Professional wrestler Austin Aries made headlines last weekend by becoming the first vegan to sign with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The 37-year-old industry veteran made his debut appearance with WWE during an event taping at the University of Central Florida, which will air in early March. Aries made a name for himself in the world of wrestling as a part of the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling company, where he was the World Heavyweight champion, and prior to that, with Ring of Honor. He shared his vegan routine with the Miami Herald in 2014, citing a dissatisfaction with America’s broken food system as a motivation to overhaul his diet. “It’s about understanding that we have choices in the foods we eat,” Aries said. “A lot that is put out there by the corporate food system just isn’t very good for us. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to take the power back, inform ourselves, learn about the food that’s in place and maybe force corporations to have a little more social responsibility.”

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