John Cena responds to Samoa Joe AEW Dynamite reference
After Samoa Joe referenced him on AEW Dynamite last night, John Cena returned the favor with a post on Instagram.
The main event of Dynamite Winter is Coming on December 10 was Joe defending his AEW World Championship against Eddie Kingston. During the match, Joe locked Kingston in an STF, looked into the camera, and gave a Cena-style salute. Joe did not mention him by name, but the move was a clear nod to Cena ahead of his impending retirement.
What a beautiful tribute from Samoa Joe to John Cena 🥹❤️#ThankYouCena pic.twitter.com/EGUVPV1jWO
— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) December 11, 2025
Cena then made an Instagram post this morning where he shared a screenshot of Joe’s salute.
On his Instagram account, Cena posts daily pictures while never writing any captions or providing further context for what they mean.
Joe and Cena both started out in wrestling at the time training at Rick Bassman’s UPW in California. Cena went on to become one of the most famous WWE stars of all time, while Joe has had a very successful career with runs in ROH, TNA, WWE, and AEW. They have both also crossed over into Hollywood with acting work.
The final match of Cena’s career will take place at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend when he faces off against Gunther. The show is being held at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Joe used the Coquina Clutch to submit Kingston last night and retain the AEW World Championship.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.