Fightful: John Cena remains under WWE ambassador deal; John Cena Classic being targeted for December

John Cena wrestled his final match on the December 2025 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, losing that bout to Gunther and retiring at the end of his retirement tour; Fightful Select reports he remains under a multi-year ambassador contract with WWE and the company is targeting December for the John Cena Classic announced at Backlash 2026.

Cena, a 17-time WWE World Champion, ended his in-ring career on that December 2025 episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event and retired after the final stop on his farewell tour; since then he has repeatedly denied plans to return to wrestling. In an interview with US Weekly in June, Cena said anyone attempting to convince him to wrestle again would be committing “financial suicide.”

Fightful Select has reported that Cena continues to be bound by a multi-year deal with WWE in an ambassador role following his in-ring retirement last year. The outlet also relays WWE’s position that, under that contract, Cena would not be permitted to work as an in-ring performer for another promotion.

At his last WWE appearance, Backlash 2026, Cena announced the John Cena Classic, a tournament the company described as pitting main roster stars against NXT talent. Multiple reports, and Cena himself, have said the tournament remains in development and is not expected to take place immediately.

On the timing of the event, Fightful Select quoted company sources: "WWE is currently targeting December for The John Cena Classic, though the timing remains subject to change." The report framed December as the current target date but emphasized that plans could still shift.

Earlier coverage noted December as a likely window for the tournament because it fits within WWE’s schedule and would align with the one-year anniversary of Cena’s retirement. That line of reporting predated Fightful’s update confirming December remains the targeted month.

For continued coverage, Khel Now directs readers to its social channels and apps: follow Khel Now Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join its community on Telegram & Whatsapp. Abhijit Singh is the article’s author; the piece notes he has over three years of experience as a sports journalist and has worked as a photographer since 2018, with a background in philosophy and political science.