Adebayo Akinfenwa Confirms WWE Talks

Nicknamed The Beast, powerhouse Wycombe Wanderers striker Akinfenwa is eyeing a wrestling career.

by Andrew Pollard
Adebayo Akinfenwa
Craig Mercer/ActionPlus/Corbis

Generally regarded as one of the most powerful players in world football, Wycombe Wanderers striker Adebayo Akinfenwa has revealed that he’s held talks with WWE about stepping inside the squared circle.

Speaking on the UMM YouTube Channel (as picked up on by Give Me Sport), Akinfenwa explained how he’s already making plans for his post-football career.

Admitting he has no interest in taking up a managerial or coaching role once he hangs up his boots, the powerhouse explained how he’s currently talking to LA-based producers about “a couple of movie projects”, before then revealing his WWE talks.

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“There are also talks with WWE. I reckon I’d be a good wrestler. I’ve always been able to live my life where nobody has put me in a box, so that’s how it is. I’m excited about the future.”

Nicknamed the Beast, 38-year-old Akinfenwa began his career in Lithuania before moving to the Welsh Premier League with Barry Town. From there, the striker soon moved on, going on to ply his trade for Boston Utd, Leyton Orient, Rushden & Diamonds, Doncaster Rovers, Torquay, Swansea, Millwall, Northampton, Gillingham, Northampton again, Gillingham again, AFC Wimbledon and now Wycombe – where he’s been since 2016.

Adebayo has made his WWE fandom known at several points over the years, and it looks like he’s now eyeing up a wrestling career for himself. The forward did clarify that he intends to continue playing for one more year before calling time on his football career.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.