Giant footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa is set to make his professional wrestling debut next week. Akinfenwa made a name for himself across English football during his career, for his body-builder like physique. After spells at the likes of Millwall, Northampton Town, Gillingham and Wycombe Wanderers, the striker hung up his boots following the end of the 2021/22 season.
Five months on though, 'The Beast' - as he is aptly nicknamed - is making a return to professional sport, but this time in the wrestling ring. As a result Akinfenwa has teamed up British promotion PROGRESS Wrestling, and will make his debut on October 2023.
Confirming his new venture, the former Wycombe man said: "I was always asked when I was coming to retirement what I was looking to do and the response was always new experiences.
"I was lucky enough to do the thing I love for 22 years but it was a profession. When you retire, it's just freedom and experiences. It's always been in the background because of my love for wrestling. I've known Anthony Ogogo for a while, years.
"We came across each other when he was a boxer and stayed in contact and the wrestling thing never went away. He unfortunately couldn't box anymore and he found that love with wrestling and he hit me up and said: 'Listen, you want to try a few bits?'
'When you find something that you enjoy it makes it a little bit easier. But then the mindset is to try new things and if it lands, it lands. I enjoy it, I've enjoyed the workouts, I enjoy that it's intense." To get him prepared, Akinfenwa was seen training with WWE star Sheamus last month.
Speaking about his training experiences, the 40-year-old revealed that whilst the sport is choreographed, there is still plenty of pain involved in the grappling. He went on: "I tried it, and I ain't going to lie, it hurts. Anybody that watched me play football knows that when I went down it took me a while to get up, and it takes me even longer to get up in wrestling when I try to move...
How do you think Akinfenwa will get on as a wrestler? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
"I'm working for BT and they cover wrestling. They know I enjoy wrestling and he was coming over. I enjoyed the workout with him, it's funny because there's an element of entertainment but when you're in the gym it's real work, and that's what it was. I've talked to Anthony, I've seen him have surgery. It's real.
"Regardless of the entertainment that goes in, you get injured. You will see the statement: "Don't do this at home", and you have to practice, you have to work on it, you have to know that you are going to get injured somewhere down the line, that was a conversation we had. That's the thing people sometimes don't understand. Broken ribs, broken shoulder, broken eye socket, that's stuff that happens in the sport. Even me, you have to do your due diligence, it really isn't like anyone can do it and I am really seeing that."
