Rodman debut in wrestling debut for Rodman

Dennis Rodman knocked down the referee and kicked him out of the ring. But he did not have to worry about a fine from the NBA commissioner, David Stern.

The Chicago Bulls bad boy made his professional wrestling debut at Daytona Beach, Florida on Sunday in a venue where the only rules were no biting, no eye-gouging and no throwing wrestlers past the first row of spectators.

However, Rodman, who is 6ft 8in and 220 pounds, and his tag-team partner, Hulk Hogan, lost to Lex Luger and Giant, who stands at 7ft 4in, in the World Championship match.

The 25-minute bout ended after Luger got Hogan in a "torture rack" submission hold above his head. "I'm very tired, but I made it," Rodman said. When asked if he would do it again, he said, "Of course, of course."

Donning black nail polish and glitter, rouge and stripes on his face, Rodman posed for pictures with Hogan before the match. The bout was aired on pay-per-view television.

"It ain't about being big or strong. It's about having it in the head," Rodman said. "I'm not one-dimensional."