Wrestling fans love a good “what if,” and none got debated more than whether John Cena would ever turn heel. For years, “Cena sucks” chants echoed through arenas while Vince McMahon doubled down on Cena’s squeaky-clean image. Half the fans begged for a ruthless Cena; the other half insisted it would never happen.
But I called it — and I really should’ve backed myself at the bookies.
About six or seven years ago, when the “Cena needs to turn heel” debate was at its peak, I made two bold predictions:
- John Cena will only ever turn heel when he’s close to hanging up the boots.
- The only time John Cena will break Ric Flair’s record and become a 17-time world champion is when he finally turns heel.
Not for ratings.
Not for a desperate creative twist.
Not even because the crowd forced it.
But when he was ready to step away from full-time wrestling — and when the heel turn could be used to make that 17th title win mean something even bigger.
And wouldn’t you know it… on March 1, 2025, at WWE Elimination Chamber in Toronto, it finally happened. Cena shocked the world by attacking reigning champion Cody Rhodes after winning the Chamber match — officially turning heel for the first time since 2003.
He aligned with none other than The Rock and rapper Travis Scott, marking a legendary shift in WWE history. Then, at WrestleMania 41, Cena captured the Undisputed WWE Championship, officially breaking Ric Flair’s record and becoming a 17-time world champion — exactly like I said he would.
If you think about it, this heel turn and title win came exactly when I said they would — as Cena prepared to wind down his in-ring career and cement his legacy on his own terms.
And here’s something else I predicted that proved just as true:
The iconic chants wouldn’t disappear — they’d just flip sides. The fans who used to chant “Let’s go, Cena!” started chanting “Cena sucks!”, and those who used to chant “Cena sucks!” flipped to “Let’s go, Cena!”
The passion stayed the same — only the direction changed. The love-hate relationship with Cena just reversed itself, giving WWE exactly the reaction they wanted.
Now, here’s the real kicker.
If I’d been brave (or crazy) enough to place an accumulator bet on both of these predictions coming true — Cena turning heel and him only breaking the 17-time world title record after turning heel — I’d have been looking at combined odds of 90,000/1.
That means:
- A £10 accumulator bet would’ve landed me £900,000.
- A £50 accumulator bet would’ve bagged me a staggering £4.5 million.
Yeah… that’s life-changing money just for backing what everyone else thought was impossible.
Was it a classic Hogan-style turn? Not exactly. But it was smart, career-defining, and timed to perfection — Cena embracing the darker side of his character when it mattered most.
I should’ve bet on it.
And honestly? Cena can definitely afford to toss me a few thousand for this prediction — I mean, I did save the bookies a fortune!
But at least I get to say I told you so — and rubbing that in is priceless.
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