The worlds of professional football and wrestling are really unique and one would think that they share nothing in common. However, that’s not the case as certain attributes and characteristics are shared by key stars from both worlds - enough for you to believe that they are distant relatives.
- Tom Brady: John Cena
- Eli Manning: Daniel Bryan
- Richard Sherman: The Miz
- Joe Montana: The Undertaker
- Brett Favre: Ric Flair
- Johnny Maziel: Jeff Hardy
- Marshawn Lynch: Brock Lesnar
- Ezekiel Elliot: Roman Reigns
- • JJ Wyatt: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Marshawn Lynch and Brock Lesnar
“Beast Mode” and the “Beast Incarnate.
” It can’t get more intimidating than that. Once you get either man started, stopping them is near impossible. Brock Lesnar debuted in 2002; billed as “The Next Big Thing” and it was true. When Brock Lesnar faced John Cena at SummerSlam 2015, you thought that Cena was going to give Lesnar the fight of his life. On the contrary, Lesnar destroyed Cena with little to no effort. The same applies to those with the misfortune of taking him head-on.
Only a select few have successfully taken down the Beast. Marshawn Lynch is just the same when he’s out on the field. Stopping Lynch is not a task that defenses are fond of doing. For example, in 2014 the former Seahawks running-back made the New York Giants’ defense look like an over-glorified pee-wee team.
On one of the Seahawks’ scoring drives, Lynch took the ball from the 7-yard line and he dragged the defense with him for the touchdown. Lynch was so dominating that cornerback Zack Bowman was afraid to tackle him.
Brett Favre and Ric Flair
With the exception of Ric Flair’s 16 world championships to Brett Favre’s one championship, both careers are near identical.
Here’s the kicker - both men started off in one place and stuck around too long after jumping ship to a rival team, even after their prime.
In his early years, Flair was part of what were the wrestling territories, before joining WCW and eventually WWE. When Flair signed with WWE, he became one of the company’s biggest draws.After Flair retired from WWE, he laced up his boots once again and this time it was for TNA.
With nothing more to offer, Flair quietly ended his career there. You almost forgot that he was there.
Likewise, Favre did not know when to call it quits.Favre started off with the Atlanta Falcons (for one year). He built his legacy as part of the Green Bay Packers. As a Packer, Favre was an eight-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl (XXXI) champion. Despite being past his best years, Favre went on to play three more seasons; with the New York Jets (2008) and Minnesota Vikings (2009-2010). His last three years are less than memorable.
Richard Sherman and the Miz
Wow. Where to begin? Well, both men are very loud and vocal. No one will ever forget Sherman’s interview rant (with Fox Sports Reporter Erin Andrews), after the 2014 NFC Championship game.
Thus one of the greatest NFL memes was born and for some, Sherman became one of the most hated players.
[Sherman:] “Well, I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree (49ers wide-receiver), that’s the result you gonna get! Don’t you EVER talk about me.”
[Andrews:] Who was talking about you?
[Sherman:] “Crabtree. Don’t you open your mouth about the best. Or I’m gonna shut it for you real quick. L-O-B.”
Come on, you can’t deny the fact that Sherman has proven himself to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Michael Gregory Mizanin (The Miz) is also known as the “A-Lister”, “The Awesome One,” the “Moneymaker,” “The Most Must-See WWE Superstar (or WWE Champion) of All Time,” and most importantly the most hated WWE star in the eyes of the fans.
In his decade-long run with WWE, Miz has become of the company’s greatest heels; having started as a weak mid-carder. As his in-ring and mic skills progressed, so did the hate from the fans. By dubbing himself as a self-proclaim individual that is the best at everything, it’s no wonder why the fans love to hate him. By analyzing the talent, achievements, and charisma of both athletes one can see how these two are pretty much the same. They are both great in their respective professions.
Tom Brady and John Cena
This is a star-studded comparison right here. Tom Brady is a five-time Super Bowl Champion, four-time Super Bowl MVP, 12-time Pro Bowler, and two-time league MVP; just to name a few of his highlights and awards.
John Cena is a 16-time World Champion (three World Heavyweight and 13 WWE Championships) and he has received countless recognitions from Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter such as “Wrestler of the Year,” “Match of the Year,” and “Most Charismatic.”
Brady and Cena are the faces of their respective professions. When people think of football, Brady would be the first player to come to mind. The same applies when mentioning pro-wrestling; one thinks of Cena.Of course. Apart from an adoring fan base, they have their haters. Why, you ask? That’s because they always win. “Tommy Terrific” and “Big Match John” are always expected to win, no matter the opponent and it’s rare for them to lose.
Hands down, they are the most polarizing figures in their sports. Oh, they are both from Massachusetts. It’s important to mention that.
Ezekiel Elliot and Roman Reigns
Not taking into account Cowboys fans, Ezekiel Elliot is one of the least liked players in the NFL at the moment. Without a doubt, Zeke is one of greatest things to happen to the Cowboys franchise along with Dax Prescott. Outside of Dallas, every football fan despises Zeke, especially Giants fans. You might find a few tumbleweeds somewhere in the NFC that like him.
In the same fashion, Roman Reigns is hated everywhere he goes and his only supporters are his family and the few people that don’t troll him on Twitter. On paper, Reigns has all the tools to be the face of WWE, he’s just not liked by many.
Zeke and Reigns don’t really care about what fans think of them. The objective is to go out and win
Johnny Maziel and Jeff Hardy
“Johnny Football” and the “Charismatic Enigma” entered their worlds with a lot of potential to shake things up. Unfortunately, certain choices have made up a good part of their career. Drinking, drugs, and arrests appear on both of these guys’ resumes. They’ve had opportunities to fix things and fall back into the grace and favor of their employers, but it didn’t happen.
Maziel is still young, but he is not trustworthy in the eyes of the NFL. He has a track record of being MIA for practices when playing for the Cleveland Browns.
Hardy, throughout his career, has been an exciting worker, but others have pointed out his sloppiness in the ring.
Sure, he provides the wrestling world with some of the most insane spots, it still doesn’t change the fact that he hasn’t always been reliable. Just look at Victory Road 2011.
A drugged up Jeff Hardy appeared in the main event, only to be embarrassed by Sting within seconds. Long-story short, “Live free and party hard” has been the motto for these two. Hardy has redeemed himself. Will Maziel do the same? It’s not likely.
Eli Manning and Daniel Bryan
If during the 2007-08 season you said that the New York Giants were going to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots at Super Bowl XLII with Eli Manning as the game’s MVP, you were probably ridiculed. If in 2010, you said that Daniel Bryan (then Bryan Danielson) was going to become a multiple world champion and headline Wrestlemania by defeating Randy Orton and Batista, you probably were ridiculed for that too.
Bryan and Manning are so alike that it’s scary. Both men overcame all the odds to reach the top of the mountain and they barely made it to the “promised land”. When looking back at their humble beginnings and compare it to what they accomplished, you realize that they are literal living underdog stories.
Sadly, Bryan and Manning have met an end. For 210 consecutive regular-season games, Manning was the starting Giants quarterback. That has come to erupt end this season; with coach Ben McAdoo deciding to bench him for Geno Smith. Similarly, Daniel Bryan was forced to retire due to consistent concussions and seizures. Now Manning’s time with the Giants is rumored to end while Bryan’s return to the ring is now a possibility.
JJ Watt and The Rock
You know him as “The Great One,” “The Most Electrifying Man in all of Entertainment,” and “The People’s Champion.” During his days as an active competitor in WWE, the Rock was one of the most popular wrestlers in history. While he wasn’t the most technically gifted competitor in the ring, his charisma got him over with the crowd.
Just look at him. He is just such a nice guy that he’s capable of flexing a unicorn into existence. JJ Watt has the very same charisma; except that he’s not a wrestler. Behind the intimating size and strength of the Houston Texans’ star defensive end lies the most lovable person in the NFL. He’s played with kids and even went as far as dressing up as Batman as a surprise at the Texas Children’s Hospital for a Halloween party.
Joe Montana and The Undertaker
Joe Montana is often regarded as the “GOAT” which is not hard to debate. In pro-wrestling, many wrestlers are considered to be the “GOAT” (Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, etc). One may bring up that Montana has the most Super Bowl rings as a player just as Flair has the most world championships (16 are recognized by WWE).
What also has to be taken into great consideration is their consistency and loyalty.Taker spent his early years in WCCW and WCW, before joining Vinny Mac’s company. He debuted at the 1990 Survivor Series and he remained an active competitor all the way up to this April (Wrestlemania XXXIII). Throughout his run with WWE, he racked up multiple world championships (three World Heavyweight Championships and four WWE Championships), secondary championships, a Royal Rumble match victory, and most notably a 21 undefeated Wrestlemania streak.
Joe Montana is best known for his 14-year run with the San Francisco 49ers (plus two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs). In that 14-year span, the “Comeback Kid” started and won four Super Bowls (three-time MVP). Even with the Chiefs, Montana found moderate success by taking the team to the 1993 AFC Championship game. By the end of his career, Montana had already been league MVP (1989,1990), Offensive Player of the Year (1989), Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1990); just to name a few awards for the CV.
Taker and Montana ended their respective careers with losses, but it was fitting, as it marked the end of two different eras. The NFL found it’s new star in Tom Brady six years later and WWE is working (extremely hard) on packaging Roman Reigns as the successor to the Undertaker.
