Watch AJ Styles and John Cena face off in an epic Royal Rumble contract signing

Published Jan. 4, 2017 10:18 a.m. ET

Nick Schwartz

John Cena will have the opportunity to match Ric Flair's record of 16 World Championship reigns when he faces AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble later this month, and on Tuesday's episode of SmackDown, the two stars signed a contract for the match in the center of the ring and delivered a brilliant promo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcRpaQ7vyMQ

Styles vs. Cena at SummerSlam was the best WWE match of 2016, so the pair have already set the bar extremely high, but the rematch should be even more personal.

Cena has only recently returned to WWE after he took months off to film a new movie and host Saturday Night Live, and Styles needled him for turning into a knockoff version of The Rock despite ripping The People's Champ for abandoning WWE leading up to their "Once In A Lifetime" match at WrestleMania XXVIII.

"They asked you about The Rock and you said ‘everything I said about him was wrong.’ After dogging him, now you come back and say ‘I was wrong, it was simple as that.’ No, John, you were right. You said The Rock was a phony, he lost his passion, and he left you guys high and dry. You told the truth about The Rock, and guess what John, it’s the truth about you.

You know what’s really pathetic about you? That when you look in the mirror, you know when it comes to Hollywood you will never be as good as The Rock. And when it comes to this ring, you will never be as good as AJ Styles."

"The reason chumps like you say I’m going Hollywood is that anyone in my shoes would have already gone, but I’m still here."