John Cena Classic Update, WWE Rumors on Damian Priest & Truth, WrestleMania & Royal Rumble Dates

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Cena Reveals Timeline for John Cena Classic

After weeks and months of speculation, John Cena offered some confirmation this week regarding when the John Cena Classic will take place.

During an appearance on the Today show (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Cena said the John Cena Classic tournament will be held in December.

Cena did not provide a specific date or any other previously unknown information, but the mention of December is the first official announcement regarding a timeline for the tourney since Cena first announced its existence at Backlash back in May.

Regarding what fans can expect out of the John Cena Classic, Cena told Today, "We're gonna do an event, based off all the memory, all the nostalgia, the I.P. and the core values of the character which is me: Hustle, loyalty, respect, perseverance, virtue, overcoming the odds and giving the vote to the people."

After first revealing the info at Backlash, Cena also doubled down on the declaration that the fans will decide the first John Cena Classic champion regardless of the results of the matches in the tournament.

Cena also added, "I don't even know if it's gonna work. I'm still taking bold chances in the WWE space and I'm proud to be helping the John Cena Classic."

Based on Cena's initial announcement of the John Cena Classic, he is hoping to help elevate young Superstars and take them to the next level in WWE.

That comes as little surprise given that Cena himself came up with the idea to feature NXT Superstars on the undercard of his retirement match against Gunther on Saturday Night's Main Event last December.

With the John Cena Classic slated for December 2026, it could be a great way to continue that mission, while also celebrating the one-year anniversary of Cena's retirement.

Reported Reason for Priest's Heel Turn on Truth

WWE reportedly made the decision to have Damian Priest turn heel on R-Truth in an effort to feature Priest in a more significant way.

According to WrestleVotes on Fightful Select (h/t Mukherjee), WWE felt it had gone as far as it could go with the tag team of Priest and Truth, and that Priest being in a tag team was "reducing him rather than improving him."

WrestleVotes also reported that the Priest and Truth tag team was first conceived when Rhea Ripley went on the shelf with a knee injury.

WWE reportedly liked the idea of presenting Priest and Ripley as "The Terror Twins" on SmackDown, but when Ripley got hurt, something else was needed for Priest in the meantime.

Now, Priest is back on his own as a heel, and it could prove to be the best possible fit for him.

Most of Priest's greatest successes in WWE have come while he was a heel, particularly when he was part of The Judgment Day.

During that time, Priest won the Money in the Bank ladder match and successfully cashed it in to become world heavyweight champion.

While Priest and Truth did have a run as WWE tag team champions, there was little reason to keep them together any longer once they dropped the titles in August.

Reported Dates for Royal Rumble 2027, WrestleMania 43

WWE has yet to officially announce the dates for Royal Rumble 2027 or WrestleMania 43, but dates for both events may already be decided internally.

According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlePurists), sources believe Royal Rumble will be held the weekend of Feb. 6, 2027.

Meanwhile, Brandon Thurston and John Pollock of Post Wrestling (h/t Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp) reported that WWE has internally listed the WrestleMania 43 dates as April 10 and 11, 2027.

The Royal Rumble date comes as little surprise given that WWE has been holding the event during the weekend between the NFL conference championship games and the Super Bowl for years.

This season, the Super Bowl is later than usual on Feb. 14, which necessitated the Rumble getting pushed into February rather than its usual late January date.

Royal Rumble could potentially take place either the day before or on the same day as AEW's Dynasty pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Feb. 7 in Liverpool, England.

As for WrestleMania, it is typically held in early April, although the past two years saw it take place a bit later in the month with WrestleMania 41 on April 19 and 20, and WrestleMania 42 on April 18 and 19.

WrestleMania 43 occurring on April 10 and 11 would be more in line with when the Showcase of the Immortals has traditionally happened.

Of course, WrestleMania 43 will feel much different than previous iterations since it is scheduled for Saudi Arabia, making it the first WrestleMania to ever be hosted outside the United States or Canada.