Norman Smiley made a name for himself competing in WCW's hardcore division, but the submission grappler had years of experience prior to competing for the organization - he performed in Japan's shoot-style UWF International league during the late '80s, and even wrestled for ECW in the mid '90s. After WCW went out of business, Smiley competed on the independent circuit, but in 2007, he was hired as a trainer for Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory. After years in the role - and appearances on television in an authority position for the company - Smiley was reassigned to the fledgling NXT brand. Smiley continues to work as a trainer for NXT, having had a role in the development of talents like Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, and Big E.
2. Billy Kidman
Billy Kidman broke out as a star in WCW's Cruiserweight division in the late '90s, having classic matches with Rey Mysterio Jr., Eddie Guerrero, and Juventud Guerrera. When the company was purchased by WWE, he became Cruiserweight Champion an additional four times. He would later form a tag team with Paul London, and the two won Smackdown!'s new Tag Team Titles. Kidman left WWE in 2005, but he was back working as a trainer in Florida Championship Wrestling just a couple of years later. After retiring from the ring, though, he found a new calling - working as a producer and road agent. Since 2010, he's been in the Gorilla Position, helping run TV shows and keeping things moving smoothly.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
