Former IPL champions rip off a legendary WrestleMania video including The Rock: Which one did they use?
Two of the biggest sporting events in the world are just around the corner, as IPL and WrestleMania season are here. The 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League is set to kick off this Friday, while WrestleMania 40 is just 19 days away. And, while they may take place on two separate continents, the connection between them remains strong, as the former IPL champions ripped off a legendary 'Mania video that included The Rock for a promotional video of their own.
The IPL champions in question are the Kolkata Knight Riders. Having won the trophy twice, in 2012 and 2014, they are one of the most successful teams in the competition, and recently they welcomed back a cherished legend. As former captain Gautam Gambhir made his triumphant return to the team, this time as a mentor, the Knight Riders decided to make a video in his honor that surprisingly has a lot to do with The Rock.
The video in question here is a rendition of Diddy's famous song Coming Home featuring Skylar Grey. Back in 2013, WWE used this same song to promote WrestleMania 29, which saw the big money clash between The Rock and John Cena. In the video made by the Knight Riders to welcome back Gambhir, The Brahma Bulls' infamous promos, which kick off with "Finally!" can be heard, proving that the former champions took the audio straight from the WrestleMania 29 video.
It may just be a coincidence, but an interesting one nonetheless. With all that's going on in WWE right now, especially revolving around The Great One, it's funny to see the Knight Riders welcome back one of their greatest players with a music video that has so much to do with him.
This isn't the first time WWE and IPL have crossed paths
Over the last couple of years, WWE and IPL have collaborated many times. Mutual respect between two of the biggest organizations in sports has always been there, and they have never been shy about showing it. In fact, there are a plethora of examples to choose from when analyzing the relationship between the two.
These include Triple H and the company doing the most WWE thing possible by sending the Mumbai Indians a WWE Championship with custom side plates, and Carmelo Hayes rooting for Hardik Pandya during his tenure with the Gujarat Titans. Knight Riders star Venkatesh Iyer was also spotted celebrating Roman Reigns' win during WrestleMania 39 last year.
It's safe to say that the Indian Premier League and WWE "acknowledge" each other and will continue to do so in the future as well. Who knows? There may even come a time when some of cricket's biggest stars grace the squared circle.