10 Times Unlikely Wrestlers Stole The Show

2. DeAngelo Williams - Impact Wrestling Slammiversary 2017

DeAngelo Williams
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An American football player of some prestige and longevity, DeAngelo Williams secured the most rushing touchdowns in both 2008 and 2015. That point is worth honing in on, for the gridiron is a particularly punishing grind. Those who endure it for that long usually end up physically battered.

Not so Williams, who entered the domain of the squared circle a full decade after entering the NFL in preposterous physical condition.

His work as an athlete at Impact Wrestling Slammiversary 2017 was ridiculous enough in itself. With an intuitive grasp of the fundamentals, Williams rocked an Impact Zone that, over the course of years, had seen its enthusiasm slowly euthanised. He leapt over the top rope, mastering in less than six seconds what Kelly Kelly couldn't muster in six years by seamlessly running the ropes, before flooring Eli Drake with picture-perfect Codebreakers and Samoan Drops.

His work as a worker was unreal. After soaking up the applause with a bow more charming than brash, Williams in his debut match orchestrated a loud encore by immediately following up with a gorgeous standing moonsault and remembering to sell frustration at the subsequent kickout.

A card boasting seasoned and great hands alike in Alberto El Patron and Naomichi Marufuji, Williams stole the headlines in a company that barely made the papers.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!