10 Secret Pasts Of WWE Wrestlers

The stuff that WWE don't talk about...

Sheamus SmackDown

WWE like to keep things simple when it comes to how talent are presented to fans on TV.

Typically, most wrestlers on the roster are portrayed as being borderline one-dimensional (Roman Reigns is an inspirational sort with never-say-die inner strength, Ricochet a dazzling, goody-two-shoes gymnast and Lana a gold-digging bitch, for example). This keeps things straightforward and means the writers, in theory, know what a character's motivations should be in each segment or match they're featured in.

Then, there's the stuff they don't talk about. That real life history or a prior flirtation with the company before in an alternate, peripheral role that didn't exactly scream "WWE Superstar". This is something WWE has made a habit of ignoring over the years, but it's fascinating to delve into and see what select workers were doing before assuming their current guise.

It's a bit of a pick n' mix of pasts; there are jobs that had nothing to do with wrestling, token roles that were designed as a one off, long-forgotten indy gimmicks, lives well-lived in real-world sports and much more...

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Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.