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Michael Chandler recently revealed his choice of a finishing move while discussing a hypothetical career in pro wrestling. Chandler was weighing in on his fandom for WWE when he was asked about his favorite WWE finishing move.
While the former Bellator lightweight champion regarded other WWE superstars as his role models, he wanted to replicate Rey Mysterio when it came to finishing moves. Chandler hailed the Mexican wrestler as a superior acrobat and said he also wanted a finishing move that would make the crowd go bonkers. Michael Chandler told Adam Catterall:
"I did not mention him because obviously the biggest figures in pro wrestling were the four or five I just mentioned. But also one of my favorites was Rey Mysterio Jr. The smaller guy, the Mexican warrior, used to just do the crazy flips and all the crazy acrobatic stuff. I by no means fancy myself as an acrobat like that but yeah, my finishing move would be something that got some 'oohs' and 'aahs' out of the crowd."
Named after the local area code in Mysterio's hometown in California, 'the 619' is the finishing move used by WWE superstar Rey Mysterio. Once Mysterio has managed to string his opponents on the rope, he runs to the other side of the ring and comes back swinging through the ropes to kick his opponent square in the face.
Michael Chandler has always been a fan of pro wrestling
Michael Chandler showed his love for pro wrestling right after a spectacular promotional debut at UFC 257. After knocking out Dan Hooker at 2:30 in the opening round, Michael Chandler cut a WWE-style promo, paying tribute to Hall of Famer Ric Flair. Chandler even received a call from the Nature Boy congratulating him on the victory.
Talking about his favorite WWE superstars while growing up, Michael Chandler further said:
"I was a pro wrestling fan, especially growing up. Ric Flair, Diamond Dallas Page, Steve Austin, The Rock, you know those were the guys I looked up to, wanted to be like. And then now I'm here getting to do it in real fashion in front of millions of people. So having a friend and a new friend like Ric Flair is really cool. And we'll see, I'll try to keep making him proud."
