What happened to the former English footballer who signed with WWE

Stuart Tomlinson had been a professional footballer, beginning his career at Crewe Alexandra in 2003 and featuring for several clubs within the English pyramid, including Barrow, Port Vale and Burton Albion.

The goalkeeper was a huge figure between the posts, with rival fans chanting songs at him, suggesting he was fat.

However, little did they know that underneath his jersey was a well-honed physique following hours in the gym, resulting in him doing some modelling on the side and even adorning the cover of Men's Health magazine.

It was this magazine cover that brought him to the attention of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), as reported by the BBC, after 10 years of playing professional football.

Tomlinson travelled to the United States to be trained as a professional wrestler on a developmental contract by WWE.

He would take the ring name of Hugo Knox for the duration of his WWE career, with his debut coming November 8, 2014, at a live event for WWE's developmental territory, NXT.

This was a dream come true for Tomlinson, who said: “Most of the lads who I played with knew I was a wrestling fan, particularly at Port Vale.

"When we were travelling, I was always talking about what I'd watched.

"Going into wrestling when I finished football was definitely something I thought about, but I never knew how to get involved. Luckily enough, I was there when opportunities were being given, in the right place at the right time."

As he changed the professional footballer lifestyle in Burton for the one in Florida with the WWE, it was easy for Tomlinson to see the difference between them.

He said: “A basic day at football would be training for an hour, maybe playing a bit of five-a-side, having a laugh and a joke, then going home.

"In a day, I would probably do two hours' work - an hour's training, an hour in the gym, then the rest would be free time.

"Now, a normal day would be wrestling for two or three hours - learning techniques, new moves, and getting comfortable with what you're doing.

"You'd have a break for dinner, then do some weightlifting or power work for an hour or two, and then we'd usually have a promo class for an hour."

His career as a professional wrestler was not to be long, as he was released from his WWE contract in September 2016, according to reports.

Tomlinson would make a return to football after his stint in the WWE to join Altrincham in March 2017, signed as cover following an injury to another keeper in the squad.

He would make six appearances for the club but would not continue at the club following their relegation that season, and he has not played football since, with Tomlinson retiring from the sport, and he appears content with this decision.

The former WWE star said: “It's naive if someone thinks they are going to play football for the rest of their lives.

"Sometimes people get brainwashed in that whole football scene, and a lot struggle to find work after they have been playing.

"People who make a career out of football are very lucky, but it was drummed into me from a young age by my mum and dad that it wasn't the be-all and end-all and I should always have other opportunities to look outside the box."