FORMER WWE superstar Jaxson Ryker has swapped his wrestling tights for a police uniform.
Ryker retired from professional wrestling only last month when he left his boots in the ring following a match at the AML Wrestling Show.
Jaxson Ryker has switched professional wrestling for law enforcementWWE
Ryker stirred controversy in 2020 when he supported Donald Trump after George Floyd’s murderWWE
Following a number of injuries, the 41-year-old has now switched careers by becoming a police officer for the Iredell County Police Department in North Carolina.
The American took to Instagram and revealed he joined the force less than two weeks ago.
Ryker posted: “What an honor. Yesterday September 14 2023 I was sworn in at the Iredell County Sheriffs office.
“New chapter. New career. May I always wear this badge and uniform with pride.”
Ryker burst onto the wrestling scene in 2010 when he joined TNA and competed under the ring name of Gunner.
The former US marine went on to win the TNA Television Championship and the World Tag Team Championships with James Storm.
The heavyweight left the promotion in 2015 and crossed over to WWE two years later.
Ryker was put on the NXT roster where he teamed up with Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler to form The Forgotten Sons stable.
The group, which performed as a team of army veterans dejected with the way the US government neglected them after returning from duty, enjoyed immense success in the developmental brand.
They were called up to WWE’s main roster in 2020 but the group disbanded soon after when Ryker stirred controversy.
The grappler-turned-policeman backed was known for his support of former US President Donald Trump.
On a day when Trump posed in front of a church outside the White House after the police used tear gas on Black Lives Matter protesters outraged at the murder of George Floyd, Ryker posted a favourable tweet.
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Ryker used to compete for both TNA and WWE before his retirementWWE
He wrote: “Thankful for the @POTUS we have! God bless America. Built of freedom. Forgotten No More.”
That led to a furious reaction from former WWE colleagues on social media with the likes of Kevin Owens, Ricochet and former policeman Mustafa Ali slamming his comments, while Cutler and Blake distanced themselves.
Ryker returned to WWE TV a while later to team up with Elias but was ultimately let go in 2021.