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Ever wondered how a WWE Superstar feels just before entering the arena for a match? Superstitions and rituals have always been a huge part of every sport. There are several WWE Superstars who have their set of pre-match rituals that they perform before entering the arena.
Every time a WWE Superstar steps inside the ring, he puts his body on the line and is at risk. One never knows what might happen in a physical sport like this. Hence, they have certain ways of calming themselves down and collecting their thoughts before going out to entertain the WWE Universe.
While there are common practices like stretching and isolating themselves, there are some pretty unique pre-match rituals followed by some top WWE Superstars. Let's take a look at five of them here. Be sure to comment down and let us know your reactions on the same!
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#5 The Bella Twins
Soon to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame - class of 2020, The Bella Twins have been a huge part of the women's division of WWE. Sharing a total of three WWE Divas Championship reigns between them, the Bella Twins signed with WWE in 2007.
Both Nikki and Brie Bella have had a successful career with WWE, being part of some huge storylines with each other, as well as against each other. Speaking of their pre-match rituals, the Bella Twins revealed the following to WWE.com :
Brie: “Nikki and I are really big into meditation and prayer. Many people like to listen to loud music and get pumped up, but it’s actually funny because Nikki and I like quietness. We like to really collect our thoughts, take those deep breaths, and really just connect with ourselves.”
Nikki: “Not too many people do as much meditation before their match, and some people want to get fired up, scream and yell, but Brie and I want to be in a calm zone. I need that quiet space. I need to get my head in the right area.”
Brie: “Because she’s my sister, I know I’ll get honest feedback. Nikki knows how to calm me down if I’m overly nervous, and she can tell when I’m distracted. We’ve been together for 29 years: She knows what to say if I look distracted to get me back into the mode. She knows how to keep me on track. And one thing we do when we’re in Gorilla is we’ll kiss each other on the cheek and slap each other’s butts. Then we’ll say, ‘We’re going to do amazing out there.’ ”
Nikki: “And you don’t see a lot of people slapping each other’s butts before going out to the ring.”
Both Nikki and Brie have announced their retirement from in-ring competition in WWE. Currently, both the twins are pregnant and are expecting to welcome a new member to their families soon.
#4 Cesaro
Pound-for-pound the strongest Superstar in WWE roster, Cesaro is known for his incredible strength in the ring and second-to-none wrestling skills. Considered by many to be one of the most underrated WWE Superstars, Cesaro has been a huge fan-favorite, even if he plays a heel on WWE programming.
The Swiss Cyborg follows a pretty intense pre-match ritual, as disclosed by him :
“When I get ready for any match, I need to be focused — and I need to get in my zone. Aksana was usually whispering sweet encouragements in my ear, but to be honest, that kept me from being completely focused on the tasks at hand. So that’s why, in the end, I decided to get rid of her. Normal people do push-ups, but I like to do push-ups with extra weight because that’s not normal. I also perform a variety of them: Hindu push-ups, reverse push-ups, dive-bomber push-ups and handstand push-ups, and most body-weight exercises in general. They’re old-school, and they make your body stronger and more functional. I’m always very excited because I love to compete. You should always feel a little nervous each night — or you shouldn’t be doing this.”
Cesaro signed with WWE in 2011. During his nine-year-long WWE career, he has won the United States Championship once, won the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX, and has had seven reigns as the Tag Team Champion, mostly alongside Sheamus as The Bar.
#3 John Cena
Wouldn't you want to know what was the secret behind the huge success of The Poster Boy of WWE, 16-time World Champion, John Cena? As revealed by him, he always knocks on wood before going out for a match. Knocking on wood is a common tradition and its interesting to know that the Leader of Cenation does that as well.
"I always knock on wood, and always before I go out there -- and this is something that you can see in the match right before the bell rings every the time because I go out there with a lot of energy, and I'm kind of just rowdy and having fun—but when it's time to get serious you'll see me back up against the corner, put my head down, hit the corner, and then I'm coming out swinging. So, those are the things I do every single match."
John Cena's WWE career has been second to none. Being one of the most accomplished Superstars in WWE history, John Cena holds the record of the most World title reigns (16) alongside Ric Flair. He has won the Royal Rumble twice, is a former Money in the Bank winner, and has won several other championships and top feuds during his time with the company.
John Cena last appeared for WWE at WrestleMania 36, where he took on Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Funhouse match and put him over!
#2 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio is one of the most loved WWE Superstars of all time. The guy who proved that you don't need to be huge in size to succeed in WWE, Rey Mysterio is a former three-time World Champion in WWE and has won the 2006 Royal Rumble. Speaking of his pre-match rituals, the master of the 619 told that he thanks God every day before stepping into the ring.
“I’m very spiritual. I’m a big believer in God. I believe that all of my success, everything that I’ve accomplished, I couldn’t have done without God. So I thank him every night and every day before I step into the ring, and after the match, for all of my accomplishments, and for always being there with me. That’s my ritual. My spirituality is extremely important when it comes down to me going to the ring, because I have to ask God to forgive me for my sins and guide me through my match and make sure that neither my opponent, nor myself, nor anybody on the card, gets hurt that night, so we can go out there and entertain our fans and give them the best of the best.”
Rey Mysterio is currently in a feud with WWE Superstar Seth Rollins. The two have had an intense rivalry which has also featured Rey Mysterio's real-life son, Dominick, who is expected to make his WWE in-ring debut soon.
#1 Goldberg
Goldberg's pre-match ritual is arguably the most famous in WWE history and something for which he has been criticized a lot. For those of you who don't know it, Goldberg performs a pre-match headbutt - on a door, locker, or wall. Anyone who's seen his WWE entrance knows that he is a fighter, who comes out to destroy his opponent.
It was in 2017, before his Royal Rumble appearance that year when this headbutt ritual of Goldberg came to limelight. He appeared on RAW for a promo, but fans saw his forehead busted open and blood gushing through it. Later, it was revealed that Goldberg got busted open while performing his headbutt before coming out. Acknowledging his mistake, Goldberg posted on Instagram that he would put this practice "on the shelf" now.
Well, he didn't though as before his match against The Undertaker at WWE Super ShowDown 2019, a pre-match headbutt followed by a head-first bump into the ring post gave him a concussion, which resulted in a "trainwreck" of a match!
Headbutting a wall is indeed one of the weirdest pre-match rituals in WWE history, and I hope no one continues this tradition of Goldberg!
