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SUNRISE, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 13: John Cena smiles during SmackDown at Amerant Bank Arena on November 13, 2026 in Sunrise City. (Photo by Connor Kvatek/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
On December 14th, WWE is serving a double dose of Monday Night Raw, with a daytime episode in Perth, Australia, and an evening episode featuring the John Cena Classic.
On Friday’s SmackDown in Sunrise, Florida, we learned even more about the upcoming event, but what carried the GOAT’s name was him in the ring giving a special invitation to someone who could someday break his championship record. Let’s talk wrestling.
John Cena Classic Key Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Event | John Cena Classic |
| Date | Monday, Dec. 14, 2026 |
| Venue | ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, near Orlando, Florida |
| Stream | Netflix, as a special edition of Raw |
| Format | Raw and SmackDown stars vs. NXT talent; Club WWE members vote for male and female champions |
| Same-day show | Raw at RAC Arena, Perth, 6:30 p.m. AWST |
| Next night | Worlds Collide, Dec. 15, same venue |
The John Cena Classic takes place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando and streams live on Netflix as a special edition of Raw. The Perth show is set for RAC Arena at 6:30 p.m. local time, which is 5:30 a.m. ET.
John Cenaopened Friday’s show and named Charlotte Flair the latest invitee. He later extended an invitation to Fatal Influence after the group complained about Flair. Cody Rhodes and Zilla Fatu were announced earlier.
The emotional exchange between Charlotte and Cena made the invitation even more special. It’s a bit of a full-circle moment for Charlotte because the last time she was in Chicago, she was in the middle of that awkward Tiffany Stratton promo that aired personal laundry.
But since then, she’s undergone an image reconstruction with the WWE Universe. She was once booed mercilessly, and now she’s a legitimate fan favorite.
You could feel the love from the crowd at Friday’s SmackDown in Sunrise when she accepted the invitation, and her presence in the John Cena Classic is going to raise the level of the entire event.
Cena holds the record with 17 world championships.
John Cena Classic Confirmed Participants
| Participant | How They Got In |
|---|---|
| Cody Rhodes | First invitee, announced Nov. 3 |
| Zilla Fatu | Announced by Nov. 9 |
| Charlotte Flair | Invited by Cena on SmackDown, Nov. 13 |
| Fatal Influence | Invited by Cena on SmackDown, Nov. 13 |
Bringing together performers from Raw, SmackDown, and NXT is a good idea overall. It’s a bit controversial letting fans choose the winners or standouts because that takes some control away from the promotion. That’s a big departure from what we usually see in pro wrestling.
It could be a complete flop. One thing is for sure, there will be people who hate it because this is Earth and that’s how things go. Nothing happens that everyone likes, and wrestling is a primary example of that.
I’m always of the opinion the writers should write and not alter their stories for public opinion, but we see people producing content for the masses buckle to what fans demand all the time.
More John Cena Classic Coverage
- John Cena Classic Complete Breakdown and Predictions
- John Cena’s ‘History-Making’ Bombshell WWE Backlash News: Predictions
The next night, Dec. 15, the same venue hosts an Avengers: Doomsday-themed Worlds Collide, and two-day combo tickets are on sale.
Fans should expect a full day of WWE action that feels like a premium live event, which is good news because those are special days. That said, with the roster split between Florida and Perth, it may impact storylines or generate new ones.
Either way, fans are looking at around four to five hours of pro wrestling that Monday instead of just two.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/john-cena-just-invited-woman-075309708.html
