12 Secret FCW Histories Of WWE Superstars

8. Big E - The Local Sports Star

Baron Corbin Drew McIntyre Dean Ambrose
WWE

Big E was Tampa born and bred and as emotionally attached to the facility as he was physically when a sporting past gave him enough transferable skills to make it in the local pro wrestling league.

As one of the most charismatic figures on the main roster in 2020, it's astonishing to think he was once too shy for the stick, but clips of him trialling several non-starter gimmicks highlighted how far he had to go. E himself acknowledged as much as the footage played - sport and bodybuilding prepared him for one aspect of the industry, but it would be finding his voice that made him a megastar.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 almost 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 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL 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