The next WWE star could be a Heisman Trophy runner-up. Even better? They could be a premier heel.
If he hasn’t had a tryout, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia just delivered one of the best first impressions for a potential wrestling career, showing maybe his post-college football career should be in the ring and not on the field.
It’s no secret Pavia has become one of the most polarizing players in college football, with a story that is as incredible as his confidence and swagger. That was only proven when he showed he was bitter about not winning the Heisman Trophy, with an expletive directed at the Heisman Trophy voters after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza won it by a comfortable margin.
It was met with swift backlash, including from Vanderbilt’s athletic director as the world saw Pavia as a sore loser. It was obvious he was going to have to apologize for it.
Not the best look for his football career, but he ended up making a great audition for WWE. You could view it as an outburst — or promo.
There is a chance Pavia could get a shot in the NFL, but he’s far from an early round prospect. He could expect to hear his name in day three of the NFL draft, if any front offices are still intrigued despite his size (5-9) and temperament. Chances are he makes it to training camp but faces an uphill battle to last a season.
That’s where wrestling comes in. Recently, WWE has made a push to target college athletes through its ‘next in line’ program, helping athletes transition to the business after graduating. It’s worked, with stars like Oba Femi, Sol Ruca, Bron Breakker shining after making the jump.
Pavia is already half way to proving he could do it. You may think his reaction was awful, but that was as good of a heel performance you could put on. Pavia showed he’d fit right in with the bad guys of wrestling. No one understood it better than Pat McAfee, who doubles as a WWE commentator during the football off-season.
‘I don’t think I’ve seen anybody have a bigger heel turn in one weekend than Diego Pavia,’ McAfee said on his show Dec. 15. ‘Anybody who’s flashy and talks a lot of (expletive) is going to be hated by a group of people regardless. But this weekend, with how it all went, I think a lot of people kind of turned on Diego Pavia.’
People already don’t like Pavia, so could you imagine him getting in the ring, in a place where he can unapologetically himself and speak however he wants? The crowd would boo him endlessly, and that would be gold for WWE’s pockets.
The best comparison would be to Logan Paul. The social media star came into WWE already disliked, knew it and used it to his advantage to become a top heel. You may not like that he came into the wrestling world, but Paul has all the characteristics to be a villain.
Of course, wrestling isn’t all just delivering promos. Paul works well in WWE cause he knows how to wrestle. Pavia does have a wrestling background, winning a New Mexico state title in high school. That helps with a start, but the business of sports entertainment is a whole different monster, and he’d have to be open to learning how to last in the ring. Talking smack can only get you so far if you can’t prove you belong in between the ropes.
Pavia’s future seems quite uncertain. He did work his way up from no Division I football offers out of high school and junior college football to leading Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season. He could find a way to earn a shot in the NFL and end up finding success there — or possibly the CFL.
But if Pavia really wants a chance to thrive after college, wrestling could be the golden ticket. It has a worldwide fan base that is always on the hunt to find its next star to boo for speaking their mind, especially when it’s someone notable.
And the best part, Pavia won’t have to apologize to anyone for being himself.