John Cena paid tribute to absent AEW star at WWE Crown Jewel; many may have missed the reference!

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John Cena was involved in a blockbuster match at WWE Crown Jewel 2025, during which he paid tribute to an AEW star, an incident many seemed to have missed.

John Cena is currently on his retirement tour in the WWE. The Last Real Champion had five appearances left heading into WWE Crown Jewel last night, where he faced his old rival, AJ Styles. The match itself was iconic as both men threw everything they had at each other. What made the bout even more special was that both men pulled out signature moves of their former rivals from their careers. Cena referenced the likes of The Undertaker, The Miz, Randy Orton, the late Bray Wyatt, and AEW star Paul Wight (fka The Big Show).

The Paul Wight tribute happened when The Phenomenal One tried to hit Cena with his signature five-knuckle shuffle move. However, right before the knuckle drop, Cena grabbed Styles by the neck and delivered a massive chokeslam, reminiscent of how Paul Wight used to perform the move. Interestingly, many people believed that the Never-Seen 17 was paying tribute to one of two WWE legends, The Undertaker or Kane. That said, the incident remains open to interpretation.

AEW star Paul Wight (fka Big Show) was also referenced on WWE SmackDown recently

At WWE WrestlePalooza last month, John Cena faced his arch-nemesis Brock Lesnar in what turned out to be a complete slaughter in favor of the Beast Incarnate. On the final edition of SmackDown before the pay-per-view, the Stamford-based promotion aired a promotional feature building up Cena versus Lesnar. In that video package, AEW stars Adam Copeland, Paul Wight, formerly known as Edge, and Big Show, respectively, were shown.

The video showed an iconic spot from John Cena's WrestleMania 25 match against Cope and Wight, in which he lifted both men onto his shoulders to deliver a double AA. Meanwhile, Paul Wight has not competed in Tony Khan's promotion since 2023. It remains to be seen if we will ever see him again on AEW programming.

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About the author

Karan Raj

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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