WWE’s upcoming John Cena Classic is expected to give rising talent an opportunity to compete against established main roster Superstars, but a new report suggests that winning the tournament may not lead to much beyond bragging rights.
The event is scheduled for December 14 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, and will feature matches between main roster WWE Superstars and NXT talent.
However, questions are already being raised about the purpose of the competition, particularly when it comes to what the winners will actually receive.
John Cena Classic Winners Will Be Determined By Fan Voting
As previously announced, members of Club WWE will have the opportunity to vote for the men’s and women’s winners following the matches.
Fans will reportedly have approximately four minutes during a commercial break to cast their votes.
Interestingly, this voting format means that a Superstar could lose their match but still walk away as a John Cena Classic winner based on the number of votes received.
During the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez questioned the concept, pointing out that the actual match results may ultimately have little importance if the final winners are determined by popularity.
Dave Meltzer agreed with that assessment, explaining that the Superstar receiving the most votes will be declared the winner regardless of whether they won or lost their match.
No Guaranteed Title Matches or Major WWE Pushes
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Meltzer’s report is that winning the John Cena Classic will not automatically come with a championship opportunity, storyline advancement, or guaranteed main roster promotion.
WWE has reportedly presented the matches as exhibitions, suggesting that the results are not necessarily connected to its broader creative plans.
Meltzer speculated that the company could use the event to showcase NXT wrestlers who are already being considered for main roster call-ups.
However, those decisions would likely be based on WWE’s existing plans rather than the results of the fan voting.
He also discussed the possibility of WWE attempting to influence the voting outcome if fans support someone the company did not originally expect to win.
Meltzer stopped short of claiming that WWE would manipulate the results, but acknowledged that such a possibility would not surprise him given the nature of professional wrestling.
John Cena Wants the Classic to Become an Annual WWE Tradition
Despite the questions surrounding the voting process and potential rewards, John Cena reportedly wants the Classic to become an annual WWE tradition.
The idea is to create an opportunity for emerging talent to share the spotlight with established WWE Superstars while giving fans a chance to participate in determining the winners.
However, the lack of a clearly defined reward could make the competition feel less meaningful, especially for NXT wrestlers hoping to use the opportunity to advance their careers.
If winning does not guarantee a championship match, a major storyline, or a promotion to the main roster, the biggest benefit may simply be the exposure that comes from participating.
With the December 14 event approaching, it remains to be seen how WWE will present the John Cena Classic and whether the company will eventually establish more significant incentives for its winners.
What do you think? Should WWE give the John Cena Classic winners a championship opportunity or some other meaningful reward, or is the exposure alone enough to make the event worthwhile?
