Broncos winger Daniel Vidot out to pin down World Wrestling Entertainment contract

FIRST it was Jarryd Hayne. Now hulking Broncos winger Daniel Vidot is hoping to conquer America ... by trialling for a WWE contract.

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FIRST it was Jarryd Hayne. Now hulking Broncos winger Daniel Vidot is the next NRL player hoping to conquer America by trialling for a World Wrestling Entertainment contract.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Vidot has been targeted by the professional wrestling organisation that unearthed superstars Hulk Hogan, The Rock and Andre the Giant.

The Broncos giant has been in negotiations with WWE representatives for the past month. He has been on the radar of US wrestling talent scouts for the past year as part of WWE’s strategy to promote more Australian talent.

Vidot also has an opportunity to sign with Queensland rugby, but will first explore a career path in the WWE before making any formal commitment to the Reds.

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US scouts believe Vidot has the size, strength and Polynesian look to match Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the WWE legend who has since become a Hollywood star.

The muscular Johnson stands 196cm and weighs 118kg, while Vidot is 188cm and 112kg and has the capacity to get even bigger under WWE training methods.

Vidot confirmed the WWE’s interest and plans to fly to America later this month for a three-day trial at the corporation’s performance centre in Orlando.

The development comes in the week Hayne, the former NSW Origin and Parramatta fullback, officially secured an NFL contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

Daniel Vidot has been in negotiations with WWE representatives. Picture: Annette Dew

“I’ve had an approach from the WWE,” Vidot said.

“They’ve contacted me and have offered to fly me over to Orlando in a few weeks to try out for the WWE.

“I’m seriously looking at it.

“They first approached me last year but I was playing good football with the Broncos, so I didn’t take it seriously.

“Then just recently they contacted me again and I’ve decided I’m going to have a crack at it.”

Formerly known as the WWF, professional wrestling became a smash hit with Australian audiences in the 1980s and 1990s.

The likes of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and the Ultimate Warrior became household names before The Rock, The Undertaker and John Cena dominated the WWE era.

Last year, WWE Hall of Famer and talent scout Booker Huffman said he was searching for “the next Australian superstar”. The WWE currently has two Aussies in its system - 26-year-old Melbourne female Tenille Dashwood and 105kg Matt Silva, better known as Buddy Murphy.

Vidot said he had no issues with the performance aspect of WWE, revealing his passion for acting and theatre since his teens.

“In high school, I did acting lessons, I performed in some theatre work so playing up in the WWE wouldn’t be an issue for me,” he said.

“I’m different to most league players. I’m not a boring sort of guy.

“Like a lot of kids, I watched wrestling growing up, I would pretend to be The Undertaker.

“They’ve got thousands of applicants but I’ve been advanced to the final 30 because I’m considered an elite athlete.

“The WWE talent scout reckons I’ve got the size and the look they are after so I’m going to give it a go.”

Vidot said if his WWE experiment doesn’t work out, he will most likely quit the Broncos to join the Reds.

“It’s not a done deal yet ... it’s up to Richard Graham (coach) and whether he is interested in signing me,” he said. “I have a few options up my sleeve so my mind isn’t made up yet.”