During the 2026 WWE Backlash PLE on Saturday, 17-time World Champion John Cena made a groundbreaking announcement about the creation of the John Cena Classic, sparking significant discussion. The John Cena Classic will reportedly be a crossover tournament featuring both WWE main roster and NXT stars. This concept has garnered attention due to its unique format, which includes elements of fan voting and a structure that could allow losing wrestlers to continue advancing in the tournament.
According to the announcement, fans will play a direct role by voting to determine the eventual winner of the new championship and the tournament itself. This format has raised questions online regarding how match results will influence the competition.
Dave Meltzer mentioned on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that this idea has been under discussion internally at WWE for years, even though it has never been officially launched. He noted that the company has explored various versions of this concept for about 15 years, describing the current iteration as a work in progress rather than a finalized system.
Meltzer also stated that he could not provide an explanation for why this specific version was chosen, but he asserted that it was inevitable given WWE’s general approach of not taking wins and losses seriously.
The crossover between main roster and NXT performers adds further intrigue, as younger talent could share the spotlight with established stars. Cena’s announcement has become one of the major talking points emerging from Backlash weekend, largely because of the tournament’s unconventional structure and WWE’s apparent willingness to experiment with different formats.
