10 WWE Stars Who Served In The Military
These guys would make for a pretty interesting platoon, that's for sure.
The routes individuals take before making it to World Wrestling Entertainment are varied to say the least. Many are quite literally born into the industry, but even those whose parents and grandparents forged careers in the squared circle take a longer route than one may have previously assumed.
A small number of professional wrestlers actually served in the military before heading to the rigorous world of pro graps. I'm no expert on either, but one can only assume that the discipline and commitment needed to survive in the army is similar to the qualities one needs to become a successful professional wrestler.
Of course, not all of these men covered themselves in glory in the army, but even giving it a go is impressive enough. The list of wrestlers who enlisted in the military before or after their professional wrestling career isn't limited to these 10 either.
Rodney Mack, Bobby Lashley, Verne Gagne, Afa, Konnan, Freddie Blassie and a whole host of others served their nation before entertaining arenas of paying fans. More recently, TNA has featured Crimson, Gunner, Jesse Neal and Chris Melendez, three of whom served in Iraq whilst Neal was on board the USS Cole when it was suicide bombed in 2000.
Enough of people blowing themselves up however, here are 10 WWE superstars past and present who served in the military before serving up pain in the ring.
10. Paul Bearer
Ooooooooooh yeeeeeeeeeees! I guess that doesn't work as well in typing, but you get the idea. Paul Bearer was every bit as iconic as The Undertaker in the early 1990s for my generation, the sinister yet campy presence that led the Deadman on his tear through the World Wrestling Federation over two decades ago.
At the very beginning of his wrestling career Bearer actually served in the United States Air Force, serving in the force for four years. Bearer wrestled for various independent promotions when he was off-duty. It was during his time in the air force that Bearer (real name William Moody) worked as an emergency medical technician, and this job meant frequent visits to the mortuary.
After leaving the force, Bearer actually worked as an embalmer, making his initial WWF gimmick something of a no-brainer.