John Cena reveals surprise 'John Cena Classic' entrant, salutes Gunther during special WWE NXT appearance

Wrestling legend John Cena made a special appearance on the WWE NXT show on Wednesday, making an emotional announcement but also paying tribute to one of his greatest rivals. The 17-time world champion turned up at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and announced that Zilla Fatu will be the newest participant in the upcoming John Cena Classic. However, it was not the only thing that Cena did during his special appearance. Before entering the ring, Cena paid his respects to Gunther, who beat him in his last WWE match last December.



Cena got an overwhelmingly positive reception from the NXT audience before explaining the significance of WWE’s developmental brand and what it has to offer to the budding wrestlers.


The atmosphere became emotional after Cena asked Fatu, who is the son of the WWE superstar Umaga, to step into the ring with him. Cena spoke about his long relationship with the Anoa'i wrestling dynasty, including his experiences with Rikishi, The Rock, and Roman Reigns.



Cena also spoke very fondly of Umaga, talking about how much he personally meant to him. This emotional speech clearly touched Fatu, who had difficulty holding back his tears as Cena talked about the importance of his family in wrestling.



Cena then extended an official invitation to Fatu to be part of the first-ever John Cena Classic. Fatu accepted the invitation, thanked the WWE superstar, and hugged him in the ring. Fatu is now the second-confirmed wrestler after Cody Rhodes, whose participation was announced on Monday Night Raw.



Apart from this, Cena paid a small yet significant tribute to Gunther prior to entering the ring. As he was walking backstage, Cena saw a poster of Gunther and paid tribute to him by tipping his hat to the poster. This tribute was of special significance since Gunther had defeated Cena in his last WWE match in December 2025, thereby concluding his illustrious wrestling career.



Meanwhile, the John Cena Classic is scheduled for December 14 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The event will feature competitors from Raw, SmackDown and NXT, with fans voting to determine the eventual winner.



Cena is also scheduled to appear on the November 13 edition of SmackDown in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With Fatu joining Rhodes, excitement surrounding the tournament continues to build as more participants await confirmation.