The sleeper hold is a fundamental part of professional wrestling. Ranging from Ted Dibiase to Samoa Joe, some of WWE‘s nastiest bad guys have used the sleeper to subdue their prey.
And you can officially add UFC‘s Paige VanZant to that list.
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At a recent USO event, VanZant was asked to demonstrate a rear naked choke on a volunteer. Not only did she walk the raucous crowd through the application but she actually put the man to sleep.
Within seconds of slapping on the hold, the volunteer was unconscious. He slipped back in VanZant’s arms and came to rather quickly, but for a moment, his soul left his body.
By the time he regained consciousness, the crowd had already exploded. The formerly sleeping man looked a little wobbly, but our medically unauthorized opinion says he’ll be OK.
VanZant actually makes a living off of putting people to sleep, but she’s already dropped hints about leaving the octagon for WWE’s squared circle.
In March, the 24-year old spoke with MMAJunkie about a potential jump to WWE.
“I’m a fighter first and foremost, but if the opportunity ever came knocking, I’m not one to turn opportunities down. I think it’s an amazing organization, and I’d definitely love to work with them,” she said.
Given the early success of Ronda Rousey, WWE would love to add another MMA crossover. Despite being new to wrestling, Rousey stole the show at WrestleMania 34. That same weekend, former MMA fighter Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s Championship. With two highly successful precedents set, it wouldn’t be surprised to see WWE begin to court more talent from the MMA ranks.
At such a young age, VanZant probably still has plenty she’d like to accomplish in the world of UFC. However, if she’d like to give wrestling a try, WWE would likely love to have her.
