Nobody said that becoming a WWE Superstar was easy. It takes years of hard work and dedication to have a successful career in the pro wrestling industry.
It also requires a lot of sacrifice that can lead to hard times outside of the squared circle. Spending time away from family and not making a lot of money in the early days has led to many wrestlers giving up almost everything that they have in order to make it in the industry.
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This has resulted in many Superstars ending up homeless for a period of their life and it happens more often than you might think. So with that being said, here are 10 examples of WWE Superstars who were once homeless.
#1 TJ Perkins
The most recently publicised example of a WWE Superstar’s brush with homelessness came during last summer’s Cruiserweight Classic, from the tournament’s eventual winner TJ Perkins.
Perkins talked about his past struggles throughout the competition and during his victory speech after defeating Gran Metalik in the final. He spoke in more detail regarding his brief spell of being homeless in an interview with wwe.com after the CWC.
“Things were going great for me right away. I was doing big things – New Japan, CMLL, I was on pay-per-view and TV here in the States. I didn’t want to stop there, so I tried to really pursue my dream of performing in WWE full-time. I moved to Florida to try and get to FCW. It was just one of those times where it didn’t pan out. I gave it my all, but I probably picked the worst time to do it, in the middle of the recession. I had no education and it didn’t work out. Before I knew it, I was struggling and I was homeless. My parents also went bankrupt back in Los Angeles, and they were relying on me.”
#2 Rich Swann
Another story that was well documented during the CWC was the tragic tale of Rich Swann’s early years.
Swann lost both of his parents at a young age, he was just 12 years old when his father was murdered and lost his mother to ill-health just 4 years later. It was after these devastating losses that he fell in with a rough crowd, became addicted to cocaine and was homeless for a period of time.
You would not guess this from the happy-go-lucky Rich Swann we see on ’205 Live’ every week nowadays. It’s quite incredible how he has turned his life around and is now working for the top wrestling company in the industry, it makes for a fascinating life story.
#3 Daniel Bryan
Former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan gave up a lot in order to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler, including a bed to return to at the end of a long day.
Bryan saved his money any way that he could in his early years to pay for wrestling schools so he could hone his craft. This included sleeping in his car or spending the night at a wrestling school, instead of paying for hotels, he also did this when he moved to Japan for more training.
As I’m sure you all know, all this sacrifice paid off for him in the end as he reached the pinnacle of the industry by winning the World Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 30.
#4 AJ Lee
AJ Lee came from humble beginnings and by all accounts, her family were very poor. This resulted in tough times in her early years, including homelessness.
The former WWE Divas Champion has opened up about her life recently in her book, ‘Crazy Is My Superpower’ and wants to use her story to help inspire others. In the book, AJ reveals that she was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at a young age, but instead of seeing this as a burden, she, in fact, credits it with helping her overcome her struggles and drive her to achieve her dreams.
You can read an excerpt from her book below:
“That is the gift being bipolar gave me. It blessed me with a lofty imagination, an iron will, and an unbreakable belief in the impossible. I used my gift to take myself from being homeless to being an athlete and entertainer on international television. I became a woman with a mission.”
#5 Chyna
The life story of Joanie ‘Chyna’ Laurer is a tragic one, both before and after her time in WWE.
Chyna claimed that she had a bad relationship with her family, including her biological father who she accused of taking out loans in her name without her knowledge, leaving her in thousands of dollars of debt.
A friend once discovered the former WWE Women’s Champion residing with a homeless man in a small apartment that had no furniture besides an air mattress on the floor.
Despite being one of the biggest stars of the ‘Attitude Era’, Chyna’s life was littered with troubles, including well documented battles with alcohol and drug addiction.Her life also ended in unfortunate circumstances after her untimely death just over a year ago at the age of 45.
#6 Perry Saturn
Perry Saturn’s story has to be the most bizarre on this list. The former ECW, WCW and WWE wrestler’s tale begins in 2004 when he saved a woman who was being raped by two men, Saturn managed to fight off the men despite being shot in the neck and shoulder.
Saturn then disappeared for eight years with many speculating that he may have died. However, after resurfacing again in 2012, he revealed that after his heroic feat, he became addicted to meth, lost all his money and became homeless for over 2 years.
Despite seemingly starting to get his life back on track, he posted a video in January of this year where he explained that he is still very sick and needs help. Saturn currently has a GoFundMe page set up which you can donate to at gofundme.com/perrysaturn.
#7 Roddy Piper
‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper is one of the biggest names in pro-wrestling history and lived an incredible life before his death in 2015. Although details remain scarce, Piper has hinted in interviews that his father was abusive. He also revealed that after a falling out with his father, he left home while he was still a teenager and went out to fend for himself.
‘Hot Rod’ said that this period in his life taught him to be a fighter and helped mould his on-screen persona, which led to him becoming one of the best wrestling villains in history.
#8 Mick Foley
Many pro-wrestlers, particularly from older generations, are known to be thrifty, but Mick Foley has earned himself a reputation among his peers of being of the most frugal of them all.
It’s something that Foley seems to wear with pride and he still dresses in flannel shirts and sweatpants to this day. Perhaps this is due to his humble beginnings in the wrestling industry which led to him saving money by sleeping in his car.
Although he is obviously much better off financially nowadays, his economical lifestyle seems deeply ingrained in him and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.
#9 The Rock
We’re used to seeing The Rock wearing $500 shirts and being the most electrifying man in sports and entertainment, but it hasn’t always been that way for the ‘Great One’.
When he was 15 years old, a young Dwayne Johnson was living with his mother in a small studio apartment in Hawaii. They came home one day to discover an eviction notice on their door as they were unable to pay their $180 a week rent.
The Rock vowed that he would make something of himself so he could provide for his mother, but his first plan did not work out the way he had hoped. After failing to become a professional football player and being cut from his team, Rocky recalls flying home to his father, jobless and with just seven dollars to his name.
It’s fair to say that his career as a professional wrestler worked out fairly well for The Rock and he is now one of the wealthiest entertainers on the planet.
#10 John Cena
John Cena is currently the biggest star in professional wrestling and has been for the last decade. But things didn’t start out too well for the former WWE Champion. As he has revealed in a number of public appearances, Cena’s early years saw him unemployed and temporarily homeless.
However, living up to his moniker of ‘Hustle, Loyalty and Respect’, John Cena has worked his way to the top of the wrestling industry and has even begun conquering the entertainment world with cameos in a number of Hollywood movies.
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