Fanatics Fest is to sports what Comic Con is to pop culture—an electrifying celebration of all things athletic. This idea sparked when Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, stepped into Comic-Con and was blown away by its sheer scale and energy. He thought why not do the same for sports, and wanted to organize the best gathering in the world. And he made that happen! Rubin literally called the guy who ran Comic Con in New York to come and organize the Fanatics Festival for him!

This year, some of the biggest names are in attendance, but the spotlight was undeniably on two icons: Deter Jeter and David Ortiz. The duo even managed to pull a crowd who were buzzing from excitement to see the stars together at one stage. However, that is hardly a shocker for these baseball giants. so, what really stunned Jeter and Ortiz was the surprise WWE had in store for them. The former New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox stars were each gifted a custom-made WWE Championship belt, a tradition started by none other than Triple H!

Derek Jeter and David Ortiz receive custom gifts from WWE 

At the occasion of the inaugural Fanatics Fest in New York City, WWE honored two of the most revered names with their iconic WWE title-decked belts. Now, this tradition has been going on for 11 years, first started by Triple H. He began sending custom title belts to the teams when they would win championships and that stuck on and this still continues today.

Derek Jeter received a stunning custom belt, featuring blue and silver accents, with intricate Yankees details from WWE. Plus, they gave a strikingly beautiful red and gold detailed Red Sox belt to Jeter’s longtime rival and now friend David Ortiz. And no wonder they did. After all, there are a few players as iconic as them! Jeter spent two decades of his playing career with the New York Yankees. He is the team’s all-time leader with 3,465 hits and won five World Series titles. It’s not tough to imagine why he would be among the most loved athletes in New York sports history.

The same goes for David Ortiz, who became a larger-than-life figure in Boston and he played a crucial role in ending the team’s 86-year World Series Championship drought in 2004! He was so loved that everyone called him “Big Papi” and even won championships later at 2007 and 2013. While the belts were amazing, the conversations between once-intense rivals David Ortiz and Jeter on stage were even more interesting. 

Jeter and Ortiz share playful jabs at each other

Deter Jeter and David Ortiz might have been fierce rivals back in the day, but seems like there is no bad blood anymore. At the Fanatics Fest, the duo was seen humorously joking with one another. Jeter hinted that Ortiz wanted to play for his nemesis! Ryan Clark, the ESPN analyst, kicked off the ‘character counts’ conversation, asking Ortiz what it is like to have found his place in Boston and become one of the biggest icons of the city. But then, Derek Jeter brought in a rather playful take before Ortiz could even answer. 

With a grin on his face, Derek Jeter said, ​​“Before you go, tell them who you wanted to play for,” hinting that Ortiz actually wanted to play for the Yankees and not the Red Sox! To which, Ortiz replied, “You’ve got the story all twisted,” and the crowd who were earlier booing Jeter on the comment were now all laughing! But well, surely David Ortiz wanted to be with the Red Sox team—after all, he spent 20 MLB seasons in Boston after he joined them in 2003. However, the banter was far from over as Ortiz poked fun and talked about the conversation he had with Derek Jeter last year.

David Ortiz said, “I remember telling Derek last year… ‘Man, when I watch the Yankees, I don’t see the chemistry with the team that I used to when you guys were there.” Ouch! That one surely stung Jeter, but hey, he started it! Of course, Ortiz softened the blow by adding some praise for his old rival. The Red Sox star appreciated the Yankees team this year, saying, “This year, I see a different Yankees team. I see the chemistry. That boy Soto, man…I’m telling you.”

The banter and lightheartedness the duo brought in made it clear that respect runs deep and that the rivalry was limited to the field. What’s your take on this? Share in the comments below.