Minnesota Vikings former offensive lineman inks deal with WWE
By Adam Carlson
Former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Babatunde Aiyegbusi has signed a deal with the WWE’s Performance Center to develop as a professional wrestler.
It wasn’t that long ago that fans of the Minnesota Vikings were going nuts over Polish prospect Babatunde Aiyegbusi. The man everyone was calling ‘Babs’ showed up on late night talk shows and was immediately a fan favorite at training camp during the 2015 NFL preseason because of his combination of size, athleticism and attitude.
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Although things didn’t work out for Babatunde Aiyegbusi with the Vikings, it appears that another professional organization also sees a lot of talent in the young giant. According to an article on WWE.com, 10 new recruits were added to their Performance Center class of 2016, with one of those being Aiyegbusi.
The WWE’s Performance Center opened in July of 2013 and is a training grounds for raw, but talented prospects. Wrestlers will spend time honing their craft there, working on in-ring moves, character development, mic skills, and physical endurance there as a foot in the door to the professional wrestling organization.
Here how the WWE introduced Babatunde Aiyegbusi to the world:
"“Standing 6-foot-9 and weighing 350 pounds, Aiyegbusi is a former professional football player who had stints in Poland and Germany. Most recently, he spent the 2015 preseason with the Minnesota Vikings as an offensive lineman.”"
Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative, sees a lot of potential in the WWE Performance Center class of 2016 and welcomed them to the organization.
"“With support from our world-class coaching staff at the WWE Performance Center, these men and women will have the chance to hone their skills and fulfill their dream of becoming a WWE Superstar,” said “Triple H”. “Our state-of-the-art training facility gives our talent every opportunity to succeed and grow, and I’m pleased to welcome this new class to WWE.”"
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Hopefully, Babatunde Aiyegbusi can follow in the footsteps of other former Minnesota Vikings players to make waves in the WWE. Current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar are both gentlemen who attended training camp for the team in the past, and both have big shoes to fill for anyone hoping to follow in their footsteps.