- Daniel Vidot made 114 NRL appearances during his rugby league career
- He’d turn out for the Broncos, Raiders, St George and the Titans during that time
- In 2017 he decided to pursue a shock career change and hasn’t looked back
Daniel Vidot perhaps would not have anticipated that he would eventually go on to compete as a professional wrestler in Japan when he made his NRL debut for the Canberra Raiders back in 2009.
After a distinguished playing career, turning out for the Raiders, St George, the Broncos, Salford Red Devils and the Gold Coast, the winger would make a shock move in 2017 to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
The Samoan international signed a development contract with WWE in 2018 before making his on-screen debut in 2020, during an episode of Smackdown in which he would ultimately lose a match against Sheamus.
But looking back on the monumental career swap, Vidot said he had taken a huge risk in swapping his footy cleats for a pair of wrestling boots.
‘It was massive, it was a big risk, I had to think about my family,’ Vidot said to The Herald Sun.
Daniel Vidot made the surpise move in 2017 to hang up his footy boots and pursue a career in professional wrestling
After playing for the Raiders, St George, the Titans and the Broncos, Vidot secured a contract with WWE
The 34-year-old added that living in the USA made him ‘homesick’ but had ‘grabbed the opportunity with both hands’
‘That was the biggest thing for me was being homesick and missing my family.
‘I’d already gone to England (to play Super League), but I felt like I would be stupid not to.
‘The adaptation from footy to wrestling was a pretty smooth transition.’
He would go on to adopt the name Xyon Quinn and would move onto the WWE’s main roster between 2023 and 2024, before going on to be released by the company last year.
‘I’ve always been a fan of (wrestling) since I was a little one, I think everyone was,’ Vidot said.
‘When the opportunity came up… I just took it with two hands and it sent me across the world. I’m always happy, I’m a bit of a shoot-from-the-hip kind of dude.’
He would again surprise fans by winning a place on the US national rugby league squad’s tour of South Africa in 2024, making one appearance for the Hawks.
On his reasoning for stepping back into the sport, Vidot said: ‘Why not?’
Vidot would later step back into rugby league, with the ex-Broncos winger last year making an appearance for the US national team (pictured playing for Brisbane)
He believes rugby league can truly grow in the USA, with the NRL set to play it’s opening round of fixtures in the coming months
He added that he had missed playing rugby league and was keen to help it grow in the States.
In the coming months, the NRL and Super League will stage their opening 2025 season fixtures in Las Vegas, as both organisations attempt to grow the sport around the world.
Vidot believes that the USA is the perfect market to play games thanks to it’s all-action and fast-paced nature.
‘I still love it and I always will. I think it’s got a really good chance to grow over there, I think the sky’s the limit for rugby league,’ he added.
‘I think it’s the contact and the no stoppage, the same team attacks and defends, I think when (Americans) watch that they’re like “woah, damn”.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .