After retiring from a celebrated cricket career, the former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff found himself at an unexpected crossroads, one that nearly led him into the wrestling ring rather than the commentary box. Known for his larger-than-life personality on and off the field, Andrew Flintoff recently revealed that he came extremely close to signing a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and facing none other than The Undertaker.
Reflecting on the transitional phase after stepping away from cricket, Andrew Flintoff admitted he initially avoided the spotlight. However, as TV offers began to pour in, including an opportunity with Sky’s A League of Their Own, he found himself drawn toward the idea of professional wrestling. He said that it was not boxing that appealed to him as it had never been part of the plan but rather WWE, something he had adored as a child. He envisioned himself wrestling under the moniker “Big Fred” and even pitched the idea of a match against The Undertaker in Manchester.
This seemingly far-fetched concept started gaining traction. Andrew Flintoff drafted a detailed treatment for the bout, presented it to Sky and soon it made its way to WWE. That’s when Vince McMahon himself got involved in the discussions. With the pitch now a serious proposition, Andrew Flintoff took the next step and began intense physical preparation. He enlisted the help of a trusted physiotherapist from his England cricket days, Dave Roberts, who sent a trainer to Dubai for six weeks to help him bulk up and regain fitness.
Following this training stint, Andrew Flintoff and his wife flew to Tampa, Florida, where he spent two weeks at WWE’s wrestling academy. The experience, while glamorous on the surface, proved to be grueling in reality. He recalled arriving at the facility and being dwarfed by massive wrestlers, towering figures who made the former cricketer feel physically insignificant. During his first session, he spent three exhausting hours running the ropes and getting tossed around the ring. By the second day, his back was covered in lash marks. He began experiencing pain he described as a potential back spasm and soon realised he could feel his ribs shifting under pressure.
Despite the physical toll, WWE remained committed. Andrew Flintoff was told that he would be offered a three-year contract and could expect to appear in events like WrestleMania and Royal Rumble within 18 months. He admitted that the financial package was “obscene”.
But in the end, it wasn’t the money or fame that made the decision for him, it was his family. Andrew Flintoff explained that they were eager to return from Dubai and settle back home. His children wanted to pursue cricket and had no interest in relocating to the United States. That shift in priorities led him to abandon the wrestling venture entirely. Instead, he pivoted to boxing and took on a professional fight, choosing a different kind of ring to channel his competitive energy.
Andrew Flintoff’s near-transition to WWE remains one of the most unexpected “what ifs” in sports and entertainment, a story of how a beloved cricketer nearly reinvented himself as a show-stopping wrestler, only to choose a path that aligned more with personal priorities rather than a spectacle.
