NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan has accepted an invitation to the John Cena Classic after John Cena made a surprise appearance on WWE NXT to extend the invite personally.
Kelani Jordan’s Rise in Professional Wrestling
The 28-year-old Jordan has experienced a rapid ascent since signing her WWE contract in 2022. After making her on-screen debut in 2023, she earned recognition as Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Rookie of the Year for 2024. Throughout that year, she captured the inaugural NXT Women’s North American Championship by winning a six-woman ladder match at NXT Battleground.
Her career continued to expand when she won the TNA Knockouts World Championship in September 2025, followed four months later by a main roster appearance at the Royal Rumble. Jordan secured the NXT Women’s Championship by defeating Kendal Grey on August 30. Shortly after, she competed on Raw in a triple threat match against Raquel Rodriguez and Lola Vice—who ultimately won—with a spot in Money in the Bank on the line. Jordan has since successfully defended the NXT title on multiple occasions, including a defense against Wren Sinclair at Halloween Havoc.
Details on the John Cena Classic
The John Cena Classic is scheduled for Monday, December 14, at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida. Rather than operating as a traditional tournament or a number-one contender bracket akin to King of the Ring, the event will feature NXT wrestlers competing against Raw and SmackDown superstars across a series of matches.
At the conclusion of the evening, fans will vote to determine who earned the distinction of being named the Classic winner. Alongside Jordan, announced participants for the event so far include Cody Rhodes, Zilla Fatu, Noam Dar, and Romeo Moreno.
