Is Cristiano Ronaldo about to cross over into the WWE?
Following in the footsteps of Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Ronda Rousey, Cristiano Ronaldo is apparently set to make a move into the world of professional wrestling in November.
The five-time Ballon D’or winner and living football legend Ronaldo is expected to appear at the WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view event in Saudi Arabia on November 4.
According to a report by AS, Ronaldo is expected to team up with John Cena for the event. Whether that’s for a tag team or the pair will face in a singles match – or something else entirely – remains unclear for now.
Despite the different disciples, some in the business think CR7 would easily transition into the world of sports entertainment. NXT star Apollo Crews says Ronaldo’s mental resolve would be more than enough.
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"Honestly, with that mentality to be a top athlete in the world on that level, I think just on the mentality alone he would've done okay,” talkSport reported Crews as saying.
"When you start the physical part, that's a different story, though, for most people. But again, [he's] a world-class athlete so I wouldn't put it past him," he said.
He wouldn’t even be the first footballer to try their hand in the WWE either, his former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney also made a cameo at WWE Raw in 2015.
As Ronaldo is based in Saudi Arabia now, playing with Al-Nassr in Riyadh, he wouldn’t have to go too far out of his way to make the event, but we have to wonder about the other factors.
Given he’s currently on $200 million a season at the Saudi-based club, we have to assume WWE is throwing a sizeable offer in his direction to make it worth his while. According to Business Insider he commands around $1.6 million for an Instagram endorsement alone!
If we take a recent WWE crossover example, YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul reportedly received $5 million for his match at Wrestlemania 39 against Seth Rollins, and likely received a share of pay-per-view revenue, potentially taking the overall figure to $15 million, according to AS.
If we’re talking about those sorts of figures, it’s easy to see how it might be worth Ronaldo while to spend a couple of days training for a one-off in the WWE.
Of course, there’s crossover examples that have gone on to make the WWE a regular gig. Ronda Rousey and the aforementioned Jake Paul both have ended up enjoying a long-term working relationship with Vince McMahon and co.
Whether Ronaldo has sights set on a new challenge in the WWE or is just after a quick payday remains to be seen, but we’re all for it right now!