In a season that has already seen Mick Foley attend a Sheffield United game, it's now seemingly become the thing for WWE superstars to turn up at relatively obscure English football matches.
The latest is Sin Cara, who has announced that he will be in the crowd at Molineux on Sunday to watch the Wolverhampton Wanderers' final home contest of the season against Fulham. He will be attending as a VIP guest of Wolves striker and fellow countryman Raul Jimenez, with whom he has struck up quite a bond over the past few weeks.
Ya la tengo amigo @SinCaraWWE esta 🔝 gracias! pic.twitter.com/ksgoo4t4mq
— Raúl Jiménez (@Raul_Jimenez9) 28 March 2019
It all began back in March, when Sin Cara sent his footballing friend a custom-made, personalised luchador mask resplendent in old gold and covered in Wolves club crests. Jimenez then celebrated scoring against Watford in the FA Cup semifinal by donning the mask and adopting Sin Cara's trademark "prayer" pose.
Time to raise our heads and continue.🐺⚽️🙇🏽♂️
— Raúl Jiménez (@Raul_Jimenez9) 8 April 2019
Momento de levantar la cabeza y continuar. 🐺⚽️🙇🏽♂️ #wearewolves #wolvesaywe pic.twitter.com/ngTqdf15BX
While obviously just a bit of fun, the celebration attracted scorn from some quarters, most notably from Watford captain Troy Deeney, who derided Jimenez for staging such an elaborate performance only to ultimately go on and lose the game. However, Sin Cara then spoke out in Jimenez's defence, informing Deeney and the braying hordes that lucha libre masks are a staple of Mexican culture and that his serves as a reminder to young fans that they should never give up on chasing their dreams.
One thing then led to another, and a few weeks down the line, Sin Cara found himself accepting an invitation from Jimenez to come and watch him play.
🛫WE ARE GOING TO ENGLAND🏴!
— Sin Cara (@SinCaraWWE) 1 May 2019
Happy to share with all of you that this Saturday I will be present at the last game of the season for the @Wolves at home. 🐺🐺🐺
See at Molineux Stadium 🏟 my friend @Raul_Jimenez9 ❗️
⚽😎#TodosSomosSinCara @WolvesEspanol pic.twitter.com/yK4tynHXmb
Indeed, with mask in tow, the Mexican grappler boarded a plane on Thursday and began his entirely unlikely voyage from Mexico City to sunny Wolverhampton.
A Volar ✈️! 🐺🐺🐺#TodosSomosSinCara pic.twitter.com/4DWjyeeUs1
— Sin Cara (@SinCaraWWE) 2 May 2019
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Sin Cara made it to the Wolves' training ground, where he swapped trinkets and posed for photos with Jimenez, his new "gran amigo."
Quien tiene Luz 💡 propia incómoda a el que esta en la Oscuridad ❗️#TodosSomosSinCara 🐺🇲🇽@WolvesEspanol @Raul_Jimenez9 pic.twitter.com/L3SqG9Dgxa
— Sin Cara (@SinCaraWWE) 4 May 2019
Listo para apoyar a los @Wolves 🐺 y a mi gran amigo Raul Jimenez ❗️ #TodosSomosSinCara pic.twitter.com/mkVtCBTTBU
— Sin Cara (@SinCaraWWE) 3 May 2019
And it would have been silly to have flown all that way and not take in a game, so Sin Cara was at Molineux on saturday to meet fans and watch the team's 1-0 win ove rFulham
Bumping into @SinCaraWWE in the Wolves Megastore.
— Wolves (@Wolves) May 4, 2019
🇲🇽📸 pic.twitter.com/2NdRiMHm1g
Jamas imagine que un balón ⚽️ y una mascara 🎭 pudieran unir a multitudes❗️
— Sin Cara (@SinCaraWWE) May 4, 2019
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Thanks to the @Wolves 🐺 and my friend Raul Jimenez for letting me be a part of this amazing experience.🙏🏼
Amazing fans! #TodosSomosSinCara#RJ9 pic.twitter.com/BhJTODHFRw
UN DÍA PARA LA HISTORIA! El furor futbolero y pasión luchistica unidos hoy en el @MolineuxStadium! Así gozó @SinCaraWWE la victoria de los @Wolves.@WolvesEspanol #TodosSomosSinCara pic.twitter.com/uefdSb5mPM
— WWE Español (@wweespanol) May 4, 2019
¡Viva la raza!