HEEL TURNS
Raheel Ramzanali: Now that Rousey is in the WWE, what athletes from other sports are next to jump to pro wrestling?
Jan 30, 2018, 7:14 am
Now that Ronda Rousey is in the WWE, who is next? mmajunkie.com
Now that all the rumors have been confirmed and we know Ronda Rousey is officially part of the WWE, I wanted to examine what other athletes from some sports could make the transition and start a successful career in the WWE. The criteria is pretty easy: be entertaining and somewhat athletic to be able to learn how to take a bump and learn some moves. I’ll make my case and you be the judge:
NBA
The NBA is full of personalities and of course freakishly athletic players, so I’m not too afraid about the transition. But finding the right guy that will be successful is a bit harder. My list comes down to three guys: Joel Embiid, Draymond Green, and JJ Barea. My pick? JJ Barea.
Joel is the people’s champ, but like in the NBA he will offend his peers with his unfiltered personality so that could cause an issue in the back with the boys. The last thing you want in wrestling is a guy that doesn’t get along with the rest of the locker room as he’s coming up. The other issue we would run into with Joel is his size. For a guy that big to take falls and work moves with others could be a nightmare.
Draymond Green can be the ultimate heel in the wrestling. He’s the classic “do whatever it takes (including some dirty tactics) and complain when you get caught” bad guy. I can see him arguing with the ref after he takes a cheap shot and the ref sees it. Soon as his opponent comes for the pin, he moves and lets the guy hit the ref and then all hell breaks loose, just like Green wanted. The only problem with Draymond will be that he’ll be such a defensive wrestler that he won’t be able to flow with another guy in the ring.
Few things in wrestling work better than a smaller guy going up against a bigger guy and JJ Barea has made an entire career out of this visual candy. Barea always plays with a chip on his shoulder and I know he’ll attack the ring with the same style. An offensive small guy in wrestling can make millions upon millions (hello, Rey Mysterio Jr.!) so he could really capitalize in multiple programs (story arcs) across different weight classes. We can also work JJ across as a babyface or heel depending on what the company needs. One day he’s the lovable small guy that never stops working and the next he’s the hate small guy that keeps running in and ruining matches with a chair. As for his ring name? I’m going with The San Juan Warrior.
NFL
The NFL is the most physically excruciating sport on my list so naturally the athletes here would easily fit in and thrive in the WWE, but finding a guy that can dominate on the mic and in the ring is a bit harder. My pick comes down to one guy: JJ Watt.
The WWE is ready for the next John Cena. I know we all love to boo John Cena, but he really is a once in a lifetime talent. Outside of the kids that watch, nobody will be pro-Cena because we hate greatness so it’s time we introduce the new Cena that will eventually overtake this one: JJ Watt. He has the look, the charm, and the ability of making people like him. Think about it, there’s Cena winning yet another match and the fans singing “John Cena sucks” as his music hits for the 80,000th time. As he’s being serenaded with the boos in comes JJ Watt to destroy him. He’ll be Cena’s greatest foe and the spoiler? Cena never overcomes the younger more athletic Watt. Cena rides off into the sunset knowing he put the WWE in a good place with JJ and JJ now takes over as the most loved (or hated depending on how old you are) star in the business.
Honorable mention: Adrian Peterson just for the fact that his finishing move would be him squeezing a guy’s hand into submission. No seriously, Peterson’s handshake is stuff of legends.
MLB
This is the part where I talk about how MLB guys are athletically gifted and what not, but honestly I don’t need to fit the criteria in this one.
Nostalgia is in. This is why we’re seeing Full House, Roseanne, X-files and countless other shows rebooted. This is why the WWE needs to capitalize and bring Jayson Werth in as a superstar to be the next Rated R Superstar, Edge! I’m still convinced that Edge and Jayson are the same guy. I’ve taken a picture with Edge and I can confirm that Jayson Werth was nowhere to be found because again, they are the same guy. Like every other thing today, we only care about stuff that we’ve seen or lived through so the WWE fans would eat this gimmick up.
Honorable Mentions: Dustin Pedroia. Reasoning? Just go read my thoughts on JJ Barea.
Olympic bobsledding
Yes, I’m including bobsledders in my list and this is really a one man list because he’s the only bobsledder I know that isn’t fictional (shout out to Sanka Coffie! Kiss that egg for good luck, baby!) This man? Sam McGuffie.
He’s done it all. From playing college football to running track, McGuffie is a renaissances man. He also dabbled in Rugby, but eventually he found Bobsledding as his sport and is now an Olympian for Team USA. That is rare air for sure. I’m thinking, if he’s not going to play for his hometown Houston Sabercats, why not give wrestling a try? Based on success in other sports, he would be a hit.
I thought it would be fun to ask some celebrities around the Gow Media office to see who they want to see in the WWE - lol OK, this is me just trying to make my minimum word count (what’s up, Fred Faour!):
Sean Salisbury, Host of the Sean Salisbury Show: James Harrison. His reasoning? He would literally beat up guys and just out work everyone.
Del Olaleye, Host of the Raheel and Del Show: Serena Williams. She’s done it all and is the greatest women’s athlete ever so it’s time we see her dominate in the WWE.
Jordan Smith, Sales Guy with the best dreads in the business and Cameron Maybin Impersonator: Ray Lewis. OK, his wrestling nickname alone is why we need to see this happen. The Obstructor of Justice.
Trey The Intern, Intern: Brian Bosworth. I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong, but didn’t Bosworth get recruited by the WWE back in the day? He really would’ve dominated as a wrestler. Maybe we’ll see him reprise his role with the new XFL on the broadcast team.
Andrew Carlson, Intern and the guy that picks up your phone calls during the Raheel and Del Show thus giving us the shortest wait times in the industry: Gronk. One word: YES!.
Let me know who you want to see in the WWE by tweeting me @The_Raheel.
For years, the Astros built their dynasty on precision — smart bets, savvy scouting, and a steady refusal to let emotion cloud judgment. But as the 2025 season rolls into June, that precision feels dulled. Houston still wears the polish of a perennial contender, but underneath, the gears are grinding. A thin lineup, a faltering rotation, and a public misfire in player health management have created a team still standing, but no longer towering.
Houston still has a great chance to win the AL West, thanks more to the division’s mediocrity than its own dominance. But the warning lights are flashing.
Identifying the weak link
The biggest concern right now? It’s hard to choose just one.
The Astros’ offense has been startlingly average — 14th in OPS, 18th in runs scored. When this team had Springer, Correa, Bregman, and peak Altuve, scoring was a given. Now, it’s a grind. Too much depends on too few — and when a key piece like Isaac Paredes slumps, as he has recently, the whole offense stutters.
But the lineup isn’t alone in its inconsistency. The back half of the rotation has become a weak point due to a rash of injuries. With Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown pulling their weight at the top, the drop-off behind them is stark. Houston used to bury teams with pitching depth; now it’s just hoping for enough quality starts to make their elite bullpen matter.
The Yordan situation
And then there’s Yordan Alvarez and his fractured hand.
The slugger’s delayed return raised eyebrows. The lack of clarity around his status raised more. It's hard not to boil this down to outright incompetence.
If this were a one-off, it might be brushed aside. But it’s not. It’s another example of a once-cutting-edge organization starting to look clumsy at the margins.
Wasting prime Framber?
All of this would feel less urgent if Houston were building toward something. The team’s decision to trade Kyle Tucker this past offseason spoke volumes. It wasn’t just about resetting the CBT. It was a pivot, a signal that the franchise was playing the long game. And with Framber likely on his way out after this season, the choice to pass on going all-in this year becomes even more glaring.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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