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Footballers have found professional wrestling to be an increasingly popular outlet, whether competing or just watching. And, while footballers cannot merely go into a wrestling ring and participate in a professional match, the two sports have certain similarities.
First off, both groups of athletes have comparable high levels of fitness. Additionally, they strongly desire to perform at their best each time they step foot on the court or the playing field.
Both sports have global appeal, with many from each discipline having become household names, while also becoming popular betting options for some who like to place a wager. While WrestleMania might be the premier WWE event that attracts plenty of betting opportunities for punters, the FIFA World Cup is football’s main showpiece, and with the odds and markets that you can at Limitless casino bonus, it is an event that may appeal to many WWE fans, too, especially as the USMNT and Canada are both competing in Qatar this year.
So, with both sports having global appeal, are there individuals who have decided to give both a go? The answer is yes, but if you want to try and define if any of them have been successful, this could be a bit harder. Let’s take a look at some of the names on the list…
Antonino Rocca
Antonino Rocca was an Argentine soccer player who became a professional wrestler in the 1950s. He is credited with popularizing the sport of wrestling in South America and is regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. Rocca held multiple titles during his career, including the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Championship.
Mason Ryan
Known by the ring name Mason Ryan and a man that had a huge body in terms of muscle, Barri Griffiths once played football as a centre-back for Porthmadog FC. Nonetheless, his career ended prematurely, hence why he turned to the sport of wrestling.
WWE fans will remember him as part of The Nexus before it was disbanded, while he was highly successful in FCW - the developmental promotion before NXT took over.
Thomas Boric
Again, perhaps better known by the ring name of Kato or Paul Diamond, Thomas Boric was a footballer at the start of his professional life. He was a goalkeeper for the Calgary Boomers and Tampa Bay Rowdies before retiring, where he then decided to attend a Tampa Bay wrestling school.
He performed for the WWE in the 90s under the name Kato, while also performing for numerous other promotions throughout his time.
Conclusion
While we have only noted a couple of names above, there are a number of others who have tried to make the transition from football to wrestling at one point or another, with some having been able to have success while others not so much.
Indeed, it could be argued that there are a number of similarities between the two sports in regard to footwork and agility, as well as stamina, however those in the ring will need to be more athletic and be able to take bumps when required; something not all footballers have been able to show, despite the fact that they can now sell a hit…
