John Cena classic: WWE unsure how it will look

The fallout from Clash in Italy spilled into RAW’s post-show with WWE revealing the brackets for its King and Queen of the Ring tournaments — and the road now points straight to Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on June 27. What began as a reveal quickly turned into storylines, on-air flubs and creative questions as the company sets up multi-match nights and future PLE plans.

The tournaments are using an unusual format: opening rounds are four-way matches, then winners move into traditional one-on-one showdowns. The format itself caused some confusion — commentators stumbled over how to read the brackets live, and several booking choices have fans and pundits debating WWE’s direction.

Men’s tournament: surprising results and who’s primed for the finals

• Oba Femi edged out Solo Sikoa, Penta El Zero Miedo and Carmelo Hayes to move past the first round.
• Dominik Mysterio advanced after interference from Judgment Day, getting past Bron Breakker, Trick Williams and Damian Priest.
• Je’Von Evans pulled off an upset over Seth Rollins, Tanga Loa and Ricky Starks.
• Jey Uso won his four-way against LA Knight, Finn Balor and Royce Isaacs.

Those outcomes set up a few obvious story threads. Dominik’s path is tightly linked to Judgment Day, so expect the stable to shepherd him toward the summit. Oba Femi’s victory puts a target on his back — there’s already heat between him and Brock Lesnar that could lead to another showdown at SummerSlam. And Je’Von Evans’ upset over Seth Rollins changed earlier booking assumptions, leaving the tournament’s finish open-ended.

Live mistakes and booking oddities that matter

On commentary, Joe Tessitore accidentally read first-round pairings as traditional singles before correcting himself — a small slip that mirrored larger organizational confusion. WWE also announced brackets that included names later altered: Drew McIntyre was listed initially despite being tied up with a film project, and Sami Zayn stepped into Raw’s slot in his place. Movements like that underscore a company juggling talent availability, media tie-ins and storyline continuity.

Women’s bracket: favorites, seeds and the Liv Morgan question

• Liv Morgan — the current Raw Women’s Champion — won her opening four-way over Chelsea Green, Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss.
• Iyo Sky continued momentum by defeating Roxanne Perez, Lash Legend and Giulia.
• Raquel Rodriguez advanced after outlasting Bayley, Jacy Jayne and Kiana James; tensions flared backstage when Kiana blamed Giulia for costing her the match.
• Charlotte Flair topped Sol Ruca, Lyra Valkyria and Jade Cargill to progress.

Putting Liv Morgan — who already holds the Raw Women’s title — into the Queen of the Ring bracket raised eyebrows. Sources inside WWE suggested Creative didn’t have a fresh angle for her following Stephanie Vaquer’s injury, so Morgan was inserted into the tournament to keep her visible and to generate potential title-versus-tournament storylines. If Rhea Ripley’s reported knee problem is real, the company may be considering a double-champion route.

Possible winners and likely matchups

There are two logical paths here: Charlotte Flair claiming the crown and moving to challenge Rhea Ripley, or Iyo Sky winning and setting up a feud with her former tag partner. If Ripley is sidelined, expect Creative to pivot toward making Morgan a dual champion — a booking decision that would spark a fresh set of rivalries heading into the big Saudi event.

Not on the page: absences and backstage thinking shaping the brackets

Notable omissions are telling. Ilja Dragunov hasn’t appeared on TV for months — industry reports say the creative team views him as excellent in the ring but limited on the microphone, which has pushed him out of major plans despite his ability to steal a match. That assessment helps explain why certain high-caliber wrestlers were left out of the K/QOTR spots.

WWE’s internal priorities are clear: characters who can sell promos and advance narrative arcs often get booked ahead of purely in-ring standouts. That philosophy has created friction among fans who favor in-ring quality over storyline fluency.

John Cena Classic: ambiguity, fan voting and the Club WWE pivot

The company is also rolling out a separate tournament dubbed the John Cena Classic, but details remain fuzzy. Cena originally teased a major announcement tied to a fan experience package called Club WWE — a membership plan promising backstage-style perks, early ticket access and custom entrances. After management feared negative fan reaction and possible boos if the Club pitch failed, the plan pivoted to a tournament concept announced by Cena at Backlash.

Key elements of the Classic are unsettled:

• The field will reportedly mix NXT talent and main-roster superstars.
• Fans will have a vote in determining the overall winner, echoing historic interactive PPV formats like Taboo Tuesday/Cyber Sunday.
• Strangest of all: WWE has floated a rule that a competitor could win matches yet still lose the tournament if fan voting goes another way.

That last clause has drawn skepticism. Critics point out the oddity of results that undermine in-ring victories, imagining scenarios where a wrestler is physically superior on the night but loses out to a crowd-favorite with better fan engagement. Many insiders expect WWE to route voting through the Club WWE app — a move that would generate revenue but also invite accusations of cash-grab tactics.

Cena’s role and the prize on offer

John Cena has publicly backed the Classic, saying he and the company are ironing out logistics and timeline. Promoters have even discussed staging the event in December to align with a one-year anniversary of Cena’s SNME retirement moment. The winner would receive a bespoke “John Cena Championship” belt — a trophy critics worry will become another short-lived commemorative title that gets heavy promotion for one night before fading from weekly television.

Broadcast logistics and how the event may look on stream

Sources suggest the John Cena Classic presentation could air as a Saturday Night’s Main Event-style special on Peacock, mirroring last year’s quality production with fewer ad interruptions. That setup would likely produce cleaner broadcasts for streaming viewers compared to heavy-ad networks where match flow can be disrupted by commercial breaks.

Meanwhile, Night of Champions on June 27 will be WWE’s next stop in Saudi Arabia as it continues the multi-event partnership. The KSA deal remains a focal point for long-term scheduling — it’s currently set to run through WrestleMania 43 next year, which means every Saudi PLE is being booked with an eye toward both short-term ticket sales and the longer arc of the international relationship.

Where booking uncertainty could lead next

Creative hasn’t locked in winners across the board. Early plans reportedly favored Seth Rollins as a potential tournament victor to build toward a marquee clash with Roman Reigns, but Je’Von Evans’ surprise win shifted that blueprint. With multiple moving parts — injuries, film commitments, and fan-vote mechanics — WWE’s booking room is improvising as much as plotting.

Watch for Judgment Day’s influence on Dominik’s title charge, possible double-title scenarios for Liv Morgan, and the company’s treatment of the John Cena Classic voting mechanism — all of which will shape match cards for Night of Champions and the summer PLE slate.

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John Davis

John Davis is a sports journalist focused on the NBA, NFL, and major global championships. With seven years of live coverage, he breaks down performances and key strategies. His expertise gives you a clear view of every game and its impact.