6 Mar 2014 17:15
Honorary Evertonian and general of the squared circle Fandango meets EFC legends
WWE wrestler Fandago, who has become a fan of Everton FC, pictured pulling a pose before heading inside for a tour of Goodison Park Photo by James Maloney
He’s a WWE superstar known to wrestling fans around the world as Fandango – a ballroom dancer who leaves his opponents head’s spinning.
But thanks to persistent Everton fans on Twitter, the 32-year-old grappler is also now an honorary Evertonian.
Today the American was given a tour of Goodison Park by club legends Graham Sharp and Ian Snodin, where he explained how he became a Blue.
Fandango, real name Curt Hussey, shot to fame this time last year after making his in-ring debut at WrestleMania 29 – the biggest event in WWE’s calendar.
The night after the show, during an episode of WWE Raw, British fans who had stayed over in New Jersey began singing his theme song, ChaChaLaLa, and ‘Fandangoing’ – dancing – in their thousands.
Fandango said: “The UK fans were getting more rambunctious and loud and as I came out for my match with Kofi Kingston and Chris Jericho interfered, the UK fans started Fandangoing.
“We had a week off and there was a lot of Twitter interaction with fans of different football clubs and a lot of football, hockey and baseball teams started playing my music at their games.
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WWE star and honourary Evertonian Fandango visits Goodison Park
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“A few WWE fans over here in the UK were tweeting Everton asking them to play my music.
“Everton responded saying they would not be able to, so me being the aggressor that I am decided to tweet Everton a bit of friendly banter back and forth ,and they decided to play my music. Since then we’ve been good friends!”
Everton officials kindly offered to teach Fandango about the club’s illustrious history and played the song in the Park End Fan Zone before a 2-0 win over QPR.
The song even reached number 11 in the UK iTunes charts.
Fandango said: “I think it really correlated with the football atmosphere and the fun atmosphere of a football game, when they get the chants going.
“I owe a lot to the UK fans for that, for sure.”
The performer, known for his diving leg drop finishing move, says it is hard to keep up with the team’s results given his hectic touring schedule.
But he keeps an eye on Everton’s scores back home in Florida and the form of his favourite player and fellow American, goalkeeper Tim Howard.
<img src="http://www.evertonlatest.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic//cache/557d7d378f_ddcea2c24d-JM060314FANDAGO-19-6782125.jpg" width="615" height="409" alt="WWE wrestler Fandago, who has become a fan of Everton FC, pictured pulling a pose before heading inside for a tour of Goodison Park Photo by James Maloney” class=”captify” title=”WWE wrestler Fandago, who has become a fan of Everton FC, pictured pulling a pose before heading inside for a tour of Goodison Park Photo by James Maloney” /> WWE wrestler Fandago, who has become a fan of Everton FC, pictured pulling a pose before heading inside for a tour of Goodison Park Photo by James Maloney
He said: “I’m starting to follow them a lot more now and it’s cool to have the support of the team.
“I’m a bit of a hometown guy, so if I had to lean towards anybody it would be him, definitely.”
Fandango admits his decision to become a Toffee could cause a bit of trouble with locker room rival Sheamus – a Liverpool fan from Dublin, Ireland nicknamed The Celtic Warrior.
He said: “I knew I didn’t like him for some reason!
“I think it’s a friendly kind of competition, but he will take a couple of jabs at me when he finds out I’m an Everton fan!”
WrestleMania 30 will take place on Sunday, April 6 and will be shown live on Sky Box Office.
The WWE returns to the UK in May for a 10-date stadium tour.
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