It’s a big week for sports. Of course, there’s the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament as well as everyone’s favorite spandex spectacle - Wrestlemania.

In honor of these two historic events, here’s the remaining NCAA field and the wrestler they would be if they were thrown into the squared circle. Ding Ding Ding!

Kentucky is The Rock

When The Rock burst on to the wrestling scene he was the bright, up-and-comer with unlimited talent – just like the Wildcats' roster of NBA-ready freshmen. As his career progressed, The Rock took on a swagger that walked the thin line between face and heel – just like the Wildcats. Love them or hate them, UK, as well as The People’s Champ, are fun to watch.


Syracuse is Rowdy Roddy Piper

Bat-shit crazy and tough as nails – that describes the upper bowl at the Carrier Dome. The Orange are a hard-working team with a history of overachieving. Much like the Rowdy one, Syracuse can beat you in a manner of different ways. It can burn you on the boards, bury you under 3-pointers or, every once and a while, give you the thumb to the eye and hold your tights for the 3-count.


Butler is Dusty Rhodes

Scrappy and relentless, the Bulldogs have risen from mid-major blip to national title contender. Butler is the American Dream. Just like the Rhodes, the Bulldogs are all heart, no flash and aren’t that pretty to look at. However, doubt them for one second and it’s a bionic elbow to the mush and a trip back home.


Xavier is Edge

Just like the Musketeers, Edge is underappreciated. Look at his resume, the guy has done everything and held just about every strap the WWE has to offer. Xavier is in the same boat. It’s at the top of the A-10 every year, ranked among the Top 25 and always seems to be dancing coming the second week of the tournament. You think you know Xavier…


Kansas State is Macho Man Randy Savage

Frank Martin is f@cking insane. As is the Macho Man. From threatening to kill Hulk Hogan to trying to make it as a rapper by threatening Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage has fallen far from his WWF glory days. But the Macho Madness was one of the all-time best with the talent to take the heavyweight title. Kansas State has its own flying elbow smash in Jacob Pullen, and I guess Dennis Clemente could make an OK Miss Elizabeth.


Washington is Randy Orton

People love to hate the Pac-10 like wrestling fans love to hate Orton. The brash upstart came out of nowhere to contend and win the WWE Championship. The Huskies caught a lot of people off guard as well, winning the Pac-10 then knocking off two tough opponents to advance to the Sweet 16.


West Virginia is Stone Cold Steve Austin

The Mountaineers are tough, calculated and manage to pull out the win in even the most dire straits. West Virginia has a ton of talent and a coach with an icy demeanor that wouldn’t be caught dead in a suit and tie. Just like Stone Cold, the Mountaineers are kicking ass and taking names this March. And that’s the bottom line.


Cornell is The Genius

Leaping Lanny Poffo never quite hit the star mark like his brother the Macho Man, but his character The Genius will always be remembered as a middle-tier jobber who ripped on opponents with poetry before his matches. As for Cornell, the Ivy League juggernaut is passing on the poetry and sticking with a relentless 3-point attack to berate its foes.


Tennessee is The Honky Tonk Man

The Honky Tonk Man called Tennessee home and made a living smashing guitars over people’s heads. The Vols delivered a couple shots to their first-round opponents, beating up on double-digit seeds. And I’m sure the Honky Tonk Man had a yellow sequin jumpsuit that looked suspiciously like Bruce Pearl’s tournament attire.


Ohio State is John Cena

The rappin’ wrestler goes for the “Joe Every Man” persona, which flies with some fans and crashes with others. In a world where we cheer the bad guy, Cena can’t catch a break. And when it comes to Ohio State basketball, there are more haters than lovers. But behind all that trash talk, the Buckeyes have a ton of talent that is undeniable to basketball heads.


Northern Iowa is the 1-2-3 Kid

Remember when the skinny kid in the ugly unitard upset Razor Ramon? That’s UNI. The Panthers are making a name for themselves as a giant killer after sending KU packing. And how are they doing it? With never-give-up skinny white kids – minus the greasy mullet.


Michigan State is Mick Foley

The Spartans are in rough shape. They’ve lost Chris Allen and Kalin Lucas, but somehow keep coming forward. Just like Dude Love, Cactus Jack or Mankind, MSU can take a licking and keep on ticking. It will be interesting to see if Tom Izzo can get his team over the loss of Lucas, which is the injury equivalent of doing a swan dive off the top of the cage and through a table.


St. Mary’s is Outback Jack

The only Aussie wrestler I can think of, Outback Jack didn’t stick around for long or win any titles of note. But with five Australians on the roster, the Gaels could be no one else. Jack did score upsets over a few WWE Hall of Famers, which could serve as inspiration for St. Mary’s when it meets Baylor in the Sweet 16. But probably not.


Baylor is Shelton Benjamin

Big, strong and athletic – all of which could describe either Baylor or Benjamin. The Bears have been a mid-tier team in the Big 12 for a while but has the talent and experience to make the jump as one of the elite programs in the country. Shelton Benjamin is in the same boat. He’s fun to watch and is on his way to a bright and promising career inside the ring.


Purdue is Greg “The Hammer” Valentine

The more you beat on them, the stronger they get. The Boilermakers were left for dead on most brackets without star Robbie Hummel., but have proven they are tougher than your average team this March. Just like “The Hammer”, Purdue doesn’t really get going until about 15 minutes into a match.


Duke is Ric Flair

Is there a more logical choice for the Blue Devils? North Carolina’s favorite son is a legend in the business, as is Coach K’s program. The Nature Boy wasn’t the most muscular guy or did he have the most exciting moves, but he knew how to get the job done and pulled out all the stops to do so. Much like Duke and the phantom calls that seem to appear whenever Mike Krzyzewski is prowling the sidelines. Wooooo!


Got a better match? Give us the team and the wrestler in the comment box below.