10 Wrestlers Who Suffered A Crippling Crisis Of Confidence

When the best think they're the rest.

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WWE.com

Confidence, they say, is everything.

Who are "they"? Well, internet meme creators, of course. Seriously though, there's merit in such quotable goodness, especially in the insanely-pressurised world of pro wrestling. If a worker doesn't believe in themselves and stride through the curtain with determination and their head held high, then their performance will definitely suffer.

Wrestling is a tough business that needs some semblance of courage and pretence even when one feels low inside. It's performance art, and no wrestler wants to hear cruel chants like, "You F*cked Up" when they take their eye off the ball and botch or raise the ire of company figureheads backstage for failing to meet pre-match expectations.

Often, people can be tougher on themselves than others, and that's another battle entirely. It's really not easy to manage self-esteem, pressure and anticipation 200-300+ nights per year. That's a wrestler's lot; they don't have time for confidence wobbles when they're on the road so often.

That's probably why so many of them have suffered through a crippling crisis of confidence or had to wage personal wars on debilitating mental self-doubt...

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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.