John Cena Addresses WWE Fan Backlash Over John Cena Classic Announcement (Exclusive)

For a star that recently retired, John Cena has been pretty busy for WWE as of late.

In 2025, Cena spent the year on his WWE retirement tour, during which he wrestled around the world in what he and the company billed as his final run in the ring, including wrestling in the main event of WrestleMania 41 and SummerSlam.

In his final active year as a pro wrestler, Cena broke the record for most world championship victories in a career when he defeated Cody Rhodes to win his 17th.

Cena wrestled his final match against Gunther at Saturday Night's Main Event in December of 2025, losing to Gunther by submission before riding off into the sunset.

At least for a little while.

Since his retirement in December, the WWE has already brought Cena back into the fold on three different occasions. He was the host of WrestleMania 42, the current spokesman and voice of Club WWE, and he appeared at the Backlash event to make an announcement he said would 'shock the foundation of WWE'.

The foundation-socking announcement was the introduction of a brand-new event: the John Cena Classic. Cena said the event would crown a new champion in WWE, but that fans would decide the eventual outcome of the tournament, regardless of the wins and losses that take place in the ring.

John Cena addresses fan concerns about the John Cena Classic event

In a sport where wins and losses matter a lot, WWE fans took to social media after the announcement to express confusion over the John Cena Classic. Was it a regular championship? Do fans really choose the outcome? Isn't that bad?

Cena heard the backlash and, in an interview with The Takedown on SI, addressed the fan concerns.

"What we're trying to do is a one-night event," Cena said. "If you look at Saturday Night's Main Event — if I were to sum up the John Cena Classic in one sentence: WWE's All-Star Game. Stop. That's the one-sentence logline."

Cena admitted that they gave a lot of information out to fans at Backlash, and because of that, he expected some questions. However, he made sure to confirm that wins, losses, and storytelling still matter to what WWE does, even in a tournament where fans have control.

"There are those rare instances in the business where one guy goes over, and you're like, 'Man, the other guy effin' rocked,'" Cena said. "All it is, is: if you have a vote and you feel strongly that, “Taker won, but HBK tore it up. I'm going with HBK.” That's all I'm saying. Wins and losses do matter. The structure of storytelling does matter.

"This one night is an exhibition. We don't have to lead up to it. We don't have to get any involvement. I'm gonna personally invite these people into the event, and we're gonna have the event. It's literally a standalone thing."

Cena admitted that there is a chance the John Cena Classic doesn't work. He said he's had really good ideas and other bad ideas. As for this one, it's about delivering something new to the fans, using the John Cena brand, and changing the wrestling business for the better.

"I feel there's a clamoring for new and wanting new," Cena said. "I'm just trying new, with the goal of: how can I use the respect that the John Cena name has and put forth an event that's everything I stand for? I love meritocracy. If you're good, man, get out there and get a chance.

"Maybe we make an Oba Femi in one night. Maybe some kid comes on the scene and just wows you, win, lose, or draw, and you're like, 'That dude's got it,' or 'That gal's got it.' What a great way, as a fan, to tell corporate, essentially: 'Put your chips in this direction. Let's give this person an opportunity.'”

As of now, there isn't a date or venue set for the first-ever John Cena Classic. Though there were months of planning behind it, Cena said there were still details to iron out. One of those details was the voting.

Cena expressed a desire to ensure that a voting system was in place to prevent any inauthentic hijacking or sabotage of the results.

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