John Cena On Reaction To WWE Backlash Announcement: 'There's Still A Lot To Be Done'

Last weekend at WWE Backlash, John Cena officially announced a new event titled "The John Cena Classic," where talent from both the main roster and "WWE NXT" will compete in a one-night tournament with the audience deciding who advances in the competition, regardless of the result of each match. The victor of the tournament will be presented with a brand new title, but the ability for a wrestler to be crowned champion despite losing matches in the competition has led to a mixed reaction from fans, leading the 17-time World Champion to comment on the feedback from the audience in a recent interview.

"I've heard the perspective that 'wins and losses don't matter.' That's a very valid point," Cena told CBS Sports. "I love listening to feedback. We have to figure out the fan votes. There's still a lot to be done." 

Cena continued to hammer home the point that the purpose of the tournament is to showcase the present and future of the business, explaining that WWE won't need to build any major storylines going into the event.

"To sum it up in a sentence, it could be a version of WWE's All Star Game. It's a night of exhibition. So we don't need to build any long lead stories into it. It's the present competing or paired with the future of the company — superstars from NXT." 

It was reported earlier this week that "The John Cena Classic" is a "work in progress" and that most of the details for the event have still yet to be ironed out, including a date and location.

Ultimately, Cena's goal is too give exposure to "NXT" talent, sharing that he understands those who have been waiting for their chance to get called up to the main roster for years, but for one night, they have the opportunity to alter the trajectory of their career.

"Show the world what you have. On top of it, if you steal the show — maybe you're not lucky enough to get the 1-2-3 and get your hand raised — every participant qualifies for a fan all-star vote. So you could be recognized as the night's champion."

Cena also continued to address the mixed reaction to his recent announcement, claiming that new ideas always create differing opinions. "I'm trying to do something new. WWE is trying to do something new. That's going to come with praise and critique," Cena said. "As one of the most polarizing figures in WWE over the past 23 years, man, it wouldn't be normal if there weren't folks cheering and folks that weren't."

When Cena retired from professional wrestling last December at Saturday Night's Main Event against GUNTHER, the entire undercard of the show featured "NXT" talent, all of whom have since been called up to the main roster.