Is Tristan Wirfs Hitting The Wrestling Mat?
March 30th, 2026
Wrestling comeback?
Joe admits to not watching much rasslin’ for years. But Bucs left tackle Tristan Wirfs sure watches it. At least the kind that is supposed to be real.
Joe used to love the old WWF with Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Lord Alfred Hayes, Treasure Island’s own Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Kamala the Ugandan Beast, King Kong Bundy, George “The Animal” Steele, Bobby Heenan, The Missing Link, Rowdy Roddy Piper and others.
It was fun, innocent, often hilarious stuff. Sort of like an adult version of “Looney Tunes.”
“Saturday Night Main Event” > “Saturday Night Live,” every day, all day!
However, Joe’s interest began to fade after he got out of college and had to become a professional. Haven’t watched much in a long time.
But Joe doesn’t hold it against anyone who still watches rasslin.’
Something popped up on the rasslin’ scene recently called “Real American Freestyle,” which is supposedly real wrestling, like you would see in high school and college, with a little bit of rasslin’ schtick along with it.
The outfit is based in Tampa. Apparently, the matches are unscripted.
(Long time ago as a high school sportswriter, Joe once had to cover a wrestling tournament — not Joe’s favorite assignment. Joe damn near got tossed when the wrong person overheard Joe say, “Nothing like spending a Saturday night watching boys in tights grab each other.”)
So last night, former NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson, who goes by the handle of “Captain America,” did his best WWE schtick and challenged Wirfs, who was in attendance, to a match, claiming football players are scared of him. Hendrickson is the current heavyweight belt holder of the RAF.
Wirfs stepped onto the mat — there are no ropes — and said he would honor the challenge. Wirfs, you may know, is a former Iowa high school state champ. In Iowa, high school wrestling may be as big as basketball.
If the wrestling is real, which is what the RAF claims, and the bouts are unscripted, which is what the RAF claims, Joe isn’t sure how the Bucs might like Wirfs wrestling for real after having not wrestled for years and coming off knee surgery roughly a year ago.
Wirfs told Hendrickson the Bucs have no issue with him hitting the wrestling mat.
“I know the Bucs won’t have a problem with me whipping your ass,” Wirfs told Hendrickson in the ring.
If this were WWE schtick, Joe would have zero concern. It would be fun (remember when Rob Gronkowski was the WWE champ before the Bucs traded for him?). But if this is truly real wrestling with rasslin’ schtick just for seasoning, well, Joe’s holding his breath.
The last thing the Bucs need is for the offensive line to be all rearranged to start the season like it was last year.
Hat tip @ThatGuy.
Captain America calls out 4x NFL Pro-Bowl Offensive Lineman Tristan Wirfs of the Bucs, and he accepts! Wirfs was a 2017 Iowa 2A State Champion at Heavyweight. 💪🏼 #RAF07 pic.twitter.com/i3wIYIy45j
— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) March 29, 2026
March 30th, 2026 at 12:12 am
Not a good idea.
March 30th, 2026 at 12:18 am
Thanks for the Hat tip!
March 30th, 2026 at 12:23 am
Wirfs will be fine. You saw the hugs and fist bumps. They’re talkimg smack to bump up interest and they’ll (probably) go hard on the mat. But no way either of them has ill intentions towards the other. This is wrestling with a very small sprinkling of rasslin for dramatic affect.
March 30th, 2026 at 12:29 am
We use to watch the old wrestling from Fort Hesterly Armory in Tampa
It use to come on TV, in Lakeland, Gordon Solie, was the host
Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr, Thunderbolt Patterson, Jack Briscoe
Jerry Briscoe, Dick Murdock, The Sheik, Argentina Apollo, and others
March 30th, 2026 at 12:30 am
Todd’s strategy is to have everyone do so many things that they suck at all of them. It’s genius.
March 30th, 2026 at 12:32 am
There is no way in the world the Bucs would allow that. Tristan is the best player on our team. No doubt. He was a high school state champion wrestler. Props for that. He’s bigger and stronger than Hendrickson. But being I’m an Okie who was a wrestler I’ll tell you a little something. The Cowboys had three true freshman just win national titles last week. I watched them all. National championships are a different beast than state championships. Hendrickson would hurt Wirfs. No way is Wirfs in wrestling shape and even if he was it wouldn’t matter. Those guys were just messing around and it’s all in good fun. Hendrickson would run over Tristan just like Tristan would maul Hendrickson on a football field. But don’t look for a wrestling match- cause that ain’t gonna happen.
March 30th, 2026 at 12:42 am
And Joe, it’s true it’s not the most exciting sport to watch. But it’s truly the most grueling and exhausting sport I’ve ever encountered and it’s one of those if you know you know kind of deals. I know, and I don’t even want to see Tristan anywhere near that wrestling mat.
March 30th, 2026 at 12:42 am
Bucs would come unglued if Wirfs did this for real. Has to be a put on for fun.
March 30th, 2026 at 2:29 am
Maybe Wirfs can bodyslam Bowles for a bunch of us.
March 30th, 2026 at 2:48 am
The Road Warriors were my fave when i was 13….and of course the nature boy……then i met some of them after a show and saw how they’re all friends, then kinda got out of watching it. Great sport though….especially the real wrestlers, i did it in 7th grade and sucked lol
March 30th, 2026 at 4:12 am
@MadMax
Yeah forget bodyslamming him. Give him a Stone Cold Stunner, F5, Rock Bottom, People’s Elbow, Pedigree, Tombstone or a Figure Four.
March 30th, 2026 at 4:48 am
If Wirfs has time, and money to infest in the venture fine, but keep those knees off the mat.
March 30th, 2026 at 6:37 am
It time to start looking for his replacement. Dude stay nicked up and the last two yrs been ugly. Tristan is past his prime, think it’s time we draft his replacement. But knowing Tampa they’ll wait till he can’t walk anymore
March 30th, 2026 at 6:38 am
Grew up with Mid-Atlantic, which let me see Paul Jones, Wahoo McDaniel, Rufus R Freight Train Jones, and of course Ric Nature Boy Flair. Those were good times.
March 30th, 2026 at 8:32 am
@ Tony: drop a Bionic Elbow on him for good measure!
March 30th, 2026 at 8:41 am
“This is Gordon Solie sayin So Long from the Sunshine State”. My go to for meeting chicks… LOL
March 30th, 2026 at 8:53 am
No thanks. Don’t need Wirfs getting an ankle lock put on him and messing him up for the season
March 30th, 2026 at 10:14 am
where’s abdullah the butcher when ya need him…
he woulda cleared everyone out with pure unadulterated ruckus at it’s finest…
w/ gordon solie on the mic
March 30th, 2026 at 10:17 am
Don’t these guys have provisions in their contracts that prohibit such unwise side gigs?
March 30th, 2026 at 11:21 am
@3.28 (3 years 28 names): Read the article, it has nothing to do with Todd or coaching.
March 30th, 2026 at 11:25 am
The very last sentence of the article says, “there is no world in which the Bucs allow this to happen.” Before the Linderbaum Draft, ESPN (or someone) did a big thing on the former Iowa teammate’s HS wresting rivalry with one another. It’s pretty wild. They grew up only like 9-10 miles apart and Linderbaum actually BEAT HIM once. I REALLY WANTED Lickt to trade UP for him once he got in our range and before Baltimore. As soon as Baltimore took him, LICKT traded BACK for friggin’ HALL. It’s what you GET when you do nothing but just SIT on your HANDS.
March 30th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
McMahon would pitch Wirfs as samoan/tongan