Derek Holloway on May 10, 2026
Lexis King is now taking credit for John Cena’s new WWE project after the WWE Hall of Famer publicly admitted fans are still divided over the concept.
King took to Twitter and suggested he may have helped inspire the newly announced “John Cena Classic” after spending time talking with Cena at the WWE Performance Center over the past few years. King first praised Cena for giving him major advice throughout his WWE run while hinting their conversations may have influenced the new project.
“I’ve had some great talks with John Cena at the PC over the past couple of years, he has given me some life-changing advice on several occasions…”
He then fully leaned into the joke by posting a photo of The Rock alongside a fake quote implying he personally pitched the idea for the tournament to John Cena himself, claiming credit for it all.
“And then I said, ‘You should host a tournament, call it the John Cena Classic.’”
Cena officially introduced the project during the Backlash premium live event as a WWE and NXT crossover competition where fans will help vote on who becomes champion. However, WWE has still not clarified exactly how the format will work, which quickly led to confusion and criticism online. The day after Backlash, Cena directly addressed the mixed fan reaction on Twitter and openly admitted the project is still far from perfect.
“The John Cena Classic may not be perfect by any means yet it’s authentically me (I am not perfect either) and reflects my values and beliefs.”
The Leader of Cenation also admitted he understands there’s a real possibility the idea could fail completely — but said he still believes the risk is worth taking.
“I’m aware that there is the risk it might be a total failure and I’m not afraid of that and believe it’s still worth stepping ‘in the arena.’”
Even though Cena’s in-ring career is officially finished, he explained that his current role in WWE is about helping younger talent create opportunities for themselves moving forward.
“With my in ring career at an end, my ‘why’ is to use whatever energy or relevance I have left in hopes to create a launchpad of opportunity for all talent to show their skills while simultaneously creating a unique experience for our dedicated fan base. More details to come as we figure all this out!”
At this point, WWE still hasn’t announced an official launch date, bracket structure, or voting system for the John Cena Classic. But between the mixed fan reactions and Lexis King now claiming creative responsibility for the whole thing, the project is already getting plenty of attention.
Do you think the John Cena Classic could end up becoming a huge success for WWE, or does the concept still need a lot more explaining before fans fully buy into it? Leave your thoughts and feedback below.
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