The Spirit Squad were basically a bunch of generic wrestlers doing a male cheerleader gimmick - so that just screams mixed martial arts attempt, right? Okay, so Dolph Ziggler was on the Spirit Squad, but that's another matter. Nick Mitchell, a.k.a. Mitch, is the squad member being looked at here. If you don't remember them, they were the pep squad/cheer squad who backed Shane McMahon in the mid-2000s (2006, to be exact) and feuded with the newly reformed Degeneration-X. And if you don't remember Mitchell, he got his start on Tough Enough 4, and was initially injured when the Spirit Squad formed, meaning his was limited to action outside the ring. After his release from the WWE in 2007, Mitchell began training in MMA, taking his first pro fight in 2010. He lost to Derrick "The Black Beast" Lewis, a then unknown heavyweight also making his debut who knocked him out in the second round. Lewis can now be found in the UFC, where he is 3-1, with a career record of 123 (1) overall. Mitchell, meanwhile, would be booked for another fight, but pull out to injury, and never fight again. At least he lost to a guy who would go on to make the UFC.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
