5 non-football personalities who copied Cristiano Ronaldo's Siiuuu celebration
No athlete in sporting history has managed to capture the showbiz side of a sport in as grand a manner as Cristiano Ronaldo has. The Portuguese footballer is the most followed personality on Instagram with 399 million followers. To call him the biggest influencer of this generation wouldn't be wrong.
He has spent over 18 years playing football at the highest level since first arriving at Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon back in 2003. Since then, Ronaldo's stature in the game has only risen, as a player, as an entertainer, as a goalscorer and most of all, as an athlete. He has transformed himself into 'the sporting spectacle'.
Cristiano Ronaldo's influence in global sports is unparalleled
He has carried himself in an inspirational manner over the years. He has consistently put in the hard yards and he continues to have an unsatisfiable appetite for glory. Hence, not just footballers, but other sporting personalities who are well renowned celebrities themselves still go crazy over Ronaldo.
Now 37, his fans are slowly coming to terms with the fact that soon there will be a day when the Portuguese says goodbye to the game. When he calls it quits and hangs his boot, there is no doubt that Ronaldo will be remembered for decades to come.
He has managed to break many records, win many titles and score many goals, 803 and counting to be precise in his career. For all of that, for the number 7, and without a shadow of doubt for a celebration that he has immortalized.
So much so that whenever fellow sports superstars have gotten a chance to celebrate their special moments, they have done so in CR7 style. The Portuguese will live in memory through his iconic "Siiuuu" celebration.
On that note, here are five non-football personalities who imitated Ronaldo's "Siiuuu".
#5 Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. is a name that stirs polarizing emotions among National Football League (NFL) fans. He started his professional career in 2014 and was first drafted by the New York Giants where he spent the next five seasons. In 2019, he moved to the Cleveland Browns, where he played until November last year.
For the past three months, the wide receiver has been playing for the Los Angeles Rams and has truly come into his own. He now stands just one game away from winning his first Super Bowl.
Like Ronaldo, Beckham Jr. has broken some records of his own. He is the fastest-ever NFL receiver to reach both 200 career receptions and 4000 career receiving yards.
http://t.co/oXEYqEm1U1NFL Player Odell Beckham does Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration after a 67-yard Touch Down. 🏈 http://t.co/oXEYqEm1U1
Back in the days when he was still a New York Giants player, he imitated the iconic Ronaldo celebration. He did it after completing a 67 yards touchdown against Atlanta Falcons in 2015.
In 2018, Beckham Jr. met with the Portuguese in Madrid. Notably, both athletes are endorsed by Nike. The American star also got the opportunity to check out Ronaldo's Bugatti Chiron.
#4 Manel Kape
Considered by many as one of the best in his division, UFC fighter Manel Kape is currently ranked 14th in the flyweight category. The Angolan won two of his four fights in 2021 and ended the year in a rich vein of form. He has had his ups and downs since entering the division and lost consecutive fights to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau.
In August last year, he trained with former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. It evidently helped him take his game a notch higher in the ring. Kape's last fight was a display of his sheer strength and quality.
In December, he fought against Zhalgas Zhumagulov and defeated him via first-round TKO (punches). After registering his victory in dominant fashion, Kape performed Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic celebration.
SIUUU!!!!!
@ManelKape unloads bombs to secure the first-round finish! 🇵🇹
#UFCVegas44 https://t.co/5deaGGWBIx
Zhumagulov was on the receiving end of a barrage of punches which could be best described as fast and furious. He couldn't regain his footing and the referee interwened to stop the fight. This was the second time the UFC audience had seen the Angolan perform Ronaldo's 'Siiuu' celebration.
He celebrated in that style when he registered his first flyweight victory, against Ode' Osbourne. Kape's next fight is scheduled to take place in April at UFC Fight Night 67 against Su Madaerji.