Pittsburgh Steelers Star Najee Harris Appears In-Ring At CMLL Show
Add another name to the list of professional athletes who love pro wrestling. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris appeared inside a CMLL ring Tuesday night, joining famed Mexican wrestler Atlantis and donning a Lucha Libre mask. Atlantis appeared to give Harris the mask at the top of the stage before the pair walked down to the squared circle, according to photos shared by the Mexico City-based pro wrestling promotion. The photos show Harris and Atlantis raising their arms together at the top of the ramp while the crowd cheers them on, then later hugging each other inside the ring. Another shows the two athletes posing with a CMLL referee, who is smiling and pointing at them.
¡De la NFL a La Mejor Lucha Libre del Mundo! 😎
🤼 🏈 Najee Harris, RB de Steelers, presente en la Arena México acompañando al Ídolo de los Niños Atlantis. #MartesDeArenaMéxico
🔴 Transmisión en vivo: https://t.co/wNWdydgC03 pic.twitter.com/5wS6zC6VOt— Lucha Libre CMLL (@CMLL_OFICIAL) May 10, 2023
Harris is in Mexico with the Steelers promoting the NFL's partnership deal to host regular season games in the country. Pittsburgh is expected to play a regular season game in the country sometime in the next few years, according to WPXI. Many professional athletes have proudly flaunted their fandom for professional wrestling in recent years, as WWE and AEW especially continue to grow the genre's popularity in pop culture.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle appeared ringside at WrestleMania 39, and has expressed interest in one day trying his hand at wrestling. Last November, during San Francisco's game in Mexico City against the Arizona Cardinals, Kittle's interaction with AEW's Penta El Zero Miedo on the sidelines went viral on social media. Kittle often mimics Penta's trademark hand signal after scoring a touchdown or making a big play.