Getty Stefon Diggs warms up before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Stefon Diggs was ready for a brawl on Sunday.
The Buffalo Bills wide receiver shared some love for the wrestling league AEW, wearing a tribute to the upstart company that has been challenging the long-dominant WWE for supremacy in the wrestling world. It was the latest tribute from a player who has not been shy about boosting up secondary wrestling leagues.
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Diggs Rocks AEW Cleats
Diggs wore his love for the wrestling leave on his feet for Sunday’s game between the Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. The All-Pro wide receiver was pictured wearing a pair of cleats with the league’s logo. The AEW has been a league on the rise, snagging up a number of top wrestlers and starting to challenge the WWE for ratings and attention.
This is not the first time that Diggs has worn cleats bearing the logo of a wrestling league, with the then-Minnesota Vikings receiver showing off another tribute to Extreme Championship Wrestling back in 2018 in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. As WWE.com noted, it was a fitting tribute given that the league was once based out of the City of Brotherly Love.
“What better way to celebrate a stay in Philadelphia than by paying tribute to the house that hardcore built?” the report noted. “Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs made that notion clear on Sunday when he debuted a pair of Extreme Championship Wrestling-themed cleats, designed by Mache Custom Kicks, in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The fabled ECW, which propelled the likes of Tommy Dreamer and The Dudley Boyz to WWE Superstardom, called Philadelphia home before closing its doors in 2001.”
The following year, Diggs wore a different pair with the likeness of wrestling legend Stone Cold Steve Austin.
If you guys know me you know how much I loved making these, @stefondiggs is my brother from another and @steveaustinBSR is my all time favorite wrestler…as soon as I saw Dallas on the schedule for @SNFonNBC I knew this was happening. Haha. #SKOL
Diggs has shown off some gameday love for things other than wrestling. Back on October 10, he wore a pair of cleats with images from the Netflix sensation “Squid Games.” Later that day, he and teammates were seen playing the “red light, green light” game that is featured in the series.
Stefon Diggs is wearing custom Squid Game cleats by @MACHE275 for Sunday Night Football 🦑 #BillsMafia
Diggs Adopts Tough Mindset
While he’s showing love for wrestlers and wrestling leagues on his feet on game day, Diggs has also been adopting something of a tough midset himself. Earlier this season, Diggs described himself as a “grinder” and said he’s willing to take a step back to let teammates take the spotlight when needed.
“I feel like that side of stuff will take care of itself, I’ll have plenty of plays, I’ll have my plays, I’ll have success,” Diggs said, via the Buffalo News. “But as far as, like, in those games where I won’t be able to get the ball or teams game plan like, ‘We ain’t going to let him be a part of it,’ we have guys that can win. … I feel like those guys are going to be pivotal for us and when it’s my time to shine, I’m going to shine. I’m in no rush.”
The mindset didn’t help much on Sunday as the Bills were upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 9-6 slugfest. Diggs had six catches for 85 yards, but the Bills offense struggled all day and only managed a pair of first-half field goals, with an unusually tenacious Jaguars defense hounding Allen all day.
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