Prior to the 2026 WWE Backlash premium live event on Saturday, 17-time World Champion John Cena promised a “history-making” announcement.
Cena made an appearance at the show before the main event, and the crowd chanted “one more match.” He acknowledged these chants and the criticism regarding the ending of his retirement match against “The Ring General” GUNTHER. While he reflected on that moment, Cena expressed satisfaction with the fact that his last match also highlighted the future stars of WWE, such as Sol Ruca and Oba Femi, who, in his words, kicked “Brock Lesnar’s a**” at WrestleMania 42.
During his announcement, Cena revealed the “John Cena Classic,” a tournament that will pit several NXT stars against main roster superstars. The winner will receive the John Cena Classic Championship. He mentioned that the championship outcome will be determined by fan voting, meaning that even if a wrestler loses matches, they could still win the title.
There is no information yet on when the tournament matches will take place or which stars will be competing, but updates will be provided as they become available.
