Adebayo Akinfenwa will make his professional wrestling debut later this month

Former football player Adebayo Akinfenwa will make his professional wrestling debut next week, Sportsmail may announce exclusively.

The 40-year-old, who retired from football late last season after a career spanning more than 20 years, will join former Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo to the ring for his fight with Mailk in PROGRESS Wrestling on Sunday, October 23.

Known for his charismatic personality both on and off the field, Akinfenwa spoke exclusively to preview the event, claiming that he will always have Ogogo’s back and that the world of pro wrestling is something he’s always thought of, too. though he doesn’t know where his debut may lead.

“When I retired, I was always asked what I wanted to do and the answer was always new experiences,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to do what I love for 22 years, but it was a profession. When you retire, it’s just freedom and experiences.

“It’s always been in the background because of my love of wrestling. I’ve known Anthony Ogogo for a while, years. We met when he was a boxer and kept in touch and the wrestling never went away.

“Unfortunately he couldn’t box anymore and he found that love with wrestling and he hit me and said, ‘Listen, do you want to try some bits?’

“If you find something you like, it gets a little easier. But then the mindset is to try new things and when it lands, it lands. I enjoy it, I enjoy the training, I enjoy that it is intense.’

Ogogo turned to wrestling when he retired from boxing in 2019. He is a regular in All Elite Wrestling, one of the world’s premier promotions, and in the independent scene.

He will face Malik at PROGRESS Chapter 145 – Wrestling Witch Face – Trick or Treat at Camden’s Electric Ballroom.

Despite the entertainment side, the two have formed quite a personal rivalry in recent weeks, and Akinfenwa insisted he didn’t hesitate when called up for backup.

“We’re part of the same agency, when he first came on the scene at the Olympics, we ran into each other,” said the former Wycombe forward.

“He won’t admit it, but I think he always wanted to be as big as me because he’s a lightweight, so he started banging in the gym. But I saw how big he got and we played sports together a few times. This is more his domain than mine, but he shows me a few tricks.

‘I’m going to work for my people. Any of the Wycombe players could call me and I would. When he called me that people were trying to harass him, there would be only one response.

“They were cool once, and it’s like you go up against a defender and he starts talking he wants the smoke, it kind of gets under your skin and I expect it to get technical. It doesn’t matter how technical it’ll be, me and Ogogo will be there, so however it goes, we’ll handle it.’

Akinfenwa persona is based on his workout routines, with his catchphrase ‘They say I’m too big to play football’, based on his love of fitness and the gym.

Prior to WWE’s UK pay-per-view ‘Clash At The Castle’ last month, he trained with wrestler Sheamus, noting that while much of the training is the same, it’s a step up from what he’s used to.

“I’ve tried, and I’m not going to lie, it hurts,” he said. “Anyone who has seen me play football knows that it took me a while to get up when I fell, and if I try to move, it takes even longer for me to get up while wrestling.

“Training is training, but there are several things in the body that hurt. Normally I’m the person who pushes people to the ground, but I find myself going on the ground a lot more now. I enjoy my weights, I still do the bike.

“I work for BT and they cover wrestling. They know I like to wrestle and he would come. I enjoyed training with him, it’s funny because there’s an element of entertainment, but when you’re in the gym it’s real work, and it was.

“I’ve talked to Anthony, I’ve seen him undergo surgery. It is real. Regardless of the entertainment that goes into it, you will get injured. You’ll see the statement, “Don’t do this at home,” and you have to practice, you have to work at it, you have to know you’re going to get injured somewhere down the line, that was a conversation we had.

‘That’s what people sometimes don’t understand. Broken ribs, broken shoulder, broken eye socket, that’s what happens in sport. Even me, you have to do your due diligence, it’s really not like anyone can do it and I can really see that.’

Though he’s retired from playing, he has several other commitments on his plate and he’s not sure where his debut might lead. It could be WWE, just one match or anything in between – but he’s most excited to try it.

“A lot of things are happening right now and I always knew that would be the way,” said Akinfenwa, who for many years was the strongest player in the computer game FIFA.

“I knew I was going to jump on a lot of things, mainly to keep my mental health busy because that’s what I’m used to, but I also want to try different things because you can’t do that when you’re a footballer. .

“Depending on how the process goes, I’ll always say you can only do it step by step and that’s what I want to do. If it’s the longevity I’m all for it, and if it’s one wrestling match and hopefully one win then so be it.

“For me, it’s more enjoying the process and seeing where it lands. My goal, like everything I do in life, is to perform on the highest possible stage. I do everything to put my best foot forward and get as high as possible. That’s how it was as a footballer and that’s how it will be in every sphere of life I enter.’

He is also looking forward to telling his former team-mates who he will be visiting over the weekend when they play against Peterborough in League One.

Although he has his boots up, he will be ready for a different kind of action if the need arises.

“No one has really heard of it yet,” he added. “But it’s always been synonymous with me when I’ve been playing, it’s stuck.

“I’m going to see the guys in Wycombe on Saturday and I’m sure they’ll talk about it, so if they don’t win the game I may have to slap one of them. If there’s a scrap on the field, I’ll ask one of them to tag me!’

Tickets for the event, from €22, can be bought here.