The Athletic (subscription required) recently put out an incredible piece highlighting the unlikely friendship between WWE star John Cena and Padres’ prospect Logan Allen. The lengthy piece goes into how the pair met, why they bonded, and how they have a one dollar bet going on.
Check out a few highlights below:
Why he admires Logan Allen:
We really got to know Logan and what he stands for, his value system, why he plays the game, what are the most important things in his life. I could tell even within an hour of meeting this young man that he has his head on straight and is a really good judge of character. And I admire that, because I only wish I had those traits at my age. And I began to think, “Wow, this is someone I want to help.”
His one dollar bet with Allen on if he’ll make it to the major league:
Essentially, the wager’s amount was so small it was irrelevant. 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. [If he succeeds] it’ll be the greatest dollar that I ever spent, and then, hopefully, it will be the start of a wonderful experience, ride and career for a young man who — I hate the word ‘deserve’ and I’ll never use it — but who has earned it.
On if he’ll switch from cheering for the Red Sox to Padres:
I think being a fan of a team is about the connection you have with the individuals on that team, or personal experiences. I remember having my heart broke watching the Red Sox lose the World Series in ’86 with my grandfather [former Red Sox player Tony Lupien], and that’s a really special connection that I have with that man and with that team. What I will say is I have a special connection with Logan. That means that I may not essentially ‘dump’ the Red Sox, but I may also adopt the Padres. That’s what sports are all about. It’s about people coming together and connecting over these wonderful moments because we care. And Logan is somebody who made me care.
