Time for something a little more random – which footballers would make great WWE wrestlers?
Footballers get quite a bad rap in the ‘modern game’ for falling over at the slightest touch. They are not seen as the ‘hard men’ of yesteryear when players were allowed to be far more physical on the pitch.
In more recent times, the game has been moving more and more towards being a non-contact sport with creative players being protected more than ever by the referees.
But, just because players are pretty much not allowed to touch each other in the name of football doesn’t mean that some of them don’t secretly dream of being a WWE wrestler.
I thought I’d run through some names and see who I could come up with as being a suitable match for the greatest show on Earth.
#1 Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
OK, Liverpool’s hulk of a defender is currently out with a knee injury – but when VVD is back to fitness he has the build of a man more than capable of looking after himself. At 6ft 2, broad shoulders and strong muscles you cannot imagine too many people could get the better of Van Dijk physically – on a football pitch or in a ring. I am not sure if he is the player I would have wrestling for my life, however.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus
Why Ronaldo? Well, he’s made himself world class at football with an incredible work ethic and self-belief so I suspect that if he ever fancied a go in the ring he’d treat it with the same respect – and train so hard that he’d be a top wrestler before his first bout. People like Ronaldo are born competitors – you suspect he’s the best golfer and tennis player at Serie A side Juventus as well…
#3 Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund
We are heading over to Germany’s Bundesliga for this next suggestion – Haaland is a big boy, again well over 6ft and possibly the most athletic of the leading strikers in world football currently. He is powerful, he seems to have an edge to him which means you probably don’t want to get on the wrong side of him and he is young – meaning minimal fear. I’d back him to do some damage in the WWE arena.
#4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – AC Milan
Zlatan has already called himself a lion – and do you want to fight a lion? Sure, he is pushing 40 but he is still in incredible shape and, like the others on the list, is tall and strong. Zlatan is also a martial arts expert, so there are bound to be some skills that are easily transferable over to the ring.
#5 Sergio Ramos – Real Madrid
And here we have the football player I’d put in the WWE ring if my life depended on it. WWE is full of theatrics, drama and showmanship so who better than a player who encapsulates all this every time he steps on to the football field? Real Madrid’s skipper is big and strong but also knows how to play the room and build extra interest in his every move. Absolutely perfect for WWE.
