5 AEW stars who played other sports before pro wrestling
AEW has one of the most diverse rosters in modern professional wrestling. However, not every single wrestler begins their journey within the sport.
Like most athletes, wrestlers often try their hand at other sports before settling into the squared circle. Most often, these are traditional sports such as football and basketball, but there are also several wrestlers who come from combat sports backgrounds in boxing and MMA.
Like WWE, AEW has picked up quite a number of stars who could have easily excelled outside of wrestling. This list will explore five stars who had careers in other sports - or played other sports with the intention to go professional - before wrestling.
#5. Brian Pillman Jr. briefly played football before following his father into wrestling
The son of the late great Brian Pillman was once a high-school football player. The young AEW star attended Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood, Kentucky. John Harbaugh, Pillman Sr.'s former roommate and friend, would eventually connect with the star.
After spending time with Harbaugh, Pillman Jr. would find a connection with his father and change course into pro wrestling. Today the Varsity Blonde competes alongside his tag team partner Griff Garrison, and the duo even challenged for the AEW World Tag Team Championships on one occasion.
#4. Anthony Ogogo was an Olympic Boxer before joining AEW
Of all the athletes in this list, Anthony Ogogo's life trajectory probably changed the most.
Ogogo fell in love with boxing at the age of 12 and would go on to compete in the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Two years later, the star would secure his place on the GB Boxing team for the 2012 London Olympics, where he'd claim a bronze medal.
Unfortunately, The Guvnor would injure his eye socket during a 2017 match, which led to him becoming legally blind in his left eye. Even after numerous surgeries, he was forced to retire at 30. Luckily for Ogogo, he could pursue a career in wrestling, and signed with AEW in 2019.
#3. MJF once pursued a career in football
Before MJF became The Salt of the Earth and dropped his explosive AEW Dynamite promo, he was an aspiring football player.
Maxwell T. Friedman attended Plainview – Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, where he was a member of the football team. Friedman was even named an Honorable Mention, All Country for football, meaning the star was quite the athlete.
MJF would then attend Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, where he'd pursue football. However, he ultimately switched tack and decided to follow his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
After being trained by Brian Myers and Pat Buck, Friedman would begin his wrestling journey all the way to AEW.
#2. Jade Cargill nearly found herself on a path straight to the WNBA
No cards for Jade Cargill yet but ... yes, she played college basketball. https://t.co/kEE6jSvIMk
Jade Cargill towers over most females in AEW at an astounding 5'10" (1.78m) and because of this, the future TBS Champion quickly found herself pursuing basketball.
Cargill attended both Sebastian River High School and Vero Beach High School during her teenage years and played basketball in the district championships.
The star would then attend Jacksonville University, where she'd continue playing hoops while gaining a Social Science degree. Cargill would eventually change course and jump into pro wrestling due to always having been a fan of the sport before getting into basketball.
Mark Henry would ultimately scout the future champion while with WWE, but Cargill wound up declining their offer and making her way to AEW.
#1. Paul Wight (fka The Big Show) briefly pursued basketball and football
Calling Paul Wight a giant is no exaggeration, as the behemoth stands at 7'2" (2.18m) tall.
During his time in high school, he played both football and basketball. Wight would eventually quit the football team and join the cheerleading squad, partly from spite. At the age of 19, Wight stood over seven feet tall and was a member of the Wichita State University basketball team.
Wight would also play for Northern Oklahoma Junior College, where his basketball averages of 14 points and 6.5 rebounds earned him all-conference honors. The star would eventually be introduced to the legendary Hulk Hogan by a mutual friend, which would lead him into a career in professional wrestling.