News: Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr., participated in World Wrestling Entertainment's No Way Out pay-per-view last night, interfering against returning star The Big Show. The Mayweather spot is setting up a tag team match at WrestleMania XXIV, pitting Mayweather and 5'3" star Rey Mysterio against the 7-foot Big Show and Shane McMahon.

Views: I am what I consider to be a rehabbed pro wrestling fan. I was, in fact, a wrestling nerd for much of my life. I was hoping to never have to talk about pro wrestling again, but Mayweather's involvement forces me to.

One thing this does is prove Mayweather's star quality. WWE may be banking on the Mayweather match to help carry the buyrate for WrestleMania. In the late 1990s, celebrity athletes participating in pro wrestling was a minor fad. Mike Tyson was famously the referee for the WrestleMania XIV main event between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and his participation helped the mainstream appeal tremendously. World Championship Wrestling used Dennis Rodman on several occasions, once putting him into a tag match with Hulk Hogan against Diamond Dallas Page and basketball rival Karl Malone. Jay Leno also did one match for WCW, though he is no athlete. Football stars Kevin Greene, Reggie White and Steve McMichael all had short (or fairly long) stints with WCW, as well.

Make no mistake about it -- pro wrestling is not easy to do right. Mayweather has about as much chance being a good pro wrestler over a month of learning the ropes as he does being a good MMA fighter. But he's only improving his marketability, and by competing as a babyface (good guy), his image may change to a lot of people.

Mysterio, a native of Mexico, is a big boxing fan. He once had former lightweight contender Jorge Paez as a second for a pay-per-view match, and has been part of Erik Morales' entourage ...

Read the full post at Bad Left Hook

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