WWE Stars That Are Living Away From The Ring
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom AKA Shawn Michaels – Age 52
With his long blonde hair and fit physique, Shawn Michaels has developed a persona as a, particularly vain wrestler in his time with the WWF. Michaels, whose real name is Michael Hickenbottom, is originally from Arizona and started experimenting with professional wrestling in high school, even staging his own routine with fake blood at a talent show. Michaels’ portfolio of wrestling titles includes the World Wrestling Federation Championship and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This wrestler has pulled in an estimated an impressive $17 million in his 20-year career, which he decided to end in 2018.
Bret Sergeant Hart AKA Bret “The Hitman” Hart – Age 60
Easily one of the most popular characters in professional wrestling history, Bret “The Hitman” Hart is a second-generation wrestler. Born to pro wrestling pioneer Stu Hart, Bret entered the sport himself in the mid-‘70s. He later became one of the WWF’s main attractions, pulling in crowds for years with his body-slamming tactics. Hart, who became well-known for wearing sleek, futuristic sunglasses in the ring, is worth a staggering $14 million. Among other things, Hart has spent his wealth on real estate investments like the Hawaiian house he bought for $675K in 2004.
David Michael Bautista Jr. AKA Batista – Age 49
Batista is one of the more successful entertainers who crossed over from professional wrestling into acting. The performer grew up in poverty in Washington, DC, where he resorted to stealing cars at only 13 years old. Starting in his twenties, he channeled his aggression into wrestling, eventually rising to fame in the WWF as a founding member of the crew Evolution with Ric Flair, Triple H, and Randy Orton. Batista, who has since made his breakthrough in the film business with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, has won a devoted fan base and has pulled in lifetime earnings estimated at $13 million as of 2018.
Dwayne Douglas Johnson AKA The Rock – Age 45
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has become not only one of the most popular professional wrestlers ever, he has also become a major movie star in his own right. The Rock played Division 1 football at the University of Miami and was considered a top college prospect. But rather than making money with the NFL, he followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps as a wrestler, initially training for the sport with his own uncles. For non-wrestling fans and younger audiences, though, The Rock is more commonly known as actor Dwayne Johnson, who has lent his talents to big-budget movies like Moana and much of the Fast and Furious franchise. Thanks to his crossover success, The Rock has become the highest-paid wrestler ever, with a personal fortune estimated at $190 million as of 2017.
Paul Michael Levesque AKA Triple H – Age 48
Professional wrestler Triple H (whose stage name stands for Hunter Hurst Helmsley) was born Paul Michael Levesque in New Hampshire. As a teen, Helmsley was an active high school athlete but turned his attention to bodybuilding when he realized its huge money-earning potential. Levesque first got into wrestling when he met WWE powerlifter Killer Kowalski while he was working at a local Gold’s Gym. He adopted the moniker Triple H in the mid-‘90s and has since gone on to win a total of 25 championships. He was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame n 2019 as part of the D-Generation X.
Trish Stratus AKA Stratus – Age 41
Canadian Trish Stratus was working as a receptionist at a gym when she was approached to pose for the magazine MuscleMag International. Stratus, whose real name is Patricia Stratigeas, eventually came to the attention of the WWF, where she debuted as a villain and became entangled in illicit relationship storylines with franchise boss Vince McMahon. Stratus was named the WWF’s Babe of the Year in 2001. She has earned an estimated $6 million in her time as a professional wrestler. Trish Stratus has also used her time to support charities like Ronald McDonald House and the Special Olympics.
Terry Bollea AKA Hulk Hogan – Age 64
One of the biggest stars of the professional wrestling era, both in terms of physical size and popularity, Hulk Hogan won twelve championships in his time with the WWF and WCW. Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bolea, studied briefly at a local community college and the University of Florida before dropping out. He began making a living through wrestling gigs on the south Florida circuit, first appearing under the name “The Super Destroyer.” In addition to wrestling, he has gone on to star in movies like Mr. Nanny, earning more than enough to pay off his student loans. As of 2017, Hulk Hogan was worth an estimated $25 million.
Amy Dumas AKA Lita – Age 42
Amy Dumas only had a brief career with the WWE but was one of the more notable characters in franchise history. Dumas, who is from Florida, originally studied education at Georgia State University but dropped out in 1993. She entered the WWE under the name Lita in 2000 and became as known for her energetic performances as for her relationship with fellow wrestler Kane. Dumas has earned as much as $4 million in her time wrestling, giving her more than enough money to pay off any outstanding student loans from GSU.
Mark William Calaway AKA The Undertaker – Age 52
One of the darker and more “goth” personas in wrestling is The Undertaker. Born Mark Callaway in Houston, he played football and basketball and studied sports management at Texas Wesleyan University. Callaway put his business finance skills to use by gaining a large fanbase with The Undertaker’s compelling supernatural tricks and scare tactics. He started wrestling with World Class Championship Wrestling in 1984 and had his greatest success with the WWE when he maintained a famous 21-match winning streak. Over his career, he has gathered a $17 million net worth.
Glenn Thomas Jacobs AKA Kane – Age 50
One of the more intimidating presences in professional wrestling, Kane is a twelve-time world tag team champion. An army brat, the wrestler was born Glenn Jacobs in Spain before his family moved to St. Louis. He started off in a local Missouri league before slowly building a following with the WWF. In the late ‘90s, Kane put stock into a tag-team partnership with Mankind before teaming up with Bearer, a character revealed to be his long-lost brother. In his 26-year career in wrestling, Kane has made an impressive $9 million.
Scott Oliver Hall AKA Razor Ramon – Age 59
Razor Ramon has been a popular, albeit controversial figure in professional wrestling. The star was born Scott Hall in Maryland and attended high school in Germany while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army. When he entered professional wrestling in the early ‘90s, he adopted a persona named Razor Ramon, inspired by the Scarface character Tony Montana. Although Ramon’s wrestling salary and various investments got him a net worth of about $3 million, the star has not been without his problems. Among other incidents, he was charged with second-degree murder in 1983 (although the case was later dropped) and was arrested for groping a woman in 1998.
Steven James Anderson AKA Stone Cold Steve Austin – Age 53
Steve Austin already had an awesome name, sharing it with the hero of the action series The Six Million Dollar Man; but Austin re-branded himself as Stone Cold. The fighter hit it big when he signed up with WWF and quickly became known for his bad boy antics, often butting heads with league boss Vince McMahon. When the WWF invested its efforts in distributing their content through pay-per-view television, Stone Cold became a big draw. The star was worth an estimated $45 million as of 2018. He has also been arrested several times on charges of domestic abuse; his ex-wife, Debra Marshall, has even described incidents in which the WWE covered up her bruises with makeup to protect Austin and, consequently, their profits.
Bill Goldberg AKA Goldberg – Age 51
Bill Goldberg decided to use his last name as his handle when he entered professional wrestling. The Oklahoma native had been a promising young athlete in college, playing football for the University of Georgia; in 1990, he was drafted to play in the NFL. A pelvic injury derailed Goldberg’s football career but led him to the world of powerlifting, an interest that eventually led the six foot, four-inch entertainer to the WCW. He became one of the franchise’s more popular characters, helping to sell branded merchandise like 24-karat gold-plated toy cars. As of 2018, Goldberg was worth an estimated $14 million.
Sid Eudy AKA Sid – Age 57
Sidney Eudy, who simply went by Sid once he went into professional wrestling, trained under wrestler Tojo Yamamoto. He bounced between different wrestling franchises, first pulling in crowds with Ric Flair’s Four Horsemen posse in the WCW and later appearing with the WWF under the name Sycho Sid. Sid’s portfolio of titles included the WWF Championship and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The wrestler, who was still touring local wrestling venues as of 2012, has passed on the entertainment bug to his family — his son Frank was a contestant on two seasons of Big Brother.
Vince McMahon – Age 72
As founder of the WWE, Vince McMahon is largely responsible for the popularity of modern professional wrestling. McMahon’s father, also named Vince, was a wrestling promoter and encouraged his young son’s interest in the managerial side of the sport. Vince and his wife Linda founded Titan Sports in 1979 and later merged it with the elder McMahon’s company Capitol Wrestling. McMahon capitalized on the popularity of pay-per-view television by syndicating wrestling content through the service starting in the ’80s. Thanks to his ingenuity and some very shrewd investments, Vince McMahon is worth a staggering $1.8 billion as of 2018.
Rena Greek AKA Sable – Age 50
Along with Chyna, Sable was one of the most popular female professional wrestlers of the ’90s. Sable, whose birth name is Rena Greek, entered the sport when she became involved in a storyline involving her then wrestler husband “Wildman” Marc Mero. Sable first wrestled with the WWF, where she won the title of Women’s Champion in 1998, and later with the WWE. Beyond entertaining professional wrestling crowds, Sable has modeled for Playboy and has appeared in movies like Corky Romano. As of 2017, Sable’s bank account held approximately $1.5 million.
James Smith AKA Jimmy Snuka – Died in 2017
Wrestler Jimmy Snuka was born in the South Pacific island nation of Fiji while it was still a British colony in the ’40s. Snuka spent his early childhood in Hawaii and found his way into wrestling after bulking up as a bodybuilder. He emerged as a popular villain in the early days of the WWF, facing off against favorites like Lou Albano. Snuka’s professional wrestling career was also marked by his status as a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Argentino; he was later acquitted, although Argentino’s parents won a $500K civil suit against him that he claimed not to have enough money to pay. Jimmy Snuka passed away in 2017.
Randy Orton – Age 37
Randy Orton (which is his real name) was one of the first of a new crop of millennial wrestlers. The Tennessee native entered the military after graduating high school, but was dismissed after going AWOL twice. The WWF recognized his charisma and gave Orton a contract, first shopping him around to smaller talent development circuits in Kentucky. He became the youngest WWE champion ever with his World Heavyweight Champion win for him in 2004. Besides his presence in professional wrestling, Orton has become known for his popular videos on the social media app Vine. As of 2018, Randy has a net worth of $15.5 million.
Scott Garland AKA Scotty 2 Hotty – Age 44
Scotty 2 Hotty is one of the more tenacious and enterprising wrestlers to rise up through the WWF, writing to Vince McMahon himself at age 14 to express interest in joining the franchise. While Scott, whose real name is Scott Garland, originally worked for as a bank teller and retailer manager, he signed with the WWF in 1997. During his time in the ring, Scotty became known for a schtick that included garish outfits and occasional breakdancing. He officially left professional wrestling in 2007 and moved to Florida where he worked as a firefighter and EMT. He is married with two children.
Lawrence Wendell Pfohl AKA Lex Luger – Age 60
Meet Lex Luger, a former wrestling monster most recognized for his World Championship Wrestling achievements. Luger boasts of bagging the World Heavyweight Championship and grabbing the United States Championship five times. There is one achievement he didn’t manage to get and that is a championship win in the WWF, though he appeared and competed. In 2007, a nerve impingement left Luger paralyzed and unable to wrestle, until his full recovery in 2010, following three years’ worth of intravenous antibiotics and therapy. Luger works at the WWE, busy tackling their wellness policy.
Steve Keirn – Age 66
Steve Keirn started his wrestling career in small local circuits in Florida as part of a tag team. He later signed with Tennessee’s Continental Wrestling Association before joining the WWF in 1991. During his time with the WWF, Keirn was known for his intimidation tactics like bringing an alligator claw into the ring. With multiple championships to his name, Keirn left competitive wrestling in 2001. With a portion of his career winnings and possibly a small business loan, Steve opened his own wrestling training school in the late ’80s, “The Professional Wrestling School of Hard Knocks.”
Peter Gruner AKA Billy Kidman – Age 43
Billy Kidman was born Peter Gruner in New Haven, Connecticut and first started training as a professional wrestler in the early ’90s. He chose the stage name Billy Kidman for its similarity to that of 19th century western outlaw Billy The Kid. He signed with WCW in 1996 and rotated through a few different crews (or “stables”), beginning with The Flock. Billy eventually became an investment asset for the WCW; when they were bought out by the WWF in 2001, Billy’s contract was specifically included as one of 20 performers who would be included in the acquisition.
Jonathan Coachman AKA The Coach – Age 42
While not a wrestler himself, commentator Jonathan Coachman was a very popular figure in the WWE. The television personality, who went by the name “The Coach,” played college basketball in Kansas but found that he was more interested in the theatrical side of sports. After offering play-by-play narration on local football broadcasts, Coachman joined the WWE in 1999. He went on to host Raw and was eventually promoted to General Manager of that series in 2007. Coachman’s other sports commentary credits include an interview slot on ESPN’s Sports Center and a hosting gig on his own radio show, Coach & Company.
Merced Solis AKA Tito Santana – Age 64
Tito Santana is one of the most popular Latino performers in American professional wrestling. Santana, who started life as Merced Solis in South Texas, played football for West Texas State University; he was later drafted to play in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was cut during training season. Rather than face bankruptcy, the athlete accepted the guidance of his former college teammate, wrestler Tully Blanchard, and first performed with the WWF in 1979. He later adopted the stage name Tito Santana and in his WrestleMania appearances, helped to usher in a new age of professional wrestling in the ’90s.
Fred Ottman AKA Tugboat – Age 61
Fred Ottman went by several different names in his long professional wrestling career, but his most memorable moniker was Tugboat. He was born in Virginia and started wrestling on local Georgia circuits before joining the WWF in 1991. His Tugboat persona involved wearing a striped sailor’s uniform and making regular “toot” noises. In 1991, he briefly changed his ring name to Typhoon and performed alongside Earthquake as the Natural Disasters, a tag team that provoked a rivalry with Money, Inc. Tugboat left professional wrestling in 2001 and now works in Florida as a manager for a cleaning service.
John Nord AKA Nord the Barbarian – Age 58
John Nord first went into professional wrestling in 1984 with the Oklahoma-based company Mid South Wrestling. The six-foot, eight-inch tall performer adopted the name Nord the Barbarian when he started wrestling with the American Wrestling Association in 1986. He joined the WWF in 1991 where he feuded with The Undertaker before competing in Japan with the All Japan Pro Wrestling franchise in 1994. Nord left wrestling altogether in 2002, but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing since his departure — because the WWE did not sufficiently describe wrestling’s risks or provide him with a health savings account, he became part of a class action lawsuit in 2016 to recoup money spent on his traumatic brain injuries.
Aaron Haddad AKA Damien Sandow – Age 35
Damien Sandow, not to be confused with older wrestler Damián 666, started to train as a wrestler when he was only 16. He joined the WWE in 2003 where he debuted as Aaron Stevens and had high-profile bouts with fighters like Raven and Scotty 2 Hotty. It wasn’t until 2010 that the entertainer changed his ring name to Damien Sandow, a shift that was accompanied by a more edgy persona. Damien’s career hit a high point when he won a Money in the Bank match and a chance at a championship in 2013. After a short stint as a body double for former Real World cast member The Miz, Sandow left wrestling in 2016. His net worth was estimated at $2 million as of 2015.
Page Falkinburg AKA Diamond Dallas Page – Age 61
Diamond Dallas Page, or DDP for short, is originally from Pleasant Plains, New Jersey where he was a star basketball player in high school. DDP, whose real name is Page Falkinburg, started out in wrestling as a talent manager out of a Florida club. He signed up with the WCW in 1991 where he won several titles and participated in some of the league’s early pay-per-view matches. An injury led to Page’s departure from professional wrestling in 2005. He has since appeared in a string of low-budget horror movies, and his acting credits include The Devil’s Rejects and Driftwood.
James Harris AKA Kamala – Age 67
James Harris became famous during a different era in professional wrestling. The entertainer fled his hometown in northern Mississippi after being harassed and threatened by local cops and found his way to Michigan, where he began training as a wrestler under Bobo Brazil. Harris eventually joined the Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association where his managers developed a racist character named Kamala, a Ugandan headhunter who wore face paint and carried a spear. Harris had to retire in 2011 when his leg was amputated due to diabetes complications; he was put in intensive care following dangerous surgery to remove fluid from around his heart in 2017.
Robert Maillet AKA Kurrgan – Age 48
Robert Maillet grew up in a French-Canadian family in Ontario and played up his French heritage when he first started wrestling. The six-foot, ten-inch tall performer debuted as The Cajun Giant in upstate New York before joining the WWF and re-branding his persona as Kurrgan The Interrogator, a villain who was fond of putting his opponents into the Iron Claw hold. Although he had no problem earning money as a wrestler, Maillet gave his checking account an even greater boost when he began to appear in movies. He has starred in big-budget hits like 300 and Pacific Rim.
David Heath AKA Gangrel – Age 49
David William Heath, better known to wrestling fans as Gangrel, started wrestling in the independent circuit in his home state of Florida. Inspired by the 1987 horror movie The Lost Boys, he took on a vampire persona, going so far as to modify his incisors into prominent fangs. In 1998, he adopted the name Gangrel, after a character in a vampire-themed role-playing game and orchestrated elaborate, blood-filled gimmicks with the WWF until 2001. Perhaps due to a low salary or unstable financial planning, Gangrel is still working on independent circuits to earn a living. He also directs adult movies.
Oleg Aleksandrovich Prudius AKA Vladimir Kozlov – Age 38
At 306 pounds, Vladimir Kozlov is one of the largest performers in professional wrestling. The wrestler, whose real name is Oleg Aleksandrovich Prudius, was born in what is now Uzbekistan and was an all-around athlete in his youth, playing football in the United States for Santa Barbara City College. Perhaps due to his intimidating stature and politicized heritage, Prudius was dubbed Vladimir Kozlov when he premiered with the WWE in 2006. Perhaps because he considered the market outlook for professional wrestling to be somewhat bleak for long-term employment, Prudius started working as a stuntman in movies like Fast & Furious 6 and John Wick 2 in the mid 2010s.
Tyrone Evans AKA Michael Tarver – Age 41
Tyrone Evans, better known to wrestling fans as Michael Tarver, was born in Ohio and originally competed in independent circuits in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He signed up with the WWE in 2008 and began performing as Michael Tarver. The WWE made a significant investment in cable television distribution in 2010 and cast Tarver on the popular show NXT. The entertainer left the WWE in 2011 and began touring independent circuits in Florida. As of 2014, Tarver began appearing with Tokyo-based franchise New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Since leaving the WWE, Tarver has spoken about the difficulties that black wrestlers and other people of color face in the industry.
Peter Joseph Polaco AKA Justin Credible – Age 44
Peter Polaco entered the wrestling world by agreeing to some tough employment conditions — he worked for free, entertaining crowds as PJ Walker at Bret Hart’s Hart Brothers Training Camp. Before long, though, Polaco entered the WWF, finally landing a reliable enough income to keep his checking account flush. In 1997, he left WWF for Extreme Championship Wrestling, at the time a relatively new league. It was at ECW that Polaco took on the grungy, rebellious persona of Justin Credible and won the CyberSlam championship in 2000. The performer left professional wrestling in 2015.
Ed Leslie AKA Brutus Beefcake – Age 60
It’s easy to see why Brutus Beefcake adopted such an over-the-top, hyper-masculine persona; the entertainer’s real name of Ed Leslie wasn’t very likely to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents. When he first started, he wrestled alongside a young Hulk Hogan, who was billed as his brother. Ed made his debut as Brutus Beefcake with the WWF in 1984 and remained with the franchise for a whopping nine years. A parasailing accident in 1990 shattered many of the bones in Brutus’ face, requiring him to undergo a long and costly surgery. Perhaps in the interest of medical debt relief, Brutus returned to the WWF just a year later; he retired in 2000, but has made occasional appearances in the years since.
Tammy Lynn Sytch AKA Sunny – Age 45
Tammy Lynn Sytch, more commonly known as Sunny, was one of the first and most prominent female professional wrestling promoters. Tammy, who grew up in New Jersey, studied medicine at the University of Tennessee. Possibly as a means of paying off her student loans, she first found employment with Knoxville-based Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Tammy later moved on to the WWF, where she developed the Sunny character, who was one half of the villain tag team The Bodydonnas. Since leaving wrestling, Sytch has had a few run-ins with the law; she was most recently arrested and held on bond in 2018 for failing to show up for a court date related to an earlier DUI charge.
Raymond John Leppan AKA Adam Rose – Age 38
Adam Rose is a testament to the global popularity of professional wrestling. Adam, who was born Raymond Leppan in South Africa, grew up wanting to be a wrestler, and developed a character for himself as early as age 15. After working small entertainment circuits in his home country for several years, the wrestler chased bigger career dividends in the United States, joining regular WWE shows in 2011. A few years later, he rebranded himself as Adam Rose, a character supposedly inspired by English comedian Russell Brand. According to 2018 estimates, Rose’s net worth is between $300K and $500K.
Kevin Nash AKA Diesel – Age 58
Kevin Nash, one of the founding members of WWE’s New World Order crew, is originally from Detroit, Michigan. A college basketball player for the University of Tennessee, Nash spent some time playing professional basketball in Germany. The six-foot-ten-inches tall athlete began wrestling in 1990 and has made bank over the years, with an estimated net worth of $8 million as of 2017. Nash also has an interest in sports medicine and has declared his intention to donate his brain to science after his death. He is set to play in the 2020’s movie titled Thunderclap!.
Debrah Ann Miceli AKA Alundra Blayze – Age 54
Debrah Ann Miceli has wrestled for the WCW and WWE under the names Alundra Blayze and Madusa (which is a contraction of Made in the USA). Although she was raised in Minneapolis, she has found wrestling stardom around the world, first rising to prominence with the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota and then becoming the first non-Japanese person to perform with the All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling group. After going into retirement from wrestling in 2000, Miceli entered the world of monster truck driving and won the 2004 Monster Jam World Finals.
Robert Booker Tio Huffman AKA Booker T – Age 53
Wrestler Booker T, who is named for early 20th century African-American civil rights leader Booker T. Washington, has won 35 WWE and WCW championships. Booker was born Robert Huffman in Houston, Texas and first entered wrestling as a way to take charge of his personal finances and provide for his son. He debuted with the Dallas-based Global Wrestling Federation in the early ‘90s before moving on to the WCW and the WWE. As of 2018, Booker T’s net worth was estimated at about $5 million, one year later, he was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame.