WWE has announced the first John Cena Classic, a tournament-style competition scheduled for a special edition of RAW on December 14 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The event will determine a new champion through a fan-voted bracket, pitting NXT talent against established main roster stars. Cody Rhodes became the first participant in the tournament, revealed during last night’s episode in Brooklyn, New York. This competition follows a prolonged rivalry between Rhodes and Cena, which reached its peak at SummerSlam 2025. Rhodes defeated Cena to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship before taking an extended leave to pursue film projects.
In a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Rhodes credited WWE’s leadership, Nick Khan and Triple H, for creating a flexible environment. “I was so lucky,” he said. “I won the title from John Cena at MetLife for SummerSlam and then went and filmed without doing the usual wrestling, put him out, stretcher him out, he’s gone and then big return.
It was just I think the world is all aware of what we’re doing now in terms of, ‘Oh, he’s going to film Street Fighter, he doesn’t need to do all that.’ And modern WWE, with its executive core and its, you know, Nick Khan and Triple H allowing it to go that way made it so you said day job didn’t have it very easy.
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Made it very easy. Other guys filled in while I was gone. I was able to come back and get right back into it.” The tournament’s reveal generated immediate reactions, including a bold statement from Kam Hendrix, the real-life spouse of Maxxine Dupri. On X, Hendrix declared, “I’d cook anybody in the John Cena Classic 🤣.” His comment stands out given his recent storyline involvement, particularly a feud with Ek Prosper over an NXT North American Championship opportunity. At Halloween Havoc, Prosper ambushed Hendrix in disguise, retaliating for an earlier interference that deprived him of a title shot.
Meanwhile, Matt Cardona, currently recovering from an injury, has expressed interest in joining the competition. The event will combine veteran superstars with rising stars, with fan voting determining the ultimate winner. WWE has yet to confirm whether Rhodes will compete in the tournament, though his return from hiatus suggests ongoing involvement. The event’s venue at Disney’s sports complex raises its significance, positioning it as a major pre-holiday spectacle. As December 14 approaches, the full participant list and bracket structure will likely be unveiled in the coming weeks.
