John Cena thinks no one is really ready to leave NXT for the main roster, and that WWE has to bring them up to see what happens.
In a new interview with Uncrowned, Cena said this is exactly the reason behind the John Cena Classic. The show will pit NXT stars against wrestlers from Raw and SmackDown.
“Sometimes all people need is just to get out there,” Cena said. “Honestly, that’s the motivation behind the John Cena Classic. I want to create an annual event where we showcase the best and brightest from NXT against the best and brightest from WWE. Kind of like ‘Enter the Dragon’ without all the death. I want to put together a heck of a card and I want to let the future of the business run.”
Cena recalled how he got his start in WWE.
“Basically, that’s what happened to me when Undertaker got sick and Kurt Angle said, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll wrestle the kid,’” Cena said. He got his chance in Chicago. “It doesn’t equate to long-term success, but at least it gets you out of the gate.”
Cena addressed how difficult it is for NXT talent to make it to the main roster.
“It is very difficult to matriculate from NXT to WWE,” Cena said. “There are folks that have been down there for three years. That’s a long time in development, and granted, all those reps are just getting fluency and mastery, which I appreciate. But I believe no one is ever ready, and I believe you’ve just got to bring them up and see what happens, if that’s where they truly find an authentic sense of self.”
The John Cena Classic will take place on December 14 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Florida. It will be a special episode of Raw. Fans who sign up for Club WWE will vote to determine the champion, no matter the results of the matches.
Cody Rhodes was the first name Cena announced for the show during last week’s Raw in Brooklyn. Zilla Fatu, who Cena announced on Wednesday’s NXT, was the second. More names are expected to be revealed on Friday’s SmackDown in Fort Lauderdale, next week’s Raw in Raleigh, and Survivor Series: WarGames on November 28 in Houston.