WWE's John Cena Responds To Fan Backlash Over 'Polarizing' John Cena Classic

At this year's WWE Backlash, John Cena made a brief appearance not to compete, but to announce the formation of a new tournament in his honor: the "John Cena Classic." At this stage, little is known about the setup of the tournament, but while Cena is excited about the prospect of the tournament, not all online fans are.

During an interview with "US Weekly," Cena discussed the fan attitude towards the tournament. "There's a lot of questions, a lot of polarizing attitude, which is great because I'm a polarizing guy," he said. "Michael Cole called it polarizing, so I like that sort of intrigue heading into this."

"We're gonna have a new event. We're gonna crown a new champion, and everyone qualifies for the vote," Cena said, while also pointing out there will be more details to come. As for the mentality behind the voting process, Cena believes fans should have an opportunity to throw their support behind a wrestler even if they didn't win every match. "If you want to vote for the winners, vote for the winners. That's fine. I just want to let you know that if somebody busts their hump and wins your heart and wins your vote, you can vote for them."

Cena admitted that, at this stage, even he doesn't yet know how this will work out. However, he thinks it's another "bold" decision in a career that's been full of them. "I'm literally trying to encapsulate the early stages of my journey into one night of exhibition contests," he said. "I can promise you this: You will get my all for this thing, absolutely."

The retired WWE star also cited Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Arnold Classic, a bodybuilding competition, as inspirations for the tournament idea. As for a potential winner of the first edition of the John Cena Classic, Cena didn't give away any names but stated that it could be anyone on the roster.