Flawed Wrestlers Who Became GREAT Human Beings
Celebrating pro wrestling's good guys. People with positive legacies beyond WWE rings!
Every professional wrestler could subjectively be called "flawed" if one looked hard enough. That's fair enough, but the ones included here had obvious in-ring deficiencies that stopped them from being Bryan Danielson between the ropes. That dude is world class inside and outside of the ring, by the way.
OK, enough of the Danielson love-in.
There are legacies to leave beyond WWE or AEW rings anyway. Being considered a positive role model for young people is arguably harder to do in the age of social media, but that hasn't stopped these wrestlers from leaving a wholesome imprint on kids all around the world. They all deserve huge credit for that.
In some cases, work outside the ring has come to define or even top their careers. That's remarkable, not least because a few of them bagged World Titles and worked glittering pay-per-view main events during their prime years as active wrestlers. Look, nobody's saying these folks were bad, but they all definitely had flaws.
It's time to celebrate the good guys in pro wrestling, and acknowledge their heartwarming antics once and for all. Get ready to smile!
7. Top Dolla
You might see this as an odd way to start, but ol' A.J Francis is the cover star for this piece so roll with it. Besides, the much-derided former WWE star gives back more than most active workers in the industry, and he isn't really one to shout from the rooftops about it on TV.
The ex-Top Dolla will talk about his charity work if asked, but he clearly isn't doing it just to look good. The man's doing this because he genuinely cares. Amongst other things, Francis has arranged annual canned food drives at the University of Maryland, and regularly visits schools to spread word on the importance of a solid education.
He's way more than meets the eye on WWE or TNA programming, put it that way.
Dolla does a ton for impoverished children, homeless folks and more. Helping others holds a special place in his heart, because it was something his father instilled from a young age. That's lovely. So, take that Michael Cole!
Just kidding.