Isner More Like The Undertaker Than Shawn Michaels

Spring is the season when things really kick into high gear. No, not for tennis. For wrestling.

I’ve been a WWE fan pretty much all my life. Growing up in Greensboro, N.C., it felt like every year we would get a major WWE event in our backyard, at the Coliseum: either a Raw (WWE television program) or a pay-per-view. So my friends and I started getting really into it when we were around 10 or 11 — and I’ve been a die-hard fan ever since.

And when I say that my life revolved around WWE, I mean it revolved around WWE. Pro wrestling was life: Every Monday, like clockwork, I was right in front of the TV, ready for that week’s Raw. (My parents always made me go to bed before it ended, but I would sneak back downstairs to watch).

Every month my friends would come over and they’d each chip in five bucks so that we could watch that month’s pay-per-view. Every time Shawn Michaels would come out with a new T-shirt, I’d buy it – and I couldn’t wait to show it off at school the next day. I mean, it was serious.

In honour of this year’s WrestleMania, I thought I would draw some parallels between the two worlds that I know best: the ATP World Tour and the WWE.

Rafael Nadal is the Ultimate Warrior

That raw, intense, one-of-a-kind energy. Both won championships, and both packed stadiums. But mostly, it’s that energy. There will never be another Warrior, and there will never be another Rafa.

Nick Kyrgios is Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold is one of the most colourful characters you’ll ever come across. You never know what is going to come out of his mouth, both during a match and on the mic. Total disregard for authority. And of course: an insane talent.

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