Eight Philadelphia Sports Athletes Who Could Be WWE Superstars
The City of Philadelphia has been invaded by the world's biggest Professional Wrestling organization and hosted its biggest event at Lincoln Financial Field. WWE's Wrestlemania 40 was a major success with both hardcore and casual Pro Wrestling Fans thrilled with the showcase of pageantry, athleticism, and incredible drama.
On Saturday Night during WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio's match, two masked men showed up in Luchador Masks to assist him. The two giant men compared to Mysterio (who is listed at 5'6") celebrated with the WWE Legend after his win. The two men pulled off their masks revealing it was Eagles Legend Jason Kelce and Eagles All-Pro Right Tackle Lane Johnson who made a surprise appearance at Wrestlemania.
Even though Kelce has said he has been losing weight since he retired from the NFL, he was still a much larger man than most of the WWE Stars in Philadelphia. On the flipside, Lane Johnson got a workout session in with WWE Superstar Seth Rollins in the days ahead of Wrestlemania.
Numerous Athletes from other sports have made the transition to Professional Wrestling including Bill Goldberg (NFL), Kurt Angle (Olympic Wrestler), Brian Pillman (NFL), Ken Shamrock (UFC), Bronko Nagurski (NFL), Bianca Belair (All-American Track and Field), and Ronda Rousey (UFC).
8 Philadelphia Sports Athletes who could have a future in WWE:
1. Eagles Right Tackle Lane Johnson
The most obvious choice on this list is the Eagles' All-Pro Right Tackle. Johnson has been apart of podcasts with WWE Legends "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and "JR" Jim Ross. Remember it was Johnson and Chris Long who famously wore the "Underdog" Masks during the Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl season so he knows how to play a role or character.
Standing at 6'6" means Johnson is still shorter than WWE Legends like The Undertaker, Kane, The Big Show, Kevin Nash. Johnson is an excellent athlete so physically he could be a force of nature as a Pro Wrestler.
2. Eagles Left Tackle Jordan Mailata
The former Rugby player has become one of the highest-paid Left Tackles in the NFL. Jordan Mailata is an incredible athlete who is also a gifted singer, and has a great outgoing personality. Mailata is taller (6'8") than Lane Johnson (6'6") and he would be a fun athlete to see perform in the WWE ring. He's also a fan too.
3. Eagles Wide Receiver AJ Brown
Philadelphia's Number One Wide Receiver is more than just a football player. Brown was selected in the 19th Round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres and is a gifted physical athlete.
He has energy and passion, plus Brown is not afraid to speak on the mic. So he could be a WWE Superstar in the ring athletically and outside the ring become an elite entertainer.
4. Phillies Outfielder/Designated Hitter Kyle Schwarber
Before he was the Phillies slugging Leadoff Hitter, Schwarber was a High School Football star in Ohio. Schwarber played Linebacker and was a Team Captain at Middletown High School, so he knows how to get physical when it's necessary in an athletic arena. He also has dry whit and is almost the same height as WWE Superstars such as Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
5. Phillies Catcher JT Realmuto
Philadelphia Fans know that Realmuto is one of the best catchers in Baseball, in part because of his defense and elite throwing arm. Well that arm was originally showcased in High School when JT Realmuto played Quarterback at Carl Albert HS in Oklahoma. Realmuto was a dual-threat QB who threw 20 Touchdown Passes and ran for 25 Touchdowns as a Senior in High School.
Realmuto is an excellent athlete who can be an overly serious WWE star with that intense look he has on his face almost all day, every day during the baseball season.
6. Phillies Outfield Brandon Marsh
Taller than the other two Phillies on this list, Brandon Marsh is a 6'4" dynamic athlete who can play all three outfield positions. Marsh was also a three-sport athlete at Buford High School in Georgia where he was a star Wide Receiver and Cornerback for the Football team along with playing Point Guard for the Basketball team. Take his size, athleticism, and outgoing personality to a WWE ring, watch him become a star very quickly.
7. Sixers Guard Tyrese Maxey
This choice is more about who Maxey is as a outgoing character than just Maxey the athlete. Maxey has been described as the happiest person anyone has ever met and his energy is excellent.
Aside from being one of the fastest athletes in the NBA, Maxey is also a Marvel Comics and Marvel Movies fan, going as far as to compare his College Basketball Head Coach, John Calipari, to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury character in the Marvel films. Maxey's knowledge of fan fiction and pop culture could aid him as a WWE Superstar having to execute a storyline.
8. Sixers Center Joel Embiid
The 2022-23 NBA MVP is a big-time WWE Fan, even getting fined for the famous DX Chop during games because the league considers it "taunting". Embiid's fandom has opened the doors for him to meet WWE Legends like Triple H. I am unsure if Joel Embiid can physically perform in the WWE with all of the injuries he has sustained. But maybe he can have a role as an Enforcer or Intimidating Security guy who doesn't have to do all the work in the ring the regular Superstars are required to do.
We asked the fans who their favorite Philadelphia Eagles players all time are and here are the answers we received:
Your Top 10 Favorite Philadelphia Eagles Players Ever
Gallery Credit: Heather DeLuca