WWE Rumors on John Cena, AJ Styles, Survivor Series Card, Hardy Boyz's TNA Contracts

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Backstage Reaction to John Cena vs. AJ Styles Revealed

In one of the final in-ring performances of his retirement tour, John Cena won an instant classic against former rival AJ Styles at WWE Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia, on Saturday. The match was so good that it reportedly earned Cena and Styles a round of applause from their peers.

"AJ Styles vs. John Cena got a standing ovation upon returning to the back after their match," a report from Fightful Select stated (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News).

Cena and Styles had an exciting match that featured numerous tributes to legendary wrestlers like The Undertaker, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and more.

Before the match even started, it was clear that WWE fans were in for a special showing from two of the best wrestlers of their generation. Cena handed ring announcer Alicia Taylor an amended introduction for Styles that referred to him as "the definition of Total Nonstop Action" and "The Ace and Undisputed Boss of the Bullet Club," referring to his runs with TNA and NJPW before joining WWE.

The report from Fightful Select revealed that Styles was unaware of Cena's planned gesture, and there were no issues with the references to his tenures with other wrestling promotions.

"The claim internally was that AJ Styles did not know that the intro was coming," the report stated. "There are not expected to be any issues with the mentions of 'Bullet Club.'"

Survivor Series Card Reportedly Taking Shape

The Survivor Series premium live event is a little over a month away, and WWE reportedly has ideas for some of the marquee matchups that will be included in the last "Big 4" PLE of the year.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will defend his title against the winner of a No. 1 contender match between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu, which is listed internally as part of the card for Saturday Night's Main Event on Nov. 1.

Meltzer's report added that McIntyre is "currently lined up" to be Rhodes' opponent at Survivor Series on Nov. 29. The two of them faced off at the Wrestlepalooza PLE last month, with Rhodes retaining his title.

In addition to the planned title defense for Rhodes, Meltzer added that WWE has settled on the lineup for the Women's WarGames match. The 5-on-5 showcase reportedly will feature Charlotte Flair, IYO SKY, AJ Lee, Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley vs. Lash Legend, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch and Asuka.

Survivor Series will also feature John Cena's last appearance on the PLE, as it is one of the four remaining advertised dates for his retirement tour.

TNA Contract Expiration Details for The Hardy Boyz Revealed

The Hardy Boyz have enjoyed a career resurgence since returning to TNA last year, but their future with the company is reportedly uncertain.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Matt and Jeff Hardy signed one-year deals with TNA in November 2024, so their contracts will expire next month unless a new deal is reached. The company is reportedly "hopeful, but not certain, that they'll re-sign."

Over the past year, the Hardy Boyz captured the TNA, NXT, and House of Glory Tag Team Championships. They defeated their longtime rivals, the Dudley Boyz, at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view on Sunday night.

Fightful Select added that there could be interest from both sides for the Hardys to stick around in TNA, especially considering how beneficial their return has been for the company.

"The deal has been mutually beneficial and a lot of positive has emerged from it," the report stated. "The Hardys have regularly stayed hours after TNA shows to fulfill heavily in-demand meet and greets."

In addition to the uncertain future for the Hardy Boyz, sources told Fightful Select that "no less than a dozen" contracts are set to expire between now and the end of the year, including Superstars like the IInspiration and Cedric Alexander..