Adebayo Akinfenwa, the world’s strongest footballer, has turned to wrestling after hanging up his boots.
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Akinfenwa was a striker for Wycombe Wanderers from 2016 to 2022. He played 250 games for Wycombe, scoring 60 goals and providing 40 assists before retiring 6 months ago.
The now 40 year old made a name for himself with his charming interviews and personality. He is best known for the interview he gave after securing championship football for the first time in 2020.
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He explained the switch in an interview with the Daily Mail:
‘I was always asked when I was coming to retirement what I was looking to do and the response was always new experiences. I was lucky enough to do the thing I love for 22 years but it was a profession. When you retire, it’s just freedom and experiences.’
‘It’s always been in the background because of my love for wrestling. I’ve known [English professional wrestler] Anthony Ogogo for a while, years. We came across each other when he was a boxer and stayed in contact and the wrestling thing never went away.’
‘He unfortunately couldn’t box anymore and he found that love with wrestling and he hit me up and said: “Listen, you want to try a few bits?”‘
‘When you find something that you enjoy it makes it a little bit easier. But then the mindset is to try new things and if it lands, it lands. I enjoy it, I’ve enjoyed the workouts, I enjoy that it’s intense.’