PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Wrestler Jimmie Samuelsson is in the next season of Mästarnas Mästare.
But really, another athlete would have participated, someone who is participant Joel Lundqvist’s worst rival.
– It was about someone who had injured themselves, says Samuelsson to Aftonbladet.
The next season of the Champions of Champions is being filmed in this now outside of Barcelona. Nine Swedish former elite athletes are in Spain for the month-long recording.
Lundqvist’s rival
This year’s participants include Sebastian Larsson, Anja Pärson, Tony Rickardsson, Anna Wijk, Johanna Ahlm, Johanna Davidsson, Emma Johansson, Joel Lundqvist and Jimmy Samuelsson. The latter was brought in as a reserve.
– I have been asked to be a reserve several times, but this time it was about someone who had injured himself, says the former wrestler.
The article continues after the picture.
In the days Aftonbladet was able to reveal that it was Jimmy Ericsson who was the original participant. The same Ericsson that is the worst rival to the participant Joel Lundqvist.
The former hockey players did not have much left for each other during the years on the ice. To Aftonbladet, Ericsson says that he regrets that he injured himself and thus misses the program.
– It was sad, of course. I had been looking forward to being there when Joel (Lundqvist) is there, says the former Skellefteå AIK player.
READ MORE: Niklas Wikegård’s great tribute and unexpected sawing of Frölunda and Leksand before the SHL: “I hope I’m wrong”
Ericsson misses
Ericsson says that a muscle in his shoulder tore during a veteran tournament in Ostvik, which was played four weeks before the departure for Spain. The former center explains that he is well aware that the body becomes more fragile with age, but that he could not refuse because he thinks it is so much fun to play.
The article continues after the picture.
The participants in Mästarnas Mästare do not find out who the remaining participants are until it is time for recording. But Ericsson reveals that the production had informed him that Lundqvist would participate.
– That was enough to trigger me extra to say yes. It’s probably the same for him. It would have been good television, it would have been a lot of fun. And that was probably what SVT and the “Master of Masters” production also guessed.
Would you like to see Joel Lundqvist and Jimmie Ericsson compete? Share the article and have your say!
READ MORE: JO Waldner does what few others dare – the smart boot to Björn Borg after the announcement: “He has not…”