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If fans were to show up to a sporting event a see that featured “Half-Man Half-Amazing” and the “Polish Hammer,” they probably wouldn’t expect to be showing up at a basketball game. They would probably figure they were going to a wrestling match.
But Marcin Gorat, a.k.a., the “Polish Hammer,” and Vince Carter, a.k.a., “Half-Man Half-Amazing,” aren’t a wrestling tag team, they’re members of the Suns. However, both of them stopped by WWE Raw last Monday to check out some live professional wrestling.
For Carter, who was just traded to Phoenix on December 18, it was his first time going out in the Valley since arriving here. Both Carter and Gortat were joined by teammate Hakim Warrick, who professes to being a life-long wrestling fan.
“I used to be a big fan until college fell,” Warrick said. “Then with everything I was doing with basketball, I fell out of the loop a little bit.”
Growing up, Warrick would tune in to wrestling every Monday and would even check out all of the pay-per-view events on Sundays. His favorite wrestlers included, “The Rock,” “Stone Cold Steve Austin,” Shawn Michaels and “Ravishing Rick Rude.”
On Monday, the Suns power forward said that he was kind of embarrassed in how excited he was to see Randy Orton wrestle live. Orton won using his patented RKO (essentially it’s when Orton jumps in the air, grabs his opponents’ head and slams his opponent into the mat).
Of all the players on the Suns, Warrick believes that Gani Lawal would make the best pro wrestler. Practicing against Lawal every day, Warrick knows how physical the Suns rookie can be.
“He’s a beast,” Warrick said.
The problem with Lawal is that his first name, Gani, is eerily similar to one of the most peaceful human beings to ever walk the earth, Gandhi.
“He’s definitely not peaceful,” Warrick jokingly said of Lawal.
Carter disagreed with Warrick, saying that Gortat would make the best wrestler.
“I’d have to give it to him,” Carter said. “How could I not. He looks like one of those Nikolai Volkoff kind of guys. He’s the Iron Sheik or something.”
When that fact was brought up to Warrick, he had to reconsider.
“He does already got the name the ‘Polish Hammer,’” Warrick relented.
As for the “Polish Hammer” himself, he said growing up in Poland that his favorite wrestler was “Goldberg.” Up until Monday, however, he said that he never saw a professional wrestling match live.
“It was really fun,” Gortat said. “Some fighters came out and one of them was looking like a clown to me. It was a great experience.”
Despite how fun it was, Gortat said they’ll be no pro wrestling in his future. Unless of course, Warrick can convince Gortat to let him be his manager.
Warrick’s got big plans for the 6-11 center.
“He and Gani would make a nice tag team,” Warrick said.
