Charlotte Flair has officially been announced for the upcoming John Cena Classic, with the former women’s champion receiving a personal invitation from Cena during the November 13, 2026, episode of WWE SmackDown in Sunrise, Florida.
Cena opened the show by revealing Flair as the latest participant in the special event, which is scheduled for December 14 at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida.
The event will feature established WWE Superstars competing alongside emerging talent, with Cena announcing that a record number of NXT performers will make their Raw debuts against members of the main roster. Members of Club WWE will also have a role in determining the event’s champions through a fan voting process.
Following the announcement, Flair delivered an emotional speech reflecting on Cena’s influence on her career and the encouragement he provided during a particularly difficult period.
Flair revealed that following WrestleMania 41, she had begun questioning whether she wanted to continue wrestling. During that time, Cena approached her backstage and encouraged her to stop putting pressure on herself to be perfect and instead embrace her authentic personality.nAccording to Flair, that conversation helped restore her confidence and allowed her to reconnect with WWE audiences.nShe thanked Cena for recognizing her as an individual rather than simply viewing her as the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
Flair then made her intentions clear, declaring that she plans to win the John Cena Classic Championship and further establish herself as the greatest champion of all time.
Cena responded by praising Flair’s contributions to WWE’s women’s division, acknowledging both her role in helping rebuild the division and the challenges she faced while carrying one of professional wrestling’s most recognizable family names.
In another notable moment, Cena revisited his previous comments about pursuing a record-setting 17th world championship. Cena explained that when he spoke about wanting to capture his 17th title so he could eventually shake the hand of someone who surpassed that achievement with an 18th championship, he had Charlotte Flair in mind. The exchange added a personal element to Flair’s participation in the tournament, with both Superstars recognizing each other’s accomplishments and influence on WWE.
Flair joins a growing lineup of announced John Cena Classic participants, including Cody Rhodes, Zilla Fatu, Noam Dar, Romeo Moreno, and Kelani Jordan.
"You did it because you believe in me" 🙌
Powerful words from @MsCharlotteWWE about @JohnCena! https://t.co/XO6zqdpUFz
— WWE (@WWE) November 14, 2026
THE QUEEN!! 👸
@JohnCena has ALWAYS believed @MsCharlotteWWE was the one! https://t.co/OaBiB9q4Va
— WWE (@WWE) November 14, 2026
Additional names were confirmed later during Friday’s SmackDown broadcast when Cena appeared in a backstage segment alongside Fatal Influence. During the segment, Cena officially invited Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid to compete in the John Cena Classic, expanding the field for the December event.
The John Cena Classic is scheduled to crown both men’s and women’s champions, with Club WWE members participating in the voting process that will help determine the winners.
With Flair and all three members of Fatal Influence now confirmed, the event continues to take shape ahead of its December 14 debut in Orlando.
