STRONGMAN legend Eddie Hall admits he was close to becoming a WWE superstar.
But he turned down his shot at glory as it would have put his family through “hell on earth.”
Eddie Hall admits he turned down the WWE after his 2017 World’s Strongest Man win
Instagram eddiehallwsmHall is married to wife Alexandra and is father to two children – Layla and Maximus[/caption]
Hall, 34, was approached by Vince McMahon’s world-famous wrestling company in the wake of his 2017 World’s Strongest Man victory.
Back then, he tipped the scales at an enormous 31 stone.
And 6ft 3in Hall would certainly have been a formidable opponent for many of the roster’s top grapplers.
Linking up with the WWE would have seen Hall, the first man to ever deadlift 500kg, achieve yet another lifelong dream.
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But the Staffordshire son, who lost his debut boxing fight to Hafthor Bjornsson in March, made the painful decision to snub a Stateside switch.
That’s because between the intense travel schedule and lower-than-expected wages, working for the WWE would have taken an enormous toll on his family life.
Hall is married to wife Alexandra, 34, and is father to two children – Layla, 14, and Maximus, 10.
Hall, who now weighs a comparatively trim 23 stone, told the Metro this summer: “There was a bit of interest in WWE. As a kid, there was no better dream than being a wrestler.
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“That was a lifelong dream of mine. [But] those guys are on the road 48 weeks of the year doing three or four shows a week.
“And the money – unless you’re a top tier wrestler – the money isn’t that great.
“It’s something I looked into. It’s something I thought to myself, ‘You know what? I’ve spent all my time going into strongman, I’ve done all that sacrifice’, and I couldn’t put my family through that.
“You know, 48 weeks on the road, that’s hell on earth as a father and husband. You’re putting your family at risk, in my opinion. So that’s why I never pursued it.”
It now remains to be seen if Hall secures a rematch against rival Bjornsson.
Hall added: “I’m taking some time for myself. It was quite a hard point after the fight. I’ve got lots to be grateful for.
“I’ve got an amazing family around me, a great career ahead of me.
“[I’m] getting back to basics, getting back to TV shows, getting back to my YouTube, and spending time with family.
“I’ve neglected them for f**k knows how many years, so spending more time with my wife and kids, and then when I think I’m in a good place I’ll evaluate what’s next.”