By News18
Andrew Flintoff, one of England鈥檚 finest allrounders, nearly became a professional wrestler soon after bringing down curtains on his cricket career. Flintoff has revealed that he was in touch with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and nearly signed a deal that would have seen him take on The Undertaker.
Flintoff was mulling over his post-playing career when he started receiving broadcasting offers and it鈥檚 then that he stumbled into WWE.
鈥淚 just hid for a bit and started to wonder, 鈥榃hat am I going to do now?鈥 Some of the TV offers started to come, which was never the plan 鈥 I stumbled into that. I nearly joined the WWE, I didn鈥檛 want to box, that was never the plan. I would have been called 鈥楤ig Fred’鈥 Flintoff said on The Overlap鈥檚 Stick to Cricket.
鈥淲hat happened was, it got to a point in Dubai where I was unfit, I鈥檇 put on weight and was just not in a good place. I wanted to get fit again, but I needed motivation. As a kid, I loved WWE, so I came up with this idea, because I was doing League of Their Own with Sky, to fight the Undertaker in Manchester,鈥 he added.
Flintoff eventually got in touch with Vince McMahon after his pitch reached the WWE co-founder. As the talks progressed, he started training for his showdown with The Undertaker in Manchester.
鈥淚 wrote this treatment up and presented the idea to Sky, it started gathering momentum and next minute it鈥檚 being passed onto WWE. I was in contact with the WWE, Vince McMahon,鈥 Flintoff said.
鈥淒ave Roberts, who was a physiotherapist and lived with us (England cricket team) throughout my career, lived with us and looked after us. I asked him to send a trainer over to Dubai for six weeks because I needed to bulk up. He sent this fella over, I trained my nuts off, got fit and then the WWE flew me to Tampa. Me and the missus have gone over to Tampa, I鈥檝e got two weeks at wrestling academy,鈥 he added.
The glitz and glamour soon gave way to a brutal reality check.
鈥淭hey fly us over business class, next morning we get in the car and go to WWE鈥檚 academy, two massive units all branded. We鈥檙e sitting in the car and these things are walking past me, like 6ft 8in monsters,鈥 the 47-year-old said.
鈥淪o I go in and we do the warm-ups, then they put me in the ring for three hours and I just ran the ropes, I鈥檇 run into someone and they鈥檇 throw me. The second day I went in there, I had lashes all down my back and my missus said, 鈥楢re you alright with this?鈥 I was sore and thought something鈥檚 not right here. I said to this physio, 鈥業 think I鈥檓 having a back spasm,鈥 so they鈥檙e all like, 鈥極h! The English lad has got a back spasm,鈥 so they put me on the couch, he鈥檚 pushing me and I can feel my ribs separating.鈥
Flintoff was later informed he will be offered a three-year contract and 鈥渨ill be at WrestleMania and Royal Rumble in 18 months鈥.
鈥淭he money was obscene, but we (family) wanted to move back from Dubai. The kids wanted to play cricket and didn鈥檛 want to go to America, so I just changed it to boxing and had a fight instead,鈥 he said.