John Cena (Credits: WWE)
The John Cena Classic is officially set for December 14, and the first name in the tournament field is a huge one. John Cena announced all the details on the November 2 episode of WWE Raw, revealing that Cody Rhodes will be the first-ever invitee.
John Cena Classic December 14 at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Cena walked out to a massive reaction from the Brooklyn crowd in the second hour of Raw and got straight to the announcement. There will be two editions of Raw on Monday, December 14: the regular show in Perth, and the Cena Classic special at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
The winner of the tournament will receive the John Cena Classic Championship — a custom title designed as a play on Cena’s signature spinner belt. Cena also revealed that members of Club WWE will get the chance to vote on specific tournament entrants, giving fans a direct say in who competes.
Cody Rhodes Named First Entrant
Cena closed the announcement by naming Cody Rhodes as the tournament’s first invitee, setting the tone for the kind of star power the Classic intends to attract. The timing is notable — this is WWE placing one of its biggest full-time stars in a tournament named for its most iconic modern figure.
The fan-vote component adds a genuine wrinkle. With Club WWE members voting on entrants, the field could skew toward popular picks rather than purely backstage-planned names — a format WWE has flirted with but rarely committed to at this scale.
Expect more entrants to be revealed in the coming weeks as WWE builds toward December 14, with the Disney World venue giving the special a distinct big-event feel separate from the Perth show running the same night.
Also Read: John Cena Classic Spoiler: December 14 Disney World Tournament Plans Revealed | WWE Raw Results 11/2/2026: John Cena Appears, Solo Sikoa vs. Royce Keys
Source: Fightful — read the full story there.
