NRL great trades blows with Aussie WWE star in wild pro wrestling debut

Former NRL hardman James Graham has seriously impressed in his pro wrestling debut.

Footage has emerged of Graham winning his match and tackling his opponent with the same intensity he showed during his footy career.

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The 39-year-old made his wrestling debut over the weekend as part of the annual Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA) Colosseum event in Sydney.

With Australian WWE star Grayson Waller also in the ring, the footage showed Graham hilariously tackling the referee to the canvas as his opponent dodged out of the way.

His crunching tackles, known in the wrestling world as a ‘spear’, drew cheers from the hundreds in the crowd before successfully pinning his opponent for the three-count.

Things got loose when Waller entered the ring and declared he “just wanted to meet my hero” before whacking Graham in the face.

Graham also jumped from the top rope, landing on Waller and two other wrestlers.

The popular NRL Roast account posted on X: “James Graham (@thebyeround) nailed his wrestling debut, along with the ref, Ricky South, and @GraysonWWE,” with a cry laughing emoji.

Graham is now a rugby league commentator with Triple M and Fox League, and has put his brain under the microscope for CTE studies following a career filed with brutality.

Waller, 34, is a former Sydney school teacher who has risen through the WWE ranks to become a tag team champion.

He is currently in a tag team with Austin Theory, called A-Town Down Under.

Waller told WWOS before the fight he was looking forward to taking on Graham in a rare appearance back in Australia’s local wrestling scene.

“Certain things that James had said bothered me, but he is taking this seriously and gone and trained,” Waller said.

“That shows he put some effort in … he understands what we do is not easy.

“But also, he’s talking like he’s still someone. You’re at that stage of your life where you’re running your podcast because you’re past it, you’re an out of shape ranga (red haired) and talking like you’re still playing.

“I’m very excited to watch him choke on the big stage like he did in every grand final he ever played in,” referring to Graham’s two grand final losses in 2012 and 2014 with the Bulldogs.