10 WWE Superfans That Actually Made It
From the Meet & Greet to the Main Stage.
Putting a contemporary spin on an old trope, the Royal Rumble Women's Championship build-up between Charlotte and Bayley focussed on the former's dismissive attitude towards the latter's lifelong love of WWE.
It's an old heel trick to reduce their opponent to being on the level of the audience, because it's both a slight on the crowd, and a way to galvanise support for the babyface.
However, Charlotte took it further, revealing fan photos from the 'Hugger's youth, and suggested that her time spent idolising WWE superstars represented nothing more than the wasted youth of an superfan.
WWE (and the business in general) did not encourage fan-like behaviour for generations, with countless wrestlers admitting in shoot interviews how they were worried the old guard would treat them like 'marks' for admitting they were actually fans of the thing they did for a living.
This self-loathing phenomenon hung around for a long time, but as Vince McMahon highlighted during his infamous 'millenials' speech during Stone Cold Steve Austin's Podcast, the new roster is full of proud fans, who are just excited to be doing what they watched on TV as a kid.
In an industry where so few break through, are ten wrestling superfans that got to live their dream.
10. Cody Rhodes
Despite the opportunities undoubtedly afforded to him by being the son of the son of a plumber, Cody Rhodes has repeatedly spoke at length on being a massive wrestling fan as a child, grateful just to attend as many WCW shows as he could get away under the guise of going to 'Dad's Work'.
As well as growing up inside the business and being inspired to become a professional wrestler thanks to all the sights and sounds he was privy too, Cody is known amongst his peers as the go-to guy for wrestling trivia due to an encyclopaedic knowledge of the industry.
Replacing Howard Finkel as the facts and stats guy when on the road with WWE, countless wrestlers have spoke on his mind for historic dates and details, and Cody himself has never shied away from his deep love for everything about the grappling game.
Far from being forced in due to the Rhodes bloodline, Cody was simply able to take advantage of the foot in the door his surname gave him. The rest was done purely for love.