If You Don't Know Which Of These Wrestlers Is In The WWE, Quit Watching Wrestling
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
The Internet - and in turn, social media - has changed a lot of things over the years. Most notably, it has changed the way news and information is transferred and has made it easier to stay connected with friends and family members who live thousands of miles away. There seemingly isn't a profession or industry that hasn't been impacted by the growth of social media and that's especially true with professional wrestling. Since emerging as the winner of the Monday Night Wars against WCW, the WWE has been seemingly unchallenged in its domination of the industry. It fended off a slight challenge from TNA in the early-to-mid 2000s, but, for the most part, Vince McMahon has had a monopoly on the wrestling industry. The WWE is the only company to have its own cable network as well as programming on other cable networks such as USA Network in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada.
However, in recent years, independent promotions have experienced an increase in popularity as their shows can be streamed or watched later on YouTube or other platforms. Consequently, independent stars are becoming just as big of household names as current WWE stars. The company is still the undisputed top dog in the industry, but reaching the WWE isn't necessarily the end goal for all wrestlers anymore, especially when they can achieve both financial and critical success on the independent circuit.
Is Braun Strowman in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A native of North Carolina, Adam Scherr plays the destructive Braun Strowman character. The massive 6-foot-8, 385-pound wrestler is a former NAS US Amateur National Champion who competed in multiple Strongman competitions before beginning to train as a wrestler in 2013. He even appeared in a 2012 episode of The World's Strongest Man and, in 2016, played the role in a film titled Three Count. He presently goes by the nickname The Monster Among Men and uses a running powerslam as a finishing move.
Is Jay Lethal in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A former Ring of Honor wrestler, Jay Lethal is the only African American to ever win the promotion's World Championship and is its longest-serving World Television Champion with an incredible reign of 567 days. His real name is Jamar Shipman and the 32 year old was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He has also competed with the ring names Hydo, Jamar Cunningham, J.R. Lethal, and RPM. The former protege of Samoa Joe employs an arsenal of high-flying moves, several of which were adopted from "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Is Samoa Joe in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa, better known by wrestling fans as Samoa Joe for short, has been wrestling professionally since 2000 and has competed - and won championships - for multiple promotions. The 6-foot-2, 282-pound native of Orange County, California, doesn't have the traditional build for a championship wrestler, but he is one of the most athletic big men in the industry, even at 38 years old. Regarded as one of the most talented performers, he earned the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award from Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 2005.
Is Cody Rhodes in the WWE or an independent promotion?
The half-brother of Goldust and son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes, whose real name is actually Cody Runnels, is a six-time WWE Tag Team Champion and two-time Intercontinental Champion who also competed as Stardust. A native of Marietta, Georgia, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound athlete is married to former WWE diva Brandi Rhodes and now resides in Los Angeles, California. Pro Wrestling Illustrated named him the Most Improved Wrestler of the Year in 2008 and ranked him as the 23rd best wrestler in the world in 2012.
Is John Cena in the WWE or an independent promotion?
The voice of the titular character in the upcoming animated film Ferdinand, John Cena has appeared in numerous movies in recent years, including Daddy's Home 2, Trainwreck, and Sisters. However, the 40 year old native of Massachusetts is still best known for his work in the ring and his dedication and commitment to fans of his. He's a 16-time World Champion and has earned multiple Wrestler of the Year and Most Popular Wrestler of the Year awards from Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He also won Most Popular Wrestler of the Decade from 2000 to 2010.
Is Asuka in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Kanako Urai is one of the most dominant female wrestlers of her era, and you could even argue of all-time. As Asuka, the strong-style wrestler hasn't lost in over two years and is one of the biggest draws among women wrestlers today. The 36 year old has been wrestling since 2004 and prominently wrestled throughout Japan before moving to North America in 2015. Not surprisingly, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her as the world's best female singles wrestler in its 2017 PWI Female 50.
Is Sami Zayn in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Rami Sebai is a rarity in professional wrestling and it's something he laughs about quite often in podcasts and interviews. He's a native of Canada, but has Syrian heritage, and looks like an Irishman. His background aside, he's one of the more talented wrestlers in the world today with a mix of high-flying moves and a strong arsenal of technical wrestling skills. In the past, he wrestled under the names Big Larry and El Generico, in which he wrestled with a mask and formed a popular tag team with Kevin Steen, who now goes by Kevin Owens.
Is Jimmy Uso in the WWE or an independent promotion?
One half of the Usos along with his real-life twin brother, Jonathan Solofa Fatu is a 32 year old with extensive roots in the wrestling industry. His father was former WWE Intercontinental Champion Rikishi and he, along with his brother, was previously managed by their cousin Tamina Snuka, who is the daughter of the late Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. He resides in Tucson, Arizona, where he lives with his wife Trinity Fatu, who is a former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion as Naomi.
Is Sexy Star in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Even if you haven't heard of Dulce Maria Garcia Rivas, better known as the Mexican Luchadora masked female wrestler Sexy Star, you likely remember hearing of her deliberately injuring an opponent at a high-profile event in August of this past year. The incident has ultimately resulted in her being somewhat blacklisted within the industry, but prior to that she was regarded as one of the world's best female wrestlers. She's a 35 year old former professional boxer who was ranked ninth on the PWI Female 50 in 2016.
Is Cesaro in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Also known as the Swiss Superman, Cesaro is a 36 year old professional wrestler who began competing throughout Europe in 2000 and has risen through the ranks in the past decade under ring names Antonio Cesaro, Claudio Castagnoli (his real name), Double C, and Tenshi Takami. He has also competed throughout Japan and Mexico and won multiple titles during his career. He's currently part of a tag team with Sheamus known as The Bar. He was ranked as the 13th best singles wrestler in the world in the PWI 500 in 2014.
Is Tye Dillinger in the WWE or an independent promotion?
"The Perfect 10" Tye Dillinger is the wrestling name of Canadian superstar Ronald William Arneill. The 36 year old has been wrestling since 2002 and has limited success in the main event picture, but is regarded as a skilled wrestler and puts on tremendous matches every time he is asked to perform in big moments. He gained critical acclaim on the independent circuit and previously with WWE's ECW brand as Gavin Spears, but adopted the Tye Dillinger moniker in 2013.
Is Kenny King in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A native of Queens, New York, Kenny Layne is best known as wrestler Kenny King. He first began pursuing a career in professional wrestling in 2002, when he tried out for WWE's Tough Enough, but was unsuccessful in earning a contract with the company. However, since then, he has developed a reputation as one of the best wrestlers in the world as he was ranked 36th on the PWI 500 in 2013 and has won multiple championships with promotions such as TNA, UWF, and ROH.
Is Baron Corbin in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Like so many other professional wrestlers, Tom Pestock was a former professional football player before embarking on a career in the ring. The 33 year old played NCAA Division-II football with Northwest Missouri State University and was later signed by the National Football League's (NFL) Indianapolis Colts. He began training for a wrestling career in 2012, one year after being released by the Arizona Cardinals. He has made significant gains in just four years as he was ranked No. 49 on the PWI 500 in 2017.
Is Charlotte Flair in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A 31 year old native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr is the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. She appropriately adopted the in-ring name of Charlotte (after her hometown) in 2012 and began training to follow in her father's footsteps, despite having no interest in doing so in the years prior. As detailed in the ESPN 30 for 30 about her father, Ashley changed her career course to honor her brother Reid, an aspiring professional wrestler who died of a drug overdose.
Is Tyler Breeze in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A 29 year old native of Penticton, British Columbia, Canada, Mattias Clement began training for a professional wrestling career in 2007 with fellow Canadian and former WWE/ECW wrestler Lance Storm. He began his career with Power Zone Wrestling under the ring name Mattias Wild and has since developed into an athletic performer with capable technical skills. Ranked No. 61 in the 2015 PWI 500, he is a one-time FCW Heavyweight Champion and is currently one-half of a tag team with Fandango aptly titled Breezango.
Is Jay Briscoe in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A 33 year old native of Salisbury, Maryland, Jamin Pugh is best known as Jay Briscoe, a high-flying wrestler who is one of only three competitors to win the ROH World Championship twice - the others being Austin Aries and Adam Cole, both of whom later signed with the WWE. He began his career with Combat Zone Wrestling in 2001 and has since wrestled for multiple promotions in North America as well as New Japan Pro Wrestling. He was ranked No. 7 in the 2015 PWI 500.
Is Kevin Owens in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Kevin Steen is a native of Quebec, Canada who achieved success wrestling under his real name for nearly 15 years before adopting the in-ring name of Kevin Owens. He grew up speaking only French and has said he learned to speak English by watching WWE programming. He trained and wrestled with Sami Zayn for much of his career and the two have won multiple tag team championships with various promotions. When the pair split in 2010, Wrestling Observer Newsletter selected their subsequent feud as the best of the year in all of wrestling.
Is Kane in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Glenn Jacobs is a 50 year old veteran who continues to wrestling, despite running for mayor in Knox County, Tennessee. He began wrestling in 1992 and was a major attraction throughout the 1990s due to his impressive size - 7-foot, 323-pounds - and his decent athletic ability. Prior to finding success with the Kane gimmick, he worked ridiculous gimmicks such as Isaac Yankem, DDS, Bruiser Mastino, and Christmas Creature. He debuted the Kane character in 1997 and went on to win multiple championships.
Is Rosemary in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Holly Letkeman is one of the scariest-looking female wrestlers as "The Demon Assassin" Rosemary. The 33 year old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada graduated from the University of Manitoba and majored in film studies, but began pursuing her childhood passion of wrestling following the death of one of her idols, Eddie Guerrero. She made her in-ring debut in 2008 with PTW and has since wrestled for multiple promotions throughout North America, winning several Women's Championships along the way, including the TNA/Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship.
Is Sin Cara in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A native of El Paso, Texas, Jorge Arias is a 40 year old former state wrestling champion who began pursuing a career in professional wrestling in the early 2000s with Mexican-based Luchador promotions. The masked wrestler improved significantly throughout his early years and earned the attention of high-profile North American promotions. Although he was worn a mask for the majority of his career, he briefly wrestled without one as the character Hunico. He was ranked No. 93 on the PWI 500 in 2012.
Is Kazuchika Okada in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Kazuchika Okada is regarded as one of the world's best professional wrestlers and he has the accolades to back it up. The 30 year old native of Japan is a four-time World Champion and recently became the first Japanese wrestler to be ranked No. 1 on the PWI 500, cementing his status as the world's best wrestler in regard to both in-ring ability and popularity. He has also received multiple 5-Star Match ratings from Wrestling Observer Newsletter and took part in a pair of matches that earned Pro Wrestling Match of the Year.
Is Santana Garrett in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A 29 year old native of Ocala, Florida, Santana Garrett wrestles under her real name, but previously adopted names such as Brittany and Santana Wonder. She began her career with Coastal Championship Wrestling in 2009 and won the promotion's Ladies Championship on two separate occasions. She has since won Women's Championships in over a dozen promotions and was ranked No. 4 on the PWI Female 50 in 2015. She earned the attention of WWE in 2013, when she was given a tryout match against Charlotte.
Is Enzo Amore in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A former NCAA Division-III football player with Salisbury University, Eric Arndt began training for a career in pro wrestling back in 2012 and enjoyed a quick ascent through the ranks. The 30 year old native of Hackensack, New Jersey isn't regarded as one of the best technical wrestlers, but is beloved for his ability to deliver entertaining in-ring promos, for which he gave himself the nickname "Smacktalker Skywalker." He also refers to himself as Muscles Marinara, Jersey's Finest, and the Certified G and Bona-Fide Stud.
Is Kalisto in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Emanuel Alejandro Rodriguez is a 31 year old professional wrestler who began training for a career in the industry when he was 20 years old. He debuted in 2006, working for various independent promotions based in the Midwestern United States under the ring name Samuray del Sol, but later adopted the name Kalisto. He was trained by a variety of high-profile wrestlers, including Dusty Rhodes, Norman Smiley, and Billy Gunn. He was ranked No. 25 on the PWI 500 in 2016.
Is Alexa Bliss in the WWE or an independent promotion?
"Little Miss Bliss," or "The Goddess" as she refers to herself as, is one of the most popular female wrestlers today thanks to her combination of quickly-improving in-ring skills and her ability to keep the crowd entertained through her work on the microphone. The 26 year old former University of Akron cheerleader and competitive bodybuilder only began training as a wrestler a little over three years ago and has already accomplished plenty. She was ranked No. 3 on the PWI Female 50 in 2017.
Is Mojo Rawley in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Prior to finding success in the ring, Dean Muhtadi was a college football player who later played on the practice squads of the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He's good friends with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has since appeared with him at wrestling events. Muhtadi adopted the name Mojo Rawley when he began training for a wrestling career and is currently one half of The Hype Bros tag team with Zack Ryder.
Is Tetsuya Naito in the WWE or an independent promotion?
The 35 year old Tetsuya Naito has been wrestling since 2005 and has multiple championships throughout Japan and North America. In 2016, he was named the Wrestler of the Year by Tokyo Sports, adding to a list of accomplishments that includes being the No. 12 ranked singles wrestler on the PWI 500 in both 2016 and 2017 as well as receiving four Five-Star Match Ratings from Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He's set to main event the upcoming highly-anticipated Wrestle Kingdom 12 event in a Heavyweight Championship match against Kazhuchika Okada.
Is Cherry Bomb in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Laura Dennis is a 30 year old native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada who has wrestled under the ring names Allie, Cherry Bomb, and Laura since beginning her career in 2005 with the Canadian-based promotion Pure Wrestling Association. She has since appeared prominently for multiple Canadian promotions as well as Combat Zone Wrestling and Shimmer Women Athletes, where she won the Tag Team Championship with Kimber Lee. She was ranked No. 8 on the PWI Female 50 in 2015. She's married to fellow former CZW wrestler Braxton Sutter.
Is The Miz in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Nowadays wrestlers who are well-known enough in the WWE can transition to film or TV, but The Miz, whose real name is Mike Mizanian, took the reserve route. The 37 year old native of Ohio was a cast member of MTV's The Real World: Back to New York in 2001 and later appeared in spin-off series before using his pseudo celebrity status to push his goal of becoming a professional wrestler. He made his wrestling debut in 2003 and has since won multiple championships and accolades, including Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Most Improved Wrestler of the Year in 2016.
Is Shinsuke Nakamura in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A 37 year old native of Japan, Shinsuke Nakamura is known as The King of Strong Style, The Rockstar, and The Artist. He's a world-renowned wrestler who has won multiple championships in Japan and has been voted Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 2016 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and earned numerous awards from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, including Most Charismatic in both 2014 and 2015. Aside from his impressive in-ring abilities, he has one of the most popular entrances in all of wrestling.
Is Matt Riddle in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A 31 year old native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Matt Riddle is a former UFC competitor who first rose to prominence as a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter. He has a career MMA record of 13-3, but hasn't fought since 2014 as he has been busy pursuing a career in professional wrestling. In just three short years, Riddle has accomplished a lot in the ring, winning Most Improved and Rookie of the Year by Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 2016. He was ranked No. 116 on the PWI Top 500 in 2017.
Is Jinder Mahal in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Yuvraj Singh Dhesi portrays the Indian-born wrestler Jinder Mahal, but the 31 year old was actually born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the same place as past wrestling legends Bret and Owen Hart. He began pursuing a career in professional wrestling way back in 2002, when he was only 16 years old, and has shown continual improvement throughout the years. He first experienced success as Tiger Raj Singh in the Canadian-based Stampede Wrestling promotion alongside future WWE workers Tyson Kidd, Viktor of The Ascension, and Natalya Neidhart.
Is Taeler Hendrix in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Taeler Conrad-Mellen has been wrestling as Taeler Hendrix since her early days in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2010. The former OVW Women's Champion had a lengthy title reign in 2011 for a period of 203 days and went on to win the championship two more times. She has also competed for TNA and, in 2013, was ranked No. 34 on the PWI Female 50. She's engaged to fellow wrestler Cory Machado.
Is Becky Lynch in the WWE or an independent promotion?
"The Irish Lass Kicker" is a 30 year old native of Ireland whose real name is Rebecca Quin. She began wrestling when she was a teenager with local promotions and moved to North America in 2005 to work toward her goal of competing in the WWE. She has also competed in Japan and developed her craft in multiple promotions along the way. Outside of the wrestling industry, she performed stunts for a 2013 episode of Vikings and attended the Gaiety School of Acting.
Is Finn Balor in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Another native of Ireland is a 36 year old professional wrestlers whose real name is Fergal Devitt, which sounds way less cool than Finn Balor, hence the name change. He began wrestling in 2000 and later wrestled extensively with New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he was a founding member of the popular faction Bullet Club. Before adopting the name Finn Balor, he wrestled under his real name as well as Prince Devitt, Pegasus Kid, and C.T.U Ranger Red. He has a demon alter ego that he uses in some matches.
Is Trevor Lee in the WWE or an independent promotion?
One of the fastest-rising stars in the industry, Trevor Lee is a 24 year old native of Cameron, North Carolina who trained under fellow North Carolina natives Matt and Jeff Hardy. Surprisingly, he only began training in 2014, but has already won multiple championships with promotions such as Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic and TNA. In fact, after only two years in the business, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him No. 60 on its PWI 500 list in 2016. He's a three-time X-Division Champion in TNA.
Is Kenny Omega in the WWE or an independent promotion?
One of the biggest draws in the business today, Kenny Omega is a highly-accomplished Canadian wrestler who was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and has competed throughout Japan and North America. His real name is Tyson Smith and, prior to adopting the Kenny Omega moniker, he worked as Young Master Togo and Scott Carpenter. He began his career with Premier Championship Wrestling in 2001 and earned acclaim alongside AJ Styles as a member of the Bullet Club. He was ranked No. 5 on the PWI 500 in 2017.
Is Randy Orton in the WWE or an independent promotion?
"The Viper" Randy Orton is one of the most accomplished wrestlers of all-time. The 37 year old native of Knoxville, Tennessee is a 13-time World Champion and has performed consistently night in and night out over the course of the past 15 years. A third-generation wrestler trained by his father Bob Orton Jr., he began pursuing a career in the industry in 2000 and proved himself a natural in the ring in short time. He's a recipient of both the Most Improved and Most Overrated by Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Is Big Cass in the WWE or an independent promotion?
Although he is currently rehabbing an injury, Big Cass was poised to become a dominant force on the singles scene after turning on his long-time tag team partner Enzo Amore. His real name is William Morrisey and the 30 year old native of Queens, New York began wrestling in 2010 with the World of Unpredictable Wrestling, which was managed by his trainer, Johnny Rodz. He had the awful gimmick of cowboy Big Bill Young, but fortunately that didn't stick. He was ranked No. 94 on the PWI 500 in 2017.
Is Big Daddy Walter in the WWE or an independent promotion?
A native of Vienna, Austria, Big Daddy Walter might be one of the most popular wrestlers from the European country. The 30 year old doesn't have the prototypical body shape to be a star wrestler, but he gets by on his mix of charisma and talent on the microphone. He has won multiple tag team championships for European promotions and employs a powerful power bomb as his finishing move. He has also gone by the ring names Big Van Walter, Pater Walter, and Man Mountain Walter in the past.