April 20th 2024.
The world of Gladiators and the WWE may seem like two completely different worlds, but they are actually much more intertwined than people may think. This was evident on a star-studded Friday night at The O2 arena in London, where celebrities like Anthony Joshua, Wayne and Coleen Rooney, and rapper ArrDee were in attendance. One of the new stars of the hit BBC revival, Apollo, made his presence known as he joined the crowd for an exciting night of wrestling action.
As high-flying superstar Ricochet faced off against JD McDonagh, one of the stars of Judgment Day, Apollo made his way down to the ring. The two worlds of Gladiators and WWE collided as Apollo confronted JD McDonagh during the match. The tension between the two was palpable as they came face to face on the entrance ramp. In the end, Ricochet emerged victorious to the delight of the crowd. He celebrated his win with Apollo by his side, continuing the long history of crossover between wrestling and Gladiators.
Interestingly, it turns out that the current SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis is a former Gladiator himself. He appeared on Sky1's reboot of the show in 2008 and 2009 under the name Oblivion. Another recent contender, Wesley, is also a professional wrestler on the UK independent scene. This just goes to show how closely connected the worlds of Gladiators and WWE truly are.
The star-studded night continued as many big names were in attendance. Boxing champion Anthony Joshua was seen backstage with current WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes, happily holding the coveted title belt. Other famous faces included Wayne Rooney, who sat in the front row with his wife Coleen and their sons. Drew McIntyre couldn't resist taking a playful jab at the retired Manchester United legend, joking about his football career before teasing, "Aren't we the same age? What happened to you?"
Thankfully, Wayne took the jibes in stride, having had a previous encounter with the WWE back in 2015 when he got physical with wrestler Wade Barrett at a show in Manchester. At the time, Drew McIntyre actually enjoyed working with the footballer and still looks back on that moment fondly, saying, "That's one of those silly little things that people will always remember. People love talking to me about that time I got slapped by Wayne Rooney!"
The exciting night of wrestling action kicked off with Jey Uso defeating Drew McIntyre, followed by big wins for Natalya, Ricochet, and Tegan Nox. It was also a successful night for the champions, with World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes all retaining their titles.
If you're a WWE fan in the UK, mark your calendars for June 15 as Clash At The Castle is coming to Glasgow, Scotland. This premium live event will take place at the OVO Hydro Arena, and combo tickets including SmackDown the night before will go on sale on April 24. Don't miss out on the epic double header and the chance to see your favorite WWE superstars in action.
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