2012 WWE Hall of Famer and WWE.com Social Media Ambassador Mike Tyson spends time on the green with Rey Mysterio, Zack Ryder, R-Truth and other Superstars at the WrestleMania Pro Am Golf Tournament.
Who says WWE Superstars can't be multi-sport athletes?
A host of Raw and SmackDown's finest, including The Miz, Booker T, Zack Ryder and United States Champion Santino Marella traded in their ring boots for a pair of cleats and a 9-iron at the annual WrestleMania Pro Am Golf Tournament on Friday. The ring warriors, many of whom will see action at WrestleMania XXVIII on Sunday, took to the green in force for a round of golf at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami and were joined by WWE.com Social Media Ambassador, Mike Tyson. ( PHOTOS)
The event provided the Superstars a fun opportunity to cut loose and enjoy themselves in the hectic week leading up to The Show of Shows. "Honestly, it's been wonderful," said Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes, who'll defend his championship against Big Show on Sunday. "It's a beautiful course."
A course that's about to get an upgrade, it should be said, as the Doral resort was recently purchased by Donald Trump (his daughter Ivanka was actually on the course as well for a separate event).
The new management might have some regulars on their hands after this, as there are one or two WWE stalwarts who can hold their own on the green. "A small minority," is how Rhodes described it; that group evidently includes Ted DiBiase (golfing on a broken ankle, DiBiase Posse in tow) and Brodus Clay, the latter of whom certainly came prepared in his finest striped Polo and a stuffed dinosaur mounted on his cart. Rhodes himself, however, isn't quite among them. "You think I'm an exceptional golfer because I'm the Intercontinental Champion?" Rhodes quipped. "No, I'm not ... but I'm surviving."
He wasn't alone in the sentiment.
"I've never played [golf] before. This should be interesting ..." tweeted Zack Ryder early Friday morning.
The Miz, despite a magnificent pair of plaid pants, found himself feeling decidedly less awesome than usual after his first drive of the day went awry in front of his female teammates, which included Hilda Sultan, a Fort Lauderdale woman whose two teenage daughters, Alexis, 17, and Kristi, 15, were also on Miz's team. "They just laughed at my first shot," tweeted The Awesome One, while noting one of them quipped, "Wow, now I feel a lot better about my game" and hashtagging the post with #DirectQuote.
Of course, he'd never admit as much in spoken word. "I've been carrying this team the whole time. This team of girls," spouted Miz, who may or may not have compared himself to Tiger and McElroy in the process. The bravado didn't last, however. "Actually, I haven't been carrying this team ... these four ladies are carrying me today," Miz admitted (he did, however, convert the mother from an Alberto Del Rio fan to a Miz fan. Win).
In other misadventures, Santino shanked one and offered up a grim, "No comment," and Kaitlyn resigned herself to learning on the job. "I've gotten to the point where my swing just isn't improving. So I act like I hit it," said the NXT beauty. "Then [I] just put it down for the putting part."
The mood shifted to reverence when Tyson set foot on the links, however. The former heavyweight boxing champion rubbed shoulders with the WWE Superstars only days before his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, and the WWE's finest wasted no time in paying their respects.
"I'll be giving you a standing ovation," Miz said to Tyson of his induction. "You truly are The Baddest Man on the Planet." Zack Ryder was
But overall, the theme of the day was fun. "It's a great time," said Dolph Ziggler of the tournament, "It's a great course. It's really fun."
Miz agreed. "We are having more fun than any other team."
Of course it was, and of course they were. But all pleasantries aside, really: who's the best Superstar on the green?
"Know what? We're all winners," said Ziggler. "I think our group has three birdies so far."
Show-off indeed.
Who says WWE Superstars can't be multi-sport athletes?
A host of Raw and SmackDown's finest, including The Miz, Booker T, Zack Ryder and United States Champion Santino Marella traded in their ring boots for a pair of cleats and a 9-iron at the annual WrestleMania Pro Am golf tournament on Friday. The ring warriors, many of whom will see action at WrestleMania XXVIII on Sunday, took to the green in force for a round of golf at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami and were joined by WWE.com Social Media Ambassador, Mike Tyson. ( PHOTOS)
The event provided the Superstars a fun opportunity to cut loose and enjoy themselves in the hectic week leading up to The Show of Shows. "Honestly, it's been wonderful," said Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes, who'll defend his championship against Big Show on Sunday. "It's a beautiful course."
A course that's about to get an upgrade, it should be said, as the Doral resort was recently purchased by Donald Trump (his daughter Ivanka was actually on the course as well for a separate event).
The new management might have some regulars on their hands after this, as there are one or two WWE stalwarts who can hold their own on the green. "A small minority," is how Rhodes described it; that group evidently includes Ted DiBiase (golfing on a broken ankle, DiBiase Posse in tow) and Brodus Clay, the latter of whom certainly came prepared in his finest striped Polo and a stuffed dinosaur mounted on his cart. Rhodes himself, however, isn't quite among them. "You think I'm an exceptional golfer because I'm the Intercontinental Champion?" Rhodes quipped. "No, I'm not ... but I'm surviving."
He wasn't alone in the sentiment ...
The Miz, despite a magnificent pair of plaid pants, found himself feeling decidedly less awesome than usual after his first drive of the day went awry in front of his female teammates, which included Hilda Sultan, a Fort Lauderdale woman whose two teenage daughters, Alexis, 17, and Kristi, 15, were also on Miz's team. "They just laughed at my first shot," tweeted The Awesome One, while noting one of them quipped, "Wow, now I feel a lot better about my game" and hashtagging the post with #DirectQuote.
Of course, he'd never admit as much in spoken word. "I've been carrying this team the whole time. This team of girls," spouted Miz, who may or may not have compared himself to Tiger and McElroy in the process. The bravado didn't last, however. "Actually, I haven't been carrying this team ... these four ladies are carrying me today," Miz admitted (he did, however, convert the mother from an Alberto Del Rio fan to a Miz fan. Win).
In other misadventures, Santino shanked one and offered up a grim, "No comment," and Kaitlyn resigned herself to learning on the job. "I've gotten to the point where my swing just isn't improving. So I act like I hit it," said the NXT beauty. "Then [I] just put it down for the putting part."
The mood shifted to reverence when Tyson set foot on the links, however. The former heavyweight boxing champion rubbed shoulders with the WWE Superstars only days before his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, and the WWE's finest wasted no time in paying their respects ...
The mood shifted to reverence when Tyson set foot on the links, however. The former heavyweight boxing champion rubbed shoulders with the WWE Superstars only days before his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, sneaking up on them in his caravan to surprise them on the links. The WWE's finest wasted no time in paying their respects.
"I'll be giving you a standing ovation," Miz said to Tyson of his induction. "You truly are The Baddest Man on the Planet." ( WATCH: MIZ MEETS TYSON) Tyson also hugged it out with R-Truth (presumably, Little Jimmy got a shout-out as well) and posed for a shot with Rey Mysterio and his son, Dominic. Clay and David Otunga ( WATCH: TYSON MEETS THE FUNKASAURUS) were also among the lucky ones who met Iron Mike, but Zack Ryder was utterly starstruck upon meeting the former heavyweight champ, and congratulated Tyson on his induction to WWE's hallowed hall. "Are you serious, bro?" the broski laughed as Tyson moved on to the next meet-and-greet, "Only in WWE." ( WATCH: ZACK RYDER MEETS MIKE TYSON)
Tyson, for his part, expressed his gratitude to WWE for his entrance into the Hall.
But overall, the theme of the day was fun. "It's a great time," said Dolph Ziggler of the tournament, "It's a great course. It's really fun."
Miz agreed. "We are having more fun than any other team."
Of course it was, and of course they were. But all pleasantries aside, really: who's the best Superstar on the green?
"Know what? We're all winners," said Ziggler. "I think our group has three birdies so far."
Show-off indeed.