5 athletes from outside sports who joined the WWE

Professional wrestling is often seen as the toughest business to get into, but once you make it to the big leagues, it is considerably one of the most lucrative ones. You have numerous superstars signed to 6 or 7 figured contracts, and once you push yourself into the main event scene, you are bound to enjoy the ride.Gates, PPV buy rates, merchandise revenues, bonuses and of course, the contractual payment would be more than enough to lure some of the biggest names in the sports today, and with the example of someone like Brock Lesnar, who is reportedly making 5 million dollars for a very few dates around the year backs up those estimations.In the past, many athletes from other sports had joined the WWE, either because of their love for the business or because of the spotlight and the monetary allurement. Also, WWE is often seen as the proverbial trampoline for an entry into Hollywood, with WWE having their own production/movie studio (no matter how crappy their movies are).In this slide, we take a look at five athletes who chose to jump to the WWE from their respective sports.

#1 Bill Goldberg

Bill Goldberg was WCW’s biggest asset in the last half of the 90s and was arguably the greatest creation of the organization. Goldberg ran through his opponents in the company, and had one of the greatest undefeated streaks in the industry (although it got a bit ridiculous in the end).

Goldberg became the “baddest man” in WCW, and was the equivalent of Ken Shamrock in the company. Bill became a multiple time World champion in WCW, and later came to the WWE when WCW folded. He spent a year with the company, winning the World Heavyweight championship in the process, before choosing not to resign with the company.

Although Bill is mostly known for his stint in the professional wrestling industry, he first burst onto the national scene during the 1990 NFL Draft, when he was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams.

He then played for various teams, such as the CFL Sacramento Gold Miners, Atlanta Falcons and finally the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers chose to cut Goldberg off the team when he tore his abdomen off his pelvis, effectively ending his football career.

Looking back, it happened for the best, as Goldberg then embarked on a remarkable journey, reaching the pinnacle of professional wrestling on various occasions.

#2 The Miz

One half of the current WWE tag team champions and a former WWE champion, The Miz has enjoyed success in Hollywood, starring in Marine 3: Homefront, and has also headlined WrestleMania – a dream that most of the wrestlers fail to live. Miz has also hosted the WWE Diva Search back in 2006, and has since won numerous titles in the WWE.

But before he could work the crowd in the company, The Miz started his career as a TV personality on the MTV hit series, The Real World. He then also starred in its spinoff series, Real World – Road Rules Challenge.

After gaining fame because of the MTV reality shows, he entered the fourth season of WWE Tough Enough challenge but finished as the runner-up. He then made appearances on various television shows, before finally making his mind up to seriously pursue professional wrestling as a career.

Due to his previous stints as a TV personality, the WWE offered him a contract with the company, and the rest as they say, is history.

#3 Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock enjoyed his time with the WWE, although his stint with the organization was limited. In the span of a few years, Shamrock was involved in main events and also won the prestigious WWE Intercontinental title, along with winning the 1998 King of the Ring tournament, beating Rocky Maivia aka The Rock in the finals of the tournament.

He was also involved in one of the most famous wrestling matches in history, refereeing the bout between ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania where the famous double switch took place.

Although Ken was billed as ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’, it had considerable amount of truth, as he was famous for his run with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the undeniable toughest fighter and made a name for himself.

He also won the UFC championship, along with the prestigious Pancrase title, becoming the first foreigner to do so. He was also inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport.

#4 The Great Khali

The Great Khali arguably created the greatest impact on debut in the history of professional wrestling, attacking and then beating down the phenom, The Undertaker, in what can only be described as a shocking turn of events.

Khali proceeded to easily defeat The Undertaker on PPV, and that was when everyone thought WWE had invested heavily behind the giant from India. Khali then proceeded to win the World Heavyweight championship, and had a good run as the Heavyweight champion of the world.

But before Khali began his career in professional wrestling, and long before his days starring in movies and enjoying his fame, he won the prestigious Mr. India title in 1995 and once again in 1996. He also served as a police officer in the Punjab state police department and was also a powerlifter!

#5 Tim Wiese

Recently, the internet wrestling community (or the IWC, as they’re not so fondly known) blew up with reports of a former footballer signing with the WWE. It was later revealed during the European tour that Tim Wiese, who played for teams such as Koln, Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim as a goal keeper had signed a development deal with the WWE.

Wiese also traveled with the German national team during the 2010 World Cup and was a part of the national squad, but did not get a chance to play at the grandest stage.

Over all, Wiese played for the national team on six different occasions, and during the recent WWE European tour, he appeared as the time keeper in Frankfurt and announced that he had officially signed a contract with the WWE, and will be heading down to NXT soon.