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As successful as they are in the squared circle, many current WWE Superstars excelled in the classrooms too.
Several WWE Superstars earned college degrees in many different fields like dance, fashion, political science, and even criminology. Some of them went further to earn master's degrees and PhDs.
Despite this, they have decided not to work in their respective fields, preferring to take different paths after graduation.
Nevertheless, as the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome. There are quite a few superstars who, despite their academic specializations, ended up in a WWE ring.
Let's take a look at 10 current WWE Superstars who have a college degree.
#10. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley finally achieved his dream of winning the WWE Championship a few weeks ago, but nearly 22 years ago, he was celebrating a different achievement.
Lashley is a Missouri Valley College alumni. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human service agency management in 1999.
During his time in college, Lashley was a member of the Viking men’s wrestling team. He still holds the MVC school record for most career takedowns with 520. He is also a two-time MVC Athletic Hall of Famer.
After his college graduation, Lashley joined the army while continuing to practice amateur wrestling. A few years later, he jumped into the world of professional wrestling.
Lashley will now put his WWE title on the line when he faces Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 37.
#9. Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is still a relevant star on the top card of Monday Night RAW in 2021.
McIntyre is also well educated. According to the BBC, McIntyre earned a master's degree in criminology from Glasgow Caledonian University.
Although he signed with WWE aged 20, McIntyre struck a deal with his parents to continue his studies in return for their financial support in his early wrestling days.
Following his graduation, the former WWE Champion moved to the United States permanently to continue chasing his professional wrestling dreams.
McIntyre is succeeding in his chosen career, which has nothing to do with his education. He is now a two-time WWE Champion, two-time Tag Team Champion, former Intercontinental Champion, and former NXT Champion.
McIntyre now hopes to leave WrestleMania with the WWE title for the third time in his career.
#8. WWE Superstar Mandy Rose
WWE Superstar Mandy Rose is not just a beautiful and athletic woman but also well educated.
God's Greatest Creation earned a bachelor's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Iona College.
Despite this, she decided not to work with her degree and pursued a fitness career instead. Rose told the story in an interview with WWE.com.
"Straight from college, I entered my first amateur fitness competition with the WBFF [World Beauty Fitness & Fashion]. I placed first, not really knowing what I was doing, to be honest, but got hooked. One year later, I entered the world championship show and took first place, against hundreds of women from several different countries. Thousands of women compete their entire lives to win that show. It only took me one year."
"From there, sponsorship opportunities started coming in and my social media started taking off, as well as photoshoots and magazine covers. It was a great experience."
The Golden Goddess made her way to WWE through Tough Enough. She explained her motivation to participate in the program, saying:
"I felt I needed to be challenged and wanted more. What people don’t know is that I had already begun the process of training for WWE before Tough Enough was even an option. [Still,] at the end of the day, I am a model, I have been on the cover of many magazines, and I was crowned the most beautiful woman in the world. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. I have the crown to prove it."
Rose earned a WWE contract and made her way to the main roster. She is now part of a tag team alongside Dana Brooke on Monday Night Raw. They are determined to win the Women's Tag Team Championships.
#7. WWE Superstar Dana Brooke
Dana Brooke is beautiful, athletic, and holds a bachelor's degree, just like her current tag team partner.
Brooke earned her degree in fashion, merchandising, and design, with a minor in business administration from Kent State University.
Unlike many of her fellow wrestlers, Brooke worked with her degree for a while before becoming a WWE Superstar. She spoke about it to The Miami Herald.
“I worked for a while with my fashion degree but I would always look at the clock. I can’t do a 9-5 job. I always want to be active."
Dana Brooke joined WWE nearly eight years ago but is yet to win her first title. Perhaps she can accomplish that goal alongside Mandy Rose soon.
#6. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is heading to WrestleMania 37 to defend his title against the 2021 Royal Rumble winner Edge. The Tribal Chief's success, however, is not just limited to the squared circle.
Reigns graduated with a management degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Following a college football run, the Universal Champion tried to make it to the National Football League (NFL) but did not succeed. He later found his way to WWE.
The Big Dog is one of the most successful WWE Superstars today. Reigns is a five-time World Champion and a former Intercontinental and United States Champion.
The Tribal Chief never worked with his management degree, but the Universal Champion gave an interesting answer to Rolling Stone regarding if he would have done so. Reigns expressed his desire to manage Brock Lesnar if he was to work with his degree.
#5. WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E
Big E is the current Intercontinental Champion. He has established himself as one of the top superstars in WWE today. A few years before his triumph in the WWE ring, Big E tasted academic success.
According to The Miami Herald, Big E graduated with a college degree in Health & Sports studies from the University of Iowa.
In an interview with The Gazzette, the Intercontinental Champion spoke about his academic background.
"I got my teaching certificate and at one point was employed by the university (...) I was making plans to finish up my Masters and work on a Ph.D. I was in line to spend another five years at Iowa. Actually, what I wanted to be was an athletic director. That’s slightly different from what I’m doing now."
Big E still awaits to meet his opponent at WrestleMania. He hopes to break his 0-4 winless streak on the Grandest Stage of Them All to retain his title.
#4. Former WWE Women's Champion Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair is one of the most successful superstars in WWE today. She is a triple crown and a grand slam champion. Before her WWE career, Flair had her share of success in the academic field.
Flair holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from North Carolina State University. She also became a certified fitness trainer before pursuing a career in WWE.
Flair went on to become the cornerstone of the Women's Revolution era. Combining all her titles, she is now a 13-time women's champion.
The Queen has recently confirmed that she tested positive for COVID-19.
Flair's WrestleMania status is still in doubt. Her father, the legendary Ric Flair, tweeted that "WrestleMania will not be the same without The Queen."
However, recent reports suggested she might appear on Friday Night SmackDown this week and start a storyline for WrestleMania 37.
#3. WWE Superstar Lana
Lana is one of the most controversial female superstars in WWE. Although she had no in-ring experience before joining WWE, she managed to make a name for herself in the industry. Meanwhile, she has been working to improve her skills inside the squared circle.
Lana might not be the best in-ring performer, but she has proven herself successful in other fields before joining WWE.
The Ravishing Russian holds a dancing and acting degree from Florida State University. Following her graduation, she managed to work as a model, singer, and actor before giving professional wrestling a fair shot.
Lana is now part of a tag team alongside Naomi on Monday Night RAW. The two have made it clear that they are after the Women's Tag Team Championships. Although Naomi is a former two-time WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, her partner is yet to win championship gold.
#2. WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Xavier Woods
When it comes to well-educated WWE Superstars, Xavier Woods, one-half of the current RAW Tag Team Champions, must be among those on top of the list. He has proven himself in the squared circle just like he excelled on the academic level.
The 34-year-old star graduated from Furman University with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in psychology. Since 2015, Woods has been working on his doctorate in educational psychology as well.
Xavier Woods has been part of The New Day since 2014 and is now an 11-time Tag Team Champion. The New Day will defend their titles at WrestleMania 37 when they go face-to-face against AJ Styles and Omos.
#1. Former WWE RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss
There is almost no doubt that Alexa Bliss is one of the most entertaining superstars in WWE today. She has proven herself to be an amazing storyteller and an excellent in-ring performer.
Before venturing into professional wrestling, Bliss had another goal on her mind. After suffering from a life-threatening eating disorder, The Goddess was determined to earn a college degree in medical dietetics, which she did.
Bliss holds a medical dietetics degree from the University of Akron. She spoke about her studies in an interview with The Miami Herald, saying:
“It was definitely one of the accomplishments I wanted to get done, before figuring out where exactly I was going to work and what I was going to do."
Bliss is a five-time Women's Champion, two-time Women's Tag Team Champion, and the second-ever Women's Triple Crown Champion.
She now performs on RAW as The Fiend's sidekick. Alexa Bliss will be in The Fiend's corner at WWE WrestleMania 37 when he goes one-on-one against Randy Orton.
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