Overview
- WWE confirmed the inaugural John Cena Classic will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World on December 14 and that the company will run two episodes of Raw that day, with the regular show in Perth and the Cena episode in Orlando.
- Cena announced a bespoke John Cena Classic Championship for the tournament winner and said the belt echoes his old spinner title but does not spin.
- Cody Rhodes was revealed as the first invited entrant and Cena said he will invite more talent across NXT, Friday Night SmackDown, and other WWE shows to build the field.
- Club WWE members will be able to vote on specific tournament entrants, but WWE has not yet released the full participant list, the voting rules and timing, or final broadcast and distribution plans.
- The event frames Cena in a curator role after his December 2025 in-ring retirement and positions Disney World as a family-focused venue, creating production and scheduling questions because WWE will operate simultaneous shows on the same date.