There are many superstars in WWE who used to play other sports before coming to pro wrestling. Some used to be American football players, some were boxers and some have come here after making a successful career in mixed martial arts.
Some of the famous superstars had previously been amateur wrestlers. Even during their matches, they have been using amateur wrestling moves.
So in this article we would be telling you about 4 current superstars who used to be amateur wrestlers before coming to WWE.
4. Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler has been with WWE for a long time. He has been rated quite high and has lived up to the expectations. Ziggler is adept at selling the moves and making the the opponents look strong.
He loved pro wrestling since childhood, but before coming here, he used to be a quite successful amateur wrestler. He also holds the record of winning 82 amateur wrestling matches by pin.
His team had won national championship two times and Ziggler also held the NCAA Division 1 championship for three consecutive years during 1999-2003.
3. Chad Gable
Chad Gable’s way of wrestling clearly depicts that he comes from an amateur wrestling background. You might not be aware that Gable has been an Olympian, having competed in the 84 kg Greco-Roman event at the 2012 London Olympics, but failed to win a medal.
His lungs never fully developed due to issues in childhood so competing at that level was a big feat itself. Becoming the Minnesota High School State Champion is also one of the highlights of his amateur wrestling career.
Apart from this, he has also won medals participating in many competitions such as Pan-American Games and World University Games. He has won NXT, Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships in WWE.
2. Brock Lesnar
We all know that Brock Lesnar has been the former UFC World Heavyweight Champion and an immensely successful WWE superstar.
But it may may surprise you that before coming to pro-wrestling, he had achieved a lot of success being an amateur wrestler. He did well in college level competitions.
He was the NJCAA Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, won the NCAA Division 1 Heavyweight Championship, and had been a two-time NCAA All-American Champion, alongside other accolades.
At the same time, he has become the World Champion 10 times working in WWE and is regarded as one of the best in-ring performers in history of pro-wrestling.
1. Gable Stevenson – The WWE Superstar Who Won The Gold in Tokyo Olympics
Gable Stevenson is one of the newest WWE superstars to come from an amateur wrestling background. Stevenson made headlines when news of him singing with WWE surfaced after winning a gold medal in the 125 kg wrestling event of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Apart from becoming an Olympic champion, he also won the Junior World Championship in 2017 and the NCAA Division 1 Championship twice.
He is currently working on improving his pro wrestling skills and made his first appearance on WWE TV at WrestleMania 38, where he was introduced by Stephanie McMahon.
Discussion about this post