8 current WWE superstars who come from non-traditional wrestling countries

We are in a new global age.

With new technologies, countries once distant enough to be considered irrelevant have now been put on each other’s doorsteps. Long gone are the days of the North American wrestling contingent. Sure, the WWE still gravitates its entire physical business within the United States, but the international fandom equates to a very large portion of the companies financial interests. With the expansion of the WWE network, the WWE universe continues to grow wider, and the national desires to share a bit of that proverbial wrestling cake, grow day-by-day.

WWE always sought to diversify and they’re not shy. To see the wide range of nationalities, look no further than the Cruiserweight or Mae Young Classic tournaments. Bringing in talent from around the world, not only increases the interest within the countries in question but also adds something new for the existing audience to experience. New trends, new cultures, and even new styles of wrestling, all of which contribute to the outward expansion of the WWE.

Forget your all-American heroes, your Canadian technical wizards, your high-flying Mexicans, and your Japanese hard-hitters. From the well-known Superstars on the main roster to the up and coming fledgelings on NXT, we look at eight wrestlers from nations that are obscured by the WWE’s standards.

---

#1 No Way Jose

Will No Way Jose dance his way to the main roster?

No Way Jose was born in the Dominican Republic, not to be confused with Dominica. The nation makes up the eastern half of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, alongside its neighbour of Haiti.

The Dominican dancer moved with his parents to the USA whilst he was still a child; in hope of finding a more prosperous life. Growing up on WWE, he idolised superstars such as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Once Jose decided to pursue a career in wrestling, he retraced his heritage and looked to national greats, such as the great Jack Veneno for inspiration.

No Way Jose has oodles of talent, he is full of fun, and his dancing to the ring sends the NXT fans into a synchronised samba. Jose has been caught on the sidelines of NXT without breaking through into the main event. What if the creatives at WWE decide to skip the NXT title picture, and in the near future bring the dancing dynamo straight up to the main roster?

#2 Aleister Black

Black feeling at home surrounded by stain glass windows and candles

The mystical maverick of Aleister Black finds his roots in his home country of the Netherlands, otherwise known as Holland. However, becoming a wrestler in the western European nation was not easy for Black.

The country has a small wrestling scene, and it was not enough for Aleister to sustain his lofty ambitions. Moving to nearby Germany, Black was able to increase his prominence, before making his rounds on the larger global independent scene. Moving through the UK and Japan, Black finally garnered enough attention from the WWE, to see him put his name to paper in 2016.

Aleister Black has already stamped his authority on NXT. He is incredibly popular with the fans, and could easily be NXT champion within a few months if his meteoric rise is anything to go by. Although the NXT championship is likely to be the next destination, it is not unperceivable that the striker finds his place on either of the blue or red brands very soon.

#3 Dakota Kai

Kai has turned heads, including her opponents with her running turnbuckle big boot

The Kiwi ass-kicker comes from the duo of large islands that represent the nation of New Zealand, located in the south pacific. From the large metropolis of Auckland on the north island, Kai has accrued an abundance of experience to expand her prominence beyond the middle-earthly archipelago.

Kai garnered a lot of attention within WWE rings, as she competed in the quarterfinals of the recent Mae Young Classic tournament. She gained victories against two larger opponents in the form of the monstrous Kavita Devi, and the talented rookie Rhea Ripley, before falling short to the eventual winner of the tournament, Kairi Sane.

Now signed to WWE, Dakota will be only one of a few native pacific islanders to have ever competed for the company. With an impressive 15 years of experience and a mesmerising impressive running big boot, Kai will surely do enough to turn heads.

With enough skill and talent behind her, can she be the next big thing?

#4 Rusev

Will you be celebrating Rusev day next year?

I don’t have to tell you that the Bulgarian brute has made his country of origin less obscure.His entire character is based around bringing glory back to his mother country.

He has waved more flags than you can count, he’s often speaking in his native tongue to frustrate the viewing audience, and he even has his own day in celebration of his returning glory to his homeland, alongside a supposed key to the city of Plovdiv, Rusev’s hometown.

Mark it in your diaries, 26th of September is now Rusev Day! It is going to be big!

A nation known for the eerie region of Transylvania, and the brutal medieval leader, known as Vlad the Impaler, Bulgaria now hosts a savage and sadistic crusher of WWE superstars. Once flying the Russian flag out of a more stereotypical gimmick, alongside his real-life partner, Lana, the Balkan now flies the true tricolour of white, green, and red.

#5 Cesaro

The Swiss Superman is doing his darnedest to satisfy the C-section

The Swiss sensation is well established within the WWE universe, as an efficient technical hard-working in-ring performer. He can perhaps put that down to his Swiss pedigree.

Cesaro comes from Lucerne. A small medieval city set amidst snowy peaks and a vast lake. During his early training to become a wrestler, he spent his time working in harsh conditions, with not even a ring to test his ability. However, it was enough for the wrestling maestro to boost his career and move on around the world in a much larger professional setting.

Switzerland is a sturdy nation, thriving in the Alps, with a reputation for innovation and independence, perhaps not unlike the character on show from Cesaro. Although his career has slipped into the tag-team division, expect him to make innovative solo strides towards a newfound wealth within the WWE once again in the near future. A main event title run only seems fair for a wrestler that is loved all around by hardcore fans.

#6 Rezar

Rezar has been dwarfing his competition along with his ring-side brother, Akam

One-half of the Authors of Pain, Rezar is probably from the most obscure country on the list. The tag team tank is a Kosovo Albanian. Although he was born in the Netherlands, he is billed from his eastern European nation of Albania.

Speculation has recently started to grow about the inevitable inclusion of the duo of destruction within the main roster.

The tag team divisions have suffered ever since the splitting of the brands. The competition needs more talent, and a safe bet on the future of the division would be Akam and Rezar.

AOP have already proven themselves to be a dominant force within NXT, so the transition from yellow, to red or blue should not be long due.

The small nation bordering the Adriatic Sea boasts a rich history, with links to the ancient Greeks. Rezar is likely to carry on the legacy further for his countrymen, with impressive accolades standing out for all to see in name of a country of small stature, but full of pride.

#7 Kofi Kingston

Kofi is now stomping his way to glory with his New Day buddies

The Ghanian is not a surprise in this list. Kofi moved to the US with his family when he was just a toddler but he still holds the Ghana birth certificate high above his head.

The amount of WWE wrestlers past and present from Africa wouldn’t be enough to write on a ripping from a notebook. Nevertheless, the fact that Kofi is a representation in the WWE is nothing short of progression.

Kofi has been nothing short of the go-to guy for the WWE. He has a bouncy personality in the ring, but he also doesn't mind taking on the responsibility of being the face of the mid-card. He’s held titles, he’s been a jobber, and even dabbled with the main event, but no matter the ups and downs he has in his storylines, it seems unlikely that it phases him.

An athlete in his own right and a sure-fire future Hall of Famer, the West African will surely continue to create magical memories for WWE fans. Although he is the only African in the current roster, I wonder, who could possibly be next?

#8 Killian Dain

The Beast of Belfast is causing carnage within NXT

The Beast of Belfast is nothing less than a monster. The muscle behind Sanity sees his home on the other side of the Atlantic pond, in the nation of Northern Ireland. Not to be mistaken for the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland now boasts the impressive resume of being the home of Game of Thrones.

Training under Robbie Brookside and the Demon King himself, Finn Balor, there is no doubt that the Celtic and island nature of the British Isles will be well represented in the form of this Giant among men.

This list doesn’t even break the surface on how far the globalisation of the WWE has come.

Hopefully, this offers a new idea of how broad the WWE is now reaching, and continues to boost it in the positive direction.

Will we ever see a WWE superstar from South Sudan or Tuvalu? Only time will tell!