10 Current Superstars who started their professional wrestling career with WWE

WWE has always been a company that provides hard-working athletes several opportunities which can take them to the top of the industry.

Many wrestlers who walk into the company are well-known on the indie circuit or other promotions before they make it big with WWE. Such names include Seth Rollins, Adam Cole, and Ruby Riott. These superstars work hard to achieve their goals of wrestling for the biggest promotion in the world during.

However, others walk into the company with little training or knowledge about sports entertainment and become huge stars.

From professional wrestling reality shows such as Tough Enough and Diva Search to spotting talent in gyms and other sports, the experts at WWE are always on the lookout to develop new talent that has never been exposed to the professional wrestling world before.

In this article, we will take a look at 10 top WWE Superstars who started their professional wrestling careers with the company.

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#10 Lars Sullivan

WWE has a chance to develop a new monster

He may be new to WWE, but he’s made a major impact on all three brands of the company in a short span of time.

With no prior training in wrestling, Lars Sullivan was signed with WWE in mid-2013. He started training under Bobby Lashley, who later recommended him to WWE after being impressed with his talent and strength.

After making his television debut in April 2017 on NXT, Sullivan quickly made a name for himself. He suffered his first pinfall loss to the then NXT Champion Aleister Black.

Lars was moved to the main roster in late 2018, and in April 2019, he made his surprise debut by attacking Kurt Angle a day after the latter's retirement match. Lars has had tough times in WWE and suffered a few injuries that stopped his push. He then recovered and moved to Smackdown in the mid-card range and has some bouts to his name.

Lars recently requested his release from the company and many speculate that he is hanging up his boots owing to anxiety issues.

#9 Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns was a big part of The Shield before he went solo

Roman Reigns is among the few top superstars in WWE who have become synonymous with the brand’s name. He’s a three-time WWE Champion and two-time Universal Champion who has helped the company reach new heights in the past five years.

Reigns originally started off as a professional football player, playing college football for Georgia Tech. After short stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL), he enjoyed a full season for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos in 2008, after which he retired from football.

In 2010, Reigns was signed by WWE, following in the footsteps of the other members of the Anoaʻi family. Roman Reigns made his main roster debut in November 2012 alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as The Shield.

The Shield earned plenty of success during their time together and Reigns became a breakout star thanks to the faction. He’s currently one of the most successful wrestlers to start their professional career with WWE and has headlined four straight WrestleManias.

Reigns was recently diagnosed with leukemia and took a hiatus to recover. He continues to dominate proceedings in the WWE keeping his family flag flying high.

#3 Baron Corbin

Baron Corbin has managed to carve out a unique character in recent months

Baron Corbin seems like a natural who was destined to become one of the most talented heels in WWE. However, he too was initially interested in a career in football.

As a former member of the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL, Corbin lived a large portion of his dream. Corbin made a name for himself in the world of football before jumping the way many superstars have in the past.

He diverted his attention to a career in sports entertainment and signed with WWE's developmental system NXT in mid-2012. Corbin later moved on to the main roster later and is now a former United States Champion, the 2017 Money in the Bank ladder match winner, and the 2019 King of the Ring.

Corbin is a classic example of how a person can change their career and become extremely successful after putting in the required hard work. Despite being a heel for most the most part, Corbin has a good work rate in the ring and remains an integral part of WWE's plans.

#4 Carmella

Carmella knows how to work it in the ring and on the mic

As the daughter of Paul Van Dale, an MMA fighter and former “jobber” for WWE in the 1980s and 1990s, you wouldn’t expect WWE to give Carmella too much to work with.

However, Carmella is a former SmackDown Women’s Champion who signed her contract in 2013 and was assigned to NXT. While she has worked as a manager for Enzo Amore and Big Cass in the past, and as R-Truth’s manager, she has also displayed a lot of promise inside the ring.

Carmella performed cheerleading duties for the New England Patriots for three seasons, ending in 2010, and the experience and training provided her with tips to take into the wrestling world.

She is one of the few women in WWE today who walked into the company with no prior training related to the sport and managed to win a major championship during her run.

She is best known for her versatility as the manager for the Evergreen R-Truth. The on-and-off 24/7 champion introduced a 'dance break' routine with Carmella that even had Vince McMahon grooving.

#5 Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley was a big draw during his initial tenure

The son of a United States Army drill sergeant, Bobby Lashley attended Fort Riley Middle School, where he was introduced to amateur wrestling. He kept his interest alive while changing states, schools, and careers due to his father’s demanding job.

After competing at the college and state level, he signed with WWE in 2004 to pursue a professional career in wrestling. Lashley made his television debut only a year later and went on an undefeated streak that brought him a lot of fame.

His intimidating character and strength allowed him to become a two-time ECW World Champion and one-time United States Champion during his first tenure with the company before he decided to try his luck with other promotions. Lashley also ventured into the world of MMA where he found success.

In 2018, Lashley decided to return to the company that gave him his first break, and is currently the WWE champion.

#6 Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey had made sporadic appearances in WWE before becoming a full-time pro wrestler

It’s no secret that Ronda Rousey is the most famous woman WWE has ever signed. Her name carries so much weight that WWE benefited from her as much as she did from the company.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Rousey became the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo. Before deciding to get into the squared circle, Rousey had pursued an extremely successful career in MMA which made her one of the most feared women in the world.

For her phenomenal efforts in MMA, Rousey was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. That same year, she joined WWE to become a full-time pro-wrestler. Though she’d made sporadic appearances in the company before, she signed her full-time contract with the company in 2017.

After her wrestling debut at WrestleMania 34, Rousey went on to become the RAW Women’s Champion. She would hold onto the title for 231 days before losing it to Becky Lynch.

#7 Braun Strowman

Strowman debuted as the Black Sheep of The Wyatt Family

Braun Strowman is arguably the most powerful giant in the pro-wrestling industry today. But the company had to build him and his character from the ground up when he first made his wrestling debut.

After competing as a Strongman for more than a year, Strowman decided to leap into the wrestling world. Strowman signed with WWE in early 2013 and was assigned to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

He was fast-tracked to the main roster and debuted with the Bray Wyatt’s stable The Wyatt Family, wearing a black sheep mask and being physically dominant.

The company saw his worth and allowed Strowman to go solo. The move made him a permanent superstar in the company, which has allowed him to compete in many high profile clashes and championship matches.

Braun is a legitimate force in the ring and can be compared to the likes of Kane and The Big Show in terms of impact.

#8 Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss has displayed a number of sides to her character over the years

Alexa Bliss may be new to the world of wrestling, but she’s been involved in sports since a young age. After showing interest in track, softball, gymnastics, and kickboxing, she reached Division I status in cheerleading at the University of Akron.

Bliss suffered from an eating disorder at an early age but overcame it by training and competing in fitness competitions including the Arnold Classic. She turned her attention to wrestling soon after and signed her first wrestling contract with WWE in 2013.

In the past five years, Bliss has become one of the top female wrestlers of the company and won several championships. She’s now a three-time RAW Women’s Champion, two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion with Nikki Cross.

All these accomplishments are a testament to the fact that hard work pays off, and Bliss has worked hard to achieve her dream of becoming a top women’s wrestler.

#9 Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt went through a number of character changes

Braun Strowman isn’t the only member of The Wyatt Family who was discovered by WWE. The faction's leader, Bray Wyatt, too made his first professional signing with the company.

Wyatt competed in wrestling at the state level and also played football at college level. He earned a football scholarship for Troy University, where he played for two years before dropping out.

As a third-generation wrestler, things worked in Wyatt’s favor, as he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Blackjack Mulligan, and father Mike Rotunda (aka IRS).

Wyatt debuted using the name Alex Rotundo in Florida Championship Wrestling in April 2009 and went through several name changes later. He rose to fame as a member of the villainous faction The Nexus and competed with them from 2010 to 2011 under the ring name Husky Harris.

After returning to NXT in 2011, he was rebranded as Bray Wyatt, the villainous leader of The Wyatt Family, with the group eventually making its main roster debut in 2013. Since then, Bray Wyatt has remained one of WWE's top superstars and has been a crowd favorite.

#10 Brock Lesnar

WWE signed The Beast Incarnate upon seeing his wrestling talent

There's a reason why Vince values Brock Lesnar so much, as he is arguably the most well-known homegrown WWE superstar today. He has made a name for himself using his brute force and dominance. He’s also one of the few men in WWE who fight under their real name.

Brock Lesnar enjoyed a successful amateur wrestling career with the University of Minnesota, which led to his signing with WWE in 2000. After being assigned to OVW, he was fast-tracked to the main roster in 2002 where he won the WWE Championship only five months later.

Today, Lesnar is known as the biggest force in the industry and is one of the most feared superstars. While he started his professional career with WWE, he has left the company on several occasions to try his hands at a career in the NFL, MMA, and even on other pro-wrestling promotions such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).