Indiana Pacers star and lifelong WWE fan Tyrese Haliburton recently appeared on the “Impaulsive” podcast with Logan Paul, where he discussed several topics, including his passion for professional wrestling in-depth. He revealed that his recent, devastating Achilles injury forced the cancellation of a major planned appearance at WWE SummerSlam where he was set to accompany one of his childhood heroes, John Cena, to the ring.
A Lifelong WWE Fan
Haliburton spoke at length about his love for WWE, a passion that began in his early childhood and has continued throughout his NBA career. “This is, like, my second favorite thing in the world,” he said. “The first event I ever remember watching was WrestleMania 19. Like, I remember being a little kid. I was like three years old when that happened.” He mentioned that his fandom is exclusively focused on WWE, stating, “I’ve always just been a WWE guy. I have never even tried to, like, branch out… I just, like, what’s in front of me? And bro, WWE has been so good to me as people, we’ve grown, like, such a cool relationship. So it’s been … so fun for me.”
His fandom extends to collecting memorabilia. “My dad just brought it to my house. Like, a year ago, he found my childhood spinner belt with my six year old handwriting in Sharpie on the name plate Tyrese,” Haliburton shared. “I’m low key sick that I didn’t bring it because I would have been able to get it. I was just sitting there talking to John. I was like, I should have, this would have been the perfect time to get it signed, but it’ll happen eventually.”
A Newfound Respect for the In-Ring Action
His appreciation for the business has only grown as he’s gotten a closer look at what the performers do. He shared his experience of visiting the WWE Performance Center and quickly realizing he wasn’t built for the squared circle. “I could never get in the ring because my pain tolerance is nothing. It’s like, you guys f—ing do some crazy stuff,” he said. “Even when I’ve been to the PC a couple times and, like, tried to run the ropes, and I’m like, Wait, really, he’s hurt. Like, they hurt my back. Oh, they hurt, they hurt my back. And, like, I got on the top rope, on the, like, the foam ring in there. And I was like, this is high, like … maybe I can’t do this. Like, I could never do what you guys do.”
Defending the Business
Haliburton also addressed the common criticism from non-fans that wrestling is “fake,” passionately defending the art form and the athleticism of the performers. “I get in debates with people all the time … I was like, I’m going to SummerSlam. Like, ‘you watch that?’ Like, ‘yeah, you watch movies, don’t you? You think Spider-Man is real?'” he explained. “But this is way, way more fun. Like … you’ve been to a musical before. People go out there and they have to perform, and if they f— up, everybody’s gonna see it and laugh. Like, that’s the same thing here, except you guys are putting their bodies through everything.” He believes that a front-row experience would change any critic’s mind. “I truly believe, if you anybody… If they came and sat front row at a big event… bare minimum, you’d definitely respect it,” he stated.
Canceled SummerSlam Appearance with John Cena
The most significant revelation for wrestling fans was that his recent Achilles injury cost him a planned appearance with John Cena at WWE SummerSlam in New York City. The plan was for Haliburton, fresh off a potential NBA championship victory, to accompany Cena to the ring for his match, creating a massive crossover moment. “The plan was, like, two months ago. And when I say plan, I mean very, very loosely, like I talked with H maybe about one time,” Haliburton revealed. “Was like, if Cena’s a heel in New York and we win a championship, let me walk him out with the trophy.” OKC won the NBA Finals so the trophy idea wasn’t going to happen either way.
The disappointment of losing that opportunity was one of the first things that went through his mind after he got hurt. “When I got hurt, the first two things was like, this game, next season, John Cena,” he said. He later explained just how much the moment would have meant to him, “My trainer asked me, what would be a bigger deal to you winning the championship or walking out… John Cena, with the trophy?… neck and neck, 1 and 2.”
The Seth Rollins Connection
Host Logan Paul jokingly asked if there was a chance his injury was a “work” and that he might “pull a Seth Rollins” and throw down his crutches. The question was a reference to Rollins’s recent worked injury angle that culminated in him cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at SummerSlam. “I f—ing wish, bro,” Haliburton laughed. “I wish I could have been a work game seven. I wish I could have got carried off, walked out there crying. I’m playing. I’m straight. I told Seth, that too. I said, bro, I’m thinking, I’m gonna try. If I did that, bro, I’d fall over.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit IMPAULSIVE with Logan Paul with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
