An NFL fan's guide to the WWE

Have you ever asked yourself, "How would I explain the WWE to an NFL fan using comparisons between the two?" Probably not. Unless you are an avid pro wrestling fan like myself, such things have never have crossed your mind. Yet, I still wanted to explore the similarities between some of the WWE characters and some of the most notable NFL personalities on and off the field.

First of all, before I start this list or whatever you want to call it, I will say the obligatory, "I know the WWE is scripted and the NFL is a competitive sport rather than sports entertainment," but as an audience, we consume both as entertainment.

There just might be different reasons to enjoy each one. Yes, I may be nearing 30, but I am still a wrestling fan and enjoy it. That is part of the reason I am writing this article. I want to show people that you can still enjoy wrestling as entertainment, even if you know it is scripted and the outcome is predetermined.

Ok, enough talking, let's get to it!

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#1 JJ Watt is John Cena

Good Guy JJ Watt

This is the one that got me started. Let's start with the aesthetics. Both men are built like tanks. They both have the clean-cut, flat-top look, and the public personas to boot. They both say all the right things and are super patriotic whilst avoiding controversy.

Good Guy John Cena

That is why they are both polarizing figures. People love them for those very reasons, but those are also the reasons they are hated. In the WWE, John Cena represents what the company needs as a champion and ambassador. Almost everything he does says "good guy".

JJ Watt is seen the same way by NFL fans.

Moreover, these guys are both great athletes. I had a friend in high school who liked John Cena because he was "the guy with the headband on his biceps." He is a big dude and this is sometimes forgotten because the WWE has so many enormous human beings. As for JJ, you'll find plenty of videos and pictures of the workout warrior online.

#2 Tony Romo is Corey Graves

Tony Romo

Just give me a second to explain. This one might seem like a bit of a stretch, but there a few similarities. Corey Graves is a former in-ring performer and former NXT Tag Team Champion. Due to injuries, he had that part of his career cut short. However, when that window shut, the door to an announcing career opened.

Tony Romo, meanwhile, is a former Pro Bowl quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. While he might not have been forced to retire due to injury, he has had multiple back injuries resulting in him missing games and even requiring surgery. Hence, it is reasonable to infer that those injuries could have been a factor in him not finding a new team after last season, forcing him to turn to broadcasting.

Four games in and Romo is already receiving rave reviews for his work. He has been given a lot of credit for his knowledge of the game and ability to convey that to the audience.

Corey Graves is also thriving in his "new" role with the WWE. Even though Graves has been on commentary duties much longer than Romo (a couple of years now), he has achieved a lot in the little time he has been an announcer for WWE.

Graves started as a commentator for a pre-show of an NXT event. He then became a full-time announcer for NXT, until the two main shows divided their rosters and announce teams. Then Graves became a part of RAW, and most recently, joined Smackdown Live when JBL stepped down from his role on the team blue announce team.

Former NXT Announcer Corey Graves

Bottom line, both guys could possibly see more success in their new careers. This might be harder for Romo since I feel his upside is more limited since the WWE has shown its willingness to put Graves all over their shows.

#3 Rodger Goodell is Stephanie McMahon

Stephanie McMahon

What? You would have gone with Vince McMahon? No way. This is the right pick. Rodger Goodell may seem to possess all the power in the NFL, and he has most of it. He isn't all-powerful. He still has to answer to the team owners who employ him and can fire him if and when they want. Vince does not have to answer to anyone in HIS company. His daughter is atop that company, and on TV, she is the commissioner of RAW. See another similarity.

The main point is that they are both seen as tyrants by both the audience and the players/wrestlers. Goodell has the power to hand out punishments as he sees fit... and he has. However, there is a review process for appeals in the NFL for players who feel their punishment is unjust or too harsh. That process is also usually conducted by... Rodger Goodell.

Rodger Goodell

On the other hand, Goodell cannot hold a candle to the way Ms McMahon wields her power. Especially in her run as the authority from late 2013-Early 2016. Public firings were nothing new for her family and she kept that going. I don't know if that was even the worst things she did on screen at the time. She controlled superstars by threatening to fire them and made them do horrible things like force the Big Show to knockout his longtime friend and mentor Dusty Rhodes.

She has slapped many employees including a flurry of slaps to Tom Phillips for asking a question after she had witnessed something that upset her. Could you imagine Joe Buck or Ian Rappaport or Jay Glazer asking Rodger Goodell something that upset him(not too hard to imagine right now), and Goodell responding by slapping the crap out of them? On second thought, it might make press conferences more interesting.

#4 Aaron Rodgers is AJ Styles

Aaron Rodgers

This pains me to say as a Lifelong Bears fan, but this comparison is based on the fact that both men are presently seen as the best in their field by both fans and their peers. For my money, Styles is definitely the best in the WWE right now. He is the best in-ring performer and good on the mic as well. Rodgers, on the other hand, is the best QB in the NFL which is the most important position in the league right now.

Rodgers is the Gold Standard for quarterbacks right now. Styles has the best matches of anyone in the WWE right now. Rodgers had to sit for 3 years behind Brett Favre before he took over the reigns for the Packers. Styles journey to the WWE took quite a bit longer. than that. He competed for other organizations for about 15 years until he finally debuted with the WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble.

He entered at number 3 in that Rumble match and was met with a thunderous ovation by the surprised fans in attendance. It may have taken a while, but the greatness of both men is now recognized by their respective audiences.

#5 Odell Beckham Jr. is Roman Reigns

Stylin' and Profilin'

He has the physical skills to be great. The older crowd doesn't get why the younger generation loves him so much and is sure that he is "not that good". Meanwhile, younger people see him as "the man" right now.

The Big Dog Roman Reigns

Not sure which person I'm talking about? Understandable. Two of the most identifiable people in their respective businesses. While you will see many people under the age of 18 with the OBJ haircut, most Adults will look at that haircut on anyone and shake their head in disbelief. The same type of thing happens at a taping of Monday Night Raw.

Roman Reigns music hits and you will hear a very noticeable mixture of cheers and boos. If you pay attention you will see most of the cheers are coming from children and women(rugged good looks?) while the men in the crowd are booing him. It will be very interesting to see if both men can shut up the critics in the years to come.

#6 Josh Norman is The Miz

The infamous Bow and Arrow Celebration

Wait? What do these guys have in common? Well, probably more than you think. Let's start with the fact that they are both great talkers. Both guys have been overlooked and underrated. Oh yeah, they both are... awesome!

He's The Miz.....And he's AWESOME!!!!!(just ask him)

If you don't know who The Miz is, then you probably haven't watched the WWE for about the last ten years or so. At one time considered a joke, The Miz has become one of the biggest stars in the WWE. His work on the mic the last few years especially has made him one of the best talkers in the business. Miz first appeared on television as himself on the reality show "The Real World".

Even while on several MTV reality shows, The Miz always talked about how he wanted to be a WWE superstar. He eventually made that dream a reality years later by entering the WWE's own reality show WWE Tough Enough season 3. While Miz didn't win the show, he did manage to be signed by the WWE and started as the host of Smackdown for a brief period of time.

Since The Miz didn't take the traditional route he wasn't very respected by the rest of the WWE Superstars and even the fans. Eventually, The Miz changed all that and worked all the way to a WWE Championship and a main event match against John Cena at Wrestlemania 27. Today, his segments on RAW are some of the best.

Josh Norman has a lot of similarities to The Miz. He had to earn his respect and status in the NFL as he was a fifth-round draft pick. He is a very hard worker. Much like Miz, Josh Norman goes to work with a chip on his shoulder and doesn't want to hear how great others are. He feels he is the best. He lets it be known, and he wants to face the best competition to prove it.

In the NFC East, this should be easy with chances to face the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Dez Bryant 2 times a year each. However, the best similarity is Norman's ability to talk trash. Norman regularly uses the media to try to get to his opponents. Norman is just as entertaining in the NFL as The Miz is in the WWE.

#7 The Pittsburgh Steelers are The New Day

New...Day....Rocks

Well, not the whole team just Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell. While the New Day may be the more decorated trio (4-time tag team champions, also longest reigning tag champs), the Steelers trio matches up nicely when it comes to talent.

The Three Bs: Ben, Brown, and Bell

Also what makes both the New Day and Ben, Brown and Bell so special is that all of these Men have different skill sets. For the New Day, Big E is the strength and power, Xavier Woods is the brains(even though he is a good worker in the ring and is very athletic in his own right), and Kofi Kingston is the high flyer who does some of the most athletic and daring moves in the WWE.

Similarly, the Steelers can beat you with the run or the pass thanks to these 3 playmakers. All three are pro bowlers. Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls while Brown and Bell are both considered to be among the best, if not the best, at their respective positions. Plus, both teams are very entertaining even if Roethlisberger does not have the personality of Bell or Brown.

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