The amazing story behind John Cena's bet with a Padres rookie

Why John Cena owed Padres pitcher Logan Allen one dollar after his MLB debut.

22-year-old pitcher Logan Allen made his Major League debut for the Padres on Tuesday night, and he earned his first career win with an outstanding performance at home against the Brewers. Allen allowed zero runs and gave up just five hits in seven innings, and he even picked up his first hit and scored a run.

Watching from the lower level was WWE legend John Cena, who lost a $1 bet with Allen when he took the mound. 17 months earlier, Cena and Allen had a chance encounter at a Tampa Bay steakhouse, and during a long conversation, Cena proposed a friendly wager as a way to keep Allen motivated during his journey to the majors.

Via The Athletic:

“Sometime deep into the night, he made his wager. “I’m going to bet against you,” he told Allen. He cited the percentages, which, objectively, are formidable for the overwhelming majority of minor-leaguers. He referenced his own career and the numerous times he had been discounted. Before he rocketed to fame, he cleaned toilets and lived out of a car.

…. Cena delineated the terms of the #OneDollarBet: If Allen indeed failed to reach the major leagues, he would owe Cena a signed dollar bill acknowledging his wisdom. If Allen proved him wrong, the reverse would apply.

“Essentially, the wager’s amount was so small it was irrelevant,” Cena says. “I just kind of wanted to give Logan the perspective of, there is always a force in the universe that is going to say, ‘You have a large hill to climb in front of you, and I don’t believe you can do it.’ And sometimes that little small piece of energy is enough to get you over that hill.”

Allen spent time with Double-A San Antonio and Triple-AAA El Paso in 2018, posting a combined record of 14-6 with an ERA of 2.54. He wasn’t able to force himself into the Padres rotation in Spring Training earlier this year, but he finally got the call this week after the Padres’ bullpen was worked heavily in a series with the Rockies.

Allen said after the game that he texted Cena “you owe me a dollar” on Monday, and Cena replied that he’d be at the game to watch Allen’s debut.

Cena showed up for Wednesday’s day game against the Brewers to present Allen with his signed dollar.