A new update has emerged regarding when WWE plans to launch the recently announced John Cena Classic tournament.
John Cena officially unveiled the concept during his appearance at Backlash earlier this year, revealing a new tournament format featuring talent from both WWE’s main roster and WWE NXT. While Cena introduced the tournament concept at Backlash, WWE did not confirm a launch date or reveal any participants.
According to PWInsider, WWE officials discussed the tournament during a recent company Town Hall meeting, noting that the John Cena Classic is currently being targeted for the latter part of 2026.
The report added that the current expectation internally is for the tournament to take place before the end of the year.
John Cena Recently Addressed Criticism Of The New Tournament
John Cena has also recently addressed fan reaction to the announcement while discussing the concept with CBS Sports and SHAK Wrestling. According to Cena, the idea behind the John Cena Classic is to create WWE’s equivalent of an All-Star Game.
“I think to sum it up in a sentence, it could be a version of WWE’s All-Star game,” Cena said.
Cena explained that the atmosphere surrounding his recent WWE appearances helped inspire the concept, noting how strongly fans reacted throughout the entire show at Backlash, not just during his own segments.
The John Cena Classic will feature unique rules and is expected to become one of WWE’s newest annual tournament attractions.
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