8 New Directions For WWE After Backlash 2026
1. The 'John Cena Classic'
All worries about John Cena announcing the next WWE Draft or something to do with Club WWE were thankfully shelved when he instead revealed his new 'John Cena Classic' idea at Backlash. Details are a little up in the air as things stand, but the concept seems to be a standalone PLE event with a title belt waiting for the winner at the end of it.
Everyone's a bit confused about the rules though.
John said that even losers could be crowned champion because it comes down to fan popularity/votes. That's an interesting concept, but it could be messy and dilute the importance of people winning matches across the board. Let’s see how things shake out, eh? It'd be unfair to write the premise off before its even started.
John did also suggest that the 'Classic' will be main roster vs. NXT, but that probs won’t be a strict format. WWE is pretty lucky that Cena is so good at this sort of stuff, because his announcement would’ve played before silence or boos with anyone else. He effectively announced King Of The Ring for a bespoke championship, then said that even those who get pinned or submit could end up winning the whole thing.
Clean this up and we could have a soft-KOTR relaunch on our hands.
Where else can you see WWE booking going after Backlash? For more wrestling, check out 10 Wrestlers WWE Protected In The WORST Way Possible and 10 Way Too Early Card Predictions For WWE WrestleMania 43!