Former NFL Player Joins WWE?

Babatunde Aiyegbusi, a 6’9″ athlete from Poland who briefly played for the Minnesota Vikings this year, has reportedly joined WWE.

This is according to VikingsTerritory.com, a news website about the NFL team. Adam Bair, Aiyegbusi’s marketing agent, told the website that WWE showed serious interest in the former football player following his release from the Vikings’ roster in early September.

Interestingly, the opportunity came through a connection Aiyegbusi and Bair made in August when Jimmy Kimmel hosted Aiyegbusi on Jimmy Kimmel Live for a segment called “Can Babatunde Move It.” During the visit, Bair met talent scout John Carlin. A former long-time employee of ESPN, Carlin offered to introduce Bair to a few former associates, which quickly led to a correspondence with Canyon Ceman, Senior Director of Talent Development for WWE.

“Canyon was very excited,” Bair said. “They had been following Babs from the start of [Vikings] training camp because of his size and had been trying to reach him.”

Aiyegbusi attended a WWE tryout in Orlando, and he generated even more excitement after auditioning and working out with a group of 40 hopefuls.

“They loved his size and athletic ability. They were also very impressed with his character,” Bair said. “Babs has a very witty personality when he relaxes, and [he’s] funny. On top of that, he looks mean because of his size. They like the fact that he could play either role — the villain or the good guy.”

Aiyegbusi never played American football before traveling to the United States and getting a chance at an NFL roster. Aiyegbusi played only in European leagues prior to this summer, but his large frame and athleticism drew plenty of attention, and he spent the offseason in Minnesota before falling short of the final 53-man cut.

“I think my personality and work ethic will help me to become [the] next WWE Superstar,” Aiyegbusi said. “I always loved to watch wrestling; now I will have the opportunity to enjoy being [in] the ring.”