Former WWE star Heidenreich unexpectedly found himself back in the wrestling conversation earlier this year after a photo of him working at a Walmart in Ohio spread across social media.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion went viral after Walmart employee Wade Stratton shared a story about working alongside him at a Greenfield, Ohio location. According to Stratton, Heidenreich casually mentioned he used to wrestle professionally and named stars like The Undertaker, Booker T, William Regal, and The Rock as former opponents.
At first, Stratton didn’t believe him. After realizing his co-worker really was the former WWE star, Stratton tracked down one of Heidenreich’s old action figures and asked him to sign it. Stratton later wrote that it seemed like the moment genuinely meant something to the former WWE talent.
The story quickly took off online, with many wrestling fans reacting positively to seeing Heidenreich living a normal life years after leaving WWE. Now, the viral attention has led to new opportunities for the former WWE star.
Book Pro Wrestlers announced that Heidenreich is now accepting bookings for appearances, autograph signings, interviews, acting projects, and product endorsements following the reaction to the Walmart story. Heidenreich is not currently accepting bookings for wrestling matches.
The 53-year-old is best remembered for his WWE run during the Ruthless Aggression Era, where he feuded with The Undertaker under Paul Heyman’s guidance before later teaming with Road Warrior Animal in a revived version of Legion of Doom. Heidenreich and Animal captured the WWE Tag Team Championships in 2005 before Heidenreich was eventually released by WWE in 2006.
After years largely away from wrestling, one unexpected Walmart photo suddenly brought Heidenreich back into wrestling conversations again.
What do you think about wrestling fans rallying behind Heidenreich after the viral Walmart story? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.