The John Cena Classic has a championship, and it has Cena all over it.
Cena returned to Raw on Monday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where he unveiled the title the tournament winner will take home. A covered championship was waiting in the ring when he came out. After his entrance, Cena asked ring announcer Alicia Taylor to introduce him again, then told the sold-out crowd he had three big announcements.
The biggest was the belt itself. It has a black leather strap and a large gold center plate with Cena’s signature across the middle. It also shows an image of Cena doing his trademark salute, with “CHAMPION” along the bottom and gold detailing throughout.
WWE created the title just for the event instead of using one of its existing championships.
Cena said the tournament means a lot to him with his name on it. He talked about hustle, loyalty and respect, the three words that have defined his WWE career, and said a championship should stand for hard work and dedication.
He also confirmed the John Cena Classic will take place on Dec. 14 at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and mentioned upcoming Raw broadcasts from Perth and Disney World.
Fans will have a say, too. Cena said Club WWE voting will play a role in the tournament, which was first announced with a fan vote built in.
Before wrapping up, Cena named the first star invited to compete: Cody Rhodes.
