WWE TRYOUT: Swansea's Brendan Griffin, super fit and social media savvy, has gotten attention

SWANSEA – It’s a testimony to the power of social media, when it’s done right.

Early this year, Brendan Griffin of Swansea was contacted by World Wrestling Entertainment about a tryout at its WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The WWE was intrigued by Griffin’s dedication to fitness and by the professional pictures and videos he had launched into cyber-space via social media.

In late June, the 30-year-old Bishop Connolly graduate visited the performance center for a three-day tryout, and while things didn’t go perfectly, the Swansea resident left enthused. The enthusiasm intensified when, he reported, the WWE again contacted him.

“They emailed last week and said they had an eye on me for future endeavors,” the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Griffin said on Monday.

Greater Fall River High school athletics fans remember Griffin as a three-sport athlete at Connolly, football in the fall basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. With baseball his athletics focus, he attended the Community College of Rhode Island with the plan of transferring to Rhode Island College.

When his father, who had suffered a heart attack while Griffin was in high school, suffered a second attack, baseball and college, suddenly, was not so important. Griffin worked in the insurance field until, at age 26, the sports/fitness bug bit him and bit him hard.

He trained under Mike Boyle at Boyle’s gym in Woburn and jumped back into shoulder pads and a helmet, playing semi-pro football for an FXFL team, the Florida Black Tips, in Florida and for the Boston Blaze.

Griffin also became very, very social media savvy. Thanks mainly to Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, he shares with the world his workouts, his football exploits. “I started a resistance band company. It took off. I got my name out there,” he said.

A self-described “athlete and social media influencer”, Griffin said he makes money coaching people, creating food programs and fitness programs. Again, it all stems from the social media where, he says, the important thing is not just quantity but quality. “Posting educational content,” he said. “Good picture and videos. Not pictures off your phone. My girlfriend is a videographer. I have a clean professional page.”

While he didn’t contact WWE directly, Griffin made it a point to mark many of his posts for WWE. The folks in Titan Tower noticed, leading to the tryout.

Griffin landed in Orlando confident of his athleticism, on-video skills and knowing he had a significant social media following. He completely lacked any in-ring experience.

On Day 1, Griffin said, he cracked a rib bouncing off the ring ropes. He had to sit out Day 2 action but was back for Day 3. Among the well-known former WWE superstars on hand during the tryouts, he said, were Mark Henry and Sotty Too Hotty. Among the other students were Duke University wrestler Jacob Kasper, a two-time All-American who is also well known for helping MMA star Daniel Corrmier with his ground fighting. Kasper is considered a top WWE prospect.

Griffin said he is taking the potential pro wrestling opportunity seriously, even though he’s also playing for the Boston-based North Shore Generals semipro football team. He knows he needs to learn the ins and outs on pro wrestling. How to sell. How to take a bump. He wants to hone his microphone skills. He’s anxious to learn the behind-the-scenes aspects of the business.

He has dropped in on a training session at the Top Rope Promotions wrestling company in Fall River and expects to visit again. He said he will be at a big pro wrestling show this Friday at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I., just to learn.

“I want to get more involved,” he said.

Griffin’s Instagram handles are @highflyerbg11 @gettherecompany.

Email Greg Sullivan at gsullivan@heraldnews.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.