Tim Wiese: Champions League goalkeeper turned WWE Superstar

You may remember Tim Wiese from his time playing in the Bundesliga, but do you remember his career as a WWE Superstar?

At the beginning of the 2002-03 season, Wiese made his debut in the Bundesliga for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and went on to play another 12 years in Germany.

Wiese even lined up in goal six times for the German national team, and played in the Champions League, football’s biggest competition. for Werder Bremen.

After retiring from football in September 2014, at the age of 32, Wiese’s career took a turn that not many fans will have expected.

Pretty much immediately after retiring from football, Wiese claimed that he’d been offered a WWE developmental contract.

At a live event in Germany that year, Wiese appeared a guest timekeeper, going on to sign with WWE in 2016.

Wiese even wrestled for WWE, as can be seen below, at a non-televised live event in Munich in November 2016.

The former footballer teamed with Sheamus and Cesaro to take on Primo, Epico and Bo Dallas, and to be fair to him, did fairly well.

Wiese isn’t exactly a small lad, standing at over 6ft 4″, and it was probably his large frame that caught the attention of WWE.

The shot-stopper also got himself into incredible shape after leaving football, which probably also endeared him to those within the wrestling world.

Wiese remained with WWE for just one year, only wrestling the one match, before leaving the company in 2017.

He has not gone on to wrestle since, and in fact, he made his return to football for a one-off game in Germany the year he was left go by WWE.

Adebayo Akinfenwa revealed last year that he’s been in talks with WWE over a move into wrestling, so perhaps Wiese can give him some advice regarding the transition.