Wrestling icon and 17-time World Champion John Cena delivered big news on Saturday at WWE Backlash.
The future WWE Hall of Famer announced that a new annual WWE tournament, the John Cena Classic, will commence soon.
Furthermore, Cena added that the John Cena Classic will introduce a brand-new WWE championship belt.
“I’m so honored to announce to you the John Cena Classic. An entire evening of the best of today competing against the best of tomorrow. An entire event where WWE superstars and NXT superstars give you all that they have in hopes to be crowned a champion.”
“We are making history. We have a brand-new event and the debut of a brand-new championship in the WWE.”
Will the John Cena Classic Reintroduce a Spinner Belt?
HeavyJohn Cena debuted the first ever WWE spinner championship belt during the Ruthless Aggression era
John Cena delivering on his promise to share “history-making” news was certainly worthwhile.
The John Cena Classic, which will feature NXT and WWE stars, sounds like the perfect stage for legends of tomorrow to compete against the top stars of today.
Notably, the most intriguing aspect of Cena’s announcement is the introduction of a brand-new WWE championship belt.
WWE has not added a new championship since 2023, when they debuted the new-look WWE Heavyweight Championship.
As a reward for the winner of the John Cena Classic, it’s fair to wonder if WWE will introduce a new spinner belt, a championship style that Cena made famous.
John Cena debuted his personalized WWE United States Championship “spinner” belt at the 2004 Armageddon PLE in December 2004.
The custom design, featuring a flashy, rotating centerpiece to match his “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona, was introduced following his third US title win.
A few months later, Cena introduced the iconic WWE Championship spinner belt in April 2005 on SmackDown.
For the John Cena Classic, it would be a nice homage if WWE introduced a spinner belt as the reward.
Fans Will Vote For John Cena Classic Winner
GettyJohn Cena announced a new WWE tournament at Backlash 2026
For the first time ever, WWE fans will be directly responsible for crowning the winner of a WWE tournament.
During his historic announcement at Backlash 2026, Cena noted the winner of the John Cena Classic would be determined by fan voting.
Cena revealed that competitors could potentially lose their tournament match and still be voted as the John Cena Classic champion.
“I have said time and time again, the biggest superstar in the WWE is the WWE Universe,” Cena declared to the crowd. “So, on top of a new championship and on top of a new event. For the first time in history, your voice will be heard louder than ever before. Because you, the audience, will vote to crown the champion of the John Cena Classic.”
Fan voting has scarcely been used throughout WWE history. Its last notable use was Cyber Sunday, a Ruthless Aggression-era PLE in which fans voted for various matchups.
More details about the John Cena Classic are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Will WWE Bring Back the Spinner Belt for the John Cena Classic?