Iconic Wrestlers and Their Lives Outside the Four Corners of the Ring
Lives of wrestlers is a rewarding occupation and for others, they risk their very own body and lives for entertaining the crowd. With that said, we give honor to all the wrestlers out there by discussing their lives outside the ring.
You’ll be surprised when you found out their occupation. Some are teachers, others had hidden talents in music and writing. With all these details, let’s look at some of the most famous wrestlers of all time and see where they at and their investments during their spare time when they are out of the ring.
Kane
The Big Red Killing Machine known as Kane is at his 50s and most people are not aware that he’s actually the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He showed his prowess both inside the ring and in politics.
During his prime in the wrestling ring, he was mostly paired up against his “so-called” half-brother, The Undertaker, by Paul Bearer – a historic manager in the wrestling world. After the plastic surgery-like injury that happened with Paul Bearer’s face, Kane emerged in the ring and faced off with his half-brother in a plot made by the wrestling management.
Aside from the successful career in wrestling and politics, he also appeared in movies and television shows such as Smallville where he played in the episode called Combat and the movie See No Evil.
Ric Flair
With almost four decades of solid wrestling profession under his belt and considered as one of the best wrestlers of all time, Ric Flair has experienced a majestic journey. Credit to his long and marvelous career, he took home the World Championship belt 16 times. Like most of his contemporaries, he also appeared in shows and movies and he even did a voiced project for an animated series.
Macho Man Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo is widely known for his ring name, Randy Savage and Macho Man, which is considered one of the best all-around performer that stepped into the wrestling ring. Aside from wrestling, he also made a few projects that made him earned some income as an actor and an endorser.
He took a role in a television series and movies like Ready to Rumble, Spider-Man and he even appeared in an episode in Baywatch. I guess he didn’t need any bankruptcy lawyers during that time with all the projects he took during his prime.
Razor Ramon
Scott Oliver Hall, also known as Razor Ramon, entered the pro wrestling stage in the 1980s and took the main stage in the early 90s. He was a four-time World Wrestling Federation’s Intercontinental Champion and his style of wrestling made him get a few appearances in various shows.
Although he had some issues with his personal life in the past, he didn’t report any money management issues. In the past few years, he seemed to be done dealing with his personal issues and for those who are in the loop, we saw a better and healthier Scott Hall nowadays compared to the past.
Chyna
Probably the most dominant female wrestler that entered the ring, Joan Marie Laurer, also known as Chyna, managed to carve her legacy in the wrestling world. She was credited for the first female wrestler to ever join the top male wrestlers that participated at the Royal Rumble matches and the King of The Ring.
After her career ended as a wrestler, she did some modeling projects for a magazine back in the early 2000s and she also was the star of an adult documentary during that span. She also released an autobiography named If They Only Knew which topped The New York Times’ bestseller list.
Sid Vicious
Sidney Raymond Eudy is known by his fans by his ring names Sid Vicious, Sid Justice and Sycho Sid. He first started to make an income with his wrestling career in the 1980s and later became a huge part of the World Wrestling Federation’s plans.
He also appeared in some shows such as Ready to Rumble, Death from Above and River of Darkness. He’s also one of the playable characters in various WWF game titles released for NES and SNES. Same goes for recent wrestling titles such as WWE 2K18 and WWE 2K19.
The Coach
Jonathan Coachman didn’t only participate in commentating professional wrestling matches but he also shines as a college basketball player on the hardwood. For those who don’t know, he used to be part of his college team and that might probably help him go long during his studying time without any need for student loans.
Mideon
Dennis Knight used to be part of the wrestling world in the 90s up until the early 2000s. He was known for his ring names Mideon, Tex Slazenger and Phineas I. Godwin. Little did his fans know, he is also great in cooking as he immediately worked as a chef after retiring from professional wrestling. We’re just not sure if he had a culinary degree but it looks as he is far better than most of his competition in this regard.
Skinner
Steve Keirn started working in the wrestling ring back in 1972. His career was mostly paired up with a fellow wrestler where they brought home a bunch of tag team championship under their belt.
Although he’s not involved in wrestling matches anymore, he immediately took the initiative and wanted to teach wrestling and allotted some of his time as an investment for training new blood who are interested in wrestling.
Scotty 2 Hotty
Known by his fans by the name Scotty 2 Hotty, Scott Ronald Garland showed his flair in the wrestling ring and provided us one of the most entertaining finishing moves in a pro wrestling match named “The Worm.” Aside from his flashy moves inside the ring, he also shines outside by providing extra home security to his neighborhood by joining the Lake Tech Fire Academy in Florida as a firefighter. He also trained joined a training session as an emergency medical technician. He returned to the ring last 2016 as a trainer.
Kelly Kelly
Kelly Kelly or Barbara Jean Blank in real life is a model and a reality TV personality. This is her work outside the wrestling ring and we think it is far from over since she’s on the rise again with plenty of appearance in various events of WWE. There’s also no need for any plastic surgery for this gorgeous woman as she was featured in various magazines with her good looks and wonderful charisma.
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon or simply Mr. McMahon is the head and the majority owner of World Wrestling Entertainment. He’s also listed with an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion that catapulted him into one of the richest people in the world. We all agree that he didn’t need any business loan with all that fortune when dealing with his investment empire.
Bill Goldberg
Known for his winning-streak that happened from 1997 to 1998, William Scott Goldberg, also known as Goldberg, is now on his early 50s. Aside from wrestling matches, he also took the initiative as many financial experts would suggest, to start up a business. He co-owns a boxing facility in California where he mostly spends his time with.
Lex Luger
He’s a former World Heavyweight Champion and the 5-time United States Champion for a wrestling brand. Although he experienced unfavorable events that happened in his health in the past, with the help of his personal insurance, he was able to go back in great shape and is now working with the WWE management regarding health and wellness policy of the company to its wrestler and employees.
Jacqueline
Jacqueline DeLois Moore brought home the WWE Cruiserweight Championship belt and was one of the inductees in WWE’s Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. Aside from his successful wrestling career, she was credited with a role as a trainer in one of MTV’s reality series. Up until today, she’s still showing her beautiful body that is being maintained by her healthy and active lifestyle.
Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the most electrifying personalities that ever competed inside a wrestling ring. Though his career was cut short because of an injury, with the help of his tenacity and his health insurance, he was able to go back in shape.
After recovering from his injury, he later switched to acting and was one of the stars in two seasons as an inspector in Nash Bridges. Aside from some shows, he was also part of the movie The Expendables back in 2010.
The Rock
Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, is one of the pillars of the wrestling industry in the past. Considered as one of the most successful athletes that entered the ring, he got himself a fortune of $220 million under his name. His income came from his contract as a wrestler and some were from his endorsements. Now, he’s been busy as a Hollywood celebrity appearing as a lead actor in some recent movies.
Mick Foley
He goes by many names such as Mankind, Dude Love, Mick Foley, and Cactus Jack but wrestler, Michael Francis, cemented his legacy as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Now in his 50s, Francis is still enjoying life and credit to his good heart, he’s mostly seen nowadays as a part of a charity work that aims towards children.
Batista
David Michael Bautista Jr. also known as Batista played a major role in WWE’s storyline in the early 2000s and took home a couple of championship belts under his name. Aside from his dominating presence inside the ring, he also showed flashes of his acting skills in recent movies such as The Guardians of the Galaxy and Riddick. With all these projects under his name, even if he didn’t wrestle, he’s still far from needing any personal loan as people starting to notice his skills as a well-polished actor.
Randy Orthon
Randy Keith Orton has been in the ring for almost two decades now and still not showing any signs of slowing down. Aside from his usual wrestling job, he also appeared as a movie actor. Credit to his efforts and his charisma, his one of the most popular wrestler in the current generation of wrestlers.
Edge
Adam Joseph Copeland also known under the ring name Edge, is a retired professional wrestler and was part of the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2012. The Canadian athlete is now making a name for himself after retiring from wrestling back in 2011.
Although he didn’t have a degree in acting, he got nominated in 2015’s Golden Maple Awards as Best Actor in a TV series category. This proves that he is an all-rounder when it comes to talent.
Lita
Professional wrestler Amy Dumas, also known as Lita, was part of a wrestling group called Team Xtreme back in 2000. She was paired with the Hardy Boyz and got a huge boost in her WWE wrestling career.
After her first retirement in 2006, she formed a band and scored their first album in 2007. Aside from her band, she’s also a known animal welfare activist. Credit to her love for animals, she founded a charity called Amy Dumas Operation Rescue and Education or A.D.O.R.E. that directly aims to rescue and take care of poor animals.
The Undertaker
He’s probably one of the spookiest wrestlers of all time. Not to mention the 17 championship belts under his name, he is truly one of the greatest that ever stepped into the wrestling ring. Aside from the mark of excellence in the professional wrestling world, he also ventured with real estate investments and it shows that he has some talents making deals outside the ring.
Shawn Michaels
The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels or Michael Shawn Hickenbottom in real life, held the championship belt four times during his active years in the wrestling ring. Aside from his wrestling matches, he also excels in other things such as writing and acting. In case you’re having issues with your mortgage at home and decided to go out in the wild, he also runs an outdoor adventure show called Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures.
Alundra Blayze
The first woman to be awarded as Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Rookie of the Year in 1988, Debrah Ann Miceli, also known as Medusa and Alundra Blayze set the standards for female wrestlers in the industry. Aside from fighting in the ring, she also acts as a trainer for female wrestlers such as Torrie Wilson, Molly Holly, and Stacy Keibler.
Aside from wrestling and her training routine, she also competed in the world of gas and engine. In 2004, she was part of the Moster Jam World Finals where it ended as a three-way tie. The year after that, she participated in the Super Bowl of Motorsports and won the Racing Championship in the Moster Jam World Finals.
Booker T
Rober Booker Tio Huffman or widely known as Booker T by his fans was a force to be reckoned with in the wrestling ring. He held the belt six times and finished with 21 titles during his active career.
According to reports, Booker T has an estimated net worth of around $5 million which he earned as an investment and paycheck during his wrestling years. Aside from wrestling, he published two books and took part in several acting jobs.
Triple H
Hunter Hearst Helmsley or Triple H is a professional wrestler that dominated the wrestling ring during his prime. Although he doesn’t wrestle that much recently, he’s working with lawyers and other executives for managing the WWE as an Executive Vice President of Talen, Live Events and Creative department of the company owned by the McMahon’s.
Stacy Keibler
Aside from being a gorgeous woman in the ring as one of the divas of WWE, she also used to be a cheerleader, a dancer, model, and an actress. Stacy Keibler dated the actor, George Clooney but in 2013, the couple broke up. A year after, Keibler wore a beautiful wedding dress and exchanged bows with his husband, Jared Pobre.
Trish Stratus
Patricia Anne Stratigeas, known by her ring name Trish Stratus, is one of the most famous divas in the wrestling world. What most people don’t know, she’s also a fitness model, a television personality and an actress. Her yoga studio brought home the Top Choice Awards’ Best Yoga Studio back in 2013 which will be helpful for granting her business loan if she needed one. However, we doubt she needs one.
Road Dogg
Brian James was one of the prominent figures in the World Wrestling Federation’s roster and he was known by most wrestling fans as Road Dogg. Aside from doing wrestling, he was also part of the United States Marine. Although he’s not part of the ring-side action anymore, he’s still connected to his wrestling roots as a wrestling producer. I bet his great employment records will show on his equally great credit report.
Brian Keith Adams
Brian didn’t only compete inside a wrestling ring, but he also trained to be a professional boxer. Unfortunately, Adams or Crush in the wrestling ring wasn’t able to compete in a boxing match as he caught a shoulder injury during training. Some reports said that he was living on income from an insurance company but there were limited details about it.
Ray Washington Traylor Jr.
He was widely known as the Big Boss Man of the wrestling ring. He portrayed a correctional officer-like character in the ring. Aside from emanating an officer-like appearance, he also took training to be a full-pledged Guardian Angel and for those who don’t know what Guardian Angels is, it is a legitimate group of volunteers who are working with the local law enforcement groups for providing a neighborhood and home security duties.
Mark Henry
Dubbed as the world’s strongest man, Mark Henry ventured in the wrestling world and proved that he is one of the elites. He also used to dominate in weightlifting and providing that he’s one of the best in this field as well. Credit to his frame and his work ethics, Mark Henry was a three-time U.S. National Weightlifting Champ in 1993, 1994 and 1996. With that record, he booked a ticket in the Olympics twice. Big props for the big man!
Paul Bearer
Paul Bearer is the famous manager behind huge wrestling names such as The Undertaker and Kane. At one point, his body weight reached more than 500 pounds and he needed to take a gastric bypass surgery for controlling his weight. Little do people know, he used to be a ringside photographer back when he was a teenager and we could say the rest is history.
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy was one half of the high-flying tag team called Hardy Boyz. He took home a couple of championships including the WWE and the World Heavyweight belt. During his prime, their team always loves death-defying stunts jumping from above down to the flooring of the wrestling mat. Aside from wrestling, he’s also a songwriter, a musician, and a painter.
Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy is the other half of the Hardy Boyz that brought numerous tag team championships under their belt. Just like his brother, he’s also fearless doing stunts inside and outside the ring. Credit to his fearless spirit, it is no surprise that he was part of a football team as a linebacker and a defensive end. He also appeared in some wrestling titles across multiple gaming platforms.
X-Pac
At the start of his career, Sean Waltman also known as X-Pac used to be an underdog in most of his fights. He also goes by the name 1-2-3 Kid who is known to be a lightning-fast wrestler inside the ring. With his style of wrestling, the audiences were provided another degree of excitement when he is wrestling inside the ring. He’s also running his own podcast show called X-Pac 1-2-360.
Kurt Angle
The Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle didn’t only wrestle in the professional ring but started his show as a successful amateur wrestler. He grabbed multiple awards during his younger days in the amateur ring and was a two-time NCAA Division I Champion. Imagine if his accomplishments in the pro and the amateur ring is one of the basis for giving a good credit score and that rating would be insane. Aside from wrestling, he also appeared in various Movies and TV shows.
Chris Jericho
Probably one of the most popular names in the WWE roster, Chris Jericho achieved many praises during his career. Life outside wrestling, Jericho also shined with top honors in Red River College in a degree in Creative Communications.
Ken Shamrock
Born as Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick, Ken Shamrock is one of the most prominent figures in wrestling. It is no secret that he’s also one of the biggest names in MMA history. However, many fans don’t know that he and his family used to live close to bankruptcy during childhood but steadily stood up to the challenge.
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner dominated the wrestling ring along with his brother Scott as the Steiner Brothers. They brought home a total of ten tag team championship belts, but when he went solo, he also held the United States Heavyweight and the World Television Championship. Outside of wrestling, he’s great when handling mortgages as he is a professional real estate broker.
Billy Kidman
Billy Kidman or Peter Alan Gruner Jr. was a professional wrestler and now a producer in WWE. However, most people don’t know that he used to be a banker processing loans and all other financial stuff before he got into wrestling.
Tito Santana
Tito Santana was part of the inductees of the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004 which proves his contribution in the wrestling world. He was well known during his prime and was paired against fellow Hall of farmers like Hulk Hogan and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. He’s now busy teaching Spanish and is a basketball coach in a middle school in New Jersey. We will not be surprised if he manages to have online classes featuring his teaching and coaching strategies.
Damien Sandow
Aron Steven Haddad or Damien Sandow had success in independent pro wrestling tournaments and only started to play the mainstream show in 2003. Although we don’t see him in the ring more often, he is now taking some special and probably online classes and aims to be a successful actor.
Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page or Page Joseph Falkinburg in real life used to play inside the ring for almost two decades. With his physique, it is no wonder why he is interested in sharing what works for him in online classes as a fitness instructor. Aside from this, he is also a great motivational speaker.
Kamala
James Harris also is known as Kamala used to wrestle as a professional and got mainstream attention during the 80s through the early part of the 90s. After his wild wrestling career, he indulged himself with music portraying the low-quality wages of wrestlers and that got us thinking that most wrestlers might need some sort of personal loans to help them with their financial needs. Aside from music, he also wrote an autobiography about his life story.
The Russian Bear, Ivan Koloff
A wrestler back in the 60s who went to be an ordained minister later in his life. Ivan Koloff or Oreal Donald Perras in real life took home the championship belt only once in the WWWF ring. He later invested his time completing two books name Is That Wrestling Fake? The Bear Facts and Life in the Trenches.
John Nord
John Nord started his wrestling career in an independent wrestling circuit and jump to WWF and WCW as Nord the Barbarian and Berzerker. After his wrestling career, he started working at one of his brother’s investment, a car dealership named Nord East Motors.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Jake “The Snake Roberts was one of the most memorable wrestling personality that entered the ring. This was because of his partner in crime named Damien the Python. With the degree of stress and lifestyle wrestler had, Roberts lost the way and was featured in a documentary portraying the private life of his and fellow wrestlers. He also took credit in some TV shows back in 2005 to 2015.
Rowdy Roddy Pipper
The credit for being the perfect bad guy or the villain in a wrestling plot is probably given to Rowdy Roddy Piper. Roderick George Toombs in real life was one of the headliners of the wrestling world for almost three decades paired against some of the hall of famers like Hulk Hogan. Going back in his childhood, he used to work in a gym running errands for the gym’s regular customers like wrestlers and others.
Marc Mero
Marc Mero or sometimes called Johnny B. Badd started training wrestling in 1990 and worked in the field until his retirement in 2006. At a young age, he was blessed with an athletic body and first started with hockey where he eventually became the MVP in the league that he’s playing in. He then played boxing during his college years and that probably helped him get off from any personal or student loan during that time.
Debra Marshall
Debra Marshall is a retired wrestling personality in the 90s up until the early 2000s. With her beautiful face and personality as an investment, Debra rose to stardom and was featured in several endorsements and was even part of a music video. More about Debra’s past occupation, she used to be a flight attendant before venturing to the wrestling scene.
Big Van Vader
Leon Allen White also known as Big Van Vader is regarded as one of the greatest super heavyweight pros and his finish move was credited as the best wrestling maneuver by Wrestling Observer Newsletter readers. He also was a decorated football player until injuries cut short his professional football career.
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash was one of the most decorated wrestlers in and outside of the ring. Being tall as he is, Nash used his height as an investment and went to a college basketball team playing for the University of Tennessee and professionally in Germany. However, injuries cut short his basketball career which led him to be a professional wrestler. Aside from his outstanding athletic achievements, he also played a few roles in both TV shows and movies.
The Honky Tonk Man
Wayne Farris or popularly known as the Honky Tonk Man held the WWF Intercontinental Championship for 64 straight weeks. Along with his glorious wrestling career, he also appeared in movies and music videos a couple of times. He might have a good financial advisor as he always play golf as a pastime and he’s quite good in it.
Jimmy Snuka
James Reiher Snuka was a high flying daredevil in the wrestling ring. He became famous with his fearless stunts mid-air with no regards if he’s going to get injured. Although we thought he had a good insurance company, his death-defying act was both a beauty and dreadful to watch. He was also an avid fan of weightlifting and bodybuilding and he even earned Mr. Hawaii, Mr. North Shore, and Mr. Waikiki.
Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon is the daughter of Vince, the big boss in the WWE and she’s the other half of Triple H. She has a degree in communications and with her performance as an executive and the Chief Brand Officer of WWE, she’s more like attended a masteral class. With her resume, she was invited more often in TV shows and she even became the honorary chairperson for the Special Olympics of Connecticut.
Rico Constantino
Americo Sebastiano Constantino or Rico only had a short wrestling career but he had some memorable appearances both in SmackDown and Raw. He graduated in Northwestern Military and Naval Academy with high honors credit to his brain and hardworking ethics.
Garbage Man
Michael David Droese or should we go by his ring name Duke “The Dumpster” Droese carrying his favorite garbage can with him in his fights. He got the spotlight when he was paired against Triple H but retired after cumulative injuries and exhaustion he got from his wrestling tour. After retiring from wrestling, Droese started working as a special education teacher in Tennessee and probably started working in online classes as well.
Gigantic Kurrgan
A retired wrestler and a Canadian actor that spent his time in the ring as Kurrgan and was a member of the stable The Truth Commission and The Oddities. After wrestling, he has credited a part in movies such as 300, Sherlock Holmes and Deadpool 2.
Gangrel
David William Heath is an American pro wrestler and is widely known Gangrel. He is one of few others that used a vampire-like gimmick in the ring. Outside of wrestling, he appeared in some movies but didn’t get the credit. He’s also fond of music took part in a music video in the song For The Town.
Joey Mercury
Adam Birch goes by the names Joey Mercury and Joey Matthews inside the ring. He used to have a long, braided hair with that typical wrestler look but it seems like he went a plastic surgery turning his image 180 degrees. He’s now a serious looking bald-looking executive and is currently working as a trainer, producer and a member of a creative team in Ring of Honor.
Justin Credible
Peter Joseph “PJ” Polaco or Justin Credible started making headlines when he joined ECW. He took home the ECW Heavyweight belt once and had a two-month winning streak. He joined forces with a fellow wrestler and created the Impact Players where they won the Tag Team Championship twice. He had personal struggles lately and needed some assistance from lawyers but we’re sure that he’ll get through it as he did inside the ring.
Brutus Beefcake
Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake is a retired wrestling personality that played with and against big names in the wrestling scene. He also took home a couple of individual and tag team championships and even competed in the main event. After retirement, he created his own wrestling school. During his prime, he used to bring a pair of scissors and he can probably use those pair of scissors for bob haircuts.
Adam Rose
The South African wrestler started his journey in the wrestling scene in 1995 and jumped to WWE in 2010 under its subsidiary. He didn’t have a flashy personal life and struggled in some areas. At one point, he was arrested and used his mug shot image as an extra source of handling home finances. He also appeared in a documentary that featured the system about his development as a wrestler.
Maven
Maven Klint Huffman made a name for himself while wrestling under the WWE. He also appeared in the inaugural season of Tough Enough. While not in the wrestling ring, he’s busy appearing in TV shows as an exercise and wellness experts as he runs himself through the flooring doing routines that would be beneficial to the body.
One Man Gang
One Man Gang or Akeem is known as George Gray in real life. He wrestled from the early 80s and brought home a couple of belts. After wrestling, he served as a prison guard in a penitentiary in Louisiana. He’s also one of the victims in the Louisiana floods that happened in 2016. We hope that his home insurance covered most of the damages done during the flood.
Rip Rogers
Mark Sciarra was a retired professional wrestler known by his fan with his ring name Rip Rogers. He’s not that popular with the younger generations nowadays but he’s one of the most respectable figures in that entered the wrestling ring. An unfortunate turn of events was reported in the past that led him close to bankruptcy and he needed help from his fans and managed to get through his personal roadblock.
The Hitman
Bret Hart is also known in the wrestling ring as The Hitman was one of the most iconic personality that ever stepped foot inside a wrestling ring. What most fans and enthusiast don’t know is that he is also an actor and a writer. One time, he was part of the TV show The Simpsons and he took credit for writing a weekly column for the Calgary Sun until 2004.
Virgil
He was a part of Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s top 500 single wrestlers in 1992 and he was ranked number 72. That proves how influential Virgil is during his prime. However, there are reports that states Virgil is on the verge of bankruptcy. More to his life after wrestling, he used to be an actor, appearing in a couple of movies and TV shows.
Perry Saturn
Perry Saturn or Perry Satullo in real life started his wrestling journey in 1990 and was one of the most popular wrestling personality during that decade. Prior to his wrestling career, he enlisted in the US Army and finished a bachelor’s degree.
Jimmy Wang Yang
Jimmy Wang Yang was successful both inside and outside of the ring. He wrestled for many years and used his experience and the money earned as an investment and created his own professional wrestling school called Pro Training.