WRESTLING NEWS
Pro Wrestlers With A Background In Basketball
By JACK GOODWILLIE
Kevin Nash was a Division I center at the University of Tennessee and almost went pro, but a physical encounter with his college coach threatened his career before it began. He went on to play overseas in Germany for three years before suffering a torn ACL that would plant him back in the US, and after a short stint in the army, he started his wrestling career.
Kevin Nash
Bayley starred on her high school basketball team at Independence High School in her hometown of San Jose, Calif., before transitioning to a career in wrestling. Bayley told the "Swerve City Podcast" she made the varsity team as a sophomore and went on to become a team captain by her senior year.
Bayley
Eli Cottonwood played for Division III St. John's University and averaged 20 points per game during the 1995-96 season. He went on to carve out a career for himself playing overseas in countries such as Lithuania and China before returning stateside and continuing in the International Basketball Association.
Eli Cottonwood
Jade Cargill played basketball for Jacksonville University, but prior to suiting up for the Dolphins, she played at Vero Beach High School, where she was one of the team's best players. Her basketball background lent itself to her debut on “AEW Dynamite,” as she teamed up with Shaquille O'Neal in a match that she said was a “dream come true.”
Jade Cargill
Satnam Singh stands among the greatest India-born basketball players of all time and became the first to ever be selected in the NBA draft when the Dallas Mavericks took him in the second round in 2015. While he never actually stepped on the court for an NBA team, Singh did play for the India National Team for nine years between 2011 and 2019.
Satnam Singh