WWE Announces 'John Cena Classic' For Main Roster, NXT Wrestlers (WWE News)
Cena announces namesake event during Backlash; short on details beyond fans wielding the final say.
Throughout the week, WWE hyped John Cena making a "history-making" earth-shaking announcement during Backlash on Saturday night in Tampa.
When it came time, Cena announced the establishment of the 'John Cena Classic', a one-night event pitting WWE main roster superstars against NXT wrestlers, the winner(s) of which will receive a new championship bearing the 17-time World Champion's name.
Details about the event were sparse. It was unclear whether this will be a tournament, when it will take place, how many wrestlers will participate, if there will be separate brackets and winners for men and women, or whether the new title will be defended regularly like the Intercontinental Championship or treated like the Crown Jewel Championships, which are only contested during the eponymous PLE in Saudi Arabia/elsewhere.
The most unique feature of this event also might be the most controversial: Rather than a typical event where match winners advance until one person wins a final to be crowned champion, the 'John Cena Classic' will bestow that power to the fans. As described by Cena, "The fans will vote to crown the champion," and every participating superstar is eligible, meaning that "a superstar might not win their match, but their hustle might earn your respect, win your heart, win your vote" and ultimately earn the championship.
The idea that someone could lose their match(es) and still walk away from this event as the champion is a wild concept, and it will be interesting to see how that actually plays out in practice.