WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania PPV. It was presented by the National Guard and took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The first main event was a singles match for the WWE Championship that featured the champion, Triple H, defending against Randy Orton. The second was a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship, between defedning champion Edge against John Cena & Big Show. The third main event was The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels. Featured matches on the undercard included, Jeff Hardy versus Matt Hardy in an Extreme Rules match, Chris Jericho versus the team of Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka, and the annual Money in the Bank ladder match featuring Kane, MVP, Mark Henry, Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston, CM Punk, Christian, & Finlay. With an attendance of 72,744, it is the 6th largest attendance in WrestleMania history.
04-05-2009
4h 0m
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Main Cast
Movie Details
Production Info
Director:
Kevin Dunn
Production:
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Key Crew
Executive Producer:
Vince McMahon
Standby Rigger:
Paul Lévesque
Stunts:
John Cena
Producer:
Vince McMahon
Locations and Languages
Country:
US
Filming:
US
Languages:
en
Main Cast
Paul Lévesque
Paul Michael Lévesque is an American professional wrestler, actor and WWE executive, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. As well as wrestling on the Raw brand, Levesque is a Senior Advisor to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, and Head of WWE's talent development department.
Before joining WWE, Levesque began his wrestling career with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994, wrestling under the ring name Terra Ryzing and later as Jean-Paul Lévesque. Levesque joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1995 with the on-screen persona of wealthy sophisticate Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the stable D-Generation X (DX). After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships. As part of a storyline, Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution, and in 2006 and 2009, reformed DX with Shawn Michaels. Overall, Levesque has won 23 championships in WWF/E, including thirteen World Championships, having won the WWF/E Championship a record eight times (tied with John Cena), and the World Heavyweight Championship five times (Triple H is also recognized as the first World Heavyweight Champion under WWE's lineage). He has the highest number of world title reigns of all active WWE wrestlers. In addition, Levesque won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside wrestling, Levesque has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television
Randal Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time he is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand and is one half of the current Raw Tag Team Champions with Riddle in their second reign. Orton is a third generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bob Orton, father Bob Orton Jr., and uncle Barry Orton were all wrestlers. Before being signed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), he trained in and wrestled for the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association and Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling. He was then signed by the WWF and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he held the OVW Hardcore Championship twice. He became a member of the stable Evolution shortly after his WWE debut, which quickly led to an Intercontinental Championship reign, his first championship with the company. He also acquired the moniker "The Legend Killer" during a storyline where he began disrespecting and then physically attacking WWE Hall of Famers and wrestling veterans. At the age of 24, Orton became the youngest world champion in WWE history after he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. With this win, he departed from Evolution and a feud with his former stablemates began. In 2006, Orton joined forces with Edge in a tag team known as Rated-RKO. Together, they held the World Tag Team Championship. After Rated-RKO disbanded in mid-2007, Orton gained two WWE Championship reigns in one night, becoming the second youngest two-time WWE Champion at the age of 27. He formed the group The Legacy with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. in 2008. They disbanded in 2010, and Orton returned to singles competition. From 2013 to 2015, he was aligned with The Authority, who named him the "face of the WWE". In 2016, he joined The Wyatt Family, winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper before turning on them in 2017. He won his first United States Championship in 2018, becoming the 18th overall Grand Slam Champion after already having been the 17th Triple Crown Champion. Orton has held the WWE Championship 10 times and WWE's World Heavyweight Championship four times. He was the final holder of the World Heavyweight Championship, which he unified with the WWE Championship to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in 2013. Orton is recognized by WWE as having the third-most world championship victories in history at 14, behind John Cena and Ric Flair (both 16) and tied with Triple H (also at 14). All totaled, Orton has won 20 championships in WWE. He is also the winner of the 2013 Money in the Bank ladder match, as well as a two time Royal Rumble match winner (2009 and 2017) and has headlined multiple WWE pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania 25 and WrestleMania XXX. Following his match at the 2021 Survivor Series, he broke Kane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.
Adam Joseph Copeland, is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Edge. After making his professional wrestling debut in 1992, Copeland wrestled in various independent promotions, competing in singles and tag team competition, the latter with long-time friend Christian Cage. In 1997, Copeland signed a developmental deal with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and made his televised debut in 1998 as Edge. After winning his first WWF championship, the WWF Intercontinental Championship, in July 1999, Edge would form a tag team with Christian, and the two went on to win the World Tag Team Championship on seven occasions. During this time, they gained notoriety in the tag team division, partly due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. Edge split up with Christian in August 2001 and embarked on a successful solo career. Edge has won the second most championships in WWE history (after R-Truth), with a total of 31, as he has held the World Heavyweight Championship a record seven times, the WWE Championship four times, the Intercontinental Championship five times, the United States Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship a record twelve times, and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice. He is WWE's 14th Triple Crown Champion and 7th Grand Slam Champion. Edge won the King of the Ring tournament in 2001, was the first Money in the Bank ladder match winner in 2005, and won the 2010 Royal Rumble match, making him the first wrestler in history to achieve all three. Edge retired in 2011 due to several neck injuries, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the following year. However, he returned to competition in the 2020 Royal Rumble match, and subsequently won the 2021 Royal Rumble the following year, becoming the eighth man in history to win the Royal Rumble match twice, the third to win it as the first entrant, as well as the first to win it after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WWE, including WrestleMania XXIV and WrestleMania 37, and is one of the company's most prolific pay-per-view performers. Aside from professional wrestling, Copeland appeared in the fantasy film Highlander: Endgame and WWE Studios' Bending the Rules. He has made guest appearances on television shows such as Weakest Link, Mind of Mencia, Deal or No Deal, MADtv and The Flash. He appeared on the Syfy series Haven in 2015 as recurring character Dwight Hendrickson, and as recurring character Ketill Flatnose in the fifth and sixth seasons of Vikings (2017–2020).
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied with Ric Flair for the most world championship reigns in professional wrestling history.
Born and raised in West Newbury, Massachusetts, Cena moved to California in 1998 to pursue a career as a bodybuilder. He transitioned to professional wrestling in 1999 when he debuted for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW). He signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 2001, where he was initially assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). He gained fame in the WWE after adopting the persona of a trash-talking rapper. He won his first singles title, the United States Championship, in 2004. The next year, he won the WWE Championship for the first time, and his character subsequently transitioned into a clean-cut "Superman-like" hero. He then led the company as its franchise player, and public face for the next decade.
A joint-record 16-time world champion, Cena has won the WWE Championship thirteen times, a record for the title. He is also a five-time United States Champion, a four-time world tag team champion, a two-time Royal Rumble match winner, a one-time Money in the Bank match winner, and has headlined several major WWE pay-per-view events, including their flagship event, WrestleMania, five times. His professional wrestling career has been met with mixed critical and audience reception, with praise for his character work and promotional skills, but criticism for his supposed over-representation and on-screen placement relative to other wrestlers.
Cena first starred in The Marine (2006), and gained praise for his performances in Trainwreck (2015), Ferdinand (2017), Blockers, and Bumblebee (both 2018). He starred in F9 and portrayed Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad (both 2021) and in the eponymous television series. His debut studio album, You Can't See Me (2005), was certified platinum. Outside his work in entertainment, Cena is known for his involvement in numerous charitable causes, namely with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where he has granted the most wishes, at over 650.
Paul Donald Wight II is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, AEW Dark: Elevation, under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1995 to 1999 as The Giant and with WWE from 1999 to 2021 under the ring name Big Show.
Wight began his career in 1994. In 1995 he signed with WCW, where, due to his very large frame, he was known by the ring name The Giant (and was initially introduced as "the son of André the Giant"). In early 1999, he left WCW to join WWE. Between WWE and WCW, he is a seven-time world champion, having held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWE Championship twice, WWE's World Heavyweight Championship twice and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once, making him the only wrestler who has won all four titles. He is also an 11-time world tag team champion, holding the World, WWE and WCW World Tag Team Championships multiple times with various partners. Having also won the Intercontinental, United States and Hardcore championships, he is the 24th Triple Crown and 12th Grand Slam winner in WWE history. He also won the 60-man battle royal at World War 3 and the 30-man André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. He has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WCW and WWF/WWE since 1995, including the 2000 edition of WWE's premier annual event, WrestleMania.
Outside of professional wrestling, Wight has appeared in feature films and television series such as Jingle All the Way, The Waterboy, Star Trek: Enterprise, and two USA Network's comedy-dramas Royal Pains, Psych and the action-drama Burn Notice. He had lead roles in the WWE Studios comedy film Knucklehead and the Netflix sitcom The Big Show Show.
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965; ht. 6'10"), better known by his ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed under a 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 to World Wrestling Entertainment. The Undertaker is one of the most recognizable figures in the history of professional wrestling. His tenure with WWE (formerly WWF) spans 30 years and is the longest of any wrestler in the company's history. His retirement in 2020 left him as the only remaining active wrestler to appear on the first episode of 𝘞𝘞𝘍 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘙𝘢𝘸 (now 𝘞𝘞𝘌 𝘙𝘢𝘸) in 1993.
He began his wrestling career with World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. He end up in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "Mean" Mark Callous by 1989. When WCW did not renew his contract in 1990, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF later renamed WWE). After debuting as Kane the Undertaker, he shortened it to simply The Undertaker making his television debut at WWF's Thanksgiving themed pay-per-view event the Survivor Series 1990. At the 1990 Survivor Series, The Undertaker would debut alongside The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase as part of DiBiase's team in one of the Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Matches that the annual event is known for. He would eventually go on to be managed by Paul Bearer who would help propel him to the WWF World Title just a year after his debut.
During his time with the WWE, he would go on to hold many championships and accolades most notably a 21-match-long winning streak at WWE's biggest annual event, WrestleMania. Respected amongst fans and peers a like, the Undertaker has one of the most celebrated and long-running careers in all of professional wrestling. We can be sure that for time in memoriam he will be considered one of the greatest of all time.
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom, better known by his ring name, Shawn Michaels, is an American professional wrestling personality, television presenter and retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he has served as an ambassador for the company since December 2010. Michaels wrestled for WWE, from 1988 until his first retirement in 1998, owing to a severe back injury. He appeared in non-wrestling roles from 1998 to 2000 and resumed his wrestling career in 2002 until retiring ceremoniously in 2010. In the WWE, Michaels headlined major pay per view events in four decades from the 1980s to the 2010s, closing the company's premier annual event WrestleMania on five occasions
Michaels was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2011. Following Michaels' induction, WWE said of Michaels, "Ask any Superstar on the WWE roster who the most gifted sports-entertainer of all time is and nearly everyone will have the same answer Shawn Michaels." Michaels is a four time world champion: a three-time WWF Champion and a former World Heavyweight Champion. He was also the winner of the 1995 and 1996 Royal Rumbles and was the company's first Grand Slam Champion. He has also won the PWI Match of the Year Award a record eleven times. Michaels currently resides in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Rebecca, and their two children.
John Charles Layfield is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling commentator/host for WWE, where he performs under the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). Outside of his WWE work, Layfield is a financial analyst for Fox News. Within WWE, he was previously known by the ring name Bradshaw, and prior to that, the variations Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw and Blackjack Bradshaw (as half of The New Blackjacks with Blackjack Windham). As JBL, Layfield was WWE Champion for 280 days. Layfield's main gimmick as JBL—a wealthy, gladhanding, big-mouthed, fiery-tempered businessman—was based on Layfield's real-life accomplishments as a stock market investor. Layfield is a guest panelist on Fox News Channel's The Cost of Freedom, has appeared on CNBC, and has written a best-selling book on financial planning called Have More Money Now. Layfield also hosts a weekend talk radio program, syndicated nationally by Talk Radio Network, in which he discusses his conservative political views. Layfield is also employed by Northeast Securities as its Senior Vice President. In WWE, Layfield won 24 total championships including one reign as WWE Champion, one reign as United States Champion, one reign as European Champion, seventeen reigns as Hardcore Champion, one reign as Intercontinental Champion, and three reigns as World Tag Team Champion with Faarooq as part of the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA). He is also recognized as the twentieth Triple Crown Champion, and the Sports Illustrated has said that Layfield "has been accused for years of being a locker room bully", while Deadspin wrote that "backstage tales of Layfield's hazing and bullying have long been legend among hardcore wrestling fans."[136] Dayton Daily News described that "YouTube has dozens of interviews where former [WWE] performers discuss harassment, bullying and taking real blows from Layfield while wrestling him in supposedly choreographed matches." Le Journal de Montréal listed Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, René Duprée, Daivari, and Ivory, among others, as wrestlers who in interviews described Layfield as a bully.In 2010, The Miz referenced Layfield in an onscreen promo about hazing he faced in the locker room early in his career. Layfield admitted to hazing Miz and said that he did not regret doing so.
In April 2017, WWE commentator Mauro Ranallo took an absence from WWE, which Dave Meltzer reported had been triggered by hostilities with Layfield. The allegations coincided with the release of former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts' autobiography, in which he alleged that Layfield encouraged Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury to steal his passport. Angered WWE fans subsequently called on WWE to fire Layfield. On April 22, Newsweek reported that Ranallo and WWE "mutually agreed to part ways", and Ranallo released a statement in which he said his departure had "nothing to do with JBL" after liking tweets that implied JBL was the main reason. Layfield released a statement of his own, stating: "Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago. WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing ‘the bad guy’ on a TV show was misconstrued.
Oscar Gutierrez is a Mexican American professional wrestler with WWE. In WWE, Gutierrez was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio, Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark.
Gutierrez originally worked for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in Mexico, from 1992 to 1995. He wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1996 and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1996 to 2001, as Rey Misterio, Jr./Rey Mysterio, Jr. but dropped the "Junior" from his name when he began working for WWE in 2002.
Mysterio is known for having a high flying style, which helped kick-start the cruiserweight wrestling revolution in the United States in the late 1990s during his time in WCW. In WCW he won the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times, and the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship once with Billy Kidman as part of the Filthy Animals. In WWE, Mysterio is a three-time world champion, having held the World Heavyweight Championship twice and the WWE Championship once, and is currently listed as the lightest world champion in WWE history. He has also held the WWE Tag Team Championship a record-tying four times, and the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice. He also held the WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Championship a record eight times (five times in WCW, three in WWE). All totaled, he has won 21 titles between WWE and WCW. Mysterio was the 21st person to win the WWE Triple Crown Championship, and was the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble.
Jeffrey Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and a former two-time TNA World Tag Team Champion. He is known for his tenures in WWE and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time as well as one of the most daring high flyers and risktakers throughout his career. Together with his brother Matt Hardy, the tag team The Hardy Boyz are widely regarded as one of the major teams that revived tag team wrestling during the Attitude Era and one of the greatest tag teams in professional wrestling history.
Matt Hardy is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand, and he is one half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions with his brother Jeff Hardy
Along with his real-life brother Jeff, Matt gained notoriety in WWF's tag team division due to the Hardys' participation in tables, ladders, and chairs matches. As a tag team wrestler, he is a 14-time world tag team champion, having held six WWF/World Tag Team Championships, three WWE/Raw Tag Team Championships, one SmackDown Tag Team Championship, one ROH World Tag Team Championship, one WCW Tag Team Championship and two TNA World Tag Team Championships.
Wrestling in three separate decades, Hardy has managed to keep himself relevant through a variety of different gimmicks, character changes as well as his use of social media. In 2002, Hardy began a solo career in WWE and his subsequent "Version 1" persona was named Best Gimmick by Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Hardy's eccentric "Broken" gimmick, which he debuted in 2016, earned him multiple awards and praise from wrestling critics, including a second Best Gimmick award (in 2017, the character was renamed "Woken" within WWE). As a singles wrestler, Hardy is a three-time world champion, winning two TNA World Heavyweight Championships and one ECW Championship. In 1999, Matt, along with his brother Jeff, appeared as an uncredited wrestler on That '70s Show episode "That Wrestling Show". Matt and Jeff also appeared on Tough Enough in early 2001, talking to and wrestling the contestants. He appeared in the February 25, 2002 episode of Fear Factor competing against five other World Wrestling Federation wrestlers, including his brother. He won $50,000 for the American Cancer Society. Hardy also appeared on the October 13, 2009 episode of Scare Tactics, as a mental patient who threatens to attack the prank's victim.
Hardy's first WWE video game was WWF Wrestlemania 2000 in 1999 on the Nintendo 64 shortly followed by WWF SmackDown! in early 2000 on the PlayStation. He made several appearances later in WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw. He later returned to the series in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, which was his last WWE video game before his departure to TNA. Following his return to WWE in 2017, he was revealed as a DLC character in WWE 2K18 on September 25 that year alongside tag team partner and brother, Jeff Hardy. Hardy was revealed as a playable character in WWE 2K19 on August 30, 2018.
Christopher Keith Irvine, better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the stable known as Jericho Appreciation Society. Noted for his over-the-top rock star persona, he has been named by journalists and industry colleagues as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
During the 1990s, Jericho performed for American organizations Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), as well as for promotions in countries such as Canada, Japan, and Mexico. At the end of 1999, he made his debut in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In 2001, he became the first Undisputed WWF Champion, and thus the final holder of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (then referred to as the World Championship), having won and unified the WWF and World titles by defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock on the same night. Jericho headlined multiple pay-per-view (PPV) events during his time with the WWF/WWE, including WrestleMania X8 and the inaugural TLC and the Elimination Chamber matches and the shows itself. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2010.
Within the WWF/WWE, Jericho is a six-time world champion, having won the Undisputed WWF Championship once, the WCW/World Championship twice and the World Heavyweight Championship three times. He has also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship a record nine times and was the ninth Triple Crown Champion, as well as the fourth Grand Slam Champion in history. In addition, he was the 2008 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner and (along with Big Show as Jeri-Show) won the 2009 Tag Team of the Year Slammy Award—making him the only winner of both Superstar and Tag Team of the Year.
After his departure from WWE in 2018, Jericho signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he became a one-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and becoming the first man to have held both the WWE and IWGP Intercontinental Championships. Jericho joined AEW in January 2019 and became the inaugural holder of the AEW World Championship in August of that year. All totalled, between ECW, WCW, WWE, NJPW and AEW, Jericho has held 36 championships (including seven World Championships, and 10 Intercontinental Championships).
In 1999, Jericho became lead vocalist of heavy metal band Fozzy, who released their eponymous debut album the following year. The group's early work is composed largely of cover versions, although they have focused primarily on original material from their third album, All That Remains (2005), onward. Jericho has also appeared on numerous television shows over the years, including the 2011 season of Dancing With the Stars. He hosted the ABC game show Downfall, the 2011 edition of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, and the UK's Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2012 and 2017.
Roderick George Toombs, better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, comedian and actor.
In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his work with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1984 and 2000. Although he was Canadian, because of his Scottish heritage he was billed as coming from Glasgow and was known for his signature kilt and bagpipe entrance music. Piper earned the nicknames "Rowdy" and "Hot Rod" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" short temper, spontaneity, and quick wit. According to The Daily Telegraph, he is "considered by many to be the greatest 'heel' (or villain) wrestler ever".
One of wrestling's most recognizable stars, Piper headlined multiple PPV events, including the WWF and WCW's respective premier annual events, WrestleMania and Starrcade. He accumulated 34 championships and hosted the popular WWF/E interview segment "Piper's Pit", which facilitated numerous feuds. In 2005, Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Ric Flair, who dubbed him "the most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling".
Outside of wrestling, Piper acted in dozens of films and TV shows, most notably taking the lead role of John Nada in the 1988 cult classic They Live and a recurring role as a deranged professional wrestler called Da' Maniac on the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He is also widely known for his role in Hell Comes to Frogtown as the character Sam Hell.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Roddy Piper, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Richard Henry Blood better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and WWE. In the NWA and WCW, he was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a four-time United States Heavyweight Champion, a four-time World Television Champion, a twelve-time World Tag Team Champion (eight-time under the WCW banner, one-time (though unofficial) under the NWA banner, and three-time under the Mid-Atlantic banner), and a two-time Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion. In WWE, Steamboat was a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
James Reiher was a Fijian American professional wrestler. He is better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010s. He was best known for his time in WWE in the 1980s and was credited with introducing the high-flying style of wrestling to the WWE. He was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1996, but was quietly removed from the Hall of Fame section of WWE's website, in 2015, after he was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend in 1983. Snuka was the inaugural ECW World Heavyweight Champion (a title he held twice) in Eastern Championship Wrestling (later Extreme Championship Wrestling). His children, Sim Snuka and Tamina Snuka are both professional wrestlers. Snuka was indicted and arrested in September 2015 on third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges, in relation to the May 1983 death of his girlfriend, Nancy Argentino, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Snuka pleaded not guilty, but was ultimately found unfit to stand trial in June 2016 due to being diagnosed with dementia. As his health declined, the charges were dismissed on January 3, 2017. Snuka died twelve days later at the age of 73.
Phillip Jack Brooks, better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and to Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) as a commentator. In wrestling, he is best known for his time in WWE, where his 434-day reign as WWE Champion stands as the sixth-longest in title history.
Brooks began his professional wrestling career in 1999 on the independent circuit, mainly with Ring of Honor (ROH), winning the ROH World Championship once. He signed WWE in 2005, and won the WWE Championship twice, the World Heavyweight Championship three times, and the Intercontinental Championship and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once each. Brooks also won the World Tag Team Championship, becoming WWE's 19th Triple Crown Champion; the fastest wrestler to achieve this feat, in 203 days. He is also the only back-to-back Money in the Bank winner, has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events, won Superstar of the Year at the 2011 Slammy Awards, and was voted Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and 2012 by readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. After becoming disillusioned with WWE, Brooks acrimoniously departed the company and retired from professional wrestling in the wrestling 2014 year.
Brooks has used the CM Punk moniker for his entire professional wrestling career, and his character has been consistently portrayed as outspoken, confrontational, sharp-tongued, anti-establishment, straight edge, and iconoclastic, most of which are inspired by his real-life views and personality. Depending on his alignment as a hero or villain, Brooks has emphasized different aspects of the straight edge lifestyle to garner the desired audience reaction.
After retiring from professional wrestling, Brooks pursued a career as a mixed martial artist, and he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A welterweight, he had his first professional fight at UFC 203 in 2016, losing via submission to Mickey Gall. He then lost his second fight to Mike Jackson via unanimous decision at UFC 225 in 2018 (later overturned to a no contest), and was subsequently released. Brooks then began appearing as a commentator with Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC), and as an analyst on the Fox Sports 1 program WWE Backstage.
Brooks had his first leading acting role in the animated film The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! (2015), and has since starred in the horror films Girl on the Third Floor (2019) and Rabid (2019), and in the drama television series Heels (2021–present). As of January of 2024 CM Punk works for the World Wrestling Entertainment and WWE Network.
William Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage, where he is an associate of Jurassic Express. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christian where he performed regularly from 1998 to 2005 and again from 2009 to 2014. He also worked for Impact Wrestling, then known as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), from 2005 to 2008 and during a brief return in 2021.
Reso made his debut in 1995. He wrestled in Canadian independent promotions early in his career, where he competed in singles and tag team competition with his friend Edge. In 1998, he signed a developmental contract with WWE and made his debut the following year, immediately capturing his first championship in the company, the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, in his debut match. Edge and Christian formed a tag team and gained notoriety for their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. They won the promotion's World Tag Team Championship on seven occasions. The team parted ways in 2001, after which, Christian held various singles titles, including the European Championship, the Hardcore Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship.
In 2005, Reso departed WWE and signed with TNA under his Christian Cage ring name, after which, he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship twice. He left TNA in late 2008 and re-signed with WWE in 2009, where he won the ECW Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship twice each until retiring in 2014 due to concussion issues. He was the twenty-third Triple Crown Champion and eleventh Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. He also headlined multiple pay-per-view events between WWE and TNA, and was one of WWE's most prolific pay-per-view performers. After making an unofficial in-ring comeback in June 2020 and appearing in the 2021 Royal Rumble match, Reso left WWE shortly after and signed with AEW, again reverting to his Christian Cage moniker, and officially resumed his in-ring wrestling career. Following this, he won the Impact World Championship at AEW Rampage, making his return to Impact Wrestling for the first time since Slammiversary 10 in 2012.
David John "Fit" Finlay, Jr is a Northern Irish semi-retired professional wrestler and road agent from Northern Ireland working for the WWE backstage as Finlay. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Finlay has held over twenty championships around the world throughout his career, including the WCW World Television Championship and the WWE United States Championship.
Glenn Thomas Jacobs (born April 26, 1967) is an American politician, actor, and professional wrestler. As a Republican, he is the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works under the ring name Kane.
He began his professional wrestling career on the independent circuit in 1992, wrestling in promotions such as Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1995. Jacobs played various characters until 1997, when he was repackaged as Kane, the younger half-brother of The Undertaker, with whom Jacobs would alternatively feud or team as The Brothers of Destruction.
Following his WWF debut, Kane remained a pivotal component of the company's "Attitude Era" of the late 1990s and early 2000s, defeating the era's "poster boy" Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship in his first pay-per-view (PPV) main event at King of the Ring in June 1998. He continued to headline PPV cards through 2018's Crown Jewel, and has appeared in more of such events than any other performer in WWF/WWE history.
Within WWE, Kane is a three-time world champion (having held the WWF Championship, ECW Championship and World Heavyweight Championship once each) and a 12-time world tag team champion (having held the World Tag Team Championship, WCW Tag Team Championship and WWE Tag Team Championships with various partners). He is also a two-time Intercontinental Champion and a Money in the Bank winner, as well as the third man to complete WWE's Grand Slam. The last title Kane won was the 24/7 Championship on September 16, 2019, the only title won under his real name. Veteran wrestler Ric Flair described Kane as "the best in the world", while Big Show dubbed him "the best big man ever". Kane holds the record for the most appearances in a Royal Rumble match at 20 as well as the highest cumulative total eliminations at 46. He headlined the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Outside of professional wrestling, Jacobs has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television, including the lead role in the 2006 WWE Studios production See No Evil and its 2014 sequel. He is also a longtime supporter of libertarian political causes. In March 2017, Jacobs announced that he was running for the mayoral seat of Knox County, Tennessee as a Republican. He went on to win the Republican primary election on May 1, 2018 and the general election on August 2, 2018.
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Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah, is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working on the SmackDown brand. Since competing for WWE, he has won the Intercontinental Championship two times, the United States Championship once, and the World Tag Team Championship once with CM Punk.
Mark Henry is an American powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE. He was two times an Olympian in 1992 and 1996 and a Silver, Gold and Bronze Medalist at the Pan American Games in 1995. As a powerlifter, he was drug-free World Champion (1995) and a two-time U.S. National Champion (1995 and 1997) as well as an all-time raw world record holder in the squat and deadlift. Currently, he still holds the WDFPF world records in the squat, deadlift and total and the USAPL American record in the deadlift since 1995. He is credited for the biggest raw squat and raw powerlifting total ever performed by a drug tested athlete, regardless of weight class, as well as the greatest raw deadlift by an American citizen. In weightlifting, Henry was a three-time U.S. National Weightlifting Champion (1993, 1994, 1996), an American Open winner (1992), a two-time U.S. Olympic Festival Champion (1993 and 1994) and a NACAC champion (1996). He holds all three Senior US American weightlifting records of 1993-1997. In 2002 he won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic. Since joining the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1996, he has become a one-time WWF European Champion and a two-time world champion, having held the ECW Championship in 2008, and the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011.
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. He wrestled for Ring of Honor (ROH) for two years, and currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted as an assistant coach in amateur wrestling. He first spent time in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he held the Southern Tag Team Championship four times. WWE then moved him to the main roster and put him into an alliance with Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas, known as Team Angle (and later the World's Greatest Tag Team). During his tenure with the company, he won the Intercontinental Championship three times, the United States Championship once, and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice with Haas.
Hassan Hamin Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is better known by the ring name Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP). He is currently signed to WWE and is the manager of Omos. He has also worked with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Ring of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler, reality television star, media personality, and actor better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to WWE where he is the reigning Intercontinental Champion. Mizanin first gained fame as a cast member on MTV's The Real World: Back to New York, which first aired in 2001, and its spinoff series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge. He later entered the fourth season of Tough Enough, a televised competition that would award the winner a WWE contract, and became the first runner-up. Mizanin has also made appearances on television shows including Battle of the Network Reality Stars, Fear Factor, Identity, Ghost Hunters, Dinner: Impossible, Psych and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. Mizanin trained and wrestled with Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling, where he became the first Deep South Heavyweight Champion. Mizanin was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), working in tag team matches and winning the tag team title, the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, on one occasion. After signing with WWE, Mizanin became host of the annual WWE Diva Search competition in 2006. Following his hosting duties, Mizanin made his wrestling debut in September 2006, as a villain who went undefeated. In 2007, was drafted from SmackDown to the ECW brand, where he formed a partnership with John Morrison, in which the two held both the WWE Tag Team Championship and the World Tag Team Championship. He was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2009 WWE Draft, and won the WWE United States Championship on two occasions. He also won WWE Unified Tag Team Championship with The Big Show and the WWE Tag Team Championship with John Cena. In July 2010, he won a Money in the Bank ladder match at the first WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view, earning a contract for a WWE Championship match, which he used in November to win his only WWE Championship. In 2011, The Miz was ranked number one on Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual PWI 500 list.
Johnathan Randall Hennigan is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring names John Morrison and Johnny Nitro. Hennigan entered Tough Enough III, a televised competition that would award the winner a WWE contract. He was one of the winners in the competition and assigned to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), to continue his wrestling training. While situated at OVW, he was placed in a tag team with Joey Mercury, and the duo won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on one occasion. Alongside their manager Melina, the stable was called MNM. After signing with WWE, MNM was called up to the SmackDown! roster and on their debut in April 2005, Hennigan and Mercury went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. When their third and final reign ended in May 2006, Hennigan and Melina turned on Mercury. Hennigan and Melina were let go from the SmackDown! roster and debuted on the Raw brand. During his time with the brand, Hennigan competed in singles competition and won the WWE Intercontinental Championshiptwice. In June 2007, Hennigan was drafted from Raw to the ECW brand. During that time, he won the vacant ECW World Championship once, which was his first world championship; Hennigan went on to headline multiple pay-per-views for WWE, occasionally in world championship contention. He formed a partnership with The Miz in late 2007, with the two capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship and the World Tag Team Championship on separate occasions. They split in April 2009, and Morrison returned to SmackDown, where he won the Intercontinental Championship for the third time in September 2009. In November 2011, Hennigan left WWE, and began wrestling overseas and on the United States independent circuit.
Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He belongs to a wrestling family, being the son of Carlos Colón, Sr., who introduced him to wrestling. His mother was born in Canada, which grants him the Canadian citizenship. Colón debuted in his father's promotion, the World Wrestling Council (WWC), becoming a 13-time WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion. During the early years of his career, he made appearances for the X Wrestling Federation and Funking Conservatory, winning his first international championship for the second. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both Carly Colón and Carlito. In 2003, Colón signed a developmental contract with WWE, working for the promotion until 2010. He worked in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) for sixteen months, mostly wrestling in tag team matches while making appearances in WWC. On October 7, 2004, Colón made his debut performing on the main event of SmackDown! as Carlito Caribbean Cool. Colón is a former United States Champion and Intercontinental Champion and has been part of both the Raw and SmackDown brands. He is the only wrestler to win a championship on two separate debuts in WWE and the second Puerto Rican to become Intercontinental Champion after Pedro Morales. At WrestleMania XXV, Colón and his brother, Eddie Colón, became the only tag team to unify the WWE Tag Team Championship and World Tag Team Championship.
Edwin "Eddie" Carlos Colón is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is currently signed by WWE wrestling as Primo. He is the son of Carlos Colón, Sr. and the younger brother of wrestlers Stacy and Carly Colón, better known as Carlito in WWE. He began wrestling in the World Wrestling Council, where he won the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship five times, as well as numerous secondary and tertiary titles. In 2007, Colón signed a developmental contract with WWE, being assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling. In this promotion he was teamed with Eric Pérez, forming a tag team known as The Puerto Rican Nightmares. On February 23, 2008, they became the first wrestlers to hold the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship. Upon being promoted to the main brand, he was teamed with his brother. Subsequently, The Colóns became the first team to hold the WWE Tag Team Championship and World Tag Team Championship at the same time, making them the first Unified WWE Tag Team Champions.
Anthony Carelli is an Italian Canadian professional wrestler best known by his ring name Santino Marella. Known for his work in WWE, Anthony is a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, former WWE United States Champion, and former WWE Tag Team Champion with Vladimir Kozlov.
Milena Leticia Roucka is a Canadian professional wrestler, valet, and former model currently signed with WWE and working as Rosa Mendes. Roucka studied business at the University of British Columbia, but left to pursue a modelling career. She won several competitions, including the 2004 Piel Dorada, and also acted in commercials. In mid-2006, Roucka participated in the 2006 edition WWE Diva Search. Despite finishing fourth, she was hired by WWE, and assigned to train in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) using the ring name 'Roucka'. On September 19, 2007, Roucka won theOVW Women's Championship, which she held for five months until February 20, 2008. The following month, Roucka transferred to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's new developmental territory. In November 2008, Roucka began appearing on Raw, where she became associated with Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella.The following October, she was moved to the ECW brand and started an on-screen relationship with Zack Ryder, who she began to manage. The pair returned to the Raw brand in February 2010, and Mendes was drafted to SmackDown in April. In November, Mendes won the Queen of FCW title in FCW, and held it until February 2011. In late 2011 Rosa started to manage the team of Primo & Epico and has been their manager since managing them to a WWE Tag Team Championship reign.
Elizabeth "Beth" Kocianski Copeland is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Beth Phoenix. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Beth had a successful amateur wrestling career in high school, before being trained by the All Knighters. After her debut in May 2001, she wrestled for numerous independent promotions and was the inaugural GLORY Champion. She also appeared at the inaugural Shimmer shows. In 2004, she began working for Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in October 2005. She first debuted on WWE's Raw brand in May 2006 but suffered a legitimate broken jaw the following month. As a result, she had numerous surgeries and returned to OVW for further training. While there, she twice won the OVW Women's Championship, although her second reign is not officially recognized. She returned to the Raw brand in July 2007, and was heavily pushed, dominating the other WWE Divas and gaining the nickname, "The Glamazon". She won her first WWE Women's Championship at the No Mercy pay-per-view in October and held it for six months. She then developed an on-screen relationship with Santino Marella, dubbed "Glamarella", and won the Women's Championship for a second time in August 2008, although she lost it in January 2009. In January 2010, at the Royal Rumble, she became the second woman in history to enter the Royal Rumble match and went on to win the Women's Championship for the third time in April, holding it for a month. In October 2011, Phoenix won the WWE Divas Championship for the first time and lost it in April 2012.
Natalie "Nattie" Katherine Neidhart is a Canadian professional wrestler and model. She works for WWE under the ring name Natalya. Neidhart is a third-generation wrestler of the Hart wrestling family. Neidhart began her professional wrestling career in 2000 training in the Hart Family Dungeon under the guidance of her uncles Ross and Bruce Hart, and becoming the only woman in history to have graduated from the dungeon, thus being vowed as "The Dungeon Diva". Neidhart also trained in amateur wrestling and mixed martial arts. Neidhart is the first third-generation female wrestler in the world.
Lisa Marie Varon is an American professional wrestler, former bodybuilder and fitness competitor. Varon is best known for her time in WWE under the ringname Victoria where she is a former two-time WWE Women's Champion and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ringname Tara. Varon started competing in fitness competitions and won ESPN2's Fitness America Series in 1997. In 1999, she placed second at a fitness event in New York to earn her International Federation of BodyBuilders Professional Fitness Card. Through a chance meeting, Varon met WWE performer Chyna who encouraged her to become a wrestler. She trained in WWE's developmental territories for three years before being moved to the main roster to compete full-time under the ring name Victoria. Her first TV appearance was at WrestleMania 2000 as one of The Godfather's Hos. She debuted in June 2002, four months later she was pushed to win the WWE Women's Championship, a title she held twice in her wrestling career. After leaving WWE in 2009 Varon debuted in TNA later that year as Tara. In TNA she became a five-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion making her a seven-time Women's Champion overall. She was also a one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Brooke Tessmacher, as TnT.
Gail Kim-Irvine is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where she serves as a producer. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockouts Champion and she also was a one-time Knockouts Tag Team Champion where Madison Rayne was her tag team partner winning the belt alongside her. She is also known for her two stints in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she won the WWE Women's Championship in her first match.
Kim began her career wrestling on the Canadian-American independent circuit, before joining WWE in 2002. She became the first WWE Diva in history to win a championship in her debut match. After being released by WWE in 2004, Kim joined TNA in September 2005. There, she joined the tag team America's Most Wanted as their valet. After the dissolution of the group, Kim performed as a singles wrestler, eventually becoming the inaugural TNA Knockouts Champion in October 2007. During her time in TNA, she had an acclaimed feud with Awesome Kong, which is generally considered one of the greatest women's wrestling feuds of the 2000s. She later left TNA in August 2008, to return to WWE three months later, where she remained until 2011. The following October she returned to TNA. In 2012, Pro Wrestling Illustrated named Kim the number one female wrestler in the world and in 2016 she was announced as the first female inductee into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, professional wrestler, valet, and actress. She is best known for her time in WWE as Eve Torres (or simply Eve), where she became a three-time WWE Divas Champion. Torres began her career as a dancer and model, dancing for The Southern California Summer Pro League and went on to become a member of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team for the 2006–2007 season. She has also appeared on several television shows, including Show Me the Money, The Best Damn Sports Show Period, Sunset Tan, Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed, Deal or No Deal, Good Day LA, Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, Stars Earn Stripes, G4's Attack of the Show, and The Soup. In 2007, Torres won the 2007 Diva Search, earning a contract with WWE. She first appeared on WWE programming as a backstage interviewer in 2008, and also appeared in non-wrestling contests such as bikini contest's and dance competitions. She later became a full-time wrestler in 2009, and was involved in various feuds with Michelle McCool, Layla and Natalya. She also managed the tag team of Cryme Tyme. After being traded to the Raw brand in late 2009, she managed Chris Masters before winning her first ever WWE Divas Championship in April 2010, becoming the first diva search winner in history to win the title, before losing it in June 2010. After acting as the valet for R-Truth in late 2010, she won the Divas Championship for the second time at the Royal Rumble in January 2011, lasting until April 2011. In April 2012, she was appointed as Executive Administrator of Raw and SmackDown by then General Manager John Laurinaitis. In August 2012, Eve became Assistant General Manager of SmackDown. At the 2012 Night of Champions pay-per-view, Eve became the first Diva in history to win the WWE Divas Championship on three occasions, and would drop the title to Kaitlyn at the "20th Anniversary" episode of Raw in January 2013. In December 2012, Eve would ask for her release from Vince McMahon, and it would be granted in January 2013 so she can focus on her role as an instructor for the Gracie Women Empowered Self-defense program.
Nora Benshoof (born Nora Kristina Greenwald) is an American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her appearances with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment from 2000 to 2005 under the ring name Molly Holly. She is also known for her appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Miss Madness in 1999 to 2000. Holly began her professional wrestling career in WCW, where she also worked as a trainer. In 2000, Greenwald debuted in the then-WWF as part of the The Holly Cousins stable, an alliance of storyline cousins. She was later aligned with The Hurricane. During her time with the WWF/WWE, Holly held the WWF Hardcore Championship once and the WWE Women's Championship twice.
Victoria Elizabeth Crawford is an American retired professional wrestler and former model known for her time with WWE under the ring name Alicia Fox. Crawford debuted on SmackDown on June 13, 2008, using the Alicia Fox name and the gimmick of a wedding planner. In November, she moved to the ECW brand, where she managed DJ Gabriel. The following year, Fox began challenging for the WWE Divas Championship,[8] which she won in June 2010, holding the title for two months, becoming the first and only African American Divas Champion in WWE history. In October 2014, she began starring in the reality television series Total Divas on E! as part of the main cast. Following the Raw Reunion in 2019, WWE officially began regarding Fox as a legend.
Stephanie Nicole Chigvintsev (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Nikki Garcia, is an American television personality and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE from 2007–2023, in which she performed under the ring name Nikki Bella alongside her twin sister, Brie, as The Bella Twins. She is currently the host of the game show, Barmageddon.
In 2007, Garcia signed with WWE and was assigned to the developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling alongside her twin sister Brie, forming the duo The Bella Twins. She made her debut for the SmackDown brand in 2008. She is a two-time WWE Divas Champion with her second reign of 301 days being the longest reign for the now defunct title. She and Brie were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 as The Bella Twins. Also during her time in WWE, she starred in the reality TV series, Total Divas, and she and Brie got their own spin-off, Total Bellas. In her last few years in WWE, she only made sporadic appearances, but acted as an ambassador for the company. After her contract with WWE expired in 2023, she and Brie announced that they would be retiring the "Bella" surname and would be returning to their legal maiden name of "Garcia" professionally, and reintroduced themselves as The Garcia Twins.
Garcia ranked No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Female 50 in November 2015, and was named Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone in December 2015. She also won the award for Choice Female Athlete alongside her sister at the Teen Choice Awards in 2016.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Nikki Bella, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Brianna Monique Danielson (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Brie Garcia, is an American television personality and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE from 2007-2023 in which she performed under the ring name Brie Bella alongside her twin sister, Nikki, as The Bella Twins.
In 2007, Garcia signed with WWE and was assigned to the developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling alongside her twin sister Nikki, forming the duo The Bella Twins. She made her debut for the SmackDown brand in 2008. She is a one-time WWE Divas Champion, and she and Nikki were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 as The Bella Twins. Also during her time in WWE, she starred in the reality TV series, Total Divas, and she and Nikki got their own spin-off, Total Bellas. In her last few years in WWE, she only made sporadic appearances, but acted as an ambassador for the company. After her contract with WWE expired in 2023, she and Nikki announced that they would be retiring the "Bella" surname and would be returning to their legal maiden name of "Garcia" professionally, and reintroduced themselves as The Garcia Twins.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Brie Bella, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Jacquelyn Suzanne Gayda-Haas is an American retired professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work in WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). She was awarded a contract with WWE after co-winning the second series of the reality television show Tough Enough with Linda Miles.
Jillian Hall is an American retired professional wrestler and singer best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She also worked as a trainer in WWE's developmental territory program of Florida Championship Wrestling.
After debuting in 1998, Jillian Hall worked on the independent circuit under the name Macaela Mercedes. She won numerous championships, before beginning to work for Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2003 under her real name. She debuted on WWE's SmackDown brand as the "fixer" for the MNM faction. After leaving MNM, she became John "Bradshaw" Layfield's "image consultant", and managed him to the WWE United States Championship at WrestleMania 22. In February 2007, Hall developed an in-ring persona as a tone-deaf singer. In June 2007, she was drafted to Raw, where she participated in numerous tag team matches after allying with Melina. In October 2009, she won the WWE Divas Championship, but lost it to Melina the same night. Hall was released from her WWE contract in November 2010. As a teenager, Hall was a cheerleader and also took gymnastics classes. After graduating from high school, Hall attended college, but dropped out in order to train as a professional wrestler. At nineteen, she legally changed her last name from Fletcher to Hall.She was a championships on the independent circuit, including Southern States Wrestling's Women's Championship. She wrestled for women-only promotions, including G.L.O.R.Y., the Professional Girl Wrestling Association (PGWA), and the Women's Wrestling Alliance (WWA), and held both the WWA Women's Championship and the PGWA Championship. She also competed for other promotions including Hoosier Pro Wrestling (HPW), where she won both the HPW Cruiserweight Championship and HPW Ladies' Championship, Canadian International Wrestling (CIW), where she won the CIW Indy Women's Championship, Mid–States Championship Wrestling, where she won the MCW Mid-American title, and Blue Water Championship Wrestling, where she won the BWCW Women's title.Her greatest independent circuit success was in the Superstar Wrestling Federation (SWF), where she held the SWF Women's Championship and also competed in numerous intergender matches. She held the SWF Tag Team Championship twice, once with Tiny Tim and once with Randy Allen.In 2002 and early 2003, Mercedes wrestled regularly for the Apocalypse Wrestling Federation and Wrestle And Respect, where she competed in intergender matches and was involved in a scripted rivalry with the "Fabulous Firebird" Phoenix over the G.L.O.R.Y. Ladies' Wrestling Championship.On January 23, 2003, Mercedes won the G.L.O.R.Y. Ladies' Wrestling Championship, when she defeated the "Fabulous Firebird" Phoenix via referee's decision at an Apocalypse Wrestling Federation show
Tamara Lynn Sytch, commonly known by her ring name Sunny, is an American former professional wrestling manager, valet, ring announcer, and adult entertainer. Sytch achieved great success as Sunny within WWE during the 1990s and is considered the first WWF Diva. In 1996, America Online named her the most downloaded celebrity on the internet. She later performed under her birth name in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Ring of Honor. Sytch was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
Mickie Laree James is an American professional wrestler and singer, signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where she is the reigning TNA Women's Knockout Champion in her third reign. James began her professional wrestling career in 1999 as a valet on the independent circuit, where she was known under the name Alexis Laree. She trained in several camps to improve her wrestling abilities before working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in June 2002, where she gained national attention. After only a few appearances, she joined a stable called The Gathering and was written into storylines with the group. She is also the only woman to be involved inClockwork Orange House of Fun matches. James appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in October 2005 and was placed in a storyline with Trish Stratus, in which James' gimmick was that of Stratus' biggest fan turned obsessed stalker, an angle which lasted almost a year. She received a push, and she won her first WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 22, a title she has held a total of five times. James also won her first Divas Championship at Night of Champions in 2009 to become the second Diva to hold both the Women's and Divas titles. She was released from the company on April 22, 2010, after which she returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Between WWE and TNA, Mickie James is a 9 time wrestling champion, and is also the only person to hold the WWE Women's, WWE Divas and TNA Knockout Championships in wrestling history.
Taryn Nicole Terrell is an American professional wrestler, referee, actress, and stuntwoman, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). She is also known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she performed under the ring name Tiffany.
Katarina Leigh Waters is a German-born professional wrestler and valet. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. During her time in WWE, she performed on its Raw brand under the ring name Katie Lea and performed under the ring name Winter, while working in TNA . Prior to signing with WWE, she spent many years on the independent circuit, particularly in the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, where she used the ring name Nikita. After signing with WWE, Katie Lea Burchill started at this territory of Ohio Valley Wrestling (WWE).
Barbara "Barbie" Jean Blank is an American model, professional wrestler, and professional wrestling valet best known for her time with WWE, better known by her ring name Kelly Kelly. Blank has a background in gymnastics and cheerleading. She studied broadcast journalism, hoping to become a television anchor, and worked as a model for Venus Swimwear and Hawaiian Tropic. In 2006, Blank was signed to a contract by WWE and sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWE developmental territory. She debuted on the ECW brand in June 2006 as 'Kelly Kelly', with the character of an exhibitionist and performing a striptease. She continued her stripteases, in a segment known as Kelly's Exposé, weekly on ECW, and also became the valet of her on-screen boyfriend Mike Knox. The following year, she formed Extreme Exposé with Layla and Brooke Adams, and the trio performed a regular dance segment on ECW. They later became involved in a storyline with The Miz, which led to the dissolution of the group. Kelly then began participating in more wrestling matches and was moved to the Raw brand in July 2008. Throughout the next year, she unsuccessfully challenged for the WWE Divas Championship on several occasions, before moving to SmackDown in early 2010. There she challenged LayCool for the WWE Women's Championship but was unsuccessful. In April 2011, Kelly returned to the Raw brand, where she won the WWE Divas Championship for the first time in June. Kelly lost the title to Beth Phoenix in October, ending her four-month reign. Kelly Kelly made her return to WWE on the August 6 episode of Raw, where she defeated Eve Torres in a singles match.
Her last appearance was at SummerSlam dancing along with the other WWE Divas "Don't Give Up" performed live by Kevin Rudolf. On September 28, 2012, Kelly Kelly was released from her WWE contract due to her requesting time off and not returning when the officials desired. Blank made her first appearance in a wrestling promotion since being released by WWE on December 4, making her first independent wrestling show appearance for North East Wrestling.
Mary Louis "Maria" Kanellis-Bennett is an American professional wrestler, manager, promoter, actress and model. She is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH), and is also the co-owner and founder of the independent promotion Women's Wrestling Army (WWA). She has previously wrestled for Impact Wrestling and WWE.
Layla El is an English dancer, model, professional wrestler, valet, and actress. She works for World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Layla. After attending a performing arts college, El was a dancer for Carnival Cruise Lines, the Miami Heat franchise of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where Layla received a championship ring, and also danced for P. Diddy and Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards. She has also appeared on several television shows, including Family Feud, Project Runway, and Celebrity Fit Club Boot Camp. In 2006, Layla won the 2006 WWE Diva Search, earning a contract with the World Wrestling Entertainment. After briefly appearing on SmackDown brand, she was moved to the ECW brand in January 2007 where she formed the Extreme Exposé dance troupe with Kelly Kelly and Brooke Adams. In 2008, she was drafted to the Raw brand, where she began managing William Regal. The following year, she returned to the SmackDown brand, where she formed an alliance with Michelle McCool known as LayCool. In May 2010, Layla won the WWE Women's Championship for the first time, making her the first British woman and Diva Search winner to have won the championship in history; she was also the final recognized WWE Women's Champion as the title was retired in September 2010. At the Extreme Rules pay-per-view in May 2011, the team would split after Layla defeated McCool in a no countout, no disqualification, loser leaves WWE match. Layla won her first-ever WWE Divas Championship at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, lasting up to the Night of Champions pay-per-view in September 2012.
Michelle Leigh Calaway, is an American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE. She is a former two-time WWE Divas Champion & a two-time WWE Women's Champion. McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted primarily as a personal trainer and occasional wrestler. She also acted as the manager to the team of K. C. James and Idol Stevens, collectively known as the Teacher's Pets, in 2006 after changing her on-screen character to that of a teacher. At The Great American Bash in 2008, McCool became the inaugural WWE Divas Champion, holding the title for approximately five months. She then won the WWE Women's Championship at The Bash in 2009, becoming the first female wrestler to have held both titles. At Night of Champions in 2010, she unified both titles becoming the first WWE Unified Divas Champion. McCool has held both titles on two occasions, which makes her a four-time champion overall.
Melina Nava Perez: Born on March 9, 1979, Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler and model. She gained prominence during her tenure with WWE under the ring name Melina. Beyond WWE, Perez also wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Her journey in professional wrestling began in 2000 when she commenced training at Jesse Hernandez’s School of Hard Knocks. By 2001, she had made her debut. Although her audition for WWE’s reality show Tough Enough III in late 2002 didn’t lead to victory, Al Snow’s encouragement fueled her determination. In March 2004, Perez inked a contract with WWE and joined Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), WWE’s developmental territory. There, she managed the tag team MNM (Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury), guiding them to three WWE Tag Team Championship reigns. Nitro also secured two WWE Intercontinental Championship reigns under her guidance.
Perez boasts an impressive record: three-time WWE Women’s Champion and two-time WWE Divas Champion. Her second Divas Championship win made her the first woman in WWE history to hold both the Women’s and Divas titles multiple times.
Renowned for her flexibility, showcased during her entrance and in-ring maneuvers, Perez earned accolades. Bret Hart hailed her as “one of the best wrestlers in the world,” and WWE recognized her arsenal of offensive moves as unparalleled in Diva history
Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her time in WWE, under the ring name Vickie Guerrero. She is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as the manager of Nyla Rose.
In wrestling, she has appeared as an on-screen authority figure, storyline lover to several WWE wrestlers, occasional professional wrestler in the WWE Divas division, and as a manager for numerous wrestlers. She was best known in her role as General Manager of SmackDown from 2007 to 2011, and of Raw from 2011 to 2013. Since leaving WWE in 2014, she has made sporadic appearances in the company.
She is known for her villainous persona and igniting negative reactions from audiences with her catchphrase, "Excuse me!". She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, which has been occasionally incorporated into WWE storylines.
Richard Morgan Fliehr, known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career that has spanned almost 50 years. He is noted for his tenures with Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Much of his career was spent in JCP and WCW, where he won numerous titles. Since the mid-1970s, he has used the monikers "The Nature Boy" and "Slick Ric". Flair is also a founding member of the original Four Horsemen stable alongside Tully Blanchard and The Andersons, managed by JJ Dillon. A major pay-per-view attraction throughout his career, Flair headlined the premier annual NWA/WCW event, Starrcade, on ten occasions, while also co-headlining its WWE counterpart, WrestleMania VIII (8), in 1992, after winning that year's Royal Rumble. PWI awarded him their Wrestler of the Year award a record six times, while Wrestling Observer Newsletter named him the Wrestler of the Year (an award named after him and Lou Thesz) a record eight times. The first 2-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee, first inducted with the class of 2008 for his individual career and again with the class of 2012 as a member of The Four Horsemen, he is also a member of the NWA Hall of Fame, and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Flair is officially recognized by WWE as a 16-time world champion (8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and 2-time WWE Champion), although the number of his world championship reigns varies by source, ranging from 16 to 25. He has claimed to be a 21-time champion. He was the first holder of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (which he also held last). As the inaugural WCW World Heavyweight Champion, he became the first person to complete WCW's Triple Crown, having already held the NWA\WCW United States Heavyweight and NWA\WCW World Tag Team Championships. He then completed WWE's version of the Triple Crown when he won the WWE Intercontinental Championship, after already holding the WWE Championship and the WWE World Tag Team Championship on previous occasions.
Salvador Guerrero IV better known by his ring names Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr., is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He has previously worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWE, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Lucha Underground (LU), and Nación Lucha Libre (NLL). As a singles wrestler, he is a former ECW World Champion in WWE, and a six-time Cruiserweight Champion between WWE and WCW. He also achieved success in tag team wrestling, being a five-time world tag team champion – winning the WWE Tag Team Championship twice with Eddie Guerrero as Los Guerreros, the WCW World Tag Team Championship once with Corporal Cajun as the Misfits in Action, and the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice with Hernandez. Between WCW, WWE, and TNA, Guerrero has held a dozen total championships and one world championship.
Anthony White better known by his ring name Tony Atlas is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr. USA" (a distinction he earned three times), the nom de guerre the "Black Superman", as well as an alter ego named Saba Simba. He returned as an on screen manager for WWE, appearing on its now-defunct ECW brand. He re-signed with WWE in a legends deal in mid-2012.
Dylan Mark Postl is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Hornswoggle. He debuted in WWE in 2006, allied with Finlay. Hornswoggle won the Cruiserweight Championship in its first stint, and then was revealed as Vince McMahon's bastard son, and was exposed as the Anonymous Raw General Manager who had controlled the Raw brand from June 21, 2010, to July 18, 2011. He also competed in Impact Wrestling.
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films.
During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles in films like Body Heat (1981) and Diner (1982), before portraying leading roles in films like The Motorcycle Boy in Rumble Fish (1983), Charlie Moran in The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Captain Stanley White in Year of the Dragon and John Gray in 9½ Weeks (1986). He received critical praise for his work in the Charles Bukowski biopic Barfly and the horror mystery Angel Heart (both 1987). In 1991, following a string of critical and commercial failures, Rourke—who trained as a boxer in his early years—left acting and became a professional boxer for a time.
After retiring from boxing in 1994, Rourke returned to acting and had supporting roles in several films such as The Rainmaker (1997), Buffalo '66 (1998), Animal Factory, Get Carter (both 2000), The Pledge (2001), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Man on Fire (2004) and Domino (2005). In 2005, Rourke made a comeback in mainstream Hollywood circles with a lead role in the neo-noir action thriller Sin City, for which he won awards from the Chicago Film Critics Association, the Irish Film and Television Awards, and the Online Film Critics Society.
This comeback cumulated in his portraying aging wrestler Randy 'The Ram' Robinson in the sports drama film The Wrestler (2008). For the role, Rourke won the Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor, and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. After this, Rourke appeared in several commercially successful films; Iron Man 2, The Expendables (both 2010) and Immortals (2011), before primarily going on to work in independent and direct-to-video productions.
Paul Birchall, better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he signed after training and debuting for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance in his home country.
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur wrestling, where he established several school records for Kent State University, Nemeth signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2004 and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he wrestled under his real name. He was promoted to WWE's Raw brand shortly afterwards in 2005, playing the caddie sidekick to Kerwin White. He was sent back to OVW shortly afterwards, being given the name Nicky and joining the cheerleading-themed Spirit Squad, who debuted on RAW in January 2006 and won the World Tag Team Championship once before returning to OVW that November. In September 2007, Nemeth was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where he won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship twice, with Brad Allen and later Gavin Spears. Upon his return to the main roster in September 2008, Nemeth was repackaged as Dolph Ziggler. Since then, he is a two time world champion, has held the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the NXT Championship once, the Intercontinental Championship six times, the United States Championship twice, the Raw Tag Team Championship twice, and the SmackDown Tag Team Championship once. Overall in WWE, Nemeth has held 15 total championships and is a three-time world champion. His other accomplishments include becoming the sole survivor of two Survivor Series elimination matches and the 2012 Money in the Bank winner as well as headlining multiple WWE pay-per-view events.
Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler known for his work in WWE, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick. He has also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Kendrick has wrestled for numerous promotions in his career. While situated in these promotions, he has won various championships, both in tag team and singles competition. He was the last ever MCW Southern Light Heavyweight Champion, a title he held three times, and also won the MCW Southern Tag Team Championship with American Dragon. In addition, Kendrick was the first NWA International Junior Heavyweight Champion. During his time in WWE, Kendrick and his tag team partner Paul London became the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions since the title's inception. Together they also held the World Tag Team Championship for a brief period. During his years in TNA, he was a one-time TNA X Division Champion.
Charles Doyle "Charlie" Haas II is an American professional and amateur wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with WWE in the 2000s. Haas was an amateur wrestler in high school, and attended Seton Hall University on a wrestling scholarship, before becoming a stockbroker. He became a professional wrestler in 1996, and teamed regularly with his brother, Russ, with the two winning numerous championships on the independent circuit, including the CZW World Tag Team Championship and the JAPW Tag Team Championship. After signing contracts with WWE, The Haas Brothers were assigned to WWE's developmental territories, where they won the MCW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions. After Russ' death in 2001 due to a heart attack, Haas began wrestling in singles competition, winning the HWA Heavyweight Championship once. Haas formed a team with Shelton Benjamin and the two debuted on SmackDown in December 2002. They won the WWE Tag Team Championship twice, and dubbed themselves The World's Greatest Tag Team before they split in 2004. Haas won the WWE Tag Team Championship once more with Rico, and gained Miss Jackie as a valet. Haas then transferred into singles competition before being released from WWE in 2005. After a short stint in Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) and other independent promotions, Haas was re-signed to WWE in April 2006. He formed a short-lived team with Viscera, before reforming the World's Greatest Tag Team with Benjamin. After Benjamin transferred to the ECW brand, Haas began wrestling with a comical luchador persona, before developing a character where he imitated other wrestlers and WWE Hall of Famers. In addition, Haas won the last ever match on WWE Heat when the show ended on May 30, 2008. He was released from WWE in February 2010. He soon returned to the independent circuit, including returning to JAPW and appearing for Ring of Honor. In September 2010, he won the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship. On April 1, 2011, Haas and Benjamin won the ROH World Tag Team Championship and held it until December 2011. Haas announced his retirement from professional wrestling in March 2013. Aside from wrestling, Haas and his wife Jackie run a nutritional store, Custom Muscle Nutrition and Smoothie Shop, in Frisco, Texas, which they opened in October 2008.
Brian Myers is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he is a one-time TNA World Tag Team Champion (with Trevor Lee). He is best known for his tenures in WWE from 2006–2014 and 2016–2020 under the ring name Curt Hawkins. Myers signed with WWE in 2006 and was assigned to their developmental territories. In 2007, he was called up to the main roster and would eventually win the WWE Tag Team Championship with Zack Ryder. In 2014, he departed from WWE and returned to the independent circuit and worked there until 2016 when he re-signed with WWE. Shortly after his return, he amassed a WWE record 269-match losing streak which ended at WrestleMania 35 when he won the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship with Zack Ryder, almost ten years after they last held any titles as a team.
Matthew Joseph Korklan, better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Prior to signing with AEW, Sydal wrestled in WWE as Evan Bourne, and was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion, with Kofi Kingston. Sydal is also known for his time in Impact Wrestling where he is a former Impact Grand Champion and Impact X Division Champion, and in Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former ROH World Tag Team Champion. He has also wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and a one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion.
Korklan has also wrestled on the independent circuit, for promotions including NWA Midwest, IWA-Mid South,, winning both singles and tag team championships. He also wrestled for the short-lived Wrestling Society X . Beginning in 2005, he wrestled for Dragon Gate in Japan, and won the Open the Brave Gate Championship in early 2007.
Korklan is known for his high flying but hybrid lucha libre and puroresu styles of wrestling and was named the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Best Flying Wrestler in 2008.
Rycklon Stephens is a Guyanese bodybuilder and professional wrestler. He is signed in WWE working under the ring name Ezekiel Jackson. Stephens is a one-time world champion, having won the ECW Championship in February 2010, and is recognized by WWE as the final ECW Champion. He is also a one-time Intercontinental Champion.
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with WWE under a legends contract, as a wrestler and as a backstage producer. In WWE, Helms has wrestled as The Hurricane, Gregory Helms, and Hurricane Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms.
Helms first began wrestling in 1991 at the age of 17, and wrestled in numerous independent promotions, including the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts, winning numerous light heavyweight and tag team championships. In 1999, he signed with WCW, and gained fame as "Sugar" Shane Helms, a member of 3 Count. During his time there he won both the WCW Hardcore Championship and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. When WCW was bought by WWE, Helms' contract was kept by WWF. Helms renamed himself "The Hurricane" and won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. He later picked up a sidekick, Rosey, and they won the World Tag Team Championship together.
He dropped the superhero gimmick in 2005, and began wrestling under his real name. He once again won the Cruiserweight Championship in early 2006, and held it for over a year, becoming the longest reigning Cruiserweight Champion and the longest reigning champion of any kind in SmackDown history. After being out of action for over a year after neck fusion surgery Helms returned to SmackDown in September 2008, referring to himself as Hurricane Helms, before moving to the ECW brand where he reverted to his Gregory Helms name, and became a backstage interviewer. In mid-2009, he brought back The Hurricane character, and appeared as both Gregory Helms and The Hurricane on the ECW brand. After the ECW brand ended, Helms was released by WWE in February 2010, however he returned as a surprise entrant in the 2018 and 2021 Royal Rumble matches.
Dustin Patrick Runnels is an American professional wrestler and trainer. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE from 1995 to 2019 under the gimmick and ring name Goldust. The son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and the half-brother of fellow wrestler Cody Rhodes (who later presented a deep and dramatic spin-off character of the Goldust gimmick, entitled Stardust), he is also known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now Impact Wrestling). Between WWE and WCW, Runnels has won 23 total championships. In WCW, he was a two-time United States Heavyweight Champion, a one-time Six-Man Tag Team Champion, and a two-time World Tag Team Champion. In WWE, he is a three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, nine-time Hardcore Champion, one-time WWE World Tag Team Champion, and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion. Runnels has also appeared in the second most Royal Rumble matches, at 13. Rhodes headlined multiple pay-per-view events for the WWF and WCW during the 1990s. He is also a former Sammy Guevara's Vlog champion.
Dalip Singh Rana is an Indian professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and actor. He is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name The Great Khali. He made his professional wrestling debut in 2000. Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he was an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Punjab Police. He has appeared in four Hollywood films, two Bollywood films and several television shows. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the 2021 class.
Donald Jacob Hager Jr. is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager. Hager is also known for his time in WWE under the ring name Jack Swagger. As a mixed martial artist, he is currently signed to Bellator MMA where he competes in the heavyweight division. Hager attended the University of Oklahoma as a two-sport athlete, participating in both football and wrestling. He switched to wrestling full-time in his sophomore year, and in 2006, set the record for most pins in a season with 30 as an All-American. Following a try-out, Hager signed a WWE contract in mid 2006 where he performed as "Jack Swagger". During his time with WWE, he became a two-time world champion, having held the WWE's World Heavyweight Championship and the ECW Championship once each and a one-time United States Champion. He left the company in 2017 after he decided to pursue a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career. In 2017, Hager signed with Bellator MMA. He had his first professional fight on January 26, 2019 against J.W. Kiser at Bellator 214, where he won via arm-triangle choke in the first round. In his second fight with the promotion, he faced T.J. Jones on May 11, 2019 at Bellator 221, where he again won via arm-triangle choke in the first round. He is currently undefeated with a record of 3–0 (1). As a wrestler, he kept working with various promotions before signing with AEW in 2019, including in Lucha Underground as Jake Strong, where he was the final Lucha Underground Champion. He is the only man in history to have been ECW, (WWE) World and Lucha Underground Champion.[citation needed] Hager, in total, is a four-time world champion in professional wrestling.
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler working for WWE as a producer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition. He is also known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling in its cruiserweight division under the names Jamie-San and Jamie Knoble and is a one time Cruiserweight Champion. Gibson also wrestled in Ring of Honor as James Gibson and is a one time world champion, having won the ROH World Championship during his time in that organization.
James Carson Yun is a Korean American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit as Jimmy Yang. After a brief stint as Akio, a henchman for Tajiri in late 2003 to early 2004, he returned to WWE in 2006.
Jayson Anthony Paul is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance. He is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name JTG.
Paul began his professional wrestling career in 2006 with WWE, being assigned to their developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he was a two-time OVW Southern Tag Team Champion (with Shad Gaspard, as part of Cryme Tyme). In 2006, Cryme Tyme was promoted to WWE's main roster, before both JTG and Gaspard were released from the company the following year. They both returned to the company in 2008, and later split up and feuded with each other until Gaspard's release in 2010.
Later that year, JTG was assigned to NXT, where he was announced as one of the Pros for NXT Redemption, mentoring Jacob Novak. He eventually turned heel and feuded with Vladimir Kozlov's rookie Conor O'Brian and Kozlov himself. He additionally made appearances on SmackDown and Superstars. From late 2012 to 2013, JTG was relegated to jobber status and continued to compete until his release in 2014.
Michael Knoxville Hettinga is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in WWE under the name Mike Knox, and also known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Knux.
Ronnie Aaron Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper, best known by his ring name, R-Truth, who is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Since working for the company, he has been a United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, 24/7 Champion, and a Hardcore Champion (under the ring name K-Kwik). Killings has also worked for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, where he became the first African-American NWA World Heavyweight Champion. In addition to that, Ron's been an NWA World Tag Team Champion and a TNA World Tag Team Champion.
Shad Gaspard was an American professional wrestler of Haitian and Curaçaon descent. He was signed with Inoki Genome Federation (IGF). Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he once teamed with his partner JTG who wrestled on the Raw brand where they worked as the tag team, Cryme Tyme. He was also an actor, bodybuilder, model, and former Bodyguard.
Oleg Aleksandrovich Prudius (Russian: Олег Александрович Прудиус; Ukrainian: Олег Олександрович Прудіус, Oleh Oleksandrovych Prudius; is a Ukrainian American professional wrestler currently signed to Inoki Genome Federation, a Wrestling Promotion in Japan. He was also known by his ring name Vladimir Kozlov (Russian: Владимир Козлов). When competing for WWE, he won the Tag Team Championship once with Santino Marella. He is trained in freestyle wrestling, rugby, football, sambo, kickboxing,judo, and mixed martial arts. Prudius has also worked as a stage and screen actor, notably having a small role in Spike Lee's 25th Hour.,and a walk-on role in the second season of the HBO hit series The Wire. Prudius also had a role in Grindhouse, appearing in the "Werewolf Women of the SS" trailer; he was credited under his real name and his WWE persona for the appearance. He is a former Ohio Valley Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.
Darren Kenneth Matthews is an English professional wrestler, author and color commentator currently signed to WWE under the ring name William Regal. He is also known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Steven Regal. Having started his career wrestling on a rare surviving carnival booth in England, Matthews moved on to wrestle for national-level promotions on the British wrestling circuit, including on UK television. He then progressed to touring around the world, in countries such as Germany and South Africa, before being called up to World Championship Wrestling in 1993. In 2000, after leaving WCW, Matthews joined the World Wrestling Federation (later World Wrestling Entertainment and now just WWE), where he became commissioner. More recently he has been General Manager of Raw, the 2008 King of the Ring and was briefly the official match coordinator for NXT Redemption in 2011. He is currently a color commentator on NXT. He's also known for being the first wrestler to beat CM Punk by submission. Matthews has achieved considerable championship success in professional wrestling, although he has never been a world champion. Throughout his career, he has won more than 60 titles worldwide, including four in WCW and 15 in WWE. He has overcome multiple drug problems as well as a major heart defect during his career, and he has written an autobiography.
Matthew Brett Cardona is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he is the current Impact Digital Media Champion in his first reign, and The National Wrestling Alliance, where he is the current NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He also holds several championships in various independent promotions, and his self-promoted Internet Championship, with which he is in his second reign. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryder from 2005 to 2020.
Cardona debuted in professional wrestling in 2004, teaming with Curt Hawkins on the independent circuit. Both men were signed by WWE the following year, making their main roster debuts in 2007. After the team split in 2009, he made appearances on WWE's ECW brand until 2010, following which he was featured sparingly on television. In 2011, he launched a YouTube web series in which he proclaimed himself WWE's "Internet Champion"; this, along with his creative use of social media, helped him establish a substantial cult following. Over the course of his time with WWE, Cardona held the Intercontinental, United States, and Raw Tag Team Championships (the latter with Hawkins on two occasions).
Cardona was released by WWE in April 2020, and had a brief stint in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in July of that year under his real name. Cardona has been a free agent since the completion of his AEW contract in September and has been making appearances with Impact Wrestling since making his debut at their Hard To Kill event in January 2021.
Candice Michelle Beckman Ehrlich better known as Candice Michelle is an American model, actress, and professional wrestler who is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment and as the popular Go Daddy girl.
Johnnie Mae Young was an American professional wrestler. She wrestled throughout the United States and Canada and won multiple titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. Young is considered one of the pioneers in women's wrestling as she helped to increase the popularity of the sport throughout the 1940s and during World War II. In 1954, she and Mildred Burke were among the first female competitors to tour post-war Japan.
Beginning in 1999, Young had a high-profile "second career" in the World Wrestling Federation. Young was part of a recurring comedic duo with best friend The Fabulous Moolah in appearances on WWE televised events. Young is also remembered for taking bumps well past the age of 80 on televised programming. In 2004, she was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum as part of their "Lady Wrestler" category. On March 29, 2008, Young was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In 2017, the Mae Young Classic tournament was introduced by WWE in her memory.
James Wiley Smith Thomas Reiher Snuka is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Deuce.
The son of professional wrestler Jimmy Snuka, Reiher began wrestling in the late 1990s, and worked for the UWA and the Xcitement Wrestling Federation. After signing a contract with WWE, Reiher was assigned to WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky in 2005, where he wrestled under the name Deuce Shade. He was placed in tag team competition, alongside Dice Domino. Along with their manager Cherry, the group were known as The Throw-Backs and later The Untouchable, and captured the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions. Deuce also won the OVW Television Championship on one occasion in singles competition.
The group was called up to the SmackDown! roster in January 2007, and underwent a name change to Deuce 'n Domino. Three months later, Deuce 'n Domino won the WWE Tag Team Championship. After dropping the title in August 2007, the group disbanded in June 2008. Deuce moved to the Raw brand and became known as Sim Snuka, and the following year, on June 19, 2009, he was released from his WWE contract.
