Having success in professional wrestling is a hard nut to crack. But it becomes harder when a wrestler finally cracks that nut. Maintaining a stable lifestyle is tough for the fighters, especially those who start from the bottom.
But still, there are some wrestlers such as The Rock, Booker T, CM Punk who successfully utilized their careers and transformed into a new person. On the other hand, there is an example of countless others who preferred to go with the flow instead of managing finance smartly.
Today we created a list of superstars who came from nothing and then struggled on their way to the top.
Without question, these stories will motivate as well as inspire you. Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, their struggles might help you to learn a thing or two.
Let’s look at the list of the 10 WWE wrestlers who went from rags to riches
#10. Dean Ambrose
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If you think you have enough reasons to love Dean Ambrose, then you might consider thinking again. Dean Ambrose, nicknamed The Lunatic Fringe, was born and grew up in Cincinnati and spent his childhood in public housing. He noticed an opportunity in wrestling to escape from the depressing childhood.
After starting the training, Ambrose left high school because he wanted to concentrate only on wrestling. Ambrose then started to sell popcorn and rings to make some money for a living. However, he doesn’t love to share his personal life incidents, so it’s a great mystery for all of us. He’s currently signed to All Elite Wrestling, where he uses another persona known as Jon Moxley.
#09. Booker T
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New WWE fans will see Booker T as a Hall of Fame announcer, but the fans who had a chance to witness his match know how dominating he was. Despite his success, Booker T had a tragic childhood as well as adulthood. At the age of 13, his mother passed away. Then he, unfortunately, ganged with some wrong people. Booker was arrested in 1987 with a sentence of 5 years in prison.
Booker spent a long time in jail, and when he came out, his brother helped him to find a proper job. His friend also helped him to get wrestling training, and with proper dedication, Booker became famous in WWE.
#08. Lita
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Lita was one of the popular WWE wrestlers who changed the whole point of view of the audience towards female wrestlers. She developed her passion in WWE after watching some legendary wrestlers like Rey Mysterio and various other luchadors. However, she was too poor to attend wrestling training and had to work in many odd jobs.
One of the oddest jobs she did was working as a dancer in a club in Mexico. She was famous by her nickname “Misty” back then. It was the primary source of her income that financed her wrestling training. Even though her personal life is full of mist, there’s no question that she suffered a lot of nights before achieving success.
#07. Adam Rose
WWE fans were confused about the personal life of Adam Rose until he exposed his struggles in the E: 60 ESPN special show. That day Rose clearly explained his struggles in childhood and how he survived his darkest days.
Rose was born in South Africa, and he had to stay in abandoned buildings. He was also engaged in various street fights to survive. His interest in professional wrestling changed his whole life, and then he started his professional wrestling training at the age of 16. Almost after a decade, Rose emerged in WWE to start his professional wrestling career. However, he’s still facing a lot of trouble to provide a better future for his family.
#06. Edge
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Edge is undoubtedly one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time. However, he fought a lot of tough battles to achieve his position in WWE. Things were pretty devastating even before he was born. When Edge wasn’t born, his father abandoned his mother. After his birth, his mother had to work every day and night to keep them going.
To help his mother, Edge became so motivated that he started to pursue a professional wrestling career. He worked very hard on his way to WWE. However, he created a never-give-up attitude, and once he became strong enough to stand alone, he aimed for a professional wrestling career and ended up becoming one of the famous legends in WWE history.
#05. Ric Flair
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One of the most charming and stylish guys in WWE, Ric Flair, didn’t make his fortune in a single night. Before he started dominating the NWA champion territories, Ric spent a lot of time being broken.
Ric was raised and spent his childhood in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. However, the institution had a very bad reputation for kidnapping scandals. Ric himself admitted that he spent most of his childhood from one orphanage to another. Later, Kathleen and Richard Reid Fliehr adopted him, and it was the turning point in his life. Ric then went to pursue his career in professional wrestling and businesses. The way he reached WWE from a bad orphanage is a really motivating story for all of the WWE fans.
#04. Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper was considered one of the most talented wrestlers back in his era. He was the headline in the first-ever WrestleMania, and it is sufficient to prove his talent. Roddy’s personal life was as tragic as a professional career. At the age of 13, he left his home and started to spend his days in the streets as well as youth hostels.
When he was struggling to pay the rent, Roddy took the wrestling job for just $21. The wrestler who wrestled by his side was so impressed that he helped Roddy to reach Kansas. This was the turning point in his wrestling career, and he officially started his professional wrestling career. From living in the streets to being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Roddy’s story is very inspiring.
#03. AJ Lee
Despite her struggle, there’s no valid reason why AJ Lee left the wrestling business. AJ was born into a very poor family, and she was forced to spend days in cars or motels to save some money. She also had gone through extreme puberty. Lee couldn’t even complete her college education due to a shortage of money, but deep down, she knew her passion.
AJ worked in many jobs to gather money for WWE wrestling training, and finally, she invested all her money in a WWE tryout which completely changed her life. AJ had broken all the WWE business records and abruptly left when the WWE fans still wanted her to compete in the ring.
#02. CM Punk
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Growing up with an alcoholic father, CM Punk never found peace in his early days. His own brother also robbed him. Because of this toxic family relationship, his friend’s family adopted and took care of him. After that, Punk and some of his friends started to set up a backyard wrestling company.
Punk started his professional wrestling career from there, and after a lot of hard work, he made his debut in the Indies. Currently, Punk is ready to give his best performance in his UFC career, and if he somehow fails, the wrestling business will welcome him again.
#01. The Rock
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Undoubtedly you’ve heard his name. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a retired professional wrestler. He is pursuing an acting career right now with huge success and fame. However, he also faced some tragic life situations.
Rock was born and grew up in one of the most famous wrestling families. But in 1995, he only had $7 and was completely broke. He was also forced to sell his dog for a small amount of money. The Rock then told himself that one day he would receive all the money he wanted.
He was sacked from the Canadian Football League, and after that, he found his passion in professional wrestling. However, WWE used to keep him under a lot of pressure in the early days. Despite his struggle, Rock is one of the richest actors on the planet. From only $7 in the pocket to a world-famous superstar, Rock’s hard work eventually paid off.
This is the list of 10 WWE superstars who went from rags to riches. Which story motivates you the most? Leave a comment for us to know.
