Watch Former Blazer Enes Kanter Win—and Then Promptly Lose—a WWE Championship at Madison Square Garden Last Night

More notable than his brief title reign, Kanter proved to be a natural heel.

IMAGE: Frenchieinportland / Wiki Commons.
By Matthew Singer

Some NBA players spend the offseason rapping. Others spend it celebrating (and trying to trademark) Taco Tuesdays with their kids.

Enes Kanter spent part of his in the wrestling ring.

Earlier this summer, the Turkish big man—who signed with the Blazers in the middle of last season and quickly became a Portland cult hero before leaving to join the Boston Celtics in free agency—and professional wrestling fan took a few bumps alongside WWE Hall of Famer (and yoga guru) "Diamond" Dallas Page.  And last night, the training paid off—for about 20 seconds.

On Monday, WWE filmed an episode of its flagship show Raw from Madison Square Garden, an arena Kanter knows well—it's where he played for two years as a member of the New York Knicks. In a segment that aired exclusively on the company's YouTube channel, Kanter surprised Ron "R-Truth" Killings, the current 24/7 Champion, with a roll-up and won the title, only to immediately lose it back.

For non-WWE fans, the 24/7 title is basically a comedy championship, the joke being that it's perpetually up for grabs and that whoever holds it must be prepared to defend it around the clock. Since its introduction just four months ago, the belt has switched hands 45 times, with title changes happening on airport tarmacs, during wedding ceremonies, even in an OGBYN office.

So, yeah, it's not the most prestigious championship. But more notable than his brief title reign, Kanter proved to be a natural heel. He was booed loudly from the moment he was introduced—he didn't exactly leave the Knicks on the best terms—then even louder when he stripped off his jacket to reveal a Celtics jersey.

Will Kanter receive the same reaction when he returns to Moda Center with his new team for the first time next season? (He kinda dinged the front office on his way out of here, too.) Hard to say. But Damian Lillard is a pretty big wrestling fan himself. If we don't see someone take a stunner in the middle of the court, I'm going to be very disappointed.

Related: The Best Place to Watch Pro-Wrestling In Portland Is a Tiny Dive in the Barmuda Triangle.

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