Alistair Overeem is a hypocrite about pro wrestling, and not even he can deny that with a straight face.
Overeem, a former UFC heavyweight standout and Strikeforce MMA champion, will headline the first Wrestling Entertainment Series event against Adam Scherr — better known as Braun Strowman during his time with WWE — on June 4 in Nottingham, England.
When the event was announced last week, it certainly raised eyebrows. Perhaps still because, even though it’s more common these days, a notable MMA fighter stepping into the ring will always make news. But in the case of Overeem, what about his disparaging remarks just last year about wrestling as a profession?
“So the thing is with that whole wrestling thing, I watched it when I was 8, 9, 10 years old — Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, huge fan of those guys,” Overeem said in an August 2021 interview on “The MMA Hour.” “Honky Tonk Man — great, funny. Andre The Giant. I stopped watching after that, so I’m not watching since ’92, ’93, ’94. And just recently I start looking again on YouTube, and oh my God, this stuff is lame.
“It’s just lame with all these guys that are doing it. It’s fake, it’s lame, it’s stupid, it’s gay, it doesn’t make any sense.”
MMA fighters hating on pro wrestling is nothing new. Hating on pro wrestling with some homophobia is the icing. Hating on pro wrestling with some homophobia and then signing on to do a pro wrestling match? Well, that’s just the cherry on top of this hypocrisy cake.
We’ll spare full-on speculation as to why Overeem is doing this wrestling match, but maybe you’ve heard about UFC fighters being grossly underpaid — and Overeem was released in March 2021. He’s done nothing since. And so, if it makes dollars … well, you know.
Overeem, who owns a 2011 UFC win over Brock Lesnar by TKO, obviously has little regard for pro wrestlers, the physical harm they put themselves in, and the effort it takes to master the craft.
Can’t imagine 6-foot-8, 385-pound Adam Scherr would appreciate this if someone told him. Overeem’s pro wrestling debut is as good as any time to learn what a shoot is.