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When Sports Meets Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the most exciting sports: it combines outstanding physical performance, entertainment and intrigue between the wrestlers. Just like other popular sports like football or basketball, it is possible to bet on the outcome of wrestling matches. If you are not already a bettor, take advantage of the 888sport welcome offer to experience the matches more intensely. Today, we offer you a non-exhaustive list of world-class athletes who have gone from the field to the ring. We only talk about athletes who have made a career in the WWE and not those who have sporadically intervened like basketball players Shaquille O’Neal, Denis Rodman or Karl Malone… When sports meets wrestling, it’s now!
Roman Reigns
Wrestling was not his first professional option but Roman Reigns wanted to succeed in the NFL and his college career was quite encouraging. A defensive tackle with Georgia Tech University, Reigns stayed with the Yellow Jackets for three years. A captain in his final season, he was named to the first team of his conference, the ACC. Undrafted in 2007, Reigns signed with the Minnesota Vikings for training camp and it was here that doctors diagnosed him with leukemia. He was released a month later before signing for a week with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Reigns would go on to prove himself in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos where he would have a full season with 5 tackles and 1 forced fumble. He retired from American soccer to focus on wrestling, a success, since today, Reigns has won numerous individual and team titles in the WWE.
Baron Corbin
Before becoming one of the most hated superstars in the WWE, Baron Corbin had a chaotic football career that revealed his behavioral problems. As an offensive tackle, Corbin played for Northwest Missouri State University in the second division of the NCAA. He is part of this sad generation that participated in 4 national championships and lost them all… Undrafted in 2009, Corbin signed two short contracts with the Indianapolis Colts but could not convince to play the NFL season. In 2010, he signed a contract with the Arizona Cardinals, but he was involved in a team fight during training camp and was kicked off the roster. It was after this setback that Corbin went into wrestling and signed his contract with the WWE in 2012. Impressive in NXT, he quickly made a name for himself and established himself in the main roster of the federation as a perfect heel. Let’s hope for him that his career in wrestling is more glorious than the one in football.
Kurt Angle
Probably the most famous of all, and for good reason: the WWE Hall of Famer simply won a gold medal in wrestling, in the heavyweight category, at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, one year after his title at the World Championships. A high-level wrestler who also won the State Championship in his senior year of high school as well as two NCAA Division I Heavyweight titles. Kurt Angle signed with the WWE after a serious neck injury and quickly became one of the greatest superstars in the company. Angle won every title in WWE and did the same in TNA. Probably the most accomplished conversion.
Ronda Rousey
Ronda is surely the most famous female superstar in the UFC. After becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal (bronze) in judo at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Ronda Rousey turned to MMA where she enjoyed absolute success. Record of invincibility, record of title defense for a female athlete, incredible charisma … Ronda Rousey has given credibility to women’s MMA in the eyes of the world. After her loss to Holly Holm in 2015, she retired in 2017 and became the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. A few months later, Ronda signed with the WWE and will carry the nickname of her idol Roddy Pipper, “Rowdy”. After a few ring appearances, she signed a long contract with the Stamford-based federation and won the women’s division world title on August 19, 2018 at SummerSlam. Ronda will keep it 232 days before having to leave the circuit because of her pregnancy.
This list of athletes performing at a high level in different sports highlights the fact that wrestling requires real athletic skills and sheds more light on the endless debate of whether wrestling is a legitimate sport or not.