Let's get ready to rumble! When excelling at one sport wasn't enough, these professional athletes became wrestlers. Several famous NFL players, bodybuilders, and MMA fighters later became wrestlers. Some of these players won Olympic medals before becoming wrestlers, while others became wrestlers after being cut from NFL teams. Two famous NBA stars even competed against each other in the ring.
Who is the most famous athlete who became a wrestler? Dennis Rodman tops our list. During a suspension from the NBA, Dennis Rodman participated in several WCW wrestling events. His intro song was "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1998, Karl Malone teamed up with Diamond Dallas Page to take on Dennis Rodman and Hulk Hogan in a WCW "Bash at the Beach" event.
Before becoming known as "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson was a National Championship college football player with the University of Miami. In 1995, Ken Shamrock won the UFC Superfight Championship. In 1997, he left the UFC for the WWF, but he returned to competing in MMA in 2000. Kurt Angle won a gold medal in heavyweight freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympics. He signed a contract with the WWF in 1998.
Do you think that wrestling is a good back-up plan for many professional athletes? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
During a suspension from the NBA, Dennis Rodman participated in several WCW wrestling events. His intro song was "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Age: 59
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Trenton, New Jersey, United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks
#118 of 468 The Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time#11 of 77 The Best Athletes Who Have Used Performance Enhancing Drugs#26 of 175 The Greatest WWE Superstars of All Time
