Only A Real Wrestling Fan Can Name These WWE Stars
- by Michael Gordon
- – on
- in Sports
Hulk Hogan. The Rock. Stone Cold Steve Austin. John Cena. Ric Flair. Ultimate Warrior.
Anyone even remotely familiar with the wonderful world of pro-wrestling will have surely heard of most (if not all) of these superstars. If there was a Mount Rushmore of WWE wrestlers, purely in terms of fame, you can definitely expect four of these six guys to make the cut.
Triple H. Shawn Michaels. Macho Man Randy Savage. Mick Foley. Randy Orton. Edge.
These superstars, amongst whom are some of the best to ever ply their trade in the business, would be super famous within the realm of the wrestling business. They might even have some crossover name value in the mainstream as well, due to acting roles and talk show appearances.
But what about the countless other superstars that have come and gone over the years in WWE? The guys and gals that won their fair share of Championships and took part in memorable storylines, but maybe then moved on from the company? And what about the superstars that failed to make much of an impression, with questionable gimmicks that seemed to doom them to obscurity from the start?
This quiz will test even the most passionate WWE fan, as they will have to identify some of the lesser well-known WWE talents, ranging from the Attitude Era to the modern day.
Let's do this thing!
The Intellectual Savior Of The Masses
In pro-wrestling, there are several different kinds of 'heel' (which, in wrestling speak, means the villain). There are the monster heels, who dominate through physicality. There are the scary heels, who play mind games and frighten opponents. But one of the most common personality traits in any heel is how they believe they are the best in the world, and condescend to the heroes and to the audience. This guy was one of the best at that, with a character who regularly pontificated and reminded everyone just how much smarter he was than everyone else!
This Superstar's Legacy Was Short-Lived
Perhaps best known for his tenure in WWE as part of 'The Legacy' faction alongside Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, this superstar's career in the company was much shorter lived than expected. Debuting in 2008, his highlights included winning the Tag Team Championships twice alongside Rhodes and taking part in a featured Triple Threat match at Wrestlemania XXVI with his Legacy brethren. However, following the group's dissolution, he wasn't able to carve out a compelling character as a singles competitor, and he left WWE in 2013 to pursue other things.
If You Had The Cash, These Bruisers Would Protect You!
The Attitude Era in WWE was a boom period unlike any other, and virtually every aspect of the business experienced enormous success. This was especially true of the tag team division in the company, which was truly scintillating in this era. These guys were one of the premier teams; an ass-kicking, hard-drinking duo who went from being scary followers of The Undertaker's gothic Ministry Of Darkness, to being bodyguards to members of the roster with their own 'office' backstage in the arenas!
The Monday/Tuesday/Friday Night Delight!
This superstar left WWE in 2011 after frustrations with creative decisions and mounting injuries meant he decided he wanted more control over his time. He has gone on to become a massive star in various promotions all over the world, from Lucha Underground to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide to Impact Wrestling. His time in WWE also held a lot of success, as he won the Tag Team Championships five times, the Intercontinental Championship three times and the ECW Championship once.
The First British Wrestler To Hold The WWE Women's Championship
This beautiful superstar was the winner of the 2006 Divas Search competition, which earned the former Miami Heat dancer a contract with WWE. When she won the Women's Championship in May 2010, it made her the first British woman and first Divas Search winner to hold the title. She was also the final Women's Champion, as that particular belt was retired in 2010. She went on to win the new WWE Divas Championship once in 2012, and then announced her retirement in 2015.
The World's Most Dangerous Man
This man is a legitimate badass. He is a world-renowned mixed martial artist and UFC Hall Of Famer, and also tried his hand at professional wrestling, which led to a memorable two year run with WWE from 1997 to 1999. He was introduced to WWE audiences as special guest referee in a submission match between Steve Austin and Bret Hart, and was billed as 'The World's Most Dangerous Man', a monicker given to him by ABC News! He won the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championship's once, and was also the 1998 King Of The Ring!
El Patron
Currently competing with Impact Wrestling, this superstar is best known for his two tenures with WWE, from 2010 to 2014 and then from 2015 to 2016. During this (relatively short) time with the company, he won pretty much everything there was to win. He was a two time WWE Champion, two time World Heavyweight Champion, a two time United States Champion and the 2011 Royal Rumble and Money In The Bank winner. He was also recently part of a controversial real-life relationship with WWE Diva Paige.
This Man Was Once Known As The World's Largest Love Machine!
This hefty gentleman appeared in WWE under three different ring names over the course of a 15 year career. For the quiz, we're using his second ring name, which he used during the Attitude Era and afterwards, his most memorable period in the company. During this time he was kidnapped by the Undertaker during the Royal Rumble match, only to reappear the next night on Monday Night Raw with a new Gothic look, complete with bleached hair, white contact lenses and an all-black bodysuit.
This Dominating Diva Was A Two-Time Women's Champion
This impressive woman won a series of accolades across the course of her professional wrestling career, including two reigns as WWE Women's Champion. She was arguably even more successful in TNA Impact Wrestling, where she won their Knockout's Championship five times and Knockout's Tag Team Championship once. Her career intitially began when she was working as a trainer at the Crunch Fitness gym in Los Angeles and had a chance meeting with WWE Superstar Chyna, who encouraged her to give wrestling training a try!
'I'm Afraid I've Got Some Bad News!'
It seems strange to say a superstar's WWE tenure was full of missed opportunities whenever they were a five time Intercontinental Champion and King Of The Ring winner, but many fans believe this is the case with this uber-talented wrestler. When he first debuted in the company as the leader of The Nexus, a group of rookies that ran roughshod over the entire roster, he seemed destined for main event glory. He even wrestled Randy Orton for two straight PPV's for the WWE Championship, but the trigger was never pulled and he would fail to reach those heights again before leaving in 2016.
This Real-Life Hero Wrestled For WWE, WCW And ECW
This genuinely tough guy wrestled for WWE and WCW during peak periods of the wrestling business, and won several titles along the way, including the WWE European and Hardcore Championships. However, his real-life heroism is perhaps even more interesting. In 2004, he was involved in an altercation with two men who were attempting to rape a woman. He fought them off and rescued the woman, but was shot in the neck/shoulder area in the process. After this he became addicted to methamphetamine and became homeless for two and a half years! Thankfully, he re-emerged in 2010 having conquered his addictions.
The 'Image Consultant' Of The WWE
This superstar won the WWE Divas Championship one fateful night in October 2009, her one and only title in the company. Unfortunately for her, she dropped the belt the very same night; in fact, it was in a match immediately following her victory! Oh dear. She is perhaps best remembered for her time as the 'image consultant' of John Bradshaw Leyfield, who at the time was a former WWE Champion in need of 'repairing his image' after a humiliating loss.
'D-Von! Get The Tables!'
When compiling a list of the greatest tag teams in pro-wrestling history, these guys will certainly be near the top of the heap. In fact, they are the most decorated team in wrestling history, and are the only duo to hold Tag Team belts in WWE, ECW, WCW, NWA, TNA and IWGP! Their time in WWE during the Attitude Era was characterised by their kick-ass personas and aptitude with using tables as part of their arsenal. They were one of three teams credited with popularising the TLC match (Tables, Ladders and Chairs).
The longest serving member of the Nation Of Domination
A fondly remembered superstar from WWE's Attitude Era, this guy was one of only four wrestlers to hold both the European and Intercontinental Championship's simultaneously (the other three being Rob Van Dam, Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle). Unfortunately for him, his name will always be inextricably tied to a tragic incident which occured in the ring on October 5th 1999. His finishing move, the running powerbomb, was botched and his opponent Droz suffered a severe neck injury, which rendered him quadriplegic. To his credit, Droz does not blame him and has said it was an accident.
'We, The People!'
This talented athlete had a great deal of success in WWE, from his debut in 2008 until his release in 2017. He was a one time ECW Champion, a title he won at the tender age of 26, and a one WWE World Heavyweight Champion, which he won only two years later at 28. In 2013, he was aligned with Zeb Colter, and their heel character's took on anti-immigration beliefs and proclaimed themselves to be 'real American heroes'. WWE came under some scrutiny here as some observers say they were mocking the Conservative Tea Party movement.
The Man Of 1000 Holds
Largely seen as one of the best technical wrestlers ever, this superstar has been identified by Daniel Bryan as his favourite wrestler when he was growing up, While he never won the World Championship in his career, he did hold the Light Heavyweight title in WWE and Cruiserweight Championship in WCW on many occasions. Though not blessed with marquee charisma, perhaps his best remembered feud was with Chris Jericho in WCW. During this time, the brash and cocky Jericho declared himself 'The Man of 1004 Holds'!
The Lethal Weapon
This martial arts badass was a popular member of the WWE roster during the Attitude Era, and became synonymous with the Hardcore division, which thrived at the time. He held the title six times and has the record for most combined days as champion. He has originally tried out for WWE in the late 1980's, but after contracting malaria and dysentery while wrestling in South Africa, he became bedridden for almost two years. During this time he lost most of his muscle mass, and had to spend another four years in physical therapy to recover his conditioning. It was here that he incorporated martial arts into his training regime!
'Ballin'!'
This superstar was a very big deal in WWE during his five year tenure with the company. Debuting in 2006, he was initially seen in backstage segments or being interviewed while sitting with the crowd in the arena. He was billed as a coveted free agent, and always spoke about his (unseen) agent who was negotiating his astronomically large contract. When it came time to get down to business, he was no slouch in the ring either. He won the United States Championship twice and the Tag Team Championship once, and competed in three Wrestlemania Money In The Bank ladder matches.
This Superstar Was The Last ECW Champion Ever
This jacked-up superstar was proof that the physique of a Greek God was not enough to make you a lasting player in the wrestling business. Initially debuting in WWE as bodyguard to The Brian Kendrick on Smackdown, he was eventually drafted to ECW, where he became the final ECW Champion ever when he defeated Christian for the belt on the last episode of the brand's show. He later won the Intercontinental Championship in 2011, but was then sidelined by several lengthy injuries from 2012 to 2014, before parting ways with WWE.
This Superstar Is Now NXT's Head Trainer At The WWE Performance Center
NXT is one of the hottest things going in WWE right now. What used to simply be the developmental system, in which young wrestlers were trained to later debut on WWE TV, has now transformed into a viable brand all of its own. NXT now features a mix of rookies and indie wrestling darlings, and regularly sells out arenas for its Takeover PPVs. And this superstar, who had several tenures in WWE as different characters, is the Head Trainer at WWE's Performance Center, helping to train every young hopeful who enters the company!
This Superstar's Sole WWE PPV Appearance Was At Survivor Series 2010
Known throughout the wrestling business for his amazing in-ring ability and disarmingly deep vocal register, this superstar had a short run on WWE's main roster from September to December 2010. He had previously won the second season on NXT, when it was a mixture of reality show and scripted wrestling contest, but his time on the main roster was seemingly doomed from the start due to bad booking. Luckily, he was able to resume his career in the likes of New Japan Pro Wrestling and TNA Impact Wrestling.
These Greasers Were Managed By 'Cherry Pie'
This tag team had a short run in WWE during the mid-2000's wasteland. They had a decent greaser gimmick, and were managed by a sexy female named 'Cherry Pie', but they failed to truly capture the attention of the WWE Universe in any meaningful way. After debuting in January 2007, they actually won the Tag Team Championships three months later! Unfortunately, after a forgettable four month reign, they dropped the belts, and less than two years later all three superstars were let go from the company.
Famously Debuted Managing The Tag Team MNM
One of the most flexible divas in WWE history, this female grappler was famed for doing the splits under the bottom rope during her ring entrance. She was also able to incorporate this flexibility into her in-ring arsenal, and parlayed that into three reigns as Women's Champion and two as Divas Champion. Though some controversy regarding a perceived bad attitude backstage and some personal scandals dogged her during her time in WWE from 2005 to 2011, she was undoubtedly one of the most talented divas from that era.
The Only Man To Be A Member Of D-Generation X And The NWO
This superstar was one of the most enduring faces in the wrestling business during the Attitude Era and even before. In fact, he appeared in high profile ways for both WCW and WWE during the famed 'Monday Night Wars', in which both companies battled tooth and nail for ratings supremacy. He was a member of BOTH legendary factions from the era: WCW's villainous NWO, and WWE's renegades D-Generation X, and picked up two European Championships, two Light Heavyweight Titles and four Tag Team Championship reigns along the way.
Somebody Call His Momma!
This superstar is a classic case of someone whose career was derailed by a questionable gimmick change. In January 2012, despite being previously depicted as a legitimate threat with incredible strength and ferocity, he returned to WWE as 'The Funkasaurus', a jive-talking, dancing goon who 'descended from Planet Funk on a mission to move booties and mash bodies'. Ahem. Needless to say, though he embraced the gimmick and got some laughs, it did nothing for his career, and by June 2014 he was gone from WWE.
Bunnymania!
This punky female won the WWE Diva Search competition in 2005 and went on to become a heavily featured aspect of WWE TV for a few years. Her most high-profile time came when she posed for Playboy magazine in 2007, which WWE then parlayed into a Playboy Bunnymania Lumberjill match at Wrestlemania XXIV (which was as ridiculous as it sounds). She abruptly left the company in 2008 when her daughter became sick, and her name reappeared in headlines in 2016 when she accused WWE of convincing her not to report a sexual assault to the authorities during an event at a military base in Kuwait.
The Samoan Bulldozer
In 2005, few could've predicted that a return to a 'Samoan savage' style gimmick would've been such a success, but this superstar made the potentially offensive and outdated character work brilliantly. An intimidating presence in the ring and out, and a dynamic performer between the ropes, this guy won the Intercontinental Championship twice and even wrestled Triple H and John Cena in separate WWE Championship PPV matches. Sadly, he died at age 36 when he succumbed to two heart attacks brought on by drug overdose in 2009.
Truly A Pretty Mean Sister
This lady was one of the most famous valets in the wrestling business, and had a lengthy run with WWE from 1996 to 2004. She initially debuted as the sultry valet for the bizarre Goldust, a character played by her then real life husband Dustin, who was the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes. She went on to manage the Hardy Boyz tag team, as well as form a group with two other angry divas: the Pretty Mean Sisters. PMS. Yep.
'Hello Ladies!'
In the Attitude Era, WWE pushed the boundaries of taste and decency on a weekly basis. Their programming became increasingly more violent, profane and sexualised as the weeks went on, mainly because this was what the audience was craving at the time. It meant that there were certain superstars from back then that would never ever be able to use their gimmicks in today's more sanitised PG-Era. This guy is one of those: a porn star, who happened to also wrestle!
This Amazing Diva Never Got Her Due In WWE
Widely regarded as one of the best female wrestlers to ever pull on a pair of boots, this talented diva is best known for her tenure with TNA Impact Wrestling, where she won their Knockouts Championship a record-setting seven times. However, she also appeared in WWE for two different stints, including her first run where she won the Women's Championship in her first match! However, she left the company under a cloud in 2011 and afterwards said she felt the female wrestlers were being held back. In fact, she also vowed never to sign for WWE again!
This Guy Was Certainly Cool
It's become something of a trend in this quiz, but here is another wrestler who didn't fulfill his true potential in WWE. A member of the legendary Colon wrestling dynasty, the Puerto Rican superstar initially debuted to lots of fanfare in 2004. He won the United States Championship in his first match on Smackdown (defeating John Cena, no less). He then also won the Intercontinental Title in his first match on the Raw brand in 2005. Sadly, in 2010 he was released for allegedly refusing to enter rehab to battle a painkiller addiction.
'Biscuits And Gravy!'
This tag team had a run in WWE from 2007 to 2009, which is a decent amount of time considering the terrible gimmick they were saddled with. These guys were stereotypical country hicks, whose entrance music sung about 'biscuits and gravy!'. Oh, and the bigger one was mentally deficient, becoming aggressive whenever he heard the ring bell, only to return to his absent-minded self when the bell rang again to end the match. It's actually a wonder that they managed to last so long as a duo!
This Diva First Appeared In GLOW In The '80s!
In June 2017, Netflix released the first series of their wresting-themed comedy drama GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling), which was based on the real-life promotion which ran from 1986 to 1990 and offered an alternative to Vince McMahon's WWE programming. This diva, who would go on to become a well-respected member of the WWE roster and a two time Women's Champion, got her start in GLOW, where her ring name was Tina Ferrari and she was a one-time GLOW Champion.
This Unexpectedly Nimble Dancer Was Too Cool
A member of the legendary Anoa'i Samoan wrestling family dynasty, this superstar was mega popular during the Attitude Era for his comedy dancemoves and Stinkface maneuvre. What was the Stinkface, we hear you ask? Well, that was when he stuck his large posterior in the faces of his opponents and wiggled it around a bit. Wrestling! He was a one-time Intercontinental Champion and a three time Tag Team Champion in WWE, and now both his sons currently wrestle for WWE as well!
This Guy Nearly Got To The Top By Saying His Own Name Twice
In the mid-to-late 2000's, this superstar was heavily tipped to become a main eventer in WWE. He debuted in 2005, and quickly gained popularity with the fans for his brash attitude and quirky entrance, in which a microphone fell from the ceiling in order for him to announce his own name...twice. He won the United States Championship, had a high-profile feud with The Undertaker, and even won the Money In The Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 23. Sadly, injuries derailed his momentum and then he was released in 2009 following a match in which a botched backdrop nearly led to Randy Orton being badly hurt.