After capturing a host of championships in kickboxing and MMA, Alistair Overeem is getting ready to take on an altogether different challenge.
“The Reem,” who has captured titles for DREAM, Strikeforce and K-1 during his stellar combat sports career, has been announced as one half of the main event at professional wrestling event WES, with the promotion set to feature the Dutch striker as part of their debut event in Nottingham, England on June 4.
WES (Wrestling Entertainment Series) is a promotion owned by former WWE tag team “Legion of Pain” members Gzim Selmani and Sunny Dhinsa. Selmani has MMA credentials of his own, having competed in the cage for UK promotion BAMMA and Bellator MMA in 2014.
Now Selmani and Dhinsa are turning their attention to promotion, and have called on fellow Dutchman Overeem to play a starring role in their first show.
Overeem will take on former WWE universal champion and ex-strongman Adam Scherr, formerly known as Braun Strowman, for the promotion’s heavyweight championship on a card that features a host of former WWE talent.
Overeem’s jump from MMA to wrestling sees him join a shortlist of notable heavyweight names who have successfully plied their trade inside the squared circle.
Josh Barnett has been a staple of the American independent wrestling scene for years, and now runs his own promotion, while “Filthy” Tom Lawlor has also made a successful transition to pro wrestling.
Other talents have made the opposite move, with the likes of Brock Lesnar, CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio all trying their luck in the field of combat sports, to varied degrees of success.
Wrestling Series Entertainment will stream live on pay-per-view.
