Raw Recap - AJ Styles talks his history with John Cena: Full Crown Jewel preview, Oct. 9, 2025

0:06Welcome to the Crown Jewel preview show brought to you by Raw Recap. It's a WWE and Fanatics original production. AJ Styles is going to be on the show with myself, Sam Roberts, with Megan Morant, and with our guest analyst. That's right. It's a big name show because Crown Jewel is a big name show itself. Ladies and gentlemen, Big E is with us. What's going on, E? Not much, man. It's good to be here to talk about all things Crown Jewel. Oh, yes. Now, look, a lot of people say a lot of things about title versus title matches, and sometimes they just end up being wonderful exhibitions where on this given night you get to watch two of the best find out who is the better man or woman on that evening.

0:56but then sometimes they completely change in meaning and I think that when you look at this Cody Rhodes versus Seth Rollins match it goes so far beyond champion versus champion it goes so far beyond the crown jewel ring I mean and and to me it feels like it's it's gotten very real in the sense that you pick up on the fact that whether this is a story or not, Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins both want to be looked at as the guy in WWE, the person that this era revolves around and the person that is leading WWE into the future. And it becomes very hard to go on television and say that about yourself, whether you're saying you're a visionary or a quarterback, if the other guy just beat you at crown jewel yeah i think uh like let's not forget that cody's propulsion once he returned to wwe to the main event was off the back of seth rollins we're talking about his return at wrestlemania that incredible uh peck tear hell in a cell match uh and cody was up three nil uh against seth and and i think that seth was kind of a few years ago he was kind of in this position where he was a bit of the bridesmaid and not the bride at the time.

2:21Like he's going on having incredible matches. All these top guys are kind of building their momentum off of his back. Same thing with CM Punk as well. And Seth is kind of looking around as, okay, I'm still the man, but now these guys are getting those opportunities that I was vying for. But now within the last six months or so, we've seen a Seth Rollins now who has Paul Heyman in his corner. He has the bronze in his corner, we see a rejuvenated Seth Rollins. We see a Seth Rollins who is no longer the bridesmaid. We see a Seth Rollins who opens Raw, who closes Raw. He is the man. Same thing on SmackDown.

2:54Even though that's not his show, we see him on SmackDown closing the show as well. So I think this is such a great opportunity for Seth Rollins to prove that he is no longer going to be the stepping stone for other top guys. And that's kind of crazy to even frame it that way as someone who has been a multi-time world champion, who has main event WrestleManias. He's had all these incredible moments, first ballot Hall of Famer, all those things, part of the greatest faction of all time, arguably in the Shield. But I think at Crown Jewel, Seth has a great opportunity to say no more. I'm not going to be the guy who plays second fiddle to Cody Rhodes anymore.

3:28And I think a win in Perth is huge for him to prove that he is the guy in this era. Well, Sam, you talk about this getting very real. And I think about the story of Cody Rhodes and his return to WWE. You can't tell that story without talking about Seth Rollins. You cannot have Cody winning the championship at WrestleMania 40 without Seth Rollins being his shield. But when you say real and real emotions, I think of the watch. The watch that Cody Rhodes gifted to Seth Rollins after WrestleMania 40. The fact that Seth had never worn the watch. This has been brought up on television, but in a very real way.

4:08This bothered Cody. He had Becky Lynch on his podcast. He was asking her, does your husband still have that watch? We know the deep personal connection that Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins have and the desire to be the face of the industry for the next 10, 15 years and beyond. And to me, that's what this match is all about. Yeah. And you wonder if it goes to E to your point as well. when you go, it's not enough for Seth to be involved in these great matches. It's not enough for Seth to be a part of some of the absolute classics. He has to win them. And it does make me wonder if the watch thing, Cody privately gifted watches to everybody that participated in that WrestleMania 40 main event.

4:56And Seth was such a big part of that main event. But if you look at it a certain way, And I think, I think Seth has evolved. Yeah. But I think Seth has also decided I need to be selfish. Like, like that is sometimes what it takes is being selfish is not sitting there going, well, what's best for the company? What's best for the roster? What's best. And I think the last thing that Seth Rollins wants to be is a supporting player in the Cody Rhodes story and maybe, and I'm putting words in Seth Rollins mouth and I'm putting thoughts in his head and he may disagree with this entirely, but to me, If Cody Rhodes gives me that watch and I acted as Cody Rhodes shield to me, that watch represents the grand award of being a supporting player in the Cody Rhodes story.

5:43And I don't think that that's what Seth Rollins wants to be. I think he may resent it. You don't want to be a supporting actor. Not for, not if I want to be the man. Right? No, like a best supporting Oscar, best supporting actor. Oscar is incredible, but it's not best actor. People don't talk about it in the same vein. You're spot on. And also, I'm so glad you guys brought up the watch, because I also think when I see Seth talk about the watch and look at the watch, we see a more contemplative Seth Rollins. We see someone, I feel like the bombast, the veneer, the laugh, the cockiness. That Seth Rollins, for some reason, Cody is able to kind of get by that veneer, and we're able to see more of the man under all of that, because we were so used to seeing a very unbothered Seth Rollins who was always in control.

6:33But there is something deep inside that Cody's been able to get into. And I don't know if it's Seth considering his place in the industry, considering his relationship with Cody, or wondering if the sacrifice at WrestleMania for Cody Rhodes was even worth it. I'm not sure what it is, but Cody is able to really tap into a very real part of Seth and I think his humanity as well. I had thought that the contemplation was because he really only does digital, but you're probably right. I think you're, you're probably more accurate than I was there. I didn't look deep enough into it. And look, I think when you look at this match, Cody has everything to gain here.

7:15Cody can't be getting losses if he wants to call himself the quarterback. But at the same time, you go to the champion versus champion match on the women's side, the crown jewel match between Stephanie Vaquer and Tiffany Stratton. These are two women who have ascended to a place rapidly where it's time to prove who really is that new force that's representing this generation of the women's roster. I mean, the women's roster moves so quickly. It is night and day different than it was a year ago, which was night and day different than it was a year before that. And the fact is that last time WWE was in Perth, it was only a year and a half ago, maybe.

8:00And that's where Tiffany Stratton, I think, rose to this level where you were like, oh my gosh, I can't believe that the fans are as behind Tiffany as they are at that Elimination Chamber show. But now there's a new wrestler in town. Stephanie Vaquer has captured the imagination of the WWE audience. And if you're Tiffany Stratton, you have to be looking at the support that Stephanie is getting and go, well, it can't be, I just started. It can't be over for me yet now. I mean, you can't, like, you can't forget about me now. And to me, that's part of what this match is all about. You know, we talk a lot about the men's division and that championship match and what is the future of the men's division.

8:48And the women's division, the future is now, right? You talk about Tiffany Stratton. She hasn't even been on the main roster all that long. By the way, undefeated in 2025. But Stephanie Vaquer has taken the division by storm and has been undeniable since her arrival in WWE. Go back and watch some of her matches in NXT. I mean, from the moment she stepped foot in WWE, she has earned the respect of the audience. She has connected with the audience. Go back to evolution. That's exactly what they said about Tiffany Stratton a year ago. Word for word, bar for bar. Exactly what they said about Tiffany Stratton a year ago.

9:34And for Tiffany Stratton, this is her opportunity to level up. Absolutely. This is such a huge test for her. I feel like we have so many conversations about how incredible this women's division is. And obviously, this is Raw Recap. So we spent a lot of time talking about Raw when we're doing Raw Recap. But, you know, I think that Tiffany isn't mentioned enough when we're talking about the Eos. We talk about even the rise of Naomi. We talk about Rhea. And so many times we're leaving her out of that conversation. And it's such a great opportunity for her to say, no, I belong here. And I think it's also just such a great opportunity for this new era of NXT to say, this is ours.

10:18And obviously, we had Stephanie spent some time in NXT as well, but she had already traveled the world. She'd already been doing this thing, working on her craft for many years before she ever got to WWE. Tiffany is homegrown. This is a young, incredible athlete who came from college, who started here, who learned here. And I know what that's like. And I know what it's like to have Seth Rollins come into FCW 15 years ago and be like, OK, I need to level up. I'm starting from scratch. So it's a great opportunity for her to say, I belong with the women who have wrestled all around the world. I'm here, too.

10:50And really to insert herself in that conversation. She's done incredible things on SmackDown, but the pool of women on Raw is so incredibly deep. And I'm excited for her to be able to mix it up with the best of the women on Raw. One thing that's really stood out to me about Tiffany Stratton is while she doesn't have the years of in-ring experience that someone like Stephanie Vaquer has or even Rhea Ripley has, or you go up and down the roster. I mean, we could say this all day long, but it doesn't seem to get to Tiffany Stratton one bit. She always performs like she belongs. She always acts like she belongs.

11:25You never get a sense of any intimidation or nerves from Tiffany Stratton. Yeah, she's definitely very self-assured. And I think her confidence, and I can just speak to what it's like to be a Division I athlete and to spend that time. And you have that confidence of, you know, being able to perform in front of, you know, thousands of people being a name. But this is this is a different beast right here. This is not college athletics. This is you're going to be in Perth. The world will be watching, not just the country. The whole world will be watching. So for me, I think since her time on the main roster, this is her biggest opportunity to say, hey, I'm here and I belong with the very best.

12:02She's had the WrestleMania spotlights. She's had the matches with Charlotte. She's had those opportunities as well. But Stephanie, I think, has exploded. And you have to keep up. The women's roster is so incredibly deep. You have to keep up. And it's, what have you done for me lately? So this is such a great opportunity for her to say, this is what I've done lately. I belong. I am the very best woman on the main roster. Sam, do you feel a little left out because you're the only non-Division One athlete on this podcast right now? You're a Division I athlete? Listen, I run in straight lines, but at the Division I level.

12:36I'm a Division I broadcaster, they call me. And they've also said, I don't know what it means, they say I'm a D1 Glazer when it comes to Roman Reigns. I'm not 100 % sure why they say that. But I will say this, that when it comes to Division I athletes, they do have that confidence and they do have that ferocity. However, there's another thing when you've been working for 15 years, every time that we've talked to Stephanie Vaquer on this podcast, she talks about the years that you just brought up Megan the years that she was putting into this sport before she was in WWE and the idea that like that and that may be what this comes down to like is that desire to be great that comes with being a d1 athlete can that match the hunger that comes with working on something for 15 years just putting your entire life aside and having faith in yourself for year after year after year to finally make it to a big stage like this learning a new language moving to a new country all things that stephanie vaquer has done to get to this level well listen i think it's no go ahead go ahead i think it's a bit of a new confidence in tiffany like you mentioned she's been undefeated for so long she's been running it up on smackdown and i love like that she's almost too ignorant to realize that she can lose you know which can be a great thing so there's that new confidence against an earned confidence a confidence of someone who things have gone wrong in the ring for Stephanie and she knows how to deal with it she's traveled the world she knows how to deal with it she everything has been thrown at her along the way in her career and it's it's going to be that like that new confidence of Tiffany Stratton who doesn't even understand that she can take an L against the earned confidence of Stephanie and I'm really excited to see those two clash well how about what happens when you take the athletics of a D1 I mean champion and combine it with all those years of in-ring experience you put your one up for the tribal chief Roman Reigns he is back he is in Perth and he is yeah there you go there you go there you go I'm happy to see it and it's Roman Reigns and it's Bronson Reed one-on-one this time no rules street fight anything goes which I mean when we've seen Bronson Reed in in positions where it's anything goes he literally tears buildings down I mean he crushes cars he breaks through walls it's incredible but you know there's something different there's Roman Reigns for so long I think almost took the victories I don't want to say for granted but it was assumed.

15:22He had a system built between the bloodline, between the wise man. Systems were in place like a CEO where he knew if he just followed the plan, he leaves with the championship and the entire world for him has changed. And since he's been back, especially after the beat down that he got post match at clash in Paris, there's a different energy to Roman. There's a different severity that he swings those chairs with when he has a reason to swing those chairs when he has revenge in his heart there's a different mode that Roman Reigns slips into and for me if it were anybody else I'd say no rules anything goes street fights that's that's that's Bronson Reed 10 times out of 10 except this is the 11th time Roman Reigns on a revenge tour is different and I cannot I cannot wait to see what Roman Reigns does I know this sounds wild to say but as you're laying out the scenario here and given what happened to Roman Reigns in Paris to me this almost feels like a must-win match for the tribal chief yeah I could agree with that yeah I I think the same uh although it's hard to to bet against this man uh but I I also love, you know, for the first time in about five years, this year, we're seeing a more stripped down version of Roman.

16:49There is no advocate in Paul Heyman. There is no bloodline. It is just Roman. And, you know, I'm so intrigued to see or understand what his mindset is. The interactions with Jay are really interesting. This mentoring, it almost feels like he's passing down jewels of wisdom. And right now, I'm trying to understand for Roman where his mindset is. Is it championships? is it giving back like what for someone who has done so much what what gets you out of bed what gets you excited what what is your motivation now and I think for Roman like that for me is the big question you're going all the way uh across the pond to Australia taking that long that long flight to to fight a devastator and a man who I think the last time we had a PLE scheduled in Australia Bronson was supposed to be on that PLE but he got injured in that war games match and was out So we're going to see, I think, a man who is not only excited to go home, but he was supposed to go home a year ago to get his big moment as someone who was at the top of the card, as someone who has finally made it.

17:55He is someone who closes Raws, who closes PLEs. He is now a hugely important piece of the roster. So I think this version of Roman against a highly, highly motivated Bronson Reed with all the rules thrown out the window, man, these two are both insanely motivated to get the W. And I think, too, to your point about what is that motivation for Roman when you've achieved more like you've overachieved on a level that nobody could have predicted that is unheard of for this generation or really anything in the last two decades. What is the motivation that gets you out of bed? And I think that the answer to that question is probably the fact that he was disrespected.

18:40the fact that after everything somebody had the gall of the audacity to not only knock him out but to take the shoes we laugh about the shoes but he's wearing a tribal thief t-shirt you only do that for one reason that's to disrespect and to test somebody right that's ultimately a test if I can get away with doing this to you you're done and and and the rest of the locker room is going to see that and the fans are going to see that and go like oh okay that was an era that was a Roman era and and and we're past that and I think that now Roman's in this place where he does have something to prove which is don't take my sneakers but like you're you're spot on and we've never seen uh Roman on the back foot or on the back tube like this either we've never seen uh people make a fool out of him we've never seen any of those things so I think for him just like making sure people know like I you might not see me every single week on every single show but I am still the guy.

19:39And I think beating Bronson Reed in this incredible match, in this very brutal match, I know it's going to be brutal. I think beating Bronson solidifies that he is not in the passing the torch phase. He is not in the let me do my song and dance and wave goodbye. He made it very clear a few weeks ago that I plan on having a big year this year and a big year next year. There are plans. And I think for him to keep those plans in motion, If we expect to see Roman in the title picture again, he has to get it done in Perth. I also wonder how Bronson Reed is going to react when he's home and he's a main eventer and he's in front of his people and he finally gets to do it.

20:18And everybody's cheering for Roman Reigns because Roman is the guy that it doesn't matter what city he's in. It doesn't matter what hometown hero he's fighting. It doesn't matter when the music hits, the fingers are going to go up. The fans are going to cheer. It's a guarantee. And what does that do to Bronson Reed? That even with him being the guy, and how many people come from that part of the world and make it in the WWE? A small handful. And still, Roman Reigns has captured the imagination of the audience on a level that all of that gets canceled out. It does. But once again, we have to make it very clear there are no rules in this match.

21:00Will we see Paul Heyman? Will we see Braun Breaker? Will we see Seth Rollins? The deck in many, many ways is stacked against Roman. Will we see Jey Uso? Will we see Jimmy Uso? Come on. Come on. Bloodline in numbers. I do want to tell you, one of the things that we're, of course, looking very much forward to is that match between John Cena and AJ Styles. We are on the John Cena farewell tour. And this weekend in Perth, we can all celebrate. If you go right now to WWE Shop and Fanatics, you can check out his brand new Perth collection. It's really, really cool. It's available now. It's the T-shirts.

21:40It's the sweatbands. It's the towels. It's the hats. It's everything. You can grab everything now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. You don't want to miss out. All this merch is history to me for John Cena. I also want to tell you about Topps Now. You know, we get very excited when these big shows happen because big shows mean big moments. And big moments mean we're going to get new product from Topps Now. Topps Now captures major milestones, viral moments from the biggest events like AJ Lee's return, which skyrocketed to the number three best-selling Topps Now WWE card ever. And this weekend at Crown Jewel, we have some huge matchups.

22:22I'm talking about Cody and Seth. I'm talking about Australia's own Rhea Ripley. I'm talking about John Cena. There's bound to be some memorable and viral moments that will be immortalized on Topps Now cards. And keep your eyes out this Friday. On Friday, Topps Now is going to put out their Crown Jewel poster card, which is only going to be available for 72 hours. Collectors who buy the Crown Jewel poster base card will have the chance to receive rainbow foil or even gold limited short prints. sign up now for notifications at tops.com and follow at tops on social so you don't miss out on any big moment card that's I mean you got to cherish these moments and have a little something and when we talk about moments I just mentioned her you talk about people coming home to Australia Rhea Ripley is coming home to Australia and it's in a match that I don't think up until a couple of weeks ago, any of us would have predicted.

23:19For multiple reasons, by the way. But we've got a tag match, Rhea Ripley and Eoskai versus Asuka and Kairi Sane. And it's interesting, man. You talk about the bloodline and you talk about that family lineage. This match radiates a perceived family lineage and the fact that both Kairi Sane and Eoskai look at Asuka as family, as that mentor figure, as that person who kind of opened doors and allowed all of them to prosper in the WWE. But I guess EO has had enough of Asuka's rampage of power, if you will. Wouldn't you have enough of Asuka's rampage of power after she misted EO? Well, she gave EO 30 seconds to apologize.

24:09And when the apology didn't come within the 30-second window, it was poison mist once again. And prior to that, Asuka had been demanding and controlling over EO and who she could be friends with. You mean to tell me if Asuka started yelling, I would listen to Asuka. That's what I thought. Most people would. I would be just like Kairi Sane, who is listening to Asuka. But we've seen Kairi have a little bit of an emotional response to that as of late. We saw her backstage talking to EO Sky, telling EO they can still be a family. and really tugging at the heartstrings of Io Sky. And then there was that moment on Raw where we saw Rhea questioning if she can trust Io in this situation.

24:52And I think Rhea has every right to question that given how deep this relationship is between Kairi, between Asuka, and between Io Sky. But we're talking about some of the best wrestlers on the face of the planet that are going to be in this match. And Io Sky, Rhea Ripley, Asuka, and Kairi Sane, right? I just wonder if Io can check her emotions at the door and execute when push comes to shove. I don't think there will be any checking of emotions at the door. I don't know how there could. Like, I think the sisterhood between the three of these women runs so deep. And again, I don't know if we spent enough time talking about how hugely important Asuka is in opening the door to all these incredible women in Japan who saw what Asuka became in NXT.

25:42The talent was already undeniable. But to see her undefeated streak in NXT, to see her come to the main roster and know, like, oh, if I come to WWE, I can be in good hands. She opened the door. I don't know if we get Kairi or Io or so many of the incredible women from Japan if it wasn't for Asuka. So, like, it's hard for me to not, like, of course I understand why Io is so torn up about this. She means so much to women's wrestling, to Japanese wrestling. She means so much to Io. And in many ways, like you said, Megan, this family is being ripped apart. But in the same vein, like Io is here to blaze her own path, to figure out her own direction.

26:24It feels in many ways, obviously, they're much closer in age. So so I don't want to lean too far into that. But it feels much like a parent who has opened doors for you and has paid for your school and has allowed you to live the best life. Who is telling you this is the job you need to take. This is the career you need to take. It's OK, mom. I get it. I know you want the best for me, but I have a dream of my own. I have a path that I need to take. And there's so much deference for that parent because without them, I would never be where I'm at right now. But at some point, I need to live my own life.

26:57And I think that's kind of what the relationship between Io and Asuka is right now is Asuka says, I am the one who has opened these doors. Listen to me. Without me, you wouldn't be here right now. Without me, you wouldn't be world champion in WWE. That's how I think Asuka feels right now. But Io has had such an incredible year and has proven that she can blaze a path of her own. So there's this big push-pull between those two. And Kairi, unfortunately, is stuck in the middle. And everything you said about Asuka is 1 ,000 % right in what she's done for Japanese wrestling and for women's wrestling.

27:31But do you think at all she's abusing this power and the predicament that she's put Io Sky in? Absolutely. Of course she is. but who's to tell her no? Who's the one to stand up to Asuka and say, this isn't right. What you're doing is wrong. I know. I know. I know. I know who? Eoskai. Who? Eoskai. Eoskai's the one to say it's wrong. Look, there's a thing that happens. This is, like, mentor-mentee relationships can get toxic in a hurry. When at one point you're mentoring and at one point you're opening doors and then you watch somebody succeed. And instead of letting them fly out of the nest, like a mama bird should.

28:12You tie a rope to their ankle and say, no, I want you to fly, but not too far, not too far. There's a point where once the door's been opened for somebody, you gotta let them walk through without saying, thank you so much for opening this door. Thank you so much for opening this door. Thank you so much for opening this door. Like, I don't think that when Kairi Sane and Io Sky got to the WWE, that they realized like, yes, they should show gratitude to Asuka and also forever be indebted to Asuka without question because of what she did in the past. I think you're spot on. But I could also see Asuka's mentality of she's done so many incredible things.

28:53Does she maybe fear that Io will, her legacy in WWE will surpass what Asuka's done? I think in many ways, as someone who has opened the door, who has been the pioneer, Here, you want people to always remember your name as the forebearer, as the foremost important woman in WWE to come from Japan. And maybe she fears that the plaque that has her name on the wall is going to be removed and it's going to be replaced with Io. And then in five, ten years, are we talking about the importance of Asuka? Maybe we're just talking about Io. So I think a lot of it is also this legacy. While Asuka was out with injury, while she was working on rehabbing, here's Io just continuing to climb and climb and climb and build and have world title opportunities.

29:38So I get it, Sam. I think you're spot on, but I don't think Asuka sees it that way. And then we have to talk about the dynamic of the team of Rhea Ripley and Io Sky. Now, this is a team that six months ago, if we would have said Io and Rhea are going to be teaming together, I would have said, how? How? Rhea Ripley? You were a hater as soon as they started getting along. Well, because EO Sky has been preventing Rhea Ripley from getting back her Women's World Championship. EO Sky won the title when nobody expected it on the road to WrestleMania. EO Sky has never been pinned by Rhea Ripley. We know Rhea Ripley wants that title back.

30:19We all thought that Rhea Ripley would be in a position to win that title back in Australia. Guess what? She's not. And who's she teaming with? Io Sky. I know they're friends. I know right now they need one another. But it's an interesting relationship between the two of them, given that they both want that Women's World Championship eventually. They do. But I also think there is a level of deep respect that is forged from your greatest rivals. I can talk about my own experience. The Usos and the New Day became thick as thieves. We were so close because when you have your metal tested that way, when you have someone beat the hell out of you time and time again, and you turn around and you beat the hell out of them, and you sweat together and you put on classics together, there is a level of respect that I don't think people can really understand.

31:14You might be trying to take someone's head off out there for 25, 30 minutes, But once you go to the back, you realize you two painted a canvas of violence that is beautiful, that will be remembered. And in those moments, that bond is something that I think a lot of people who don't go through that struggle to understand. And I think you're spot on, Megan. Like, obviously, it's still about championships. It's not – this is not about friendships or holding hands. Like, this is still about Rhea trying to be the very best and Io being the very best. But I think their match at Evolution, their match at WrestleMania, what those two have done every time they step foot in the ring, a level of respect and admiration has been forged that I think few people can truly understand.

31:58I also think that when you look at everything that's gone on and like the conversations that we're having right now going, well, Asuka did this for this person. Asuka did that for that person. And now it's time. Asuka, something's awakened in Asuka where she's like, wait a minute. Are you talking about me in the past tense? Did you think I was done? Do you think I'm done? do you not realize that to this day, I'm one of the best current active women's wrestlers? And I think she's got that fire back under her, that fire that said like, nothing's changed since I decimated the NXT roster. Nothing's changed since nobody was ready for Asuka.