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Former NFL prima Shawne Merriman was successful Las Vegas to watch arsenic Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) made history pinch their first solo U.S. show arsenic portion of Slam Fest.
Merriman recalled watching nan arena arsenic good arsenic Stardom’s show. The all-women Japanese promotion besides performed successful nan Pearl Theater astatine Palms Casino Resort during nan week arsenic pro wrestling fans descended connected nan metropolis up of WrestleMania 42. Merriman said he antecedently watched CMLL successful Mexico City and hoped to spell to much shows.
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San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman celebrates a large deed against nan Arizona Cardinals astatine Qualcomm Stadium successful San Diego, Calif., connected Dec. 31, 2006. The Chargers won 27-20. (Gene Lower/Getty Images)
"I’m a large wrestling fan," he told Fox News Digital. "I checked retired their show and I went to Stardom, which is nan all-women’s Japanese show, which is insane. I was blown distant by them. I saw nan different show, 2 shows successful Mexico City, and it was almost 10,000-plus group retired there. It was conscionable insane.
"For them to person their first show present successful nan States, I deliberation they did a really bully job. There were a small complete 2,000 group there. I thought it was great. Some of nan (wrestlers) I already knew and I sewage a chance to spot up adjacent and personal. I sewage a chance to spell backmost and meet immoderate of nan talent and benignant of shingle hands. Believe it aliases not, immoderate of them were San Diego Chargers fans because they watched maine increasing up, evidently playing successful San Diego. I look guardant to going to much shows."
Merriman has a soft spot for pro wrestling.
He made a fewer appearances connected WWE programming and appeared for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling successful 2024 (TNA), interfering successful Joe Hendry’s lucifer astatine Rebellion.
Joe Hendry faces disconnected pinch Tony D'Angelo astatine The Factory successful St. Louis, Missouri, connected April 4, 2026. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
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"It’s a craft. It’s an art. It’s playing up to nan crowd," he said. "Even arsenic a player, what I ever emotion is playing connected people’s emotions erstwhile I spell to stadiums. I emotion that. Having a large sack, ‘lights out’ dance, you get them happy aliases get them huffy astatine you, you power nan crowd, you power people’s emotions. Even Randy Orton losing (at WrestleMania 42) and really that made group feel. I retrieve erstwhile Undertaker, that streak was gone."
Merriman likened nan emotions of nan crowd astatine pro wrestling events to that of NFL games and praised everything that it takes to make a successful pro wrestling match.
"So erstwhile you spot those wrestlers, nan choreography that goes into it, nan storylines that build up, nan storytelling of it, nan flip of it … When I did nan wrestling show, myself, (TNA) Impact, and AJ Francis, who went to nan University of Maryland and is now pinch TNA Wrestling, nan truth that I sewage a chance to clothesline Joe Hendry, cipher saw it coming. Nobody saw what was going connected and really that was gonna play out," he said.
Shawne Merriman attends nan Resorts World Las Vegas expansive opening successful Las Vegas, Nev., connected June 24, 2021. (Ryan Steffy/Getty Images)
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"The truth that I get location and Joe Hendry was already truthful basking arsenic 1 of their up-and-coming guys, and I conscionable thought that full crippled twist, I mean, nan boos that came aft that, it was outstanding and it couldn’t person gone immoderate better. When you talk astir pro wrestling, I’m pinch you. I’m each successful and I wish I was doing much of it."
Ryan Gaydos is simply a elder editor for Fox News Digital.
