Going to the wrestling mat?
Joe has to admit he hasn’t really watched much rasslin’ for years. But Bucs left tackle Tristan Wirfs sure does. At least the kind that is supposed to be real.
Joe used to love the old WWF with Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Lord Alfred Hayes, Treasure Island’s own Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Kamala the Ugandan Beast, King Kong Bundy, George “The Animal” Steele, Bobby Heenan, The Missing Link, Rowdy Roddy Piper and others.
It was fun, innocent, often hilarious stuff. Sort of like an adult version of “Looney Tunes.”
“Saturday Night Main Event” > “Saturday Night Live,” every day, all day!
Once Joe got out of college, that’s when the sport began to fade for Joe. But Joe doesn’t hold it against anyone to watch rasslin.’
Something popped up on the rasslin’ scene recently called “Real American Freestyle,” which is supposedly real wrestling, like you would see in high school and college, with a little bit of rasslin’ schtick along with it.
The outfit is based in Tampa. Apparently, the matches are unscripted.
(Long time ago as a high school sportswriter, Joe once had to cover a wrestling tournament — not Joe’s favorite assignment. Joe damn near got tossed when the wrong person overheard Joe say, “Nothing like spending a Saturday night watching boys in tights grab each other.”)
So last night, former NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson, who goes by the handle of “Captain America,” did his best WWE schtick and called out Wirfs, who was in attendance, to a match, claiming football players are scared of him.
Hendrickson is the current heavyweight belt holder of the RAF.
Wirfs stepped onto the mat — there are no ropes — and said he would honor the challenge Henrickson threw down.
Wirfs, you may know, is a former Iowa high school state champ. In some circles, in Iowa, for example, high school wrestling may be as big as basketball.
If the wrestling is real, which is what the RAF claims, and the bouts are unscripted, which is what the RAF claims, Joe isn’t sure how the Bucs might like Wirfs wrestling for real having not wrestled for some time, coming off knee surgery roughly a year ago.
Wirfs told Hendrickson the Bucs have no issue with him hitting the wrestling mat.
“I know the Bucs won’t have a problem with me whipping your ass,” Wirfs told Hendrickson in the ring.
If this were WWE schtick, Joe would have zero concern. It would be fun (remember when Rob Gronkowski rassled before the Bucs traded for him?). But if this is truly real wrestling with rasslin’ schtick for seasoning, well, Joe’s holding his breath.
The last thing the Bucs need is for the offensive line to be all rearranged to start the season like it was last year.
Hat tip @ThatGuy.
Captain America calls out 4x NFL Pro-Bowl Offensive Lineman Tristan Wirfs of the Bucs, and he accepts! Wirfs was a 2017 Iowa 2A State Champion at Heavyweight. 💪🏼 #RAF07 pic.twitter.com/i3wIYIy45j
— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) March 29, 2026