John Cena Announces John Cena Classic Fan-Voted WWE Event

John Cena announced the formation of the John Cena Classic ahead of WWE Backlash on Saturday in Tampa, Florida.

The event will showcase professional wrestling talent from across the WWE roster, including main brands and NXT. Fans will vote to select the champion. Wrestlers who lose their individual matches can still claim the overall title.

"I am so honored tonight to announce to you the John Cena Classic. An entire evening of the best of today competing with the best of tomorrow," Cena told the crowd. "An entire event where WWE superstars and NXT superstars get an opportunity to give you all they have in hopes to be crowned a champion. ... And not just any championship. This is an event and this is a championship I’m personally putting my name on. So, I’m going to strive for a certain level of excellence and I’m also going to do everything I can to make it special."

Cena stressed that the WWE's biggest star is its audience. Fans will vote to crown the John Cena Classic champion, with every wrestler on the card eligible.

The 17-time WWE champion pointed to his recent event before his final match in December in Washington, D.C. Cena lost to Gunther, but up-and-coming talents gained exposure before a large crowd.

That card included Sol Ruca beating Bayley, Oba Femi facing Cody Rhodes and Je’Von Evans, and Leon Slater teaming with Dragon Lee against AJ Styles.

Femi went on to challenge and defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42. Evans came close to winning the Intercontinental Championship there. Ruca has joined Raw and will challenge Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Slater nears a record X-Division Championship reign in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

No date has been set for the John Cena Classic, but it will join WWE's busy summer schedule.