The John Cena Classic date and location are official, with the first star confirmed and a major missed opportunity revealed.
On the November 2 episode of WWE Raw, John Cena confirmed the Classic for December 14, revealing that Club WWE subscribers will be voting, and a custom championship is up for grabs.
The revelation of the single championship and the identity of the first entrant indicates that WWE may have missed an opportunity:
Hustle, Loyalty, Respect
The John Cena Classic is built around the ideals of the veteran star himself: hustle, loyalty, respect.
It’s something that is baked into the championship title that will be voted upon by Club WWE subscribers, with the star himself saying
“This event encapsulates everything I stand for: perseverance, hustle, loyalty, respect.
“Right now, I want to show some respect to our loyal fans, and that is why the power to vote will live at Club WWE.
“And, you want to talk hustle? A championship is the symbol of hard work.”
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Club WWE is the subscription platform that was launched earlier this year, with John Cena being at the forefront as an ambassador.
The first announcer star set the tone
Unsurprisingly, given that there is a single championship under contention, Cody Rhodes being announced as the first participant indicates that not only will top stars be involved, but it will be a men’s roster showcase.
With the tournament set to draw stars from the main roster and NXT, John Cena will be on the Wednesday episode of the show, no doubt to announce the first participant from over there. Cody Rhodes will also make an appearance, awarding the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy to the winner of that tournament, and there’s a possibility for Raw’s first entrant to get up close with his NXT counterpart.
The missed opportunity
Being in its first year, the John Cena Classic “might be a total failure“, according to the star himself.
With this in mind, it’s perhaps not surprising that the focus of year one is on the men’s roster, assuming that there isn’t a sudden expansion and second title added between now and December 14.
The women’s roster across Raw, SmackDown and NXT, in particular, is arguably a tower of strength, with Grayson Waller making his thoughts clear on that very subject when he returned to the Tuesday night show, declaring that the women were “running laps” around the men, leading to agreement from Kevin Owens.
To miss them from the inaugural tournament is something of an oversight but, given the stakes and the time investment (after all, there’s now two episodes of WWE Raw in one night), it’s perhaps not an unexpected one.
Year one, not done
It can only be hoped that the John Cena Classic is not “one and done” when it comes to its place in WWE history.
A showcase of main roster vs. NXT stars, it’s a format that could be continued into the future, providing opportunity for matches that would be unlikely to be seen otherwise.
Assuming it will be a success for WWE using whatever metrics they choose to apply to it, year two and beyond could very well see the addition of a women’s John Cena Classic.
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