I’ve shared my passion for the squared circle and the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) business in this column before.
I’m still a fan – at times it was the only sporting fix I could get during the early days of lockdown.
But never did I imagine that my two “sporting worlds” could possibly collide.
That’s until last night when an email titled “Is WWE Beast Mtawarira’s next move?” dropped in my inbox.
Instantly excited.
Imagine our own Beast – a rugby World Cup winner – stepping into the ring with Roman Reigns or one of those big guns. It would simply be an awesome event.
As it turned out, Beast was talking to former WWE champion Kofi Kingston in a live chat on Instagram.
Asked if he would consider stepping into the ring, Beast told Kofi: “To actually get the opportunity to come to the WWE, even on a once-off appearance, I would be so excited. Let’s see what happens man, maybe you can open some doors!”
Nou ja toe, there’s maybe not much more to it than that… for now! But die saadjie is geplant and with former Lions hooker Ethienne Reynecke also breaking into MMA a few years ago, it might not be such a far-fetched idea for the 35-year-old Beast.
Anyway, Instagram is ’n wonderlike plek, lyk dit my.
Earlier in the day, I watched Proteas legend Dale Steyn do some tricks on a skateboard.
And he was in game mode.
Kitted like a skateboarder, Steyn, 37, also now sports long hair.
But what was most impressive, was his performance on the board.
Now I don’t know much about skateboarding, so if someone had told me that the guy who did those tricks in that video is a pro, I would have believed him.
It got me thinking – there is life after professional sport.
Jeez Louise, I reckon there is life after you have made some money to buy your freedom to pursue your real dream.
Easy to say when you are a World Cup winner, a national team icon with millions in the bank from playing cricket all over the world. But what about the average Joe?
And that’s where I believe this lockdown has been good for some of us.
Yes, some have lost their jobs, others had sadly lost more than that. But what it has given us is time to reflect and perhaps for some, time to find their true purpose in life.
Like Beast and Dale, success in their new-found paths won’t come overnight.
Instead, it will take hard work – the same hard work that saw them reach the highs of their respective rugby and cricket careers in the first place.
For the average Joe it means not to do things in haste, plan and try to do things every day that will take you closer to your second life.
En voor jy jou oe uitvee, le Roman plat op sy rug en die Beast pins him for the one-two-three, while Dale gets called up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris – for skateboarding.
It’s a thing now.
And you? Will you be at least one step closer to reaching that big dream?