When The WWE John Cena Classic Is Expected To Take Place

Further details on WWE's plans for the John Cena Classic were revealed at a town hall meeting for the company's employees on Tuesday, May 19.

PWInsider has reported that at the town hall meeting led by WWE President Nick Khan and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, it was noted the John Cena Classic is currently being targeted for the latter part of 2026. One person mentioned to PWInsider the event would be taking place at the "end of the year."

Previous reports had noted that the John Cena Classic being held in December appeared to make logistical sense due to WWE's events calendar and it being around the one-year anniversary of John Cena's retirement from professional wrestling at the December 13, 2025 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event.

What exactly the John Cena Classic will be has not been determined, with Cena himself admitting since his Backlash announcement that the concept was a "work in progress." In announcing the John Cena Classic at the pay-per-view, the 17-time world champion noted it will feature main roster wrestlers vs. NXT talents and a John Cena Classic Champion will be decided by a fan vote instead of in a professional wrestling match.

It is unclear how the John Cena Classic will be broadcast, but Netflix have reportedly expressed interest in airing the show on the streaming platform.