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Former MMA star Cain Velasquez has signed a deal with WWE and is all set to take on Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Crown Jewel on October 31st.
Brock Lesnar attacked Rey Mysterio and his son Dominick a few weeks ago on RAW. He followed that up by squashing Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Championship on SmackDown. However, following the match, he was confronted by Mysterio and his friend Cain Velasquez.
Velasquez vanquished 'The Beast' in UFC, so it makes sense to put them in a feud. He has proven to be Lesnar's kryptonite and could be the one to topple him for the WWE Championship. The WWE Universe is curious to see if Velasquez will replicate the success that fellow fighters Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar found in WWE.
With that stated, many may be unaware of just who Cain Velasquez is. Here are five interesting facts about the MMA legend.
#5. Sports background
Cain Velasquez has a background in amateur wrestling and the American version of football. At Kofa High School in Arizona, Velasquez wrestled for four years and had a successful high school career. Velasquez had a win-loss record of 110-10 and also won the 5A Arizona Wrestling Championship twice.
After his time in high school, he went to Iowa Central Community College, where he continued to wrestle. He won NJCAA National Championship in the heavyweight division and moved to Arizona State University(ASU), where he wrestled three seasons for the Sun Devils. Compiling an impressive win-loss record of 86-17, he placed 5th in the country in 2005 and 4th in 2006.
Velasquez played football for three years and captained his team as a senior. As a football player, he played linebacker.
Besides that, he has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which helped him in his MMA career. His previous athletic experience helped him transition into the wrestling business seamlessly.
#4. He worked as a bouncer
Cain Velasquez had to sacrifice a lot and worked hard to become a fighter. He was accepted into a training facility in California, but the place was far away from his home, so he couldn't get back often. To pay for the training, he worked as a bouncer at a nearby club and would sleep in his car, instead of his bed at home. He also had to lie to his mother often.
In an interview for complex.com, Velasquez stated
“Sometimes I wouldn’t want to go all the way back home, so I wouldn’t, the next day my mom would ask, ‘Where did you stay?’ I’d tell my mom, ‘Oh, I stayed at a coach’s house,’ but I’d actually sleep in my car a lot. I’d be parked outside The Home Depot across the street and then get up whenever it was time to train.”
Velasquez endured many hardships, but is reaping the rewards now.
#3. First major Mexican-American heavyweight champion in MMA
Fans might know that he defeated Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in 2010 to become the Heavyweight Champion, but might not know that he achieved something unique in the process. With that victory, Velasquez became the first major Mexican-American Heavyweight Champion in MMA history.
Velasquez is proud of his Mexican heritage. His entrance song, “Los Mandados” details the story of a Mexican immigrant, who attempted to cross the border into the United States. He also has a Brown Pride tattoo across his chest.
In an interview with mmamania.com, Velasquez mentioned that he has the tattoo as a reminder of the hardships that his parents went through, and as a display of Mexican pride.
#2. He wanted to be a boxer
Cain’s father, Efrain Velasquez, made six trips to the United States and was deported all six times. He struggled throughout his life and wanted to give his family more opportunities than they would have had in Mexico. Despite the rejection, Efrain Velasquez didn't quit.
He tried it for the seventh time and luckily met his future wife and U.S. citizen, Isabel, in Arizona. Efrain and Isabel were eventually married and had a family, but they were unable to earn much in the way of income. The couple were struggling financially, and therefore Velasquez couldn't pursue boxing, which was his dream. Instead, he showed interest in high school wrestling, and it's safe to say things turned out great.
#1. He has prior Pro Wrestling experience
Cain Velasquez has been a fan of professional wrestling ever since he was a child. After he became successful in MMA, he began training to become a pro wrestler. In March 2019, Mexican promotion AAA Worldwide announced that Velasquez had signed a multi-match agreement as a heavyweight competitor. This shocked wrestling fans worldwide.
Velasquez made his debut for AAA at Triplemanía XXVII in 6-man Trios Match, where he teamed up with Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown to take on Taurus, Texano Jr, and Killer Kross. Velasquez came out donning a mask and wrestled with it. There were no doubts regarding his talent, as he displayed athletic moves and entertained fans.
Velasquez picked up the victory for his team by tapping out Texano Jr. with the Kimura Lock. His impressive debut received positive reviews from wrestling journalists and fans alike.
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