If you were to make a Venn diagram of WWE and anime fans, you would end up with a circle more than likely. The two things couldn’t be more different from the outside, but their fandoms crossover way more than you would expect. In fact, you can expect to see some sort of anime poster at any WWE event you attend, and the fandoms are commemorating one of the most famous pieces to show up on television.
Over on Twitter, the user roachtoon sparked the viral conversation with a simple post. The fan put up a screenshot taken over twenty years ago from a wrestling match featuring The Rock… and someone in the crowd brought a poster featuring an anime take on the wrestler.
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As you can see below, the poster is a simple one, and it really plays into the cartoony nature of some old-school anime like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure or even Yu-Gi-Oh. To the lefthand side, a slew of Japanese kanji can be found as The Rock poses next to the text.
cant stop thinking of this drawing of the rock pic.twitter.com/4L27ahumPf
— john Roachgore (@roachtoon) March 3, 2020
Clearly, this version of The Rock is not like the one fans know today. The A-list actor is best known for his bald head, glowing smile, and bulky physique. Back in the day, this promo captured The Rock’s retro look which includes a top cut, small sunglasses, and leather top.
During his heyday as a pro wrestler, The Rock had legions of fans, and he helped elevate the career to a new level. Even today, The Rock is praised as one of wrestling’s greatest talents, and he has helped pave the way for current stars like Nia Jax and Roman Reigns.
This viral post has only reminded fans of how deeply anime and the WWE are tied which has sparked all-new conversation. As an anime fan, I never got. Into wrestling as much, but their crossovers were hard to ignore. From memes to the wrestler’s being fans themselves, there is a reason behind the bond, and ComicBook.com’s Connor Casey thinks the connection has to do with characters.
“It’s not hard to see why pro wrestling fandom and anime fandom tends to overlap. Both have larger-than-life characters that try to connect with audiences on a personal level, both feature clashes between good and evil and both are at their best when they fully embrace their goofiest aspects,” he said.
Nowadays, you can expect to see WWE x Anime posters at any event, and fans are proud to show them. Back in the day, art like this of The Rock helped elevate the fandoms’ crossover, and it promises to grow from here on out.
Which pro wrestler would you like to see get this kind of anime makeover? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
