The rematch everyone’s been waiting for (aside from a tag team bout at Battleground) finally took place at SummerSlam when John Cena and AJ Styles faced off once again. After over 20 minutes of breathtaking action and a billion finisher kickouts, Styles managed to take out Cena for the three-count.
SummerSlam 2016 results: AJ Styles outlasts John Cena in epic match
After a million finisher counters and kickouts, AJ Styles was finally able to put away John Cena.
As expected, the crowd was hot fire at the beginning of this match as Cena and Styles both struggled to get an upper hand. Cena tried an Attitude Adjustment on the ring apron, but somehow Styles turned that into a suplex on the apron, sending both men crashing to the floor. Cena recovered and got back into the ring, where he launched Styles into a massive back-body drop.
Cena nailed Styles with a dropkick for a near fall, but Styles came back with a flurry of strikes. Cena eventually got Styles in a position for the Five Knuckle Shuffle and set him up for another AA, but Styles landed on his feet and nailed a Pele Kick. AJ immediately hit the Styles Clash but Cena kicked out, leaving both men laying exhausted on the mat.
The finisher spamming was on as Cena hit his AA for a two-count. He climbed the ropes to set up his Super AA, but Styles reversed that into a Torture Rack for another two-count. Cena tried yet another AA, which Styles countered into a sunset flip rollup before Styles stole his version of AA for another two-count.
Styles tried his 450 springboard splash, but Cena moved out of the way and hit a Code Red for two. Styles recovered and hit a couple of rolling German suplexes, but those still weren’t enough to put away Cena. He tried his Phenomenal Forearm finisher but Cena turned that into an STF, which Styles himself reversed into a crossface. Cena tried lifting up Styles on his shoulder, but Styles knocked him and locked him into the Calf Crusher.
After another series of reverals and escapes, Cena hit a DDT on Styles for yet another two-count. With both men spent, Cena climbed the top rope and threw a leg drop on Styles, but Styles kicked out again.
Cena lifted up Styles for another attempt at the Super AA off the ropes, but Styles escaped and nailed a Frankensteiner. He used that moment to hit the Phenomenal Forearm, which Cena surprisingly kicked out of. One more time, Cena attempted the Super AA, and this time he actually hit it.
Yup, you guessed it -- another kickout. The match continued.
Once more Cena tried the AA, but this time Styles reversed it into a Styles Clash. Another Phenomenal Forearm later, and that was finally enough to knock off Big Match John.
After the match, Cena stayed in the ring a long time, with the crowd giving him a standing ovation before he took off his “Never Give Up” armband, left it on the mat and slowly walked out. Perhaps this is the last we might see of Cena, at least for a while? Time will tell.
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