10 Ways Wrestlers Became The Most Badass Versions Of Themselves
Stories of pro-wrestling fortitude, from 'The Bastard' to 'The Man.'
A professional wrestling character, much like any great action hero, requires an element of badassery to get over.
Merriam-Webster defines "badass" as "ready to cause or get into trouble," or "of formidable strength or skill." There's more to it than this. Mick Foley, like John McClane, earned the term primarily for his durability, with his ability to sustain beating after beating but still keep coming. Babyface Daniel Bryan was a badass not because he looked like one, but because his bravery and fighting spirit were unparalleled. A denim-clad Undertaker literally had the term in his name during his biker phase. Atsushi Onita fit the description not only for his willingness to shed blood in grisly deathmatches, but because he was the coolest f*cking guy on the planet. And the list goes on.
Wrestlers like Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar fit the bill from day one, while others had to work for it. Either way, a character's most badass version is often their best version too, and although many of the names within were killing it long before finding their inner hardnut, none of their careers peaked until they unleashed the fortitude within...
10. Jon Moxley: Rediscovered Who He Was
The speed with which Jon Moxley has cleansed himself of WWE's Sports Entertainment stench is staggering.
Released from the promotion after years of rodeo clown prop comedy in April 2019, the former 'Lunatic Fringe' was the hottest thing in wrestling by 25 May. His switch to AEW was as exciting as any that took place during the last wrestling war as he jumped a victorious Chris Jericho at Double Or Nothing, drilled the referee, then went after Kenny Omega. 'The Best Bout Machine's' fightback took the angle to a new level, but he was still thrown from a pile of giant poker chips at the night's conclusion.
Moxley's NJPW debut came two weeks later. Somehow, it was even more electric. Swaggering out through the crowd, spitting clouds of water at anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path, he tore the house down with Juice Robinson. Stylistically, Moxley was largely the same as Dean Ambrose - only better. He carried a genuine aura of danger, the chaos was real, and even his strikes looked crisp and nasty as he bludgeoned Robinson en route to capturing the IWGP United States Championship.
It's almost like Mitch the Plant wasn't a good idea...