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By Andrew Ravens
Contributing Sports Writer
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Indiana Pacers star and lifelong WWE fan Tyrese Haliburton has revealed that his recent, devastating Achilles injury cost him a planned appearance at WWE SummerSlam. The NBA All-Star was scheduled to accompany one of his childhood heroes, John Cena, to the ring for his main event match.
Haliburton opened up about his passion for wrestling and the canceled dream moment during a recent appearance on the Impaulsive podcast with Logan Paul.
Tyrese Haliburton's Canceled WWE SummerSlam Appearance
The most noteworthy revelation for wrestling fans was that Haliburton's injury directly led to the cancellation of a planned crossover moment at SummerSlam. The plan was for the NBA star, fresh off a potential championship victory, to walk John Cena to the ring for his match.
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"The plan was... if Cena's a heel in New York and we win a championship, let me walk him out with the trophy," Haliburton revealed (H/T to WrestlingNews.co). He said 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.
A Lifelong WWE Fan
Haliburton spoke at length about his love for WWE, a passion that has continued throughout his NBA career. He recalled his earliest memory being WrestleMania 19 and shared a story about his dad recently finding his childhood "spinner" championship belt with his name written in Sharpie.
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His fandom is so deep that he passionately defends the business against the common "fake" criticism. "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."
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His appreciation for the art form has only grown as he's gotten a closer look at the physical demands. He shared his experience of visiting the WWE Performance Center and quickly realizing he wasn't built for the squared circle.
"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," he said.
More WWE News:
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- Released WWE Star Breaks Silence On Departure
- Released WWE Star Wants To Join AEW
For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
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