It was a night of nostalgia and emotion at WWE Crown Jewel 2025 in Perth, Australia, as John Cena paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Bray Wyatt, one of his most iconic rivals.
During what was billed as his final match against AJ Styles, the 17-time world champion turned back the clock — not just to celebrate his career, but to honor the memory of a man who once brought out his darkest side.
Cena vs. Styles — A Match Full of Memories
The much-hyped showdown between John Cena and AJ Styles was already destined to be special. Both men, legends of their era, filled the bout with callbacks, tributes, and borrowed finishers from WWE icons past and present.
Midway through the contest, Cena countered a move from Styles and delivered Bray Wyatt’s signature
“Sister Abigail” — the eerie spinning facebuster that defined Wyatt’s terrifying persona.
John Cena pays tribute to Bray Wyatt and hits Sister Abigail to AJ Styles.#WWECrownJewel
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) October 11, 2025
As soon as Cena hit the move, the entire RAC Arena lit up. Thousands of fans turned on their phone flashlights, creating a breathtaking sea of twinkling lights — the “fireflies” that once accompanied Wyatt’s entrances.
Cena stood in the middle of the ring, visibly emotional, as the Perth crowd chanted Wyatt’s name.
John Cena got emotional after seeing the fans with the fireflies in the air after paying tribute to Bray Wyatt during his final match with AJ Styles.
A special moment 🥺❤️ #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/9Xx5KvvQNB
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) October 11, 2025
An Unforgettable Rivalry
The emotional resonance of Cena’s tribute stems from the complex, almost mythical feud the two men shared. Their most unforgettable battle came at WrestleMania 36, where Wyatt and Cena faced off in the now-legendary Firefly Funhouse Match.
Far from a traditional bout, the match was a cinematic journey through Cena’s career and psyche, crafted during the pandemic when WWE adapted to audience-free storytelling. It blurred reality and fiction, forcing Cena to confront his own fears — of failure, of legacy, of the ruthless ambition that shaped his success.
Wyatt manipulated those fears, guiding Cena through surreal vignettes that exposed a darker version of himself — even teasing a world where Cena turned heel.
The match ended with Wyatt’s alter ego, The Fiend, locking in the Mandible Claw and pinning Cena, symbolically “erasing” him.
The bout remains one of WWE’s most artistic and psychologically complex moments — a meta-commentary on fame, identity, and redemption.
Legacy Beyond the Ring
Bray Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda, passed away in 2023, leaving behind one of the most innovative legacies in modern wrestling.
His creativity, from The Fiend to The Firefly Funhouse, changed the way WWE told stories — and his emotional connection with fans endures even in his absence.
