Top 5: Soccer Players Turned Wrestlers

It’s kind of a dead period in the American sports calendar. Baseball is about halfway through their season while football is getting ready to start theirs, and basketball & hockey are recovering from theirs. This is fine, as one can only take so much heartbreak in their life.

Everywhere else in the world though, people are all caught up in World Cup Fever! The US not qualifying has hampered the appeal here, but that sort of thing doesn’t matter everywhere else in the world where the sport is king. Many of the world’s greatest athletes have played soccer, including some of wrestling’s best.

These are the Top 5 Soccer Players Turned Pro Wrestlers.

5. Mason Ryan

Barri Griffiths looked like a million bucks & seemed to have all the potential in the world to be a WWE Superstar when he made his way through FCW & joined the New Nexus in 2011. He never quite figured it out in the ring the way he had on pitch. Prior to his wrestling career & his stint on Gladiators, Griffiths was a successful Welsh soccer player. He was a centre-back for Porthmadog F.C. while they were in the Welsh Premier League, but a knee injury brought an end to his career.

4. Paul Diamond

Our old school readers will remember this man as one-half of Badd Company with Pat Tanaka, or perhaps as Kato of the Orient Express. Or maybe you remember him as Max Moon! He came over to North America from Croatia while pursuing a professional soccer career. Tom Boric played for the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies from 1982 to 1984. Once the league folded, he stayed in Tampa, got his green card, trained with the Malenkos & the rest was history.

3. Antonino Rocca

I don’t know if we have any readers old school enough to remember Rocca in his prime. The Argentinian was one of Vincent J. McMahon’s top draws for years, and he did big business across the United States during the 1940s, 50s & 60s. Like most kids in Argentina, Rocca began his sporting life on the pitch. Legend has it that he was very good, but injury led him into the wrestling business. He would often utilize his soccer technique in the ring, with led to an interesting style.

2. Eva Marie

Long before our favorite underappreciated goddess was a WWE Superstar, her goal in life was to be a professional soccer player. She suffered an ankle injury in her senior year of high school & was told she’d never play again, but she recovered & became a Junior College All-American at Diablo Valley College. She transferred to Arizona State and wanted to play there, but a lack of self-confidence kept her from trying out. After she transferred to Cal State Fullerton, their soccer coach convinced her to play again…but that damn NCAA got in the way & declared that her eligibility had expired.

The NCAA ruins everything.

Honorable Mention: Andre the Giant

Andre reportedly played soccer during his childhood, but I couldn’t find much more reference to it other than “Andre reportedly played soccer when he was a kid & had fun.” There will be other reasons to talk about Andre.

Honorable Mention: Hugo Knox

Stuart Tomlinson played in the English league system as a goalkeeper before making the move to NXT. He appeared on some shows as Hugo Knox & was most known for having a ripped physique & wearing way too small tights. I’m not sure if they were going for a David Beckham gimmick or what, but Tomlinson never made it onto a televised event before getting released after almost three years.

Honorable Mention: Cesaro

Cesaro was quite active in soccer during his childhood. He pursued other things instead, but I’m including him here so we can take a look at him kicking the ball around with Brock Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar, Cesaro, Orton and Sunil Singh playing football. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/bbQwducwVJ

— The Clean Sheets (@cleansheetsPW) April 27, 2018

1. Trish Stratus

Trish had a pretty eclectic road to WWE stardom. When she went to York University she dabbled in a bit of everything. She studied biology & kinesiology & played field hockey & soccer. Soccer was obviously where she honed her Chick Kicks that would become a vital part of her offense. Trish grew up a wrestling fan though, so luckily for us her destiny was in the ring instead of on the pitch.