WWE Takes Over ESPN Wide World of Sports December 14 and 15, With the John Cena Classic and an Avengers: Doomsday Worlds Collide
John Cena's name is going on a WWE show at Disney World, and WWE's fan club gets to vote on the night's top Superstar. WWE and The Walt Disney Company announced on November 3 that WWE will take over the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for two nights, December 14 and 15, with the first-ever John Cena Classic on the Monday and a Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday-themed Worlds Collide on the Tuesday.
The announcement art lists both nights and the ticket dates. Image: WWE / The Walt Disney Company.
Night one: The John Cena Classic
The Classic was first announced on Monday Night Raw on November 2, in front of what Disney's release calls a sold-out Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It puts WWE's biggest names from Raw and SmackDown against up-and-coming Superstars from NXT on Monday, December 14.
The night's top honor comes down to a fan vote. The show ends by naming the top Superstar of the night, chosen by members of Club WWE, the company's fan membership program, who vote in real time for their favorite performance. Fans who want a vote can register at WWE.com/ClubWWE. The Classic streams live on Netflix that night as a special edition of Monday Night Raw.
Night two: Worlds Collide, Avengers: Doomsday edition
The next night, Tuesday, December 15, Worlds Collide gets an Avengers: Doomsday theme, with a card drawing on WWE, NXT and AAA talent. It lands three days before the film's U.S. theatrical release on December 18.
The crossover carries into merchandise. WWE will make Avengers: Doomsday co-branded products, title belts included, and sell them at WWE World (more on that below), on WWEShop.com and, in the release's words, "across select Disney retail stores." The release does not say which stores.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex during a Banana Ball game at The Stadium in May 2026. The release does not say which of the complex's venues will host the WWE shows. Image: Disney.
WWE World and tickets
WWE and Fanatics are also running WWE World, a fan event at the complex across both days, with exclusive merchandise plus photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars.
Here is how tickets work so far:
- Only two-day combo tickets have been announced, sold through Ticketmaster.com.
- General presale: Thursday, November 12 at 10am ET.
- On sale: Friday, November 13 at 10am ET.
- Event updates: register at WWE.com/CenaClassic.
Prices have not been announced, and the release does not mention single-night tickets. The release adds that "Additional event and fan experience details will be announced in the coming weeks."
Where this fits in the Disney-WWE deal
The two companies already work together. Their partnership dates to 2025, when the ESPN App became the exclusive U.S. streaming home of WWE's Premium Live Events, for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Disney's release calls the takeover an expansion of that partnership, and this time it brings in a Disney venue and a Marvel movie. As Blog Mickey puts it, "Disney owns both the venue and the film."
So, are you buying the combo ticket, or waiting to see the price? And who walks out of ESPN Wide World of Sports with the Cena Classic belt?
Sources
- The Walt Disney Company, "WWE & The Walt Disney Company Expand Partnership with Two-Day Takeover of ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Featuring the John Cena Classic & Marvel Studios' 'Avengers: Doomsday'-Themed Worlds Collide" (November 3, 2026)
- Blog Mickey, "WWE, John Cena Plan Two-Day Takeover at Walt Disney World" (November 3, 2026)
Image credits: WWE / The Walt Disney Company (announcement art); Disney (ESPN Wide World of Sports photo).
