John Cena Defeats AJ Styles in Remarkable Match, Ties Ric Flair's Title Accumulation

.@WWERobinson gives the @WWE Championship to @JohnCena -- A World Title victory for the record-tying 16th time!! pic.twitter.com/hYI7vxL5OX
— WWE (@WWE) January 30, 2017

John Cena beat AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble in San Antonio tonight in a match that was an instant classic. The two took turns kicking out of each other’s finishers, applying and reversing submission maneuvers.

THE NEW #WWE CHAMPION JOHN CENA ? WHAT A MATCH #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/9HmQeKHcuT
— Ali (@RoyMustang786) January 30, 2017

Cena, with the win, ties Ric Flair as being a 16-time world champion. Of course, wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer always points out that Flair actually held a world title belt in excess of 20 times, but in the parlance of WWE’s history this is nonetheless a major deal. What a damn match.