On his official X account, the “Greatest of All-Time,” the “Never Seen 17” John Cena stated that he is on his way back to WWE at WWE Backlash 2026 to make a huge announcement that will “shock” the WWE Universe. Of course, speculations run rampant about what the announcement could be, as John Cena himself looked extremely ecstatic to deliver this news. Saturday night in Tampa, Florida, John Cena made a huge announcement, but it might not be the news anyone expected, as the John Cena Classic was announced.
WWE Backlash 2026: The Return of the “G.O.A.T” & Announcement of the “John Cena Classic”
Cena retired back in late 2025, as Gunther would end his long and illustrious career at December 2025’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. Since then, we’ve only seen John once, and that was when he hosted WrestleMania 42 and had an absolutely fantastic WrestleMania moment with Bianca Belair on Night 1 and Danhausen on Night 2.
This leads us to this Saturday night because everyone knows that when Cena is back, it’s “must-see.” With an earth-shaking announcement no less, the eyes of the professional wrestling industry will be firmly on the leader of the Cenation.
Only a couple of days until #WWEBacklash!!! pic.twitter.com/FN7GhbcrSU
— John Cena (@JohnCena) May 7, 2026
To no one’s surprise, Cena was welcomed back with open arms. John said he’s so happy that he’s now on the other side of the fence, as he can appreciate these moments without the fear of someone “kicking his teeth in.” Cena reminisced about his last match in WWE, and he said he was truly happy.
Why? Because not only did he go out on his own terms, but he also helped build up the stars of tomorrow by showcasing NXT talent on his last major WWE event as an in-ring competitor, even shouting out Oba Femi, who competed in the event, as only months later he retired Brock Lesnar.
As such, he wanted to do it again with the announcement of the John Cena Classic. The John Cena Classic will be a tournament that pits the stars of today and tomorrow in a tournament that will crown a new champion. WWE stars will need to qualify, but the fans will have control regarding who competes in the tourney.
And the John Cena Classic isn’t about winning. Still, it’s about “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect,” and even when losing, the fans will choose who wins the whole thing by assessing the grit and determination a superstar showcased during this gauntlet.
John would make it clear that he wants this not to be a one-off, but a tournament and championship that everyone competes in for years to come.
Cena just made an industry-shifting announcement with the John Cena Classic, and the WWE Universe could not be more excited!
