Many WWE wrestlers have become actors over the decades. Who can forget (even if we might like to) the films of Hulk Hogan? Jesse Ventura and Roddy Piper had iconic roles in Predator and They Live (they also starred together in a failed TV pilot). Today, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista rule Hollywood, and Roman Reigns and Liv Morgan might be next, with their announced big roles this year.
However, there was one movie that was absolutely stacked with WWE wrestlers. 2005’s The Longest Yard, starring Adam Sandler, is a remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds film of the same name. It’s not one of Sandler’s best movies per se, but if you’re a wrestling fan, it’s a must-see, as it has among its cast four WWE Hall of Famers.
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Thirty years into his acting career, Adam Sandler is still one of the biggest names in comedy. His most famous film might be 1996’s Happy Gilmore. This summer, after almost three decades, we’re finally getting a sequel with Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2. For wrestling fans, there is another reason to watch, as AEW’s MJF, who is all over the trailer, plays one of his sons. In a true opening of the forbidden door, WWE wrestlers Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella are also in the film. Could we possibly see MJF interacting with The Man?
This won’t be the first time Adam Sandler has worked with wrestlers though. Ten years ago, Sandler starred in The Longest Yard, which co-starred the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Goldberg, and Kevin Nash.
‘The Longest Yard’ Had Four Wrestlers On Two Teams
Two WWE Hall of Famers Played Prisoners, While The Other Two Were Guards
- Adam Sandler is Paul Crewe, a disgraced NFL quarterback sent to prison.
- His character is forced to put together a team of convicts to play a football game against the guards.
- “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kevin Nash are guards, while Goldberg and the Great Khali are convicts.
In The Longest Yard, soon after Adam Sandler’s character, disgraced NFL quarterback, Paul Crewe, finds himself in prison, he quickly learns that the guards are far more dangerous than the convicts. Led by William Ficthner’s Captain Knauer, the guards’ football team is low on confidence and in desperate need of a tune-up. That’s when the plot is kicked into motion, setting up a prisoners vs. guards match, with Paul Crewe offered a shot at redemption.
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The guards’ team includes two WWE Hall of Famers. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kevin Nash play Guard Dunham and Sargeant Engleheart respectively. In professional wrestling parlance, they are the heels in the context of the film. As Sandler’s character goes about putting together a team, he meets Joey “Battle” Battaglio and a giant of few words named Turley. Goldberg and the Great Khali play Battle and Turley, setting the stage for four WWE Hall of Famers to clash on the football field.
Each WWE Star Had Unique, Memorable Character Traits
Kevin Nash Played Against Type In ‘The Longest Yard’
- Goldberg’s character is aggressive and very well-endowed.
- Khali’s character barely speaks and has violent tendencies, but loves playing ping-pong.
- Steve Austin’s character is a racist redneck, and Kevin Nash goes through a transformation when his anabolic steroids are swapped for estrogen pills.
Seeing as The Longest Yard is an Adam Sandler comedy, it gives a number of its characters unique traits that are overplayed to perfection only the way a professional wrestler can. These traits range from amusing to distasteful and are usually a combination of the two. Goldberg’s Battle is an aggressive linebacker who happens to be incredibly well-endowed. Khali’s Turley hardly speaks and is portrayed as an inmate with incredibly violent tendencies, though he does enjoy playing ping-pong with Paul Crewe.
Steve Austin’s Dunham is a stereotypical redneck who drops the N-bomb on multiple occasions while trying to intimidate an African-American inmate. The most entertaining of the lot, though, has to be Kevin Nash’s Engelheart. He doesn’t factor into the movie much in its first, or even its second act. However, the film relies on him for multiple humorous scenes when the prisoners sneakily swap out his anabolic steroids for estrogen pills.
It is typical 2000s comedy fare, as Nash becomes increasingly emotional and hams it up with the femininity. All of this is far from PC, but it is still very amusing to see Kevin Nash, Big Daddy Cool, one of the founders of the nWo, tell another guard that if he wants to cry, he should, and that they can cry together. Seeing the two-time WWE Hall of Famer struggle with sensitive nipples is a sight no wrestling fan will forget in a hurry, even if they try.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Character Got A Very Embarrassing Comeuppance
It Is Not Something Longtime WWE Fans Would Ever Imagine Seeing From Stone Cold
- Steve Austin’s character confronts Nelly’s character, an inmate, and uses the N-word to get a reaction from him.
- In the game, Nelly’s character tells Sitowski, played by Bob Sapp, what Austin’s character said and says it’s time to take him out.
- Sitowski barrels into Austin’s character, causing him to lose control of his bowels.
Beyond the physical violence inflicted between the guards and prisoners, one of the most offensive scenes in the film has Steve Austin using a racial slur. He does this to get a rise out of Nelly’s Earl Megget, a running back with lightning feet who poses a significant threat to the guards’ team.
The reason this stands out is that the prisoners can dole out the physical punishment they’ve been handed by the guards on the field, but there is no real excuse for Austin’s character using the N-word. The scriptwriters found a gross but amusing way to give Austin’s Dunham his comeuppance. During the match, Megget tells another character, Sitowski, what Dunham said to him, explaining that it’s time to take him out of the game.
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Sitowski is played by Bob Sapp, who is a wrestler, kickboxer, and MMA fighter. He is 6’5” and north of 300 pounds, but his character has a childlike innocence that can turn to fury to protect his friends. Sitowski takes out Dunham with a brutal tackle, leading to Austin’s character relieving his bowls on the field. The thought of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the Texas Rattlesnake and one of the baddest SOBs in professional wrestling history soiling himself is both shocking and funny.
2005’s The Longest Yard makes great use of the real-life professional wrestlers in its cast, leveraging their physicality and acting capabilities to move the plot along while providing plenty of highlights. Here’s hoping we see some wild moments with the stars of AEW and WWE in Happy Gilmore 2!
