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Although they are now famous professional wrestlers, some current WWE Superstars once had regular jobs.
Before fame and fortune, many WWE Superstars had to work several jobs to pay their bills. Most fans probably know that Mustafa Ali, for example, worked as a policeman while wrestling part-time before leaving his job to become a full-time performer. Many fans also know that Sheamus used to be an IT technician and a nightclub bouncer.
Meanwhile, the WWE Universe might not know much about the previous jobs of some other current superstars. These stars also had to earn a living by working regular jobs before finding success inside the squared circle.
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Here are ten current WWE Superstars you may not know worked regular jobs.
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#10. SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair
Although Charlotte Flair's father, Ric, is a wrestling legend, The Queen initially did not want to pursue a career as an in-ring performer. Instead, she grew up playing volleyball before working as a personal trainer at a gym after graduation.
In her autobiography, "Second Nature: The Legacy of Ric Flair and the Rise of Charlotte," the SmackDown Women's Champion disclosed why she decided to become a personal trainer.
"When I thought about finding a job, I thought about doing something I did practically my whole life: physical fitness. I thought that with all my years of working with a personal trainer and my athletic background, becoming a trainer could be the way to go. Before I graduated from NC State, I ordered all the required material to become certified as an ACE personal trainer. Once I passed the exam, I contacted a trainer who had worked at my dad’s gym years earlier. He now owned two private studios in perfect locations (...) I told him that I had graduated from NC State and had my ACE. I interviewed with him, and a few days later, I started work," she wrote.
Although Flair loved her job and was successful at it, she later quit when she received the opportunity to join Vince McMahon's company. The 36-year-old signed a contract with WWE in May 2012 and has been with the company ever since. She is currently the SmackDown Women's Champion.
#9. Liv Morgan
Before pursuing a career in professional wrestling, Liv Morgan earned a living by working a regular job. The 27-year-old dropped out of high school in 2010, during her sophomore year. She then applied for a waitress job at a famous restaurant.
"I went in there and I applied. I got hired and I loved it (...) [The restaurant] not only gave me a job but gave me an opportunity. Something I needed at that time. It was the first time in my life I had responsibility. Even if it was as simple as making sure your wings were hot and your beer was cold. I took it and ran with it," she said on WWE Network's special: Liv Forever.
The restaurant Morgan worked at held beauty pageants and published its own calendars, which led the former member of The Riott Squad to join DeFranco's Gym in New Jersey to get in shape.
"I started working out and got into the best shape of my life with the help of Joe DeFranco, who has trained high level professional athletes, including Triple H. Soon after I got a tryout with the one place I had dreamed about, WWE," she added in her documentary.
In 2014, Morgan signed a contract with Vince McMahon's company. She is currently active on Monday Night RAW. Next Monday, she will team up with Rhea Ripley to challenge Sasha Banks and Naomi for the Women's Tag Team Titles on RAW.
#8. Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens started learning the ropes at a very young age. However, he still needed to earn a living after finishing high school. Hence, he worked part-time at a gas station during his early days as a professional wrestler.
In an interview with MLive in 2017, the former Universal Champion spoke about his first job.
"I always pursued this dream, but for the first 7 years that I was a wrestler, I worked at a gas station part time. I finished high school, but still needed a job to make money to live on. I was lucky enough to have the boss to give me time off I needed to wrestle," he said.
Owens competed in a few different promotions before joining Vince McMahon's company in 2014. Since then, he has won several titles, including the NXT Championship, the Universal Title, and the Intercontinental Championship. He is currently active on Monday Night RAW.
#7. Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch kicked off her wrestling career as a teenager in 2002. However, she left wrestling four years later after suffering a serious head injury in 2006. While away from the squared circle, the 35-year-old worked a few regular jobs to earn a living, including bartending and teaching foreign languages.
In an interview with MLive in 2016, Big Time Becks disclosed that she did everything she thought she wanted to do during that period.
"The thing about me was, I did try everything before coming to WWE. In between me being on the independent circuit and me getting signed was seven years. In the interim, I did everything that I thought I wanted to. For a while I was a flight attendant. I lived in New York and I was a bartender. I took cooking classes, martial arts classes, I taught a foreign language, I went back to college and studied acting, which I love. I was doing stunt work as well," she said.
Lynch eventually returned to wrestling. In 2013, she signed a WWE contract. The Man is now one of the biggest superstars on the roster.
#6. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Roman Reigns initially pursued a professional career in football. However, things did not work out as he wished. Thus, he retired following his release from the Edmonton Eskimos in November 2008.
After leaving football and before joining WWE, The Tribal Chief worked a regular job to earn a living.
"My time with football was just up. It was what it was. I wasn't making any teams at that point. I just had my daughter, who's nine now. It was time to man up. Either do your business or get off the pot," he told ESPN's First Take.
Reigns then started working for his sister’s business installing office furniture. Nevertheless, he was not very happy.
"I was just working nine-to-five. I knew I wasn't supposed to be putting on the furniture shirt. I was supposed to be doing something else. And I didn't know what it was at that point, but I knew WWE could possibly be that team I was looking for. Thank god I was right. They helped me out and gave me an opportunity and I'd like to think I hit my head on the goalpost," he added in the same interview.
The 36-year-old joined WWE in 2010 and has since become one of the company's biggest stars. He has been the Universal Champion since August 2020. He also recently defeated Brock Lesnar in a Winner Takes All Title Unification Match at WrestleMania 38 to capture the WWE Title and become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
#5. Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston is another WWE Superstar who had a regular job before finding success in professional wrestling. The Ghanaian studied advertising, marketing, and PR at Boston College. He then wanted to go into commercial work.
Kingston worked as a proofreader at Staples. In an interview with FortWorth Star-Telegram, the former WWE Champion gave a few details about his previous job.
"I ended up in Staples headquarters and my job was working on its big catalog, the buyer's guide. I was a proofreader for one the sections. I didn't need to go to college, or even high school, to do this. You just had to be able to read. I had the chairs section, and all the pictures of the chairs had to be facing the inner pane of the book. Like, that was a really big deal. When I got the buyer's guide after it was done, I didn't even look at it. The first thing I did was to throw it in the trash. All of this hard work and I'm getting yelled at and I know the fruits of my labor will be people throwing it in the trash," he said.
The former RAW Tag Team Champion also disclosed that he hated his office job and would wake up mad every morning because he had to go to work.
"I would wake every morning mad that I had to go to work. Then I'd be mad on my way to work. Then I was mad at work and worrying about products I didn't care about. I'd be mad when I go home because I didn't want to have to go back to work. The cycle kept repeating itself," he added.
Kingston ended up leaving his job. He later signed with WWE in 2006. He is now one of the most accomplished superstars on the current roster.
#4. Natalya Neidhart
Natalya Neidhart's family is considered one of wrestling's royal families. Although she also started wrestling at a young age, the former SmackDown Women's Champion had to work as a waitress to support herself financially.
On an episode of Ask The Divas, Neidhart spoke about her previous job, revealing that she could not stand the messy customers.
"I used to clean tables at a restaurant and I couldn't stand the messy customers. But at least I had money to shop," she said.
The Queen of Harts also disclosed that she used to borrow a pickup truck from one of the loyal fans of her grandfather's promotion, Stampede Wrestling, to drive to work so she could wrestle on weekends.
"Jim and Debbie were both loyal Stampede Wrestling fans (...) I still remember not having enough money to afford a car, and Jim lending me his blue pickup truck to drive to work as a waitress so I could wrestle on the weekends. I never forgot their help," she wrote in one of her articles in the Calgary Sun.
Neidhart is currently an active competitor on SmackDown. She recently teamed up with Shayna Baszler to face Liv Morgan & Rhea Ripley, Naomi & Sasha Banks, and Carmella & Queen Zelina in a Fatal-4-Way Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 38 for the Women's Tag Team Titles. However, Natalya and her partner lost the bout.
#3. AJ Styles
AJ Styles competed in several promotions before joining Vince McMahon's company in 2016. During his early wrestling days on the independent circuit, The Phenomenal One did not earn much money. Hence, he had to work other part-time jobs to support his family.
"If you're getting into it for the money, you're probably getting into it for the wrong reason. To some degree, especially on the independents there is no money to be made -- sure, you make a little bit, but you're not going to be living in a mansion. So you've got to be patient. Wrestling is a lot like life. It's all about the experience. You've got to get in there," he told The Daily Reporter.
The former WWE Champion ended up mowing lawns and driving an ambulance part-time.
The 44-year-old later became one of the biggest wrestling stars. Since joining Vince McMahon's company, Styles has won many titles, including two WWE Championships. The Phenomenal One is currently active on Monday Night RAW.
#2. Bayley
Bayley started her wrestling training when she was just a teenager. To earn money to pay for her wrestling school, The Role Model worked at a pet store.
In an interview with The Kingston Whig Standard, The Role Model revealed that her salary at the pet store was still not enough to pay for her wrestling training. Hence, her family helped her.
"They helped me out in my training when I was barely making enough money at my job at the pet store while trying to pay for (wrestling) school. They helped pay for training to continue on," she said.
In 2018, WWE took Bayley back to the pet store where she worked several years ago to film an episode of Formerly Known As. The 32-year-old then demonstrated what she did there when she was a teenager.
After competing for a few years on the independent circuit, Bayley joined Vince McMahon's company in 2012. She has since become one of the top stars of the women's division.
#1. WWE NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose
Before becoming God's Greatest Creation, Mandy Rose studied Speech-Language Pathology at Iona College. The 31-year-old also worked at her father's deli during her college days.
In an interview with Entrepreneur, Rose revealed that she once worked as a bartender and waitress.
"While going to college full-time, I was also bartending, waitressing and working at my father's deli. I've always been very independent and driven to make my own money and to achieve my goals," she said.
After college, Rose decided not to work with her degree and pursued a fitness career instead. She competed in and won a few fitness competitions. God's Greatest Creation then participated in WWE's reality show, Tough Enough, in 2015. Although she finished second in the competition, Rose signed with WWE later that same year.
The leader of Toxic Attraction is currently active on NXT 2.0. She now holds the NXT Women's Championship.
