Athletes I'd love to see make the jump to pro wrestling!

Fresh after Logan Paul's impressive singles debut at Summerslam, it got me thinking of how important a good celebrity or athlete appearance could be. Logan Paul has built a brand for himself; he has over 23 million Instagram followers, 6.5 million Twitter followers, and over 23 million youtube subscribers. Along with that impressive following, Logan hosts a wildly popular podcast and has even started his own sports drink company "Prime Hydration." All those factors played a part in WWE signing Paul, and it's already proving to pay big time for the company because Paul brings millions of new eyes to the product and media coverage they don't always get. Crossover stars are standard nowadays for WWE superstars like Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesner, Gabel Stevenson, Logan himself, and Pat McAfee are just some of the examples we have currently in WWE. So that got me thinking about other men and women who I feel would thrive IF they made the jump to sports entertainment.

1) "The Blonde Bomber" Ebanie Bridge- Bridges is the current IBF Bantamweight World Champion signed to Eddie Hearn's Matchroom boxing. Ebanie would burst onto the scene when her viral videos of her weigh-ins took the internet by storm when she would weigh in wearing lingerie. Eventually, her undefeated record and massive fan base would lead to Hearn awarding her a title shot against Shannon Courtenay. Unfortunately for Ebanie, she would lose the fight by unanimous decision. Still, luckily Eddie Hearn realized he had caught lightning in a bottle with Bridges, and Matchroom quickly signed her to a contract. In short work, Ebanie promptly got back on her horse and won impressively by defeating Mailys Gangloff and Bec Connolly, earning a second world title shot, this time facing long-time champion Maria Cecilia Roman. In her redemption, she dominantly defeated Roman, claiming her first world title and silencing her doubters. Now, why would Ebanie be a fit in WWE? You may be asking, look at her. She is beautiful, athletic, charismatic, and has the drive to succeed that nobody in combat sports could rival. The woman is constantly making headlines for her outfits and comments, so she knows how to get attention and always stays relevant in fans' minds. Bridges loves good banter back and forth and will interact with her fans as often as possible by talking to them about life and sports. Nobody has built a better report with fans than Ebanie. Ebanie Bridges has an impressive background as a successful former bodybuilder, a current world champion boxer, and a teacher; she would bring a badass aura to the current product. Ebanie has the athletic side down pat, so for a driven individual like Bridges, she would take to the wrestling ring like a fish to water. Another factor to be successful in WWE is thick skin; in my opinion, nobody has thicker skin than Ebanie Bridges. She doesn't give a fuck about your opinion of her. She puts her nose to the grindstone and works to improve herself and her skills not for you but for herself because she lives to learn and grow. You need thick skin to succeed because the high pressure you face night in and night out can grate on you, combine that with the stress the fans bring in a person. On social media, you need to be able to let things roll off your back, and Bridges does that well, considering she never gives a shit what her social media trolls have to say. The quick study would also thrive on the entertainment side; Bridges oozes charisma and regularly drops comedic gems on Twitter and Instagram, taunting trolls and media outlets any chance she gets. Imagine an unleashed Ebanie Bridges having a live microphone on TV; that would be a rating juggernaut, especially with memorable quotes such as "I'm not here to fuck spiders" Bridge's loud and passionate personality would do fantastic in WWE. Trash talking and promos are critical to wrestling, and allowing Ebanie to talk freely, and trash talk would make can't miss television she would entertain the masses. The fans would welcome her with open arms once they got to know her. Anyone who has paid attention to Ebanie will see she is a master at promoting herself and her brand. Often we see Eddie and Matchroom announce her fights last minute, and each time Ebanie Bridges manages to promote and build hype for her fights, now imagine Ebanie having a company that is masters at promoting, someone who would highlight her weekly and give her the Tv time she deserves. WWE would have her on pay-per-view posters, photoshoots, and you name it, they would give it to her; even her badass nickname is marketable, she is precisely the star WWE is looking to sign. With the eye-catching beauty, drive, determination to succeed, and astounding athletic side, the quick-witted Aussie badass would take over WWE and bring an authentic badass to WWE to legitimize their product. Only 35 years old Bridges could leap to WWE if she wanted to. We see wrestlers compete into their 50s and, in some cases, 60s, so her window will be open for a long time if she ever wants to try it out.

2) Jessica Rose Clark- JRC is an MMA fighter signed to a UFC contract; now, it may not seem like it, but professional wrestling and MMA have a rich history together! We have seen notable names transition from MMA to wrestling like Matt Riddle, Tom Lawlor, Ronda Rousey, and Shayna Bazler. Even the pro wrestling promos have leaked into the world of combat sports with fighters trying to sell fights and create moments. So with all things considered to say an MMA fighter can succeed in WWE is an understatement, and Jessica Rose Clark has all the tools to succeed. The resilient Aussie enters the octagon carrying an awe-inspiring and danger-striking game that dazzles fans each time she goes into battle. Clark has a great motor so combine all that with her unique look; JRC would stand out in no time in the world of sports Entertainment. If you pay attention to Clark's social media pages, you'll notice she is quick-witted, funny, and can trash talk any troll or pervert who's brave enough to enter her DMs. Just watch any UFC event she is involved in, and the camera gravitates to her instantly; JRC gets the fans wild just by smiling, so you can expect her to get the rapid WWE fanbase running wild each time she appears. Along with her beauty and personality, JRC lives in the gym, constantly training to get better and always looking to improve every aspect of combat sports. That hardworking trait is something not everyone has, and many WWE stars have failed due to their awful work ethic, so JRC would fit shine right away in WWE, leaving fans and management in awe. You can't teach work ethic, so for an athlete like JRC, she'd take to wrestling as a fish does to water. She would boost the prestige of the women's division by bringing a realistic brutal badass vibe to the company; having the badass Clark walk into a WWE ring, squash her opponent and leave would create a juggernaut for them to build around. Plus, Jessica walked out to Shawn Michaels's theme song for her last fight so wrestling fans would accept her with open arms; the woman oozes likeability.

3) Daniel Cormier- DC is a UFC legend; the man is a former light heavyweight and heavyweight world champion AND a lifelong WWE fan. Cormier is also one of the toughest men ever to grace the octagon, only being finished twice in his ENTIRE fighting career (one being changed to a no contest.) His toughness can't be denied, so he is a prime candidate for the complex and rigorous daily schedule WWE stars deal with. He is a very decorated and accomplished amateur wrestler in the United States, so the power and skill DC can bring to the sport is unmatched and would only be rivaled by Brock Lesner. Fans love violence, and DC will bring it each week. Cormier currently works as a commentator for the UFC, and the man continues to show off his knowledge of combat sports and pro wrestling, often making dozens of references to WWE each time he is on the air. The charisma of DC is what ropes you in. The man can talk and does it VERY WELL; Cormier would cut promos on fighters daily, tearing the men to shreds with his word and even sometimes talking trash while in the ring. Cormier understands that you're good to go as long as you get the fans talking. His quote shows off his awareness of creating attention for one's career "You can love me, you can hate me, but don't be indifferent. Care about it enough to watch." DC knows that controversy creates cash, so he will gladly do what he must to get all eyes on him. After one of his wins, Daniel would take the mic to famously call out Brock Lesner to a big fight but unfortunately, that never materialized, leaving fans disappointed; fortunately, there is still hope! Fans could see DC versus The Beast Incarnate in a WWE ring. Nobody in the UFC works for a crowd like DC, and the pre-fight "promo" he cut before his fight against Volkan Oezdemir shows DC's ability to control a crowd's emotions. "We all know what happened to me last fight. I've gotta build myself back up, and I'm gonna make a statement on Saturday night. "Volkan Oezdemir may be a good guy. He may be a good fighter. But I know one thing that Vol-can't do, and that's beat Daniel Cormier. Saturday night, I get my hand raised again, and I go back inside the winner's circle. Thank you, Boston. Thank you for having me, and I appreciate you." Now listen to that promo and tell me that doesn't sound like a hungry babyface wanting to prove he belongs! DC can make you love him or hate him just by talking. He's a born entertainer, and the WWE could use a passionate, hardworking man on the roster.

4) "The Problem child" Jake Paul- I can see you rolling your eyes at the sight of his name but hear me out, okay? Like him or not, Jake Paul IS a boxer, and the guy puts all his blood, sweat, and tears into the sport. Now imagine him putting all that intensity and drive into pro wrestling! Jake sets out to prove his doubters wrong, and the social media backlash of him coming to the WWE would fuel him to train even harder to succeed in a sport that he " doesn't belong in" so that he could rub it in any chance he gets. Jake creates buzz any chance he gets with wild bets or his trash talking. Jake makes sure to leave his mark on each situation he's involved in so people tune into his fights. The guy is an expert at marketing, so imagine Jake working with a global company like WWE. They'd get millions of new eyes on the product with any media outlet on TV talking about them, and social media pages would be talking about this 24/7. Jake has a following of 20.4 million followers on Instagram and 4.4 million on Twitter. The "Problem Child" of boxing has a cult-like following that worships the ground he walks on, so you can guarantee every one of those fans will watch Jake any time he appears on WWE TV. Just look at his brother Logan who has already found massive success in WWE, and he has only had two matches so far. Jake could help the social media presence grow quite a bit so that this mutual relationship would benefit both parties! Now we all know pro wrestling is like a soap opera, so naturally, you need an excellent villain, so fans tune in each week to see if the villain gets what they deserve. It's a simple format we always see, but it works, so with that in mind, Jake Paul is the perfect villain to put on TV. He's cocky, rich, disrespectful, and hams it up for the camera fans will spend as much money as possible to watch the loveable hero get their hands on Jake.

5) Livvy Dunne- This one is out of the box, but hear me out. Dunne is a stunning young girl famous on Tiktok; she's a member of the LSU gymnastics team and, at the age of 19, has accumulated a following not many athletes or celebrities can compete against. Dunne has 2 million followers on Instagram, 5.8 million followers on Tiktok, and trends on Tiktok DAILY Dunne has an army at her disposal. Now for the athletic side, Dunne is a very talented gymnast who competes at a high weekly level. She spent her entire life training to be a gymnast, so she thrives in the air and often puts her body on the line. If appropriately trained, Livvy could reach new heights in WWE putting her impressive athletic background on display as she performs daring offenses. Interestingly enough, Livvy would not be the first gymnast to come to the WWE athletes such as Kacy Catanzaro, Charlotte Flair, and Tiffany Stratton are all current stars that have thrived in WWE. A president has been set with gymnasts turned pro wrestlers, and so far, they have been a hit every time. Another factor she would need is mic skills. Promos can make or break your career, and lucky for WWE, the performance center in Florida would help the young star grow as a performer and a wrestler. Livvy is a beautiful young woman with a look fitting a Disney princess, she would be a dream come true for WWE, plus she's only 19 years old; WWE could have her be a staple in WWE for a long time.