3 Superstars who weren't WWE fans growing up and 3 who were die-hard fans

Pro Wrestling is one of the most fascinating forms of entertainment and has been a mainstay on American television as well as in several other nations for decades on end. The biggest fish in the pond is arguably WWE, that turned from one of several major wrestling promotions in the 80s to a legit global media giant today.

The road to the top certainly hasn't been an easy one, and Vince McMahon has a string of Legends as well as the WWE Universe to thank for the same. For every incredible feat that a Hulk Hogan performs in the ring, there's an Edge in the crowd who watches it with dreams in his eyes and goes on to become a megastar, somewhere down the line.

That brings us to an interesting discussion: Were our favorite WWE Superstars fans of the promotion back when they were growing up, or they joined the industry with the sole aim of earning a good living for themselves and their family? In this slideshow, we will take a look at 3 Superstars who weren't fans of WWE while growing up, and three who were.

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#6 Brock Lesnar (not a WWE fan)

Brock Lesnar grew up on a dairy farm in Webster and didn't care about wrestling at all while growing up. Former WWE announcer Jim Ross recently revealed how Brock was tired of being broke, around the time when he was signed by WWE. In another interview, Ross revealed how Vince McMahon reacted when he saw Lesnar for the first time, around 20 years ago.

Ross stated that Lesnar wasn't a wrestling fan while growing up, didn't watch pro-wrestling on TV, and he had no idea who Vince McMahon was. Vince was very impressed when he laid his eyes on Lesnar, and the rest, as they say, is history. It took Lesnar less than a year to win his first WWE title on the main roster, and he has now become one of the biggest Superstars in the history of the business.

#5 Mick Foley (WWE fan)

Mick Foley, dubbed as "The Hardcore Legend", was a die-hard WWE fan while growing up. While he was a student at the State University of New York at Cortland, Foley traveled to Madison Square Garden, NYC, to watch the now-iconic Steel Cage match pitting his favorite wrestler, Jimmy Snuka, with Don Muraco.

Snuka's flying body splash that he connected from the top of the cage has now gained legendary status, and Foley has stated multiple times that this was the moment he decided that he wanted to become a professional wrestler. Foley made a name for himself in several promotions, including WCW and ECW, before finally signing with WWE.

Foley's WWE title win over The Rock on an episode of RAW that was aired on January 4, 1999 went head-to-head with WCW's "Fingerpoke of Doom" moment.

WCW didn't recover from the blow and never beat WWE in the ratings war again. Foley went on to become a living legend who engaged in a string of memorable hardcore encounters with the likes of Triple H, Edge, and Randy Orton. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, for his contributions to pro-wrestling.

#4 Kurt Angle (not a WWE fan)

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was never a pro-wrestling fan while growing up, and had an interest in amateur wrestling, for which he had kicked off his training at the age of seven.

Angle went on to win gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and gained major mainstream attention. Angle has stated in the past that he considered pro-wrestling as "beneath him", and was initially hesitant while pursuing a career as a pro-wrestler.

Angle made an appearance for ECW in 1996, after being convinced by his friend Shane Douglas. The show in question saw Raven crucifying Sandman on a cross, which left Angle enraged and he threatened to sue Paul Heyman if ECW showed him on TV in the broadcast that featured the controversial segment.

Angle later made his way to WWE and became a mainstay in the promotion for almost a decade.

Angle then had another impressive stint, this time in Impact Wrestling. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017 and had a brief stint as RAW GM.

#3 CM Punk (WWE fan)

CM Punk began his wrestling career in 1999 and wrestled for several backyard wrestling promotions during his early years. Years before he kicked off his career, Punk had become fascinated with the business and was a big fan. On an episode of WWE Backstage a short while ago, Punk got an opportunity to have a chat with WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart. Punk talked about the famous Steel Cage match between Bret Hart and Owen Hart in 1994 and revealed that he was present in the arena that night to watch the match live.

"If you really were a wrestling fan, you’d know the main event was Bret Hart vs Owen Hart."

Punk made his way to WWE in the mid-2000s and soon turned into one of the most popular Superstars on the main roster. He won several World titles and was a part of a string of iconic bouts, before leaving WWE in 2014 on a sour note. Punk hasn't wrestled ever since, and fans are steadily losing hope that they will ever get to see him wrestle a match again.

#2 Goldberg (not a WWE fan)

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg always aspired to make a name for himself in the NFL. A torn lower abdomen squashed his NFL dreams in the mid-90s, after a brief stint in the sport. As Goldberg was undergoing rehab, WCW stars Lex Luger and Sting spotted him and urged the former NFL player to try his hand in pro-wrestling. Not a fan of pro-wrestling, Goldberg realized that a career as a wrestler could be an alternative to his NFL aspirations.

Goldberg soon signed a contract with WCW and the rest is history. He soon turned into one of the biggest stars of the Monday Night Wars. Two years after WCW folded, Goldberg made his way to WWE and went on to win the World title. He exited the company after his win over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 20. Goldberg made his WWE return at Survivor Series 2016, and squashed Lesnar to everyone's surprise. He kept making occasional appearances for the company, and won the Universal title on two occasions.

#1 Edge (WWE fan)

At WrestleMania 6, Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior collided in one of the most anticipated matches in the history of WWE. Among the thousands of screaming fans stood a young guy named Adam Copeland, who was cheering for his favorite Superstar, Hogan. He was disappointed when all was said and done, as Warrior won the WWE title by defeating Hogan by the end of the night. Copeland has talked about the moment on various occasions.

My first live WrestleMania experience was WrestleMania 6. It was in Toronto, SkyDome, Hulk Hogan, who is my guy vs Ultimate Warrior, who is the ascending phenom, and I still to this day remember how it felt like I saw throughout the night. I just kept getting goosebumps and I already knew I want to be a wrestler.

Edge not only realized his dream of becoming a wrestler, he also won the Tag Team titles with Hogan in 2002. He soon became one of the biggest heels in WWE, but his career was cut short due to an injury in 2011. Edge was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012, and made his miraculous return to in-ring competition in 2020.

Edited by Alan John