During a recent interview with Kevin Clark of ESPN, WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk shared his thoughts on which football player he believes would succeed as a WWE superstar. Highlighting the connection between wrestling and football, Punk named Marshawn Lynch as his top choice for joining WWE due to his compelling personality and presence.
The Historic Link Between Football and Wrestling
Punk reflected on an era before the NFL reached its current level of financial success, when wrestling offered more lucrative opportunities. He said,
“Back before the NFL became the NFL. Before guys were making these ridiculous contracts and huge money, wrestling was more lucrative. Wrestling and boxing were really the only two sports in America that you could make this extravagant living. And guys like Wahoo McDaniels, Ernie Ladd, they played football, right? And they left football because they got paid more money to wrestle. Now, obviously things have changed. It’s a little bit different now. But I just — I gotta highlight those studs, like an Ernie Ladd and a Wahoo. Guys who legitimately did it, you know what I mean? They played the hard-nosed tackle NFL football, and they became pro wrestlers. But if I’m just strictly talking about like modern times, I think Marshawn Lynch is probably the best bet. Just because he has that personality.”
?CM Punk, WWE World Heavyweight Champion
Remembering Wrestling Legends and the Toughest Competitors
When asked about the most formidable wrestler he has encountered, CM Punk paid tribute to Harley Race. He described Race as
“the toughest man that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He had that, what they call the tendon strength, where he could shake your hand and break it. I just — just the toughest guy I’ve ever been around. The stuff that I saw, the lore, the legends of Harley and everything, he lived up to it, meeting him. He was a tough SOB.”
?CM Punk, WWE World Heavyweight Champion
The Ongoing Intersection of NFL Talent and WWE Stardom
CM Punk’s comments highlight the historical and ongoing relationship between football players and professional wrestling, underscoring the physicality and showmanship that bridge both worlds. His selection of Marshawn Lynch illustrates how a football star’s charisma could translate into WWE success, potentially drawing new audiences and creating fresh storylines within wrestling. As WWE continues to seek dynamic talent, figures like Lynch might be poised to follow in the footsteps of past athletes who made similar transitions.
