10 Most Badass Wrestlers On The Planet Today
The toughest, bravest, most violent men and women the squared circle has to offer..
Despite being predominantly fictional, professional wrestling has its fair share of real life badasses. Whether its fierce brawlers, accomplished amateurs, or brutal mixed martial artists, some wrestlers are just as intimidating outside of kayfabe as they are within it. In some special cases, they are even scarier.
The annals of wrestling history are rife with stories of heroism, death-defying stunts, vicious bar fights and gruesome injuries. A lot of fans know about Vader wrestling with a detached retina, Bill Watts allegedly pulling a man’s eye out and displaying it in a cocktail glass, or Danny Hodge escaping a sinking car with a broken freaking neck.
But what about the pro wrestling stars of today?
Thanks to improved industry standards and more regulated training, wrestling rings are now safer than ever, and the industry has lost a lot of its reputation for illegal brawls and criminal activity. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some legitimate tough guys (and girls) currently plying their trade inside a squared circle - undeniable badasses who might even be able to teach the old-timers a trick or two about taking pain, and dishing it out.
10. Shinsuke Nakamura
Not only is Nakamura a former NXT Champion, he's also is a five-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and even had a successful-but-short-lived MMA career in the early 2000s, winning three of his five competitive matches.
Nakamura has trained vale tudo, learned under some of the most accomplished fighters in both wrestling and mixed martial arts, and his strikes can legitimately do this to a man’s face, even within the confines of a worked professional wrestling match. When Nakamura goes, he really goes, and his dedication to upholding his ‘King of Strong Style’ moniker makes him one of the stiffest workers in WWE today.
Just go back and watch his stellar match with Sami Zayn from NXT TakeOver: Dallas, or any footage from after the bout. The welts on Sami Zayn’s back and torso are scary, and serve as grim reminders of just how tough Shinsuke Nakamura is.