Former Minnesota Vikings Shine At WWE SummerSlam

If you enjoy watching WWE shows, you may be seeing some former members of the Minnesota Vikings that you never even knew were part of the team.  And strangely enough, the two former Vikings on the WWE roster are having huge levels of success.

WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar

First off, there’s Brock Lesnar.  While a lot of fans may know him as a professional wrestler or UFC champion, Lesnar also has some purple blood flowing through his veins.  Back in 2004, Brock Lesnar joined the Minnesota Vikings for training camp and wore the #69 jersey.  Lesnar actually auditioned so well at the combine and in training camp that he was a part of the Vikings practice squad until a motorcycle accident broke his jaw and other bones as well as messed up his pelvis.

Here’s what Brock Lesnar said about his stint the NFL in a statement after he left WWE:”

"“This is no load of bull; it’s no WWE stunt. I am dead serious about this. I ain’t afraid of anything and I ain’t afraid of anybody. I’ve been an underdog in athletics since I was 5. I got zero college offers for wrestling. Now people say I can’t play football, that it’s a joke. I say I can. I’m as good an athlete as a lot of guys in the NFL, if not better. I’ve always had to fight for everything. I wasn’t the best technician in amateur wrestling but I was strong, had great conditioning, and a hard head. Nobody could break me. As long as I have that, I don’t give a damn what anybody else thinks.”"

And Lesnar was showing that toughness until the time of the accident.  While that put an end to his NFL career, he ended up succeeding in the UFC before returning to wrestling.  On Sunday, Brock Lesnar took on the WWE Champion John Cena and absolutely demolished him.  In a match that can only be described as a slobber-knocker, Brock Lesnar won the WWE Championship.

But Lesnar wasn’t the only former Viking to find success on Sunday.

WWE Superstar Roman Reigns

Joe Anoa’i was a defensive lineman for the Vikings during the 2007 season after going undrafted.  He lasted a while in training camp for Minnesota before being released, but he found himself bouncing around the NFL and CFL looking for a spot.  Finally, he decided to go where he has family roots.  His father and brother were professional wrestlers Sika and Matt.  Also, it doesn’t hurt that he is cousins with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and The Usos as well as related Rikishi, Umaga and wrestling legend Yokozuna.

When he made his WWE debut as a part of The Shield, expectations were high for the character now known as Roman Reigns. Although The Shield have since disbanded, Reigns has been one of the driving young faces of the WWE franchise.

At SummerSlam on Sunday, he took on 12 time champion Randy Orton and walked out with the victory after a long and entertaining match.  This match may have solidified Roman Reigns as a top level talent in the WWE.

Congratulations go out to both former Vikings, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns on their SummerSlam victories and successful WWE careers.  And SKOL to them as well!