Currently, in sports entertainment, two specific roads are being traveled. Yes, in case you forgot, the NFL, too, is classified under the guise of Sports Entertainment.
Based on their utilization of pop culture intertwined with a storytelling aspect that is mostly dominated by network television and/or streaming platforms, the lines are blurred, and the league doesn’t deny it.
If you are a football fan or someone highly indulged in the scouting process, you are on what’s known as the “Path to the Draft”.
However, if you are a wrestling fan and find yourself reading this. Have no fear, you are still on the “Road to Wrestlemania”.
With every Premium Live Event (PLE) and massive scouting platform behind us, somehow these worlds intertwine, and the universe has brought us to the ultimate matchup of good and evil.
Heel vs. Face.
Who is the WWE version of your favorite draft prospect?
Cody Rhodes – QB Fernando Mendoza
Adrenaline. In my soul. Every thought out of control.
Is this a Cody Rhodes entrance? No, it’s the sound of Las Vegas Raiders fans rejoicing at the fact that the team will now have a franchise quarterback for the first time in over a decade.
It’s hard to talk about the landscape of WWE without mentioning QB1 himself. However, much like Rhodes had to see life outside of the company to become the star he is today. Mendoza and his time at California should not go unnoticed when it comes to how this star was born.
While Mendoza didn’t necessarily create his own company during his blaze of glory, he does join the likes of Cam Newton and Joe Burrow as the only players to win a Heisman trophy, national championship, and presumably go first overall.
The crowd is here, about to blow. Waiting for Mendoza to start the show. As draft day comes, he hears his name announced as the first overall pick. Hat in hand, once the curtain lights go up, he’s home Raider Nation.
WOAH!
And just like that, welcome to the QB1 Era.
Bron Breaker – LB Sonny Styles
They say that all men are created equal, but when you look at Sonny Styles and you look at the rest of the draft class, you can see that statement isn’t true!
Normally, when you compare the odds of a defensive player bringing down an offensive player, you have about a 50/50 chance of winning. But Styles is a genetic freak, and he’s not normal. So, offensive players have about a 25% chance at best of breaking his tackle!
But once you take into account the fact that Styles did, well, this…..
Your chances drastically go down!
In case you didn’t know, we’re doing Steiner Math.
This moment was made famous by one half of the legendary Steiner Brothers (Scott and Rick). These are the respective uncle and father of WWE Superstar, Bron Breaker. Much like Breaker in wrestling, Sonny watched the elder Styles spend time at the professional level in his respective field.
Lorenzo Styles Sr. played six seasons at the NFL level, winning a championship with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Now, after following historic footsteps, it’s time for these prodigies to blaze their own trail of glory.
Trick Williams – OT Monroe Freeling
Since draft season began, you’d be hard-pressed to find a prospect whose draft stock has risen more than Monroe Freeling.
Now Let’s Talk About It.
The meteoric rise of a prospect that many didn’t view as a top 100 prospect by the end of the college football season, to potentially a top ten selection in this upcoming draft, is very reminiscent of the rise to fame of one, Trick Williams.
From Carmelo Hayes’ sidekick to bona fide superstar. The development of Williams has always been an enigma, to say the least. Stepping from the gridiron to the squared circle, Williams’ ability to captivate a room always stood out.
Aside from the fact that both of these young men hail from the great state of South Carolina. The conversation of ceiling vs. floor is exactly what ties these two together.
While the picture is far from complete in terms of what both Williams and Freeling are in their respective fields, the vision of what could be in the future paints a picture with an aura that is rarely found in prospects and superstars alike.
Let’s face it, not everyone is 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, with a pair of Lemon Pepper Steppers, and can ‘whoop that trick’ like these two.
Now let’s talk about it.
Triple H – S Caleb Downs
Triple H is almost the epitome of what Caleb Downs is as a prospect. He’s not the biggest (please disregard “that” time period), he’s not the fastest. However, the one thing he may very well be is the smartest, as Downs is known as a coach’s dream.
Built by the relationship he shared with Nick Saban, and how he often put other players, as well as himself, in position to see and make plays before they happen.
In the midst of his breakout during the late 1999 and early 2000’s, legendary commentator Jim Ross coined Triple H with the name the ‘Cerebral Assassin’. Much in part due to the methodical, manipulative, and quite frankly highly strategic traits of his character during his time as a performer.
When it comes down to Downs and Hunter: It’s all about the game and how you play it. It’s all about control, and if you can take it. It’s all about your debt and if you can pay it. It’s all about the pain, and they know you can’t take them.
Jeff Hardy – CB Aveion Terrell
Yesssssssss! We have come to the point where wide receivers get DELETED!
They often say the youngest sibling is often the most talented. Now, to say Aveion Terrell will grow to be an All-Pro-type cornerback just like his brother? There are too many factors yet to be determined to make that proclamation.
Yet as a younger sibling, having the opportunity to garner the “mental reps” the league often speaks about long before your opportunity to flourish speaks volumes to your trajectory. While you may possess the same want-to and the same know-how, what the younger sibling possesses is volumes beyond what the elder knew. After all, they were the ones watching as the older sibling created the blueprint.
Beyond the sibling aesthetics, it’s hard not to see the comparison between the younger Hardy and Terrell. Size is only an issue for you, not them. Both fight with the heart of a lion, are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, and they both will put their body on the line doing so.
Don’t you see the writing on the wall?
Oba Femi – OT Max Iheanachor
When it comes down to the evaluation of some prospects, traits are king. The word that gets tossed around a lot when discussing these specific players is: potential.
Potential is the existing possibility, the capability of turning development into actuality. While these statements are true, the term “potential” is given such a negative connotation in terms of current outlook vs the future.
However, the thing about the future?
Well, Oba Femi can tell you a thing or two about that.
“Everybody is acting like the future is this distant thing that you can only see from far away, but that is where I disagree,” Femi said.
When evaluating Max Iheanachor, it’s easy to forget that this young man only began playing football once he got to college. Much like Oba Femi, Iheanachor is the pride of Nigeria, who took a liking to other sports upon arrival in the States, before finding a home in their true profession.
For Iheanachor, soccer and basketball were the sports of choice throughout high school until a coach pushed him in the direction of the gridiron. While Femi saw success as a champion shotput player for both MTSU and Alabama, before joining WWE’s Next In Line program.
Since the transition, both have seen immediate success. With Femi becoming a multiple-time NXT Champion, and currently set to make his Wrestlemania debut later this week. While Iheanachor is expected to be selected late day one or early day two of this upcoming NFL Draft.
Despite early success, these two young men are only scratching the surface of what they truly can become in their respective fields.
Just like Femi has been able to hold his own both on the mic and in the ring against some of the best WWE has to offer. Iheanachor has proven the ability to hang with the preverbal big dogs, just cut on the Texas Tech tape.
Bret Hart – OT Spencer Fano
Yes, this is pretty historic territory. Will Spencer Fano be a legend? Hell, we don’t even know what position he will play.
So let’s be careful before we call him “the best there is, the best there ever was, and the best that ever will be”.
However, what we can call Fano is the “Excellence of Execution”. The tape speaks for itself, and there aren’t many, if any, that are as technically sound as Fano. He’s quick enough on his feet to beat even the best pass rusher off the ball to the spot. Fano gets to the second level in the blink of an eye and is highly adept on the move. Fano showcases really good hands, and even when he’s beaten, he’s never truly beaten.
You can talk about the measurables, sub-33-inch arms, and where you believe Fano will play. There was once a conversation about whether Brett Hart was big enough to carry the weight of the WWE championship both literally and figuratively.
No one is truly sure where Fano will play at the next level, but what you can be sure of is that he will do everything in his power to make sure he cannot be denied, much like this Hall of Famer.
Seth Rollins – WR Antonio Williams
Redesign. Rebuild. Reclaim.
These are words spoken by a visionary. These are words spoken by a revolutionary.
These are words spoken by Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
However, what if these words stood for something or someone, shall we say, completely different?
You talk about a visionary? Look no further than a young man who is the pride of South Carolina — a four-star recruit, the number six overall receiver in the country, and 3rd overall player in the state, all via 247sports.
The next in line in terms of WR greats out of Clemson.
You talk about a revolutionary? This is the young man who was poised with the task of being next in line when it comes to greatness at the WR position at Clemson. Not only did Williams live up to that task, but he became a constant from the moment he set foot on campus.
Ultimately, catching a pass in 42 of 43 games that he has played in. In fact, Williams caught a pass in 33 consecutive games, which he played in leading up to a matchup with LSU in 2025.
Williams finished 10 games shy of breaking Hunter Renfrow’s school record for consecutive games with at least one catch.
Architect is the name held synonymous with Rollins that fits the mold of Williams. The heartbeat of a three-man band known as the Clemson receiving core. Once the proverbial chair shot to the back occurred in Williams’ exit via injury, a deep void was left that saw everything around them crumble.
Williams is here to rebuild in a situation where injuries tell the story of a promising career and a tale of what can be.
To reclaim after being viewed as one of the top receivers in the class coming out of Summer Scouting.
To redesign the narrative surrounding himself, ‘an injury-prone slot receiver.’
The time to Burn It Down is now.
Shawn Michaels – RB Jeremiyah Love
Are you really surprised? After every touchdown score, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love does his patented heart, utilizing both hands to create the symbol memorializing his last name.
The irony in this infamous gesture is that while the star back, his family, and fans alike may enjoy the honors of “Love”.
Opposing defenses and coordinators alike feel the complete opposite. In fact, one could say that with every Love heart, it leaves the opposition “heartbroken”.
While Love may not be a self-proclaimed “Sexy Boy”. He certainly has the moves that really move ’em. Sending chills up and down their spines.
Both Michaels and Love’s abilities as performers share many similarities.
For Love, it’s his patience and vision as a runner, understanding what is happening around him and how to let it develop. This trait is very reminiscent of Michaels’ ability to control the pace of a fight, often speeding up and slowing down at just the right time, keeping the crowd in the palm of his hand.
The parallels between what happens within the hash marks and the ring are clearly comparable, no matter what Tom Brady tries to tell you.
The idea of identifying player comps tends to become a polarizing topic when comparing prospects to those that have come before them in their field. However, comparing prospects to characters outside their original realm of imagination creates a fun exercise that can be used to widen the scope of how a player is generally used or is capable of.
Hopefully, this is something everyone can enjoy and is sure to be much less controversial, right?
Cover Image Credit: The Philly Blitz
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