Worlds of wrestling and Marvel officially collide as WWE, Disney announce two-day takeover of ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Universes collide.
Get ready, wrestling fanatics and Marvel enthusiasts, because the worlds of WWE and Disney are officially colliding for an epic two-day takeover this December! According to Variety, WWE and The Walt Disney Company are teaming up for an Avengers: Doomsday-themed collaboration, bringing all the action to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The excitement kicks off on December 14 with the John Cena Classic. Then, on December 15, we get the premium live event ‘Worlds Collide’, which is going to be all Avengers: Doomsday-themed. This timing is critical, as the Avengers: Doomsday film itself is set to hit theaters just a few days later on December 18.
The John Cena Classic marks a significant moment for the wrestling icon himself. John Cena officially retired from active competition at the end of 2025 after losing to Gunther. Since then, he has made a handful of appearances, but not as a wrestler. For instance, according to Sports Illustrated, Cena hosted WrestleMania 42 this year in Las Vegas. He later returned at Backlash to announce the John Cena Classic tournament, giving fans something truly special to look forward to.
WWE and Disney have finally spilled the beans on the collaboration
On the November 2nd episode of Raw, Cena himself stood in the ring and confirmed his tournament would happen on December 14, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida. It is going to stream live on Netflix as a special edition of Monday Night Raw. The tournament aims to crown a superstar of the night, with various wrestlers competing.
Fans who are members of Club WWE, the company’s fan membership program, will even get to vote in real time for their favorite superstar of the night. The winner will then be awarded the prestigious John Cena Classic Championship, and Cena even revealed a brand new title belt for the victor. Cody Rhodes is already confirmed to participate.
Following the John Cena Classic, ‘Worlds Collide’ is set to take center stage on December 15. This event promises a mix of WWE stars and talent from the lucha libre promotion AAA. WWE acquired AAA back in 2025.
Then there’s the merch
No major event is complete without merchandise and fan experiences. WWE and Fanatics are bringing WWE World to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for both days of the event. This means fans will have access to exclusive merchandise, along with photo and autograph opportunities with their favorite WWE Superstars.
Fanatics is also producing special WWE and Avengers: Doomsday crossover merchandise, which is a dream come true for collectors. Fans can expect to find co-branded products, including specialty title belts, at WWE World, WWEShop.com, and even across select Disney retail stores.
Two-day combo tickets will go on sale starting November 13 at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster. Fans part of the general presale can snag combo tickets a day earlier, starting November 12 at 10 a.m. ET. WWE has also mentioned that additional event and fan experience details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Triple H, WWE’s Chief Content Officer, took to X on Tuesday to comment. He wrote, “The first-ever John Cena Classic is part of our expanding partnership between WWE, ESPN, and Disney. Excited to bring this industry to new heights for the best fans in the world.”
December is shaping up to be a packed month for WWE
In addition to the John Cena Classic and Worlds Collide, the company will also present television and Wrestlepalooza from Australia that same month. Before all that, WWE is heading to Saudi Arabia this weekend for Crown Jewel, which features some massive matches. There will be both world champion versus champion matches for the WWE Crown Jewel Championship.
In the men’s division, Roman Reigns will face Sami Zayn. On the women’s side, Liv Morgan will go up against Chelsea Green. Another featured match on the show is Randy Orton versus John Cena in a Last Man Standing Match. Even in retirement, John Cena is still a huge part of the WWE landscape.
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