Athlete CultureInterviewsCelebrity

‘I’d Love to Be a WWE Wrestler’: When Football Stars Fantasize About Other Fame Worlds

UUnknown

2026-02-28

9 min read

When Marc Guehi joked he'd love to be a WWE wrestler, he highlighted a 2026 trend: athletes are building cross-platform celebrity. Read the playbook.

Want clarity in a noisy celebrity world? Start here: why a throwaway line from Marc Guehi matters

Fans are flooded with headlines, short clips and hot takes. You want the context behind an attention-grabbing quote — not more speculation. When Marc Guehi told Kelly Somers in a widely watched interview that,

"I'd love to be a WWE wrestler"

he did more than land a laugh: he exposed a fast-growing truth about modern sport. Top athletes increasingly see their careers as multi-platform, cross-genre opportunities. That shift matters to clubs, agents and fans who want to understand how a single line can become a brand strategy overnight.

The moment: Guehi’s offbeat line and why it cut through (Aug 2025 — Jan 2026)

On 23 August 2025 Marc Guehi sat down with Kelly Somers for The Football Interview. The England centre-back — fresh off trophy-winning seasons with Crystal Palace and amid transfer attention from major clubs — joked about a fantasy of being a WWE star. It was light-hearted, but it landed because it tapped into three trends converging in 2026:

Audience hunger for personality: fans want more than match highlights; they want narrative and behind-the-scenes access.
Cross-platform careers: athletes are building second acts in entertainment, music and digital media earlier in their careers.
Commercial acceleration: clubs and agencies systematically shepherd player fame into new revenue channels.

Why sports stars flirt with other fame worlds

1. Creative curiosity and human identity

Players are people first. A light, offbeat line like Guehi’s — wanting to step into the theatrical spectacle of WWE — reflects natural curiosity. Many athletes grew up watching wrestling, movies or idolising musicians. As their public reach expands, they feel permission to experiment. That’s not just fun: it’s a way to broaden their public persona beyond the pitch.

2. Financial diversification and longevity

Pro careers are short and precarious. By 2026 the business case is obvious: diversify income through appearances, acting roles, music releases, podcasts and direct-to-fan commerce. Athletes who build scalable intellectual property (podcasts, production companies, NFTs/digital collectibles) improve long-term security.

3. Platform-first culture

Short-form video platforms and streaming have made it easier to test creative ideas. A single viral clip of an athlete doing stunts or a comedic sketch can lead to TV spots, advertising campaigns, or WWE cameo offers. That ecosystem incentivises cross-genre experiments.

High-profile crossovers: lessons from familiar examples

To understand how a quip becomes strategy, look at real transitions:

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson — from college football to wrestling, to global film superstar. His trajectory shows how sports credibility + persona = translatable star power.
John Cena — wrestler who pivoted to major acting roles and hosting; he built an approachable, humorous persona that translated across media.
Vinnie Jones — a British footballer who converted a tough-guy pitch persona into a long acting career, proving sporting image can be repositioned.
Rob Gronkowski — an NFL player who embraced WWE appearances and entertainment gigs, using charisma and timing to amplify brand value.
Damian Lillard (Dame D.O.L.L.A.) — an NBA player who seriously pursued music, showing athletes can become credible creators in parallel fields.

How clubs and agents cultivate cross-platform celebrity in 2026

By 2026 forward-thinking clubs and full-service agencies no longer view players only as athletes. They are human brands that require content, legal protection and long-term strategy. Here’s how the ecosystem now operates:

In-house studios and content factories

Top clubs maintain creative teams that produce series, short films and digital-first content. These in-house studios create low-risk platforms where players can trial persona experiments — a behind-the-scenes documentary, a podcast series or a scripted cameo — without fully committing to a new career lane.

Integrated representation

Major agencies provide 360-degree services: contract negotiation, media training, entertainment packaging and mental-health support. Agencies partner with Hollywood production houses, record labels and promotion companies so transitions are negotiated as part of a long-term plan, not a headline-chasing stunt.

Collaboration pipelines with entertainment partners

WWE and other entertainment companies actively court athletes. For WWE, celebrity appearances drive mainstream interest. For players, a wrestling cameo is a staged, high-visibility way to display charisma and physicality. Clubs often clear these appearances in return for labelling rights, sponsored activations or charity partnerships.

Data-driven market testing

Clubs use audience analytics to test what resonatest: comedy vs. serious drama, music demos vs. documentary. By 2026, A/B testing of short-form content guides bigger deals — a successful 60-second sketch on a club channel becomes a pilot for TV or a branded series.

Agents, clubs and the risk calculus: what they check before saying yes

Not every crossover makes sense. In 2026 the due-diligence checklist has become standard:

Brand fit: Does the opportunity align with the player's long-term narrative and the club's values?
Legal exposure: Clauses on image rights, exclusivity and conflict with sponsor commitments.
Mental-health support: Transition coaching and performance coaching to manage new pressures.
Audience overlap: Will current fans accept the pivot? Is there a plausible new audience?
Monetisation structure: Upfront vs. residuals, equity in IP (podcasts, doc-series) and rights to licensing.

Practical playbook: How an athlete should treat a flirtation like Guehi’s seriously

If you’re an athlete who said something off-kilter in an interview — or if an agent hears a celebrity-brand pitch — here is a step-by-step roadmap to responsibly convert curiosity into opportunity.

Step 1: Define the goal in one sentence

Is the target exposure, long-term second career, income diversification, or personal expression? A clear objective prevents scattering focus.

Step 2: Small experiments, fast feedback

Start with low-cost content: a short comedy sketch, a live Q&A, or a guest spot on a podcast. Use platform metrics to measure resonance before signing long-term deals.

Step 3: Work with specialists

Hire a talent manager or entertainment lawyer who understands contract nuances, royalties, and IP. Your football agent and your entertainment agent should have a clear coordination plan.

Step 4: Train like you mean it

If an athlete wants to act or wrestle, take performance classes and seek professional coaches. Authenticity comes from craft, not convenience.

Step 5: Protect the core career

Set availability windows and ensure any physical risk is mitigated. For example, a staged WWE cameo can be choreographed to avoid injury but still deliver spectacle.

Step 6: Align with sponsors and club rights

Clear the move with primary sponsors and the club’s commercial team. Contracts often require approval for outside engagements — negotiate these proactively.

For clubs and agents: building the modern cross-platform athlete

If you represent athletes or build their platforms, here are actionable strategies that have shown success in 2026.

Invest in storytelling teams: Hire producers, writers and editors who can create episodic content around player journeys.
Create a talent development pipeline: Offer media, acting and stunt training as part of player welfare programmes.
Use micro-collaborations: Connect athletes with creators for low-cost pilots to test audience fit.
Leverage internal IP: Offer players equity or profit share in digital projects to align long-term incentives.
Measure beyond vanity metrics: Track true engagement, conversion to sponsor KPIs, and sentiment shifts.

Audience perspective: why fans should care (and what to watch for)

Fans benefit when athletes are allowed to be multi-dimensional. Great crossovers can produce memorable entertainment — think of the theatrical beats of WWE or a player-turned-actor nailing a dramatic role. But fans should watch for overcommercialisation or jarring pivots that feel inauthentic. By 2026 the best athlete-celebrity moves are the ones that add value to both the sport and the art form.

Reality check: common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Not every venture succeeds. The most common mistakes include:

Rushing in: Jumping into high-risk stunts without training.
Poor legal planning: Losing future rights or signing away likeness control.
Brand confusion: Diluting the core sporting narrative with contradictory side-projects.

Mitigation is straightforward: staged pilots, strong legal counsel and a brand guardrail document that defines acceptable projects and red lines.

Looking ahead: what the next five years will bring

By 2028 the line between athlete and entertainer will be blurrier. Expect these developments:

Greater co-ownership of IP: Players will demand equity stakes in podcasts, series and digital assets.
Normalized dual careers: Clubs will provide entertainment training as standard player welfare.
Cross-industry pipelines: More formal pathways between sports leagues and entertainment houses — talent exchanges, not just cameo booking.
AI-assisted creative testing: Using AI to prototype fan-facing concepts quickly and ethically.

What Marc Guehi’s quip really signals

His light-hearted wish to try WWE is a small window into a larger cultural shift. It shows how players view their careers through a 360-degree lens of narrative and opportunity. Clubs and agents who understand that dynamic can build more sustainable careers for athletes — and deliver richer entertainment for fans.

Quick checklist: Turning a casual quote into a credible crossover plan

Confirm your core objective (exposure, income, craft).
Run a 4-week micro-experiment and measure engagement.
Secure specialist representation and legal counsel.
Undertake targeted performance training.
Negotiate clear IP and sponsor clauses before public moves.
Scale only after audience and mentor validation.

Final thought

Marc Guehi’s offbeat line about being a WWE wrestler is an invitation, not a punchline. It reveals how modern athletes think about identity, legacy and opportunity in a media-saturated world. For players, clubs and agents the message is simple: treat crossovers as strategy, not serendipity.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.