John Cena believes WWE needs to stop waiting for NXT Superstars to be completely ready before bringing them to the main roster. The 17-time World Champion says there’s no such thing as being fully prepared for that next step, and sometimes the only way to find out if someone belongs is to give them a shot.
While speaking to Yahoo Sports Uncrowned, Cena opened up about his vision for the John Cena Classic and why he wants to give younger talent an opportunity to prove themselves against established WWE Superstars. He explained that the event is designed to showcase the next generation rather than keep them waiting for the perfect moment.
“Sometimes all people need is just to get out there. Honestly, that’s the motivation behind the John Cena Classic. I want to create an annual event where we showcase the best and brightest from NXT against the best and brightest from WWE. Kind of like ‘Enter the Dragon’ without all the death. I want to put together a heck of a card and I want to let the future of the business run.”
Cena knows what it’s like to receive an opportunity before becoming an established name. He recalled how an unexpected situation involving The Undertaker opened the door for him to wrestle Kurt Angle early in his WWE career. That experience helped shape his belief that younger wrestlers need opportunities to show what they can do.
“Basically, that’s what happened to me when Undertaker got sick and Kurt Angle said, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll wrestle the kid’ — and in Chicago, I got my chance. It doesn’t equate to long-term success, but at least it gets you out of the gate.”
The biggest takeaway came when Cena addressed the difficult transition from NXT to WWE’s main roster. While he understands the importance of developing wrestlers and giving them time to improve, he believes spending years in NXT doesn’t necessarily mean someone will ever feel completely prepared for the next level.
“It is very difficult to matriculate from NXT to WWE. There are folks that have been down there for three years. That’s a long time in development, and granted, all those reps are just getting fluency and mastery, which I appreciate. But I believe no one is ever ready, and I believe you’ve just got to bring them up and see what happens, if that’s where they truly find an authentic sense of self.”
Cena’s comments come as WWE continues preparing for the inaugural John Cena Classic on December 14, 2026, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The event will bring together talent from NXT, RAW and SmackDown, giving developing wrestlers an opportunity to compete alongside established names.
The tournament is already taking shape. Cody Rhodes was announced as the first participant, while Zilla Fatu became the second confirmed entrant during Cena’s appearance on the November 4 episode of NXT. WWE has also confirmed additional television appearances for Cena as he continues building toward the December event.
Cena isn’t asking WWE to abandon its developmental system, but he clearly believes there’s a point where experience in NXT can only take someone so far. His own career
