20 Greatest Foreign Stars Who Made It Big In WWE

The WWE is primarily a showcase for the best professional wrestling talent in the United States of America. Programming is intensely patriotic, with foreign performers often forced to play the heel against the flag-waving fan favourites. If you turn on a WWE programme at the moment, it won't be long until you see the "Bulgarian Brute" Rusev, accompanied as always by the "Ravishing Russian" Lana and their Putin-loving gimmick. The easiest way for a superstar to gain negative heat is simply to take aim at America, such as in the case of The Un-Americans in 2002, a stable formed mainly of Canadian wrestlers who believed they were being slighted by the system. In fact, Jim Ross has claimed that the group disbanded due to the stars becoming afraid of the heat they were receiving due to the angle. Over the years, however, there have been loads of international superstars who have made their mark in the company. Some of the biggest names in wrestling have been born outside of the United States. From monster heels to babyfaces who spent their careers at the top of the company, the WWE brings in top talent from all over the world. Many of these wrestlers wear their national identities on their sleeve, but you may not even know that others are not American.

20. The Great Khali

He is now best known as the comedic "Punjabi Playboy", but The Great Khali was once an unstoppable force who struck fear into the hearts of WWE superstars. Khali became the first Indian wrestler to sign a professional contract with the WWE in 2006 and was not pinned for over a year. In 2007, he picked up the World Heavyweight Championship, vacated by the injured Edge, in a 20-man Battle Royal. He only held the title for a few months, but in that time he established himself as a dominant champion. Even in his recent guise as a comedy babyface, Khali is an imposing performer who cuts an impressive figure in the ring.
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Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.