Wrestling on WWE is not like any other sport; it is about entertainment too. The amazing storylines, the twists and turns and the larger than life characters of some of the personalities involved all contribute to make it such a spectacle to behold. As expected, many wrestlers have graced the stage since inception till date, and they have each profited from the franchise in the process. Prepare to be taken through the memory lane as we catch up with some of the legends to check out how they have been dealing with life outside the ring.
1. KANE - $9 MILLION
At 52, Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a living legend within WWE. Better known by his nickname, Kane. He is a three-time world champion, a businessman, actor as well as a politician. He started wrestling in 1992 and still performs sometimes on SmackDown.
He was elected as the Mayor of Knox County in 2018 and has also worked as an insurance broker. He has made few cameo appearances on television and acted the lead role in ‘See No Evil’ and ‘See No Evil 2’. Given his foray into different fields, it comes as no surprise that he is worth $9 million.
2. THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR - DECEASED
James Brian Hellwig appeared under many names throughout his illustrious career, but none was as famous as The Ultimate Warrior. In fact, he went so far as to change his real name in 1993. He started wrestling in 1985 and was the first man to hold both the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship and WWF World Heavyweight Championship at the same time.
He retired from wrestling in 1998 and became a public speaker until his sudden death of a heart attack in 2014 at the age of 54. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame three days before his death.
3. BIG SHOW - $20 MILLION
He started out as The Giant but overtime but changed to Big Show later in his career. It was under this new name that he attained global fame. Born Paul Donald Wight, he started his wrestling career in 1995 and since then has won world championship titles including two WCW World Heavyweight Championships, two WWE World Heavyweight Championships, two WWF/WWE Heavyweight Championships, and the ECW World Heavyweight Championships.
Apart from wrestling, he is also an actor and has appeared in few movies and television series such as Jingle All the Way, Star Trek: The Enterprise, Burn Notice as well as Knucklehead, where he had his first lead role. He is currently worth about $20 million.
4. MACHO MAN – DECEASED
Macho Man Randy Savage is considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers ever. Within a professional career spanning 32 years, he won 29 titles. Born Randall Mario Poffo, he started wrestling in 1973 and was renowned for his unique deep voice and the energy he showed in his performances both within and outside the ring.
Apart from wrestling, he featured in several movies such as Ready to Rumble, Spider-Man, Baywatch, etc. In 2011, he was involved in a car accident which led to his death at the age of 58. An autopsy later showed he was suffering from a heart disease that he wasn’t aware of.
5. REY MYSTERIO - ABOUT $10M
Oscar Gutierrez, or as he is better known as, Rey Mysterio, is regarded by ESPN as the greatest cruiserweight in the history of professional wrestling. Known for his unique mask, which is similar to that of Lucha Libre wrestlers and his acrobatic wrestling style which excites fans, he has won major titles within his 10-year career such as World Heavyweight Championship, WWE Cruiserweight Championship, and the WWE Championship.
Mysterio has fought in independent wrestling shows such as House of Glory, Black Destiny Wrestling, and also signed with Lucha Underground. He is currently back with WWE where he won his first United States Championship and became the 21st WWE Grand Slam Champion in 2018.
6. TUGBOAT – UNKNOWN
Fred Ottman started wrestling in 1993 under the ring name The Shockmastter. After having one of the worst debuts in professional wrestling, he went on to establish himself under the nickname Tugboat and was at a time, an ally of Hulk Hogan in the ring. Later, he formed his own group called The Natural Disasters and changed his name to Typhoon.
He quit wrestling totally in 2001 and now works as a Safety Manager in Lakeland, Florida, while also coaching two little league teams. Although his net worth is unknown, we can say he is enjoying his retirement and living a normal life.
7. SUNNY – ABOUT $300K
Tammy Lynn Sytch is considered as one of the first divas in WWF, she started her wrestling career in 1992 with Smokey Mountain Wrestling and later signed to WWF where she achieved fame under the name Sunny. During her career, she worked as a wrestler, manager, valet, and ring announcer.
However, Tammy Lynn Sytch or Sunny could not manage the fame and struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for years. She was arrested and imprisoned many times for DUI as well as burglary and violating protective order. Her troubles with the law affected her career, but she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. We believe she is trying to get her life back together now.
8. The Great Khali - $16 Million
The Great Khali started as a police officer in the Punjab state police before embarking on a professional wrestling career in 2000. At 7 feet 1 inch, he is one of the tallest professional wrestlers and usually uses his massive height to his advantage in the ring. He became the first Indian world champion in WWE after winning the WWE World Heavyweight Champion in 2007.
The Great Khali has also appeared in various movies and on television shows such as The Longest Yard, Get Smart, Kushti, Ramaa: The Survivor, Bigg Boss, Outsourced, etc. He currently runs his own wrestling school named the Continental Wrestling Entertainment and makes occasional appearances on WWE.
9. RIC FLAIR - $3 MILLION
Here is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. A wrestler who, within his 40-year career, was crowned the world champion, an incredible 16 times, even though he claimed to have been world champion 21 times.
Ric Flair was known for his flamboyant robes and his in-ring tricks, which includes rule-breaking. He has appeared on TV various times, and a song titled ‘Ric Flair Drip’ was released in his honor by American rapper, Offset alongside 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. He is the first person to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, first as himself and second as part of The Four Horsemen.
10. RAZOR RAMON – $3 MILLION
He started his professional wrestling career in 1984 but did not break into the big stage until when he made his debut in the 1990s on WCW and WWF. He had an illustrious career as he won the Intercontinental Champion four times between 1995 and 1999.
He is also a two-time world champion and has won other titles as well. He is a WWE Hall of Fame inductee and currently battles health issues such as pneumonia, low blood pressure, and seizures.
11. CHYNA – DECEASED
Popularly known as Chyna, Joan Marie Laurer was the first woman to compete at the King of the Ring and Royal Rumble. She started her wrestling career in WWF in 1995 and was billed as the Ninth Wonder of the World. She won fights against several male wrestlers such as Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, etc.
She was the only woman to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship and won other titles during her career, which she lasted for 16 years. She was a pioneer for women in wrestling as she was the first to take bodybuilding seriously. Upon her retirement, she ventured into writing and published an autobiography. She died in 2016 due to an accidental drug overdose.
12. SABLE - $1.5 MILLION
This is another legend of the sport. Born Rena Marlette, she made her debut in 1996 and established himself as one of the first Divas in WWE. She was a one-time World Women champion and ventured into other things apart from wrestling. For instance, she was also into modeling and acting and was the first woman to appear on the cover of Playboy twice in one year.
She acted in movies such as Pacific Blue and Corky Romano and in 2006, married Brock Lesnar as her third husband after the death and divorce of her first and second husbands, respectively.
13. SID VICIOUS – $5 MILLION
Sid is one of the old-timers in wrestling. He started his career in 1987 and made his World Championship Wrestling in 1989 while also joining the WWF later. He was a six-time world champion.
Apart from wrestling, he also played softball professionally during his hiatus from wrestling. He is currently married to his long-time lover Sabrina Paige. At 58, he is retired, and we believe, happily enjoying the break from wrestling.
14. THE COACH - $2 MILLION
Jonathan Coachman began his career in the WWF as a presenter, commentator, and interviewer in 1999. Popularly known as The Coach, he had some in-the-ring moments but was mostly known for his works as a color commentator.
After his departure from WWE in 2008, he returned on a part-time in 2016 and signed a new deal as a Raw Commentator and Pre-show host in 2018. He is happily married with 2 kids and worth about $2 million dollars.
15. MIDEON – UNKNOWN
Next is Dennis Knight, otherwise known by many of his nicknames such As Mideon, Tex Slazenger, Phineas I and Godwinn. He made his debut in 1989 and signed with WWF in 1996.
He retired in 2006 and worked as a trainer in Steve Keirn’s Pro Wrestling School. He is currently working as a chef and living a normal life in Clearwater, Florida.
16. SKINNER - $1.5 MILLION
Steve Keirn popularly known as Skinner, started wrestling in 1972 as was part of a two-man team called The Fabulous. He later joined the World Wrestling Federation and made his debut in 1991. He retired from wrestling in 2001.
However, he is still fully active in the sport as he owns a school for professional wrestlers, where he trains those who are interested in the sport. He currently lives in Florida and is still in a good shape despite his 67 years of age.
17. SCOTTY 2 HOTTY - UNKNOWN
Scott Ronald Garland originally signed to WWE as a trainer but later competed as a wrestler under the name Scott Taylor and Scotty 2 Hotty. He won the WWF World Tag Team Championship and Light Heavyweight Championship, as well as WWE Tag Team Championship.
At the end of his wrestling career, he tried to become a firefighter and went as far as registering for the training. Eventually, he returned to WWE in 2016, where he now works as a coach.
18. KELLY KELLY - $1 MILLION
Next on our list is a WWE Diva Barbara Jean Blank or as is known by most people, Kelly Kelly. She was working as a model before getting signed to WWE; she later left in 2012 after only six years during which she won WWE Diva Championship. She later returned in 2017.
Outside the ring, she is a model as well as an actress and has appeared in few movies and on television, including Days of Our Lives as well as the reality television series WAGS on E!
19. THE ROCK - $220 MILLION
Dwayne Johnson has made a name for himself beyond wrestling. After a successful wrestling career during which he was a ten-time world champion amongst many other titles, he ventured into acting and has since proved his mettle here too.
He is one of the highest-grossing Hollywood actors of all time, with movies grossing over $10.5 billion globally. He has acted in several blockbusters such as The Scorpion King, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Hercules, Fast and Furious, Baywatch, etc. He is worth $220 million and regarded by Times Magazine as one of the most influential people in the world. He runs the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation for helping terminally ill children.
20. BRIAN “CRUSH” ADAMS – DECEASED
Brian Adams fought in the WWF under the name Crush and made a name for himself in the 1990s. With WCW, he fought under his real name and was a two-time WCW Tag team champion.
He retired from wrestling in 2003 and went into boxing, but he could not pursue his career to the peak due to injuries. Sadly, he died from respiratory failure in 2007 at the age of 43.
21. MR. MCMAHON - $1.7 BILLION
Here comes the Big Boss himself. Vince McMahon is the owner, chairman, and CEO of WWE. He was once an announcer in WWE and a two-time world champion as well. He took over the company from his father, who took it from his own father.
Apart from WWE, he is the founder of Alpha Entertainment, the holding company for American football league XFL. It comes as no surprise that this consummate businessman is worth 1.7 billion and made it to the Forbes list of Billionaires
22. YOKOZUNA – DECEASED
Yokozuna grew up in a family of wrestlers, and this must have informed his decision to join the sport too. He started his career in 1984 and joined the WWF in 1992. Although his character portrayed him as Japanese, he is originally from Samoa and in 1993 became the only Samoan wrestler to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
He died unexpectedly at the age of 34 in his hotel room in Liverpool while on a European Tour in 2000. An autopsy revealed the cause of his death to be pulmonary edema.
23. GOLDBERG - $14 MILLION
William Scott Goldberg was one of the stars of WCW in the 1990s. He started wrestling in 1997 and won several titles, including WCW World Heavyweight Championship, WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, among many others. He was also WWE World Heavyweight Champion in 2004. He went on a break and returned to WWE in 2017 to defeat Brock Lesnar.
He is also an actor and has starred in various movies such as Universal Soldier: The Return, Half Past Dead 2, Kill Speed American Satan, etc. At 52, he lives with his wife and son in California, where he operates a gym and an amateur boxing facility.
24. JACQUELINE – UNKNOWN
She was the third woman in WWE history to win a Cruiserweight Championship title. Known by her ring name Jacqueline, Jacqueline DeLois Moore was not just a wrestler but also a manager as she managed the team Harlem as well as Marc Mero.
She has appeared on several video games as well as on television, where she was a trainer on Tough Enough, an MTV reality TV series. She was inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 and at 55, looks to be in great shape as she has always been.
25. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN - $45 MILLION
This six-time WWF Champion had to retire from wrestling early due to multiple injuries, but his retirement didn’t stop him from staying in the limelight.
He ventured into acting and the world of television after ending his career and has featured in movies such as The Longest Yard, The Expendables, The Package, Grown Ups 2 and series such as Chuck, Nash Bridges, etc. he is also a Television Show Host and is estimated to be worth $45 million.
26. MICK FOLEY - $15 MILLION
Mick Foley is one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of WWE. He started wrestling in 1983, and during the span of an illustrious career that lasted 29 years, he fought for many wrestling promotions, including WCW, ECW, TNA, etc. He wrestled under his real name Michael Francis as well as under aliases such as Cactus Jack and Mankind.
Upon his retirement, he has appeared in few movies and TV series such ads The Boy Meets World, Big Money Hustlas, Anamorph and Peanut Butter Falcon in 2019. He is happily married with four children and runs a charity for children. He is also an author, and several of his memoirs have made the New York Times bestseller list.
27. BATISTA - $13 MILLION
The name Batista is one that most wrestling fans of this generation are familiar with. He started his wrestling career in 1999 and was a six-time world champion. He also holds the record for the longest reign as World Heavyweight Champion at 282 days. He retired in 2019.
He is also an actor who has featured in movies such as The Man with the Iron Fists, Wrong Side of Town, Riddick, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc. he is also a bodybuilder and was one time incorrectly accused of using steroids in a list published by ESPN, he vehemently denied the allegations.
28. HULK HOGAN - $25 MILLION
To call this man a legend will be the truth. Terre Gene Bollea, popularly known as Hulk Hogan, is indeed one of the wrestlers who defined the wrestling industry as we have come to know it. He started wrestling in 1977 but did not attain global fame until signing for WWF in 1983. He has won many titles, including the WWF Championships five times and the WCW World Heavyweight Champion six times. He is the first wrestler to win consecutive royal rumble matches in 1990 and 1991.
He is also a brilliant actor who has appeared in movies such as Rocky III, No Holds Barred, and Suburban Commando. As if that is not enough, he is a musician as well as an entrepreneur who launched his own energy drink. He was inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2003.
29. RANDY ORTON - $11 MILLION
This is the man known for the signature move RKO. He is still an active wrestler and started in 2000 and quickly established himself as a force to reckon with within the industry. At 24, he became the youngest world champion in WWE. He is considered to be the fourth on the list of wrestlers with most world championship victories after Triple H, Ric Flair, and John Cena.
He has made few appearances in Tv Shows such as Jimmy Kimme Live! and Deal or No Deal and also appeared in movies such as That’s What I Am, Long Shot, 12 Rounds 2: Reload, etc. He was a former Marine.
30. EDGE - $14 MILLION
Adam Joseph Copeland is a member of the Class of 2012 WWE Hall of Famers. With 31 championships to his name, we can say he rightly deserves his place among the legends. He started wrestling in 1992, and during his successful career, he became the world champion seven times.
He is the first wrestler to win King of the Ring, Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble. After his retirement, Edge went fully into acting and appeared in a Haven, a Syfy series, as well as other television series. He abhors cigarettes.
31. LITA - $4 MILLION
Lita is a WWE Hall of Famer who started her wrestling career in 1998. She is a four-time winner of WWE Women’s Championships and retired in 2006. She still works with WWE as an analyst.
She is also the lead singer for a punk band called The Luchagors, and they released their debut album in 2007. Although she has been in relationships with some of her fellow wrestlers, such as Edge and Matt Hardy, she has never been married.
32. SHAWN MICHAELS - $17 MILLION
Shawn Michaels is a living legend of the sport. Born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom, he started his wrestling career in 1984 and was retired ceremoniously in 2010. Between this period, he was the world champion four times and was the first man to win the Royal Rumble as the number one entrant.
He ventured into acting after retiring and also worked as a television presenter hosting an outdoor show about hunting animals called hosts Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures. He makes occasional appearances on WWE and in 2018, returned to fight his final match. He is now known as the main ambassador for the WWE.
33. ALUNDRA BLAYZE – UNKNOWN
Also known as Madusa, this woman whose love for monster trucks is widely known started her wrestling career in 1984 and became the first woman in the history of professional wrestling to be named the Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Rookie of the year back in 1988.
She retired in 2001 and currently competes in the monster truck races. She won the co-championship at the Monster Jam World Final in 2004 and was the only female competitor in the Super Bowl of Motorsports competition in 2005. She has also acted in movies such as Death Match and Shootfighter II.
34. BOOKER T - $5 MILLION
This is a man whom Kurt Angle talked about and said, “He’s done it all… he legitimately is one of the best five of all time.” Booker T is indeed all that and more, with 21 titles to his name, he is the most decorated wrestler in WCW history. His winning streak did not stop with WCW as he also won numerous titles in WWE. Harlem Heat, which consists of him and his brother Lash is regarded as the greatest ever tag team alongside Steiner Brothers by WWE.
After his retirement, he became a color commentator and has appeared in 27 video games, which contributes to his estimated net worth of $5 million. He also owns an independent promotion company called Reality of Wrestling (ROW) in Texas.
35. TRIPLE H - $40 MILLION
Paul Levesque's marriage to Stephanie McMahon led to him taking up executive functions within the WWE. He is currently the Executive Vice-president of Talent, Live Events, and Creative, but before that, he was a fourteen-time world champion, among many other titles.
Triple H is also the founder and senior producer of NXT and has been praised for his business acumen. With an annual salary of $1.5 million, it is not surprising that he is worth about $40 million. He is into charity as well, and he set up a cancer fund called Connor’s Cure with his wife. He is known to abhor alcohol.
36. STACY KEIBLER - $4.5 MILLION
Stacy Kiebler is known more for her acting prowess than her wrestling career. She has starred in various popular television series such as George Lopez, What about Brian, How I met your Mother and October Road.
She started her wrestling career in WCW as part of the Nitro Girls and later managed other wrestlers such as Dudley Boyz, Test and Scott Steiner. She is also a model and currently married to Jared Pobre with two children.
37. CHRIS BENOIT – DECEASED
Chris Benoit’s story is a tragic one. He committed suicide as an active wrestler two days after killing his wife and son. While no one was certain about what could have led to acts with some attributing it to depression and others considering brain damage.
The WWE disassociated itself from the man and removed all references relating to him from their website and statistics. Despite this, he was a great wrestler who won 22 championships during his career.
38. TRISH STRATUS - $6 MILLION
Here comes another female on the list. Trish Stratus started out as a fitness model which later led to her becoming an actual wrestler with WWF. She retired in 2006 after winning her seventh WWE Women’s Championship and would later appear occasionally.
She was also a model and television personality and owned her own yoga studio. She was inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 and became the youngest member ever to be inducted.
39. ROAD DOGG – $1.2 MILLION
Also known as The Roadie, Brian James had a successful wrestling career spanning over three decades, during which he won many championships, including the Intercontinental Championship and Hardcore Championship.
He was an ex-Marine, and after his retirement from wrestling was signed to the WWE as one of the producers, a job he does to date.
40. BIG BOSS MAN – DECEASED
The Big Boss Man was posthumously inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2016. He was a wonderful wrestler during his lifetime and appeared on both WCW and WWF. He was a four-time winner of WWF Hardcore Championship and a one-time winner of WWF World Tag Team Championship.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 41 and his wife and two daughters received his Hall of Fame Award on his behalf.
41. MARK HENRY – $4.5 MILLION
Before Wrestling, Mark Henry was already a two-time Olympic Weightlifter who has won several medals both internationally and nationally for weightlifting.
His strength as a weightlifter was fully utilized in wrestling where he had won WWF European Championship once and is also a two-time world champion. He was inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and is currently signed to WWE as a Legend.
42. PAUL BEARER – DECEASED
Paul Bearer was more famous as a manager than as a wrestler. He made a name for himself by managing superstars like Undertaker and Kane.
He also struggled with obesity during his life and had to undergo gastric surgery to lose 200 pounds out of the 500 pounds he was weighing at a point in time. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 58. It was established that heart attack led to his death.