10 Wrestlers Who Got Into Incredible Shape This Year

2. Mike Kanellis

Fair play to Mike Kanellis for rejecting the WWE treadmill in favour of relentless self-improvement in 2019.

Ignored for the bulk of his tenure thus far, Kanellis' personal life has changed beyond recognition since joining WWE almost two years ago. Mr Maria shared his addiction issues with the world en route to rehab before he'd really made a dent on the main roster, before the lovers act with his real-life wife was again halted as she took time away to have their first child.

Taking the 205 Live route to whatever glory can be gained from that show, Kanellis has nonetheless tried to use his body as well as his sharp wrestling mind to petition for a brighter future.

Cutting an incredible figure amongst others similarly looking their best on the troubled vehicle, the former 'Miracle' may yet pull off one of his own if his contests can match the level set by former Cruiserweight gatekeeper Buddy Murphy. He too got into fabulous physical condition ahead of a push that has since elevated him onto SmackDown Live.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett