10 MORE 'Before They Were Famous' WWE Cameos You Won't Believe
A Taste Of The Good Life.
Vince McMahon's always sold "opportunity" as the primary reason for coming to work for his organisation - it was a go-to before before wrestlers saw working WrestleMania as a lifelong dream, and has been a safety-net in the era without pay-per-view payouts half as enticing as those in existence before the company cannibalised that corner of the company's earnings.
It also plays into the primal fears of the performers desperate for a shot. To any talent with remote doubt or insecurity about their own abilities, said opportunity may only knock once. Resisting in the moment may result in a lifetime of regret, all for a decision made in a moment of misplaced egotism.
"Opportunities" as extras are just as liable to serve a one-night purpose as they are last lifetimes. Blurred-face cameos the likes of those within didn't hamper the featured few in the fullness of time, but it could have worked out very differently for all 10.
WWE have used thousands of men and women as warm bodies in set pieces over the decades - these are more of the lucky few rule-proving exceptions that escaped from anonymity despite their start...
10. Tommaso Ciampa (Lawyer)
Brought back from the abyss by the former NXT Champion himself during his celebrated run atop the developmental brand, Tommaso Ciampa comically challenged The Undertaker to a "rematch" on Twitter by sharing their original 2005 confrontation ahead of 2018's SmackDown 1000.
'The Greatest Sports Entertainer Of All Time' bravely came at Vince McMahon's greatest Sports Entertainment creation playing "Thomas Whitney Esq", the attorney of soon-doomed persona Muhammad Hassan on the July 14th, 2005 SmackDown taping.
Whitney's promo on behalf of his "client" spoke at length about Hassan's personal struggles ahead of his final match for the company at the Great American Bash pay-per-view 10 days later. Judging by the sweetened sound when watching on the WWE Network, it can be inferred that the segment drew limited heat in the building - but the real life reasons for his placement as 'The Deadman's latest victim were altogether more tragic.
The episode was just a week removed from the infamous segment that had aired just a day removed from the 7/7 London bombings that featured Undertaker falling victim to an attack by Hassan's heavies in which terrorism was rather aggressively implied. Whitney's words were weighty, no matter how absurd his position appeared to be.