning heel could propel renewed interest in WWE’s product for casual fans as we head into Wrestlemania season.
