10 Mind-Blowing Real-Life Wrestling Reinventions
8. William Regal
NXT and WWE Performance Centre doyen William Regal is a picture of resplendence at his suited and booted best, and doesn't appear too separated from the snooty stereotype he portrayed during his most famous tenure.
It's a far cry from Darren Matthews at his worst.
Throughout the 1990s, Regal abused pills and alcohol alongside numerous WCW colleagues, with his lowest moment coming after urinating on a flight attendant but being too intoxicated to even recall the revolting misdemeanour when he woke up hours later in a jail cell.
A move to WWE in 1998 didn't initially curb his habits, with a painkiller addiction initially keeping him off television until an autumn reappearance as the 'Real Man's Man'.
His out-of-shape body may have been covered with lumberjack attire in keeping with the inane persona, but he struggled to hide his dependancy, especially when recklessly commanding a live microphone on late-98 editions of Monday Night Raw. Viewed as a lost cause, he was let go in early 1999.
A successful stint in rehab and a brief-yet-prudent return to WCW would see Regal rehired by the company in 2000.
Outside of some unfortunately timed suspensions for use of performance enhancing substances following the implementation of the Wellness Policy, Regal has kept his slate clean for the better part of a decade, and looks set to keep a job for life in his vital position as head talent scout.