Adebayo Akinfenwa will make his professional wrestling debut later this month

Former footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa will make his professional wrestling debut next week, Sportsmail can exclusively reveal.

The 40-year-old, who retired from football at the end of last season after a career spanning more than 20 years, will accompany former Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo to the ring for his fight with Mailk in PROGRESS Wrestling on Sunday October 23.

Akinfenwa, renown for his charismatic personality both on an off the field, spoke exclusively to preview the event, claiming he will always have Ogogo’s back and that the world of pro wrestling is something he always thought about doing, even though he is unsure of where his debut may lead.

Former footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa will make his professional wrestling debut next week

He has swapped the football pitch for the wrestling ring and will make his debut on October 23

The 40-year-old is well-known for his impressive physique and charismatic personality

‘I was always asked when I was coming to retirement what I was looking to do and the response was always new experiences’, he said. ‘I was lucky enough to do the thing I love for 22 years but it was a profession. When you retire, it’s just freedom and experiences.

‘It’s always been in the background because of my love for wrestling. I’ve known Anthony Ogogo for a while, years. We came across each other when he was a boxer and stayed in contact and the wrestling thing never went away. 

‘He unfortunately couldn’t box anymore and he found that love with wrestling and he hit me up and said: “Listen, you want to try a few bits?”

‘When you find something that you enjoy it makes it a little bit easier. But then the mindset is to try new things and if it lands, it lands. I enjoy it, I’ve enjoyed the workouts, I enjoy that it’s intense.’

Afkinfenwa will accompany former Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo for his fight in Camden

Ogogo, who retired from boxing in 2019, will face Malik at PROGRESS Wrestling’s next event

Ogogo turned to wrestling upon his retirement from boxing in 2019. He’s been a regular in All Elite Wrestling, one of the world’s major promotions, and in the independent scene.

He will face Malik at PROGRESS Chapter 145 – Wrestling Witch Face – Trick or Treat at Camden’s Electric Ballroom. 

Despite the entertainment side of things, the two have formed quite the personal rivalry in recent weeks, and Akinfenwa insisted he didn’t hesitate when he was called for back-up.

‘We are part of the same agency, when he first came on the scene boxing in the Olympics we came across each other then,’ the former Wycombe forward said. 

‘He won’t admit it, but I think he always wanted to be as big as me, cause he’s a lightweight, so he started banging in the gym. But I saw the process of how big he got and we’ve worked out a few times together. This is more his domain than mine but he’s showing me a few tricks.

Akinfenwa enjoyed a 22-year career playing football for the likes of Wycombe and Gillingham

‘I go to bat for my people. Any of the Wycombe players could call me and I’d do that. When he gave me the call that people were trying to trouble him there was only going to be one response.

‘They were cool once, and it’s like when you go up against a defender and he starts talking that he wants the smoke, it starts getting under your skin a little bit and I’m expecting it to get techy. No matter how techy it gets, me and Ogogo will be there, so any way it goes, we will handle it.’

Akinfenwa persona is built on his workout routines, with his slogan ‘They say I’m too big to play football’ based on his love for fitness and the gym.

Before WWE’s UK pay-per-view ‘Clash At The Castle’ last month, he trained with wrestler Sheamus, and commented that although much of the training is the same, it’s a step up from what he’s used to.

‘I tried it, and I ain’t going to lie, it hurts,’ he said. ‘Anybody that watched me play football knows that when I went down it took me a while to get up, and it takes me even longer to get up in wrestling when I try to move.

The forward recently worked out with WWE star Sheamus (front) before a company event

The 40-year-old said he could one day end up in WWE depending on how he takes to wrestling

He commented on how the training ‘hurts’ more normal and that he takes longer to get up

‘The training is training, but there are different body things that hurt. Normally I’m the person that pushes people on the floor, but I’m finding myself going on the floor a lot more now. I enjoy my weights, I still do the bike.

‘I’m working for BT and they cover wrestling. They know I enjoy wrestling and he was coming over. I enjoyed the workout with him, it’s funny because there’s an element of entertainment but when you’re in the gym it’s real work, and that’s what it was. 

‘I’ve talked to Anthony, I’ve seen him have surgery. It’s real. Regardless of the entertainment that goes in, you get injured. You will see the statement: “Don’t do this at home”, and you have to practice, you have to work on it, you have to know that you are going to get injured somewhere down the line, that was a conversation we had. 

‘That’s the thing people sometimes don’t understand. Broken ribs, broken shoulder, broken eye socket, that’s stuff that happens in the sport. Even me, you have to do your due diligence, it really isn’t like anyone can do it and I am really seeing that.’

He said he ‘always knew’ he would have a lot on his plate after retiring from football in May

His final professional match was a 2-0 loss at Wembley in the League One play-off final

He did however play in the Championship and won the League One play-off final in 2020

Though he’s retired from playing, he has several other commitments on his plate and he’s unsure of where his debut could lead. It could be WWE, one match only, or something in between – but he’s most excited about giving it a go.

‘I have a lot of things happening at the moment and I always knew that would be the way,’ Akinfenwa, who was famously the strongest player on computer game FIFA for several years, said. 

‘I knew I would jump at a lot of things, to keep my mental health busy more than anything because that’s what I’m used to, but also wanting to try different things because you can’t do that when you’re a footballer. 

‘Depending on how the process goes, I’ll always say you can only take it a step at a time and that’s what I want to do. If it’s the longevity I’m all for it, and if it’s one wrestling match and hopefully one win then so be it.

‘For me it’s more enjoying the process and seeing where it lands. My aim, like anything I do in life, is to perform on the highest stage possible. I go into anything to put my best foot forward and to get as high as possible. That’s how it was as a footballer and that’s how it’ll be in any walk of life I go into.’

He revealed how he is looking forward to talking to his old team-mates about the journey

He’s also looking forward to telling his former team-mates, who is he visiting at the weekend when they play Peterborough in League One.

Though he’s hung up his boots, he’ll be ready for a different kind of action if it’s needed. 

‘Nobody has really heard about it yet,’ he added. ‘But it’s always been synonymous with me when I was playing, it’s been lingering. 

‘I’m going to see the boys at Wycombe on Saturday and I’m sure they’re going to talk about it, so if they don’t win the game I may have to body slam one of them. If there’s a scrap on the pitch, I’ll ask one of them to tag me in!’

Tickets for the event, starting at £22, can be purchased here.