Bully Ray Assesses the John Cena Classic Announcement, Thinks It Was an Overall Win

During a recent edition of Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray assessed John Cena announcing the John Cena Classic Tournament last weekend at WWE Backlash Tampa 2026. Although Bully Ray admitted he had no idea where WWE goes with the tournament, he called the announcement itself “a win” for WWE. Below are some highlights (via WrestlingInc.com):

Bully Ray on the John Cena Classic Announcement

“It’s the tone and the volume and the passion and the enthusiasm of which he said it, and by the end of the segment, the people were excited, and the people were cheering. So as far as the job of the night…those people were excited at the end of the promo.”

On Why the Announcement Was a Win

“It was a nice crescendo, a nice build-up, the way he played back to Sol [Ruca], to Oba [Femi], to Trick [Williams], and brought that forward with the opportunities this could create for younger talent, it made sense. John Cena connected the dots in the promo, and that’s why you got the reaction that you got. And that’s why, as far as this announcement is concerned, it was a win. It was successful. What happens beyond here, I have no idea.”

The John Cena Classic will pit main roster Superstars against developmental wrestlers. However, Cena announced that fan voting will decide the winner of the tournament.