Ex-NFL star weighs in on CMLL's historic US show, wishes he was 'doing more' in pro wrestling

Former NFL prima Shawne Merriman was successful Las Vegas to ticker arsenic Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) made past with their archetypal solo U.S. amusement arsenic portion of Slam Fest.

Merriman recalled watching the lawsuit arsenic good arsenic Stardom’s show. The all-women Japanese promotion besides performed successful the Pearl Theater astatine Palms Casino Resort during the week arsenic pro wrestling fans descended connected the metropolis up of WrestleMania 42. Merriman said helium antecedently watched CMLL successful Mexico City and hoped to spell to much shows.

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San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman celebrates a large deed against the Arizona Cardinals astatine Qualcomm Stadium successful San Diego, Calif., connected Dec. 31, 2006. The Chargers won 27-20. (Gene Lower/Getty Images)

"I’m a large wrestling fan," helium told Fox News Digital. "I checked retired their amusement and I went to Stardom, which is the all-women’s Japanese show, which is insane. I was blown distant by them. I saw the different show, 2 shows successful Mexico City, and it was astir 10,000-plus radical retired there. It was conscionable insane.

"For them to person their archetypal amusement present successful the States, I deliberation they did a truly bully job. There were a small implicit 2,000 radical there. I thought it was great. Some of the (wrestlers) I already knew and I got a accidental to spot up adjacent and personal. I got a accidental to spell backmost and conscionable immoderate of the endowment and benignant of shingle hands. Believe it oregon not, immoderate of them were San Diego Chargers fans due to the fact that they watched maine increasing up, evidently playing successful San Diego. I look guardant to going to much shows."

Merriman has a brushed spot for pro wrestling.

He made a fewer appearances connected WWE programming and appeared for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling successful 2024 (TNA), interfering successful Joe Hendry’s lucifer astatine Rebellion.

Joe Hendry faces disconnected with Tony D'Angelo astatine The Factory successful St. Louis, Missouri, connected April 4, 2026. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)

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"It’s a craft. It’s an art. It’s playing up to the crowd," helium said. "Even arsenic a player, what I ever emotion is playing connected people’s emotions erstwhile I spell to stadiums. I emotion that. Having a large sack, ‘lights out’ dance, you get them blessed oregon get them huffy astatine you, you power the crowd, you power people’s emotions. Even Randy Orton losing (at WrestleMania 42) and however that made radical feel. I retrieve erstwhile Undertaker, that streak was gone."

Merriman likened the emotions of the assemblage astatine pro wrestling events to that of NFL games and praised everything that it takes to marque a palmy pro wrestling match.

"So erstwhile you spot those wrestlers, the choreography that goes into it, the storylines that physique up, the storytelling of it, the flip of it … When I did the wrestling show, myself, (TNA) Impact, and AJ Francis, who went to the University of Maryland and is present with TNA Wrestling, the information that I got a accidental to clothesline Joe Hendry, cipher saw it coming. Nobody saw what was going connected and however that was gonna play out," helium said.

Shawne Merriman attends the Resorts World Las Vegas expansive opening successful Las Vegas, Nev., connected June 24, 2021. (Ryan Steffy/Getty Images)

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"The information that I get determination and Joe Hendry was already truthful blistery arsenic 1 of their up-and-coming guys, and I conscionable thought that full crippled twist, I mean, the boos that came aft that, it was outstanding and it couldn’t person gone immoderate better. When you speech astir pro wrestling, I’m with you. I’m each successful and I privation I was doing much of it."