







While some might rest on their powerlifting and Division 1 football laurels, former Hawkeye defensive lineman Ettore Ewen is the kind of man who will not rest until he has done all of the macho things.

On Monday, November 18, the 27-year-old became a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion after beating Joseph “Curtis Axel” Hennig for the WWE’s Intercontinental Championship in Nashville, Tennessee.

Witness Ewen’s moment of glory:


A series of unfortunate injuries cut Ewen’s football career short before the athlete shifted his focus to powerlifting in 2009. Ewen, who currently clocks in at 5’11” and 290 pounds, went on to break a number of state and national raw lifting record while training heavily in Florida.

He subsequently signed a development contract with NXT, the WWE’s Florida-based “development territory,” (formerly known as Florida Championship Wrestling).

Wrestling under the name Big E Langston, Ewen originally debuted on the WWE in 2012 as a heel, the slang term given to wrestling “villains.” He soon worked his way up the roster, eventually gaining the adoration of wresting fans and earning himself a shot at the WWE’s Intercontinental Championship.

The WWE and its titles are fictional, of course, but the showmanship, theatrics and athleticism these wrestlers exhibit is nothing short of astounding — and they do it all on the road to boot. Winning a WWE title is a testament to Ewen’s talent as both an athlete and crowd-pleasing entertainer. Here’s to his glorious reign as a WWE champion!

Watch Big E Langston’s championship match against Curtis Axel:













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