Former WWE star claims Cristiano Ronaldo copied his dance

According to Rene Dupree, Cristiano Ronaldo once used his famous WWE dance as a football goal celebration.

Dupree was a member of WWE's main roster between 2003 and 2007. He used to taunt his opponents by hopping from one foot to the other while holding his hands out wide. The signature move, known as the French Tickler, was a key aspect of Dupree's character.

On his Cafe de Rene podcast, the former WWE Tag Team Champion recalled the time when Cristiano Ronaldo performed the French Tickler:

"I had a web guy who was actually from the UK – his name was Rod – and he would email me all the time," Dupree said. "He goes, 'Oh my God, Rene, you can't believe this.' I had no idea who Cristiano Ronaldo was. I didn't realize how big of a deal this was at the time, but he actually did the French Tickler after a field goal, so that just goes to show you how popular WWE is worldwide, and how I got that f***ing goofy little dance over." [0:26 – 0:57]

It is unclear exactly when Ronaldo busted out the French Tickler, but Dupree said he was notified about the footballer emulating the dance in 2008. At the time, Ronaldo played for Premier League club Manchester United and his country Portugal.

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The French Tickler landed Rene Dupree in trouble in WWE

Although many fans enjoyed Rene Dupree's dance, the French-Canadian once received a fine for performing the amusing taunt.

In January 2022, Dupree told a story on his podcast about veteran producer Michael Hayes reprimanding him for using the French Tickler during a match:

"They fined me because they didn't want me to do it because it was getting over. It was me and Rob Van Dam in Toronto, and I did it and the Canadians went crazy. They popped huge for it, right? Then Michael Hayes f***ing comes up to me and says, 'I don't want you to do it no more.' Me being me, I did it anyway."

Dupree added that then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was a big fan of the move. He said his former boss was "grinning ear-to-ear" when he witnessed the French Tickler for the first time.

Were you a fan of Rene Dupree's signature taunt? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Please credit Cafe de Rene and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.