Tyrese Haliburton proves his love for wrestling runs just as deep as basketball after his message to John Cena

Tyrese Haliburton, the All-Star point guard for the Indiana Pacers, has always had a love for both basketball and pro wrestling. Even though he's been out due to a serious injury, Haliburton shared his feelings about WWE icon John Cena's last show in Indianapolis with a brief post on social media.

Tyrese Haliburton shares seven word message before John Cena’s final Indy match

On September 20, 2025, just before WWE's Wrestlepalooza at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Haliburton posted a seven-word message on his Instagram story, “GOAT last time in Indy lock in.” The post featured a video of Tyrese Haliburton looking quite upset while lying in bed, surrounded by six championship belts, including the Indiana Pacers’ Eastern Conference belt and a WWE Universal Title belt, showcasing his love for both sports.

This message mentioned Cena as the "GOAT" and urged fans to "lock in" for his last match in the city.

The situation comes from Cena's current retirement tour, with Wrestlepalooza being his last wrestling show in Indianapolis.Haliburton, a dedicated WWE fan from Indianapolis, has formed deep connections in the wrestling community, which makes this event especially significant for him as he heals from his injury.

Tyrese Haliburton joins Peter Rosenberg and WWE stars

Haliburton was really involved in getting the event ready. On September 19, 2025, he hosted the Wrestlepalooza pre-event coverage for ESPN's special broadcast on ESPN2 and the ESPN app, teaming up with Peter Rosenberg and a bunch of WWE stars. The next day, September 20, 2025, he took on the role of an analyst for the premium live event, using his crossover appeal in a collaboration between ESPN and WWE.During the ESPN special on September 19, 2025, Haliburton made some predictions about the Wrestlepalooza card.

Regarding the match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar, he told the ESPN panel: “It could definitely happen. I don’t think it’s gonna happen, but it could definitely happen. It’s Brock’s first match back in a little bit…man,”.He later added, “I was there at SummerSlam for this pop, this crowd reaction, this moment. And he looked unbelievable when he slid in the ring. Just the electricity in the arena was unbelievable.

So he’s going to be jacked, he’s going to be ready to go. It definitely could happen.”For the Undisputed WWE Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, Haliburton predicted a win for Rhodes, saying on the same ESPN special: “I think Drew is gonna be fierce from the jump. He’s gonna be ready to go…But I think Cody’s definitely coming out with the win.”He also remarked on the Women’s World Championship match between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer, commending Vaquer’s “unbelievable” rookie year and Sky’s “energy” and “total package” presence during the broadcast.

The complete Wrestlepalooza lineup on September 20, 2025, featured John Cena taking on Brock Lesnar as the main event, Rhodes facing McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Sky battling Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship, The Usos squaring off against The Vision, and CM Punk teaming up with AJ Lee to go against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. This event was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which held special meaning for Haliburton.Also Read: Charlotte Hornets sign Marcus Garrett to final roster spot and release Brandon Slater to open spaceTyrese Haliburton’s message wasn’t just a nod to John Cena. It showed loyalty, passion, and a bold love for his beliefs. Even from the sidelines, he demonstrated that he’s significant in both basketball and wrestling, showing that some connections go beyond the sport.