"I'd bet my life" – Wrestling veteran confidently predicts John Cena will ''100%'' win his 17th WWE World Championship

John Cena is set to participate in the 2025 WWE Men's Royal Rumble Match. Meanwhile, wrestling veteran Buff Bagwell has boldly predicted that The Franchise Player will become a record-breaking 17-time World Champion before retiring, even going so far as to say he would "bet his life" on this outcome.

During RAW's Netflix premiere on January 6, 2025, The Cenation Leader declared that his only path to another world title reign lay in winning this year's multi-man over-the-top-rope elimination match. Following Cena's announcement, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre have also confirmed their participation in the Men's Royal Rumble Match.

On his Marcus Buff Bagwell YouTube channel, the former WCW World Tag Team Champion confidently predicted that John Cena would become a 17-time World Champion during his Farewell Tour, surpassing Ric Flair's record. Buff Bagwell stated that he would bet his life on the 47-year-old WWE megastar achieving the milestone.

"If he [John Cena] is at 16 [world title reigns], and a 100% Ric Flair is at 16, then 100%, he will be the 17th time World Heavyweight Champion. Yeah, no doubt about it. [sic] I would bet my life it's in his contract. Absolutely, I would say I'd bet my life as in this contract," he said. [From 00:31 to 00:56]

You can check out the video below:

---

Former WWE champion says John Cena will come back from retirement

The Face That Runs The Place will hang up his boots from professional wrestling at the end of 2025. Cena has officially announced that after this year, he will retire his signature jorts, caps, and entire in-ring attire. He claimed he would transition to an ambassadorial role within WWE, exclusively wearing suits and firmly committing to never returning to in-ring competition.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, former Intercontinental Champion Jey Uso said John Cena was "lying" about his retirement, claiming The Franchise Player had at least 15 more years left in the tank.

"I've wrestled against John, and I've wrestled with John. They talk about it's a Farewell Tour. Whatever. He lying to all of us, man. John got like 15 more years left on him. He gonna come back. Alright?" Jey said.

Only time will tell if The Franchise Player will surpass Ric Flair's record to become a 17-time World Champion.

---

Please credit Buff Bagwell's YouTube channel and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.