James Harrison is moving from the gridiron into the wrestling ring, joining the main cast of Starz’s upcoming pro-wrestling series “Heels.”
Harrison played 15 years in the NFL, most of them for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In “Heels,” he’ll play a character named “Apocalypse,” a been-around-the-block journeyman wrestler who’s been at it for decades and has no illusions of fame or glory.
Also joining the cast are Chris Bauer and Allen Maldonado. Bauer will portray “Wild Bill Hancock,” a larger-than-life former wrestling star who is now a high-level pro wrestling scout. Maldonado plays “Rooster Robbins,” one of the best wrestlers in the circuit who always has something to prove — and always backs it up.
Also Read: Rob Gronkowski Signs With WWE, Will Debut on Next Week's 'SmackDown' (Exclusive)
The upcoming Starz series is led by “Arrow” star Stephen Amell and “Vikings” and “Hunger Games” actor Alexander Ludwig.
The show is an hourlong drama about “the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro-wrestling,” according to Starz. “Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.”
Let's Get Ready to (Royal) Rumble With 34 Years of WWE Royal Rumble Winners (Photos)
-
The 2021 WWE "Royal Rumble" pay-per-view is in the books, and this year's winners Edge and Bianca Belair are in the pro-wrestling history books.
Belair's victory, while impressive, comes as no real surprise. She was the favorite to win the Women's Royal Rumble Match, according to online sports book Bovada. The betting website had Edge facing the fifth-best odds in the men's match, which served as the evening's main event.
Edge ran the table from the No. 1 (of 30) spot. Belair entered her match in the third position.
Also Read: WWE 'Royal Rumble': Roman Reigns Just Ran Kevin Owens Over With a Friggin' Golf Cart (Video)
-
Year: 1988
Winner: Hacksaw Jim DugganAlso Read: Bella Twins to Guest on Nickelodeon’s ‘The Substitute’ – See Nikki Go Undercover Here (Exclusive)
-
Year: 1989
Winner: Big John StuddAlso Read: Dwayne Johnson Posts Loving Tribute to Late Father and WWE Star Rocky Johnson: ‘I’m in Pain’
-
Year: 1990
Winner: Hulk HoganAlso Read: Rocky Johnson, WWE Hall of Famer and Father of Dwayne Johnson, Dies at 75
-
Year: 1991
Winner: Hulk HoganAlso Read: WWE Superstar Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin to Host USA Network Competition Series ‘Cannonball’ (Exclusive)
-
Year: 1992
Winner: Ric FlairAlso Read: WWE ‘Raw': Here Are the Rules for First-Ever ‘Fist Fight’ Match (Exclusive)
-
Year: 1993
Winner: Yokozuna -
Year: 1994
Winner: Bret Hart and Lex Luger (both Superstars' feet touched the floor at same time)Also Read: How Florence Pugh Defies Typecasting, From WWE Star Paige to Amy in ‘Little Women’
-
Year: 1995
Winner: Shawn Michaels -
Year: 1996
Winner: Shawn MichaelsAlso Read: WWE Suspends Robert Roode and Primo Colón for Violating Wellness Policy
-
Year: 1997
Winner: Stone Cold Steve AustinAlso Read: Every WWE Champion Ever, Ranked by Number of Reigns (Photos)
-
Year: 1998
Winner: Stone Cold Steve AustinAlso Read: Wrestler Super ACH, Formerly Jordan Myles, Says He ‘F–ing Quit’ WWE: ‘I Refuse to Work for Racists’
-
Year: 1999
Winner: Mr. McMahonAlso Read: WWE’s Saudi Arabia-Forced ‘SmackDown’ Scramble Pays Off: Ratings Grow 14% From Last Fox Episode
-
Year: 2000
Winner: The RockAlso Read: Does Corey Graves, the Voice of WWE, Prefer the Commentary Setup for ‘Raw’ or ‘SmackDown’?
-
Year: 2001
Winner: Stone Cold Steve AustinAlso Read: WWE Roster ‘Delayed’ in Return From Saudi Arabia, Forcing Major Changes for Tonight’s ‘SmackDown’
-
Year: 2002
Winner: Triple HAlso Read: We Charted WWE Network Subscribers for Each Quarter Since Its 2014 Launch (Graph)
-
Year: 2003
Winner: Brock LesnarAlso Read: Wrestler Jordan Myles Furious Over ‘Sambo’-Style T-Shirt: ‘WWE Doesn’t Care About Black People’
-
Year: 2004
Winner: Chris BenoitAlso Read: Has WWE ‘SmackDown’ Been a Boon for Fox, or a Billion-Dollar Bust?
-
Year: 2005
Winner: BatistaAlso Read: WWE Superstar The Big Show to Get His Own Travel Reality Series
-
Year: 2006
Winner: Rey MysterioAlso Read: #CancelWWENetwork Trends on Twitter After Unpopular Ending to ‘Hell in a Cell’ Pay-Per-View
-
Year: 2007
Winner: The UndertakerAlso Read: How Fox’s WWE ‘Friday Night SmackDown’ Air Times Will Differ From USA Network Era
-
Year: 2008
Winner: John CenaAlso Read: Inside WWE’s ‘SmackDown’ and ‘Raw’ Creative Team Shakeup (Exclusive)
-
Year: 2009
Winner: Randy Orton -
Year: 2010
Winner: EdgeAlso Read: Steve Austin on His New USA Show and the ‘Rocket Scientists’ That Canceled ‘Broken Skull Challenge’
-
Year: 2011
Winner: Alberto Del RioAlso Read: WWE’s Drew McIntyre Tells Us All About the Time He (Successfully) Used a FOIA Request on the FBI
-
Year: 2012
Winner: SheamusAlso Read: Charlotte Flair: ‘It’s Not a Slight’ for Becky Lynch to Share ‘WWE 2K20’ Cover With Roman Reigns
-
Year: 2013
Winner: John CenaAlso Read: Vince McMahon: WWE Content Will Stay ‘PG,’ Won’t Revert to the Attitude Era’s ‘Gory Crap’
-
Year: 2014
Winner: BatistaAlso Read: WWE’s Mandy Rose Is Building a Brand, and Being ‘God’s Greatest Creation’ Is Just the Start
-
Year: 2015
Winner: Roman ReignsAlso Read: WWE United States Champion AJ Styles Says Finn Balor ‘Will Always Have an Invitation’ to The Club
-
Year: 2016
Winner: Triple HAlso Read: How ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase Convinced Shawn Michaels to Take Non-Christian Acting Roles
-
Year: 2017
Winner: Randy OrtonAlso Read: Seth Rollins Says It Was ‘a Little Presumptuous’ for Dean Ambrose to ‘Talk Down’ About WWE (Audio)
-
Year: 2018
Men's Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
*Women's Winner: Asuka*First year with a Women's Royal Rumble Match
Also Read: WWE’s Sonya Deville Knows She and Mandy Rose Will Break Up – But Hopefully Not ‘Anytime Soon’
-
Year: 2019
Men's Winner: Seth Rollins
Women's Winner: Becky LynchAlso Read: WWE’s Seth Rollins on How The Stomp Came Back and the ‘Super Special’ Final Run of The Shield
-
Year: 2020
Men's Winner: Drew McIntyre
Women's Winner: Charlotte FlairAlso Read: WWE ‘Royal Rumble': Roman Reigns Just Ran Kevin Owens Over With a Friggin’ Golf Cart (Video)
-
Year: 2021
Men's Winner: Edge
Women's Winner: Bianca BelairAlso Read: NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell on Why WWE Is ‘Perfect’ for Peacock
Edge and Bianca Belair are on the Road to WrestleMania
The 2021 WWE "Royal Rumble" pay-per-view is in the books, and this year's winners Edge and Bianca Belair are in the pro-wrestling history books.
Belair's victory, while impressive, comes as no real surprise. She was the favorite to win the Women's Royal Rumble Match, according to online sports book Bovada. The betting website had Edge facing the fifth-best odds in the men's match, which served as the evening's main event.
Edge ran the table from the No. 1 (of 30) spot. Belair entered her match in the third position.
Also Read: WWE 'Royal Rumble': Roman Reigns Just Ran Kevin Owens Over With a Friggin' Golf Cart (Video)