John Cena to win Royal Rumble in first farewell tour match, WWE legend predicts

John Cena will compete in his final WWE Royal Rumble match on February 1. John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL), one of Cena's legendary rivals, expects the returning star to leave Indianapolis as a three-time Royal Rumble winner.

Cena is due to retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025. As a 16-time world champion, the 47-year-old already holds the joint record for the highest number of world title reigns alongside Ric Flair. However, many believe he could win a 17th world title this year to become the outright record holder.

On Something to Wrestle, JBL named Cena when host Conrad Thompson asked him to select a Men's Royal Rumble match winner:

"I don't know how you couldn't go with Cena. I mean, it's such a great story. I just don't know how you wouldn't go with him. You've got a 16-time world champion, one of the greatest of all time, and carried the company during a G-rated era, which had to be the hardest role of any champion ever." [1:35:10 – 1:35:29]

Cena, a Royal Rumble winner in 2008 and 2013, will make history if he wins the match for the third time. Stone Cold Steve Austin (1997, 1998, and 2001) is the only WWE star to have won three Royal Rumbles.

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JBL names two alternative Royal Rumble winners to John Cena

The 30-man match is set to be one of the most star-studded in years, with CM Punk, Logan Paul, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins also announced as participants.

If John Cena fails to win the Royal Rumble, JBL thinks Punk or Reigns could be the last man standing:

"CM Punk would obviously be a great choice. Roman. So many choices that are really, really good. I think for the first time you've got probably four to six choices that people would look at it and go, 'Okay, that all works.' You've got so much parity with these top guys. You've done a great job at building top guys." [1:35:34 – 1:35:52]

While Reigns previously won the Royal Rumble in 2015, Punk has never been victorious in the annual match. The Best in the World finished as the runner-up to Cody Rhodes in 2024.

Do you think John Cena will win the Men's Royal Rumble? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Something to Wrestle and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.