Whether it’s celebrating first downs and touchdowns, or delivering a clothesline to The Miz at WrestleMania 39, it’s no secret that San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle – or “Stone Cold” Kittel – is a major wrestling fan. And for a WWE star, he’s made the game look cool to love.
Kittle has been open about his love of professional wrestling during his NFL career, telling reporters in 2020, “It’s something that I love.” But they also get a chance to connect with current WWE star Bayley, who is a Bay Area native and big 49ers fan.
Lately, Bailey has been a frequent visitor to Levi’s Stadium to watch his favorite team play, and the worlds of football and wrestling got a chance to collide on January 7 at the 49ers’ regular season home finale. Bailey met Kittle pregame, and gave him a custom 49ers championship belt before posing for photos with “The People’s Tight End”.
Bayley said that she grew up a fan of the 49ers, but since she focused her career on wrestling, she was not able to keep up with the team as much. Eventually, when she reached WWE and Levi’s Stadium opened in 2014, she returned to soccer and attended more games.
It really clicked when Kittle became a dominant force for the 49ers shortly after being drafted in 2017. It was around the 2020 NFL season, when fans were not allowed at 49er games due to COVID-19 restrictions, that Belle really learned about it. Kittel’s love for his game.
“I kept hearing about George Kittle and then watching him post up stuff, and whenever he had the ball, Stone Cold (Steve Austin)’s music would be playing,” Belle told USA TODAY Sports. “I’m like, ‘Man, this guy is amazing.'”
Bayley also explained how Kittle’s appreciation for wrestling has helped the image of WWE and other wrestling companies.
“He makes wrestling look great,” he said. “Where people have grown out of WWE or are like, ‘I don’t watch wrestling anymore, even though I did when I was a kid.’ He’s a very famous athlete on one of the best teams in the world, and he likes WWE, so I think it makes us look really good.
Bayley admitted that even though she gave the title belt to Kettle, they are not sitting together to talk. But he is sure that “someday” they will.
Even with the road to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania in mind, Bayley is definitely keeping an eye on her favorite team during the playoffs. As the No. 1 seed in the NFC, San Francisco had a first-round bye, and will begin its playoff journey at home against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday.
Bayley’s ideal start to 2024 would be to win the Royal Rumble in January, the 49ers to win the Super Bowl in February, and defeat Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 40 for the Women’s World Championship in April. When that happens, it’s a total celebration for Bey, Bailey said.
“We can have Super Bowl rings. We could have WWE Women’s Championship rings. We can throw a big party in the Bay Area,” she said. “We can have a parade.”
