Add as a preferred source on Google John Cena, even after retiring from the ring, will continue to play an important role in WWE. At this Saturday’s Backlash, held at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, the 17-time world champion announced the creation of the John Cena Classic.
The announcement came after the match between IYO SKY and Asuka. Cena came out to the ring wearing a suit, received “one more match” chants, but made it clear he wasn’t there to announce a return to the ring.
According to Cena, the John Cena Classic will be a premium live event featuring main roster WWE talent and NXT wrestlers. A new title will also be created for the winner of the event.
The big twist, though, will be direct fan participation. Fans will vote to determine the John Cena Classic champion, which means a wrestler could lose their match and still be voted champion based on their performance.
Before Backlash, there was speculation that the announcement would be tied only to Club WWE, the company’s new membership program, since Cena had been used as the commercial face of the initiative.
So far, WWE has not confirmed a date, location, or further format details for the John Cena Classic. Cena, however, stated that the idea won’t be limited to just one year, suggesting the tournament is expected to become a permanent part of the company’s calendar.