John Cena Classic Set For Disney World As WWE Reveals The Date, Championship, And First Invitee

John Cena brings his new WWE competition to Disney World for a special December 14 event.© NDTV Library

John Cena picked December 14 for the first John Cena Classic, and WWE is taking the event to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He made the announcement on Monday Night Raw in Brooklyn, where he also unveiled a new championship and named Cody Rhodes as the first invitee. The event gets its own special Raw broadcast, even as another edition happens in Perth, Australia, on the same day. Club WWE members are also getting a say in the competition.

BREAKING NEWS: @JohnCena just announced the John Cena Classic will take place on Dec. 14 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex! https://t.co/VZk9lam17L

— WWE (@WWE) November 3, 2026

John Cena Reveals Disney World Location and Unveils a Championship Inspired by His Iconic WWE Title

Cena made three announcements during his November 2 appearance at the Barclays Center. First came the December 14 date, then the location, and then the championship the eventual winner will receive.

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will host the Orlando show, which is a pretty different setting for a new WWE competition. 

The company already has Raw booked in Perth, Australia, that Monday. So it will now put on a second edition from Disney World, with the John Cena Classic happening as part of that special broadcast.

Cena also pulled the cover off the new John Cena Classic Championship. The design takes inspiration from the spinner WWE Championship that got closely tied to his earlier run as a top star, and the belt carries Cena's name and his image.

“I have my heart and soul in this event. If you look at this award, there's me,” Cena told the Brooklyn crowd. He added that the competition represents “perseverance, hustle, loyalty, respect.”

The belt isn't the only part where fans get a say. Club WWE members will be able to influence the competition through voting. But WWE hasn't explained the complete format yet, including how the voting will work on December 14.

Cody Rhodes Becomes the First Invitee as Cena Looks to Bring Main Roster and NXT Stars Together

Next up was the first name invited to compete. Cody Rhodes got the spot, even though the two spent much of 2025 on opposite sides of the ring.

Cena beat Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 to win his record-breaking 17th world championship. Rhodes later regained the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam.

Their exchange in Brooklyn felt more personal than a regular tournament invitation. Cena brought up his earlier comments about Rhodes struggling with the pressure of being WWE's leading star, and admitted he had got it wrong.

“This event is everything you are. Everything you stand for. I love you, bud. And I'm so glad to officially invite you to the John Cena Classic,” Cena told Rhodes.

The original announcement came at Backlash in May, when Cena described the competition as a platform for talent from WWE's different brands. 

Main roster performers and NXT wrestlers are expected to take part, and the fan vote plays a part in deciding overall champion. Even competitors who lose their individual matches could still have a chance to win the Classic.

Cena plans to show up on NXT, Raw and SmackDown to invite more wrestlers. He also confirmed an appearance at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 28 in Houston as he keeps building the field. The full list of competitors and the tournament format are still to be announced.