10 Wrestlers Who Lived In The Shadow Of More Famous Relatives

Wrestling can be a hard business to crack your way into; as in prison, it helps to know someone on the inside who can help you learn the ropes and protect your backside. Hence, nepotism is a major factor in a budding superstar's success.

In fact, with the way the McMahon family has operated the last two decades, one could argue it's the biggest factor in the industry.

There have been no shortage of father-son, brother-sister, and even uncle-nephew combinations in the business over the years. But unfortunately, being related to another, more famous wrestler is usually a double-edged sword.

Sure, it often helps the less prominent family member get more chances than they would without that familial recognition, but it also means they're probably going to be compared to the more popular branch of their family tree for the rest of their lives.

The people on this list aren't all bad wrestlers. In fact, a lot of them are immensely talented. But they'll never be as celebrated as their legendary kin.

Related to: Dean Malenko

Dean Malenko is widely regarded as one of the most gifted technical wrestlers of his or any other generation. So how is it that his older brother, Joe, is even more talented and somehow less known than the 'Man of 1,000 Holds'?

The Malenko Brothers toured Japan for the better part of four years, both as a team and as opponents. In that time, both became very well-known on the circuit. Both brothers would make occasional appearances in WCW during the early '90s, but Dean soon made the jump to ECW, where he became hugely popular with the crowds there. Eventually he would sign a full-time contract with WCW, where he blossomed as a four-time Cruiserweight Champion and even became a member of the legendary Four Horseman stable.

Joe, unfortunately, was more of a part-time wrestler for ECW and WCW during that same time period, and his in-ring appearances were usually tied to his younger brother.

It's a shame Joe never got more recognition. His trainer, Karl Gotch - a man literally known as the "God of Wrestling" in Japan - called Joe Malenko his greatest student. And this is a man who trained the best of the best.