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5 instances where cricket met WWE
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is loved by the people of Asia and some other countries like Australia, England, South Africa, and so on. WWE is one of the best companies where wrestling is done for the purpose of entertainment. There are some instances where cricket crossed paths with WWE in terms of promotion events or the wrestlers referring to the sport and so on.
Here are the five instances where cricket and WWE crossed each other’s paths.
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5. Paul Heyman addressing Hardik Pandya
Five instances where cricket and WWE crossed each other’s paths (Source: X)
Paul Heyman, the former manager of Brock Lesnar, had once claimed Hardik Pandya to be a ‘Brock Lesnar wannabe’. During the ODI WC 2019, Ranveer Singh posted an image of Hardik Pandya and wrote “Eat, sleep, conquer, repeat,” after Hardik performed well in the game against Pakistan. On behalf of Lesnar, Heyman addressed the statement of Ranveer.
In one of the episodes of WWE, Heyman claimed that Hardik was not man enough to face Lesnar in the ring. “Let’s be real about this. Cricket is a very popular sport but it’s barely a man’s sport, it is an activity. Brock Lesnar is the former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion. So, I don’t see Hardik Pandya being man enough to step into the ring with him,” said Heyman.
4. Triple H wishing Sachin Tendulkar on birthday
Five instances where cricket and WWE crossed each other’s paths (Source: X)
Triple H is a huge admirer of Sachin Tendulkar. In one of the past interviews, Triple H claimed himself to be a good cricketer like Sachin if he was to play cricket. “I mean, not the same kind of damage as a [Sachin] Tendulkar but I surely would’ve tried. Look I don’t know, maybe I would’ve been great at it. Maybe I would’ve been the next Tendulkar!” said Triple H.
“Then again, I don’t know, how would he do with a sledgehammer in a ring? We’d have to see,” added the former world champion in his statement. In April 2023, Triple H took to his social media handle and wished Sachin on his 50th birthday, thereby showing his love and respect for the former Indian batter.
3. John Cena having display pictures of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli
Five instances where cricket and WWE crossed each other’s paths (Source: X)
John Cena is a popular WWE Superstar. The 16-time champion is very popular in India and was one of the key reasons behind the spread of WWE in India. He has a lot of fans in India. To keep them entertained, John has often posted images of some of the cricketers and movie stars without any context, as per the norm of his Instagram account.
Before India took on New Zealand in the final of the WTC 2021, Cena posted the image of Virat Kohli as his display picture. In another instance, Cena posted an image of MS Dhoni, which was viral on the internet for a long time. He also posted Shah Rukh Khan’s image in the past, who is the owner of KKR, an IPL franchise.
2. Drew McIntyre wearing an Indian jersey during the Hyderabad event in 2023
Five instances where cricket and WWE crossed each other’s paths (Source: X)
Drew McIntyre is one of the best heels in the company currently. However, he was not a heel back in September 2023, when the WWE Superstar spectacle took place in Hyderabad. Back then, Drew was in the show and led to the happiness of the fans by wearing the Indian jersey. The image of the same had gone viral on X and other social media platforms.
Drew being the Scottish warrior follows cricket like a genuine fan. In the past, Drew had wished Virat to score a hundred in one of the games against Sri Lanka. He also felt that Virat could break the record of Tendulkar’s 49 ODI hundreds soon. Virat did achieve the feat when he scored a hundred in the ODI WC 2023 semifinal against New Zealand.
1. Grayson Waller wearing an Australian jersey before Elimination Chamber 2024
Five instances where cricket and WWE crossed each other’s paths (Source: X)
Grayson Waller had a great evening in Perth in the Elimination Chamber 2024. Born and brought up in Sydney, Waller is one of the best wrestlers from Australia on the current roster of WWE. He was cheered by the fans for hosting the ‘Grayson Waller show’ in Optus stadium in Perth which featured superstars like Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
As Waller attended the show, he came to the stadium before getting dressed by wearing the Australian cricket jersey. It caught the attention of the mutual fans of cricket and WWE. It was the jersey of Australia from the ODI WC 2023. The team attained glory by beating the home side India in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.