We now have some more clarity on how the inaugural John Cena Classic will play out.
John Cena revealed more details about the upcoming tournament during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.
It was announced last Monday that the first-ever John Cena Classic will take place at Disney World in Orlando, Florida on December 14 as part of a special episode of Monday Night Raw.
The Classic will see a mix of main roster and NXT talent face off in a series of matches. A fan vote, orchestrated through the Club WWE subscription service, will determine who wins by the end of the night.
Many wondered how, if the event was a tournament, a fan vote would determine the winner. This specific part of the event’s system was clarified by Cena this week.
Cena explained in a recent Sports Illustrated interview that the event won’t be a traditional bracket, but instead a series of showcase matches. Once all of the bouts wrap up, fans will vote on which performer impressed them the most. The man and woman with the most votes will each receive a title and become the first-ever John Cena Classic winners by the end of the night.
“As soon as the last match is over, it’s kinda like American Idol… [Once the final match ends,] voting’s open now to Club WWE members,” Cena explained. “And when we come back from commercial break, we’re gonna award the women’s champion of the night, and we’re gonna award the men’s champion of the night.”
Similar to the undercard on Cena’s retirement show last year, each match on the show will be an NXT wrestler against a main roster talent.
Cena announced last week that the Classic will feature Cody Rhodes and Zilla Fatu. More names are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks, with Cena appearing on upcoming shows to make the announcements.
