Bully Ray Makes Connection Between Pro Wrestling And Poker Tactics
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray drew intriguing parallels between the world of professional wrestling and the game of poker, shedding light on the nuanced strategies required for success in both arenas.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray provided insights and advice tailored to WWE Superstars navigating the complexities of their careers, particularly in the post-WrestleMania season. He underscored the paramount importance of seizing opportunities, regardless of the circumstances, and encouraged wrestlers to demonstrate their skills while vying for prominent positions within the promotion.
Drawing an analogy to the game of poker, Bully Ray emphasised the significance of capitalising on opportunities presented by the creative team, likening it to playing a hand in a game of cards. He urged wrestlers to approach each week’s events—be it ‘Raw’ or ‘SmackDown’—with the mindset of maximising their potential and proving why they deserve to be positioned as the next champion.
Every week coming up, whether it’s ‘Raw’ or ‘SmackDown,’ and we still have got the draft coming in a couple of weeks, the big shakeup, no matter what hand you’re dealt, play it to your maximum ability, go out there and get over. Show creative why you should be positioned to be the next champion. That’s it. In poker, you have two choices with every hand you’re dealt. You can play the hand, or you can fold. In wrestling, you can play what creative gives you, or you can fold. You fold, you’re done, especially at that level.
Intriguingly, Bully Ray highlighted that success in both pro wrestling and poker doesn’t solely rely on having the best “cards” or opportunities. Rather, he stressed the importance of outworking opponents and employing strategic thinking to overcome challenges. According to him, professional wrestlers possess a diverse skill set encompassing acting, athleticism, psychology, and strategic prowess, which collectively contribute to their success in the industry. In his words:
And you don’t need the greatest hand in the world to win at the World Series of Poker. Think about that, you don’t need the best cards in your hand to defeat your opponent. You just need to know how to outwork your opponent. That’s why pro wrestlers are also poker players. We’re actors, athletes, we’re poker players, we’re magicians, we’re psychologists. We’re all of those. And when you learn how to master all of those aspects, you become a big deal in this business.
How Did Bully Ray Terrify Brock Lesnar?
Bully Ray said that he terrified Brock Lesnar early during Brock’s career as during a match between the two Lesnar gave Ray a belly-to-belly suplex which landed Ray on his head and Lesnar momentarily was shaken but Bully Ray quickly made Lesnar attempt the move again to make sure he put his fears aside.
H/t to ITRWrestling.com