10 WWE Wrestlers Who Came From Other Sports

Kurt Angle became an over-night national hero in 1996 when he scooped a home-soil gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics (with a broken freakin' neck, mind you). Having reached the top of the amateur ranks, it would have been easy for the Pittsburgh-native to then seek his fortune as a trainer or commentator, but Vince McMahon came calling in 1998, and Angle was talked into getting back in the singlet.

Within two years, the Olympian was one of WWE's most valuable players, having skipped through the sort of lengthy acclimation period usually associated with those who get into pro-wrestling on the off-chance (Angle has made no secret of the fact that WWE wasn't exactly in his career plan). And whilst few amateur wrestlers have reached the same heights, the likes of American Alpha's Chad Gable and Jason Jordan owe a debt of gratitude to the Raw GM for paving the way.