Following a hectic traveling schedule is a part of every WWE Superstar's career and it can hurt the wrestler's personal lives. While most Superstars are happy to work in WWE exclusively, there are a few who've followed their passions outside the ring.
This has led to several WWE Superstars entering other industries. We have even seen the company highlight some Superstars who've made it big in the movies and music industry.
Some Superstars have also tried to venture out to their own businesses with the immense support that they receive from the WWE Universe, who are there to support them both inside and outside the ring.
Some who have ventured into starting their own businesses have been very successful. Former WWE Superstars Dwyane' The Rock' Johnson, Paige, and The Bella Twins all have successful businesses, and many current Superstars are also running side businesses while performing in the ring.
In this article, we will look at the eight Superstars who have businesses outside the WWE ring.
#8 Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Kane
While Kane's WWE brother The Undertaker seems to have retired from the ring, The Big Red Machine is still on a hiatus to serve his community as the Mayor of Knox County. The two-time World Champion has always been a major name in WWE, and we have seen him make sporadic appearances even while performing other duties.
While the legendary Undertaker has invested in construction and real estate, his kayfabe brother too has ventured into similar businesses.
Kane has worked as an insurer earlier in his career, and he and his wife own an Allstate agency in Knoxville, Tennessee. Known as Jacobs Insurance Associates LLC, the company is registered as one of the bigger companies on Realtor.com, and Kane is listed as the company's President.
During an interview with Realtor.com, Kane revealed that he'd put his 78-acre estate up for sale for $800,000 as he was tired of the long commute to and from his business:
“If circumstances were different, we’d stay here for the rest of our lives,” Jacobs says. “But you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men.”
Kane has managed to do a lot in his career outside WWE and has shown everyone that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
#7 WWE RAW Women's Champion Asuka
Asuka is one of the few women in WWE who has managed to win all the Women’s Championships during her career. While The Empress of Tomorrow has been busy with her in-ring assignments, she has also managed to achieve quite a bit outside the wrestling industry.
The current WWE RAW Women's Champion has made a name for herself outside the ring in Japan. Asuka is a businesswoman who has entered different businesses to showcase her art skills.
Asuka graduated from the Osaka University of Arts Junior College and went on to start her graphic design agency. She has designed graphics for Nintendo DS and several mobile applications.
That’s not all, as Asuka also owns a hair salon back in Japan. Asuka’s hairstyle and color have been a hit with her fans, and she has been able to express her art through physical transformation.
Named Another Heaven, the hair salon is situated in Yokohama, Japan. Kenny Omega is one of the famous wrestlers who has visited her salon and given Asuka a shoot-out for the great work they do there.
#6 WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley
Business is booming for The Hurt Business, but that’s not just enough for The All-Mighty Bobby Lashley. After joining MVP on WWE RAW, Lashley has been on the rise and is the current reigning United States Championship once again.
Outside WWE, Lashley likes to be known as a business professional, something that he has also added to his Twitter account bio.
In 2007, Lashley opened a shop that sells health smoothies, helping him branch into the health and fitness industry. Later in 2009, The All-Mighty launched The Lashley Network. It comprises of his online nutrition store, gym, and social media accounts.
One of Lashley’s most notable business ventures has come in the form of his gym known as the American Top Team Altitude Gym in Denver. The gym also hosts some MMA events.
It doesn’t end there, as Lashley has partnered with Judith Sussman to establish Lashley Management, an MMA Management company that represents current and prospective MMA fighters.
It looks like Lashley has ensured that his career both inside and outside WWE is all set and he could look to dominate the business industry once he retires from the ring.
#5 Leader of WWE RAW Underground Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon's in-ring career may be over now, but it's "never say never" for the WWE Chairman's son, who has continued to surprise us with his in-ring antics. While many would believe that Shane would be the heir to the WWE since he is Vince McMahon's only son, Shane decided to resign from his position as WWE's Executive Vice President of Global Media in late 2009, saying:
"Having been associated with this organization for the majority of my life, I feel this is the opportune time in my career to pursue outside ventures."
Later in 2010, Shane became the CEO of China Broadband Inc., a broadband services provider in the Shandong province of China. Shane also became the CEO of You On Demand, the first video-on-demand and pay-per-view service in China in the same year.
That's not all, as Shane is also a part-owner of the Indian Larry Motorcycle Shop in Brooklyn, New York. His various business ventures prove that the McMahons are born businesspersons.
#4 Current WWE NXT Tag Team Champion Tyler Breeze
Tyler Breeze won his first title in WWE earlier this year when he and his partner Fandango won the NXT Tag Team Championships after they defeated Imperium. While Breeze is excellent in the ring, he has tried to try his hands at a related business too.
Former WWE Superstar Lance Storm trained Breeze, and the experience inspired Breeze to open up his wrestling academy.
The man who competed against Jushin Thunder Liger at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn partnered with former WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger (Shawn Spears) to open up a wrestling academy in Apopka, Florida.
Started in May 2019, The Flatbacks Wrestling School has been training aspiring wrestlers, and we’ve seen stars like Batista, Zack Ryder, and Peyton Royce pay a visit to the academy more than once.
Even though The Flatbacks Wrestling School is relatively new, it has a lot of potential, with so many younger kids wanting to become professional wrestlers. Under Breeze and the other trainers’ training, we could see WWE find the next top Superstar for the company in the coming years.
#3 Former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins
Several current and former WWE Superstars have tried to give back to the community in one way or another, and most of them have decided to open up their wrestling schools. However, not many have managed to do so before making it big or retiring, but Seth Rollins is an exception.
WWE is helping several newer talent grow in WWE today. Outside WWE, Rollins has started a wrestling school called The Black & The Brave Wrestling Academy with his friend Marek Brave. The academy’s name has been derived from Rollins’ former ring name, Tyler Black, and Marek Brave’s last name.
While Rollins is a full-time WWE Superstar, he tries his best to coach students himself and provides them with his knowledge. Rollins has also invited fellow WWE Superstars like Becky Lynch, Finn Balor, Sheamus, and Cesaro to train at his academy whenever they’re in town.
That’s not all, as Rollins has opened a coffee shop in early 2019 called ‘329 Dport’ in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa.
The Architect has managed to build a great career both inside and outside WWE.
#2 Current WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor
Finn Balor is arguably one of the fittest and most athletic men in WWE today. The first-ever WWE Universal Champion is currently enjoying a successful run WWE NXT where he is ruling the Kingdom as The Prince.
Balor decided to become a professional wrestler at a very young age and planned to give back to the wrestling community early on in his career. To make that possible, Balor co-founded Fight Factory Pro Wrestling (FFPW) with Paul Tracey in Ireland.
Balor helped train an entire generation of Irish wrestlers at his wrestling school, and WWE has benefited a lot from him. Two famous WWE Superstars, namely Becky Lynch and Jordan Devlin, were trained at Balor’s school.
During an interview with Buzz Sport, Tracey spoke about how he and Balor never imagined that FFPW would have such a great impact on the Irish wrestling scene:
"When myself and Fergal (Balor) started it, it was just because we wanted to wrestle, and there was no other outlet for us to wrestle in Ireland. It was amazing to wrestle in a GAA hall in front of 50 people.
"To see the way professional wrestling has gone in Ireland in the last three or four years in Ireland is a huge thing."
While Balor is busy making it big in the wrestling industry as one of its top international stars, his wrestling school is busy churning out some top new stars for WWE and other promotions to sign.
#1 Eight-time WWE Tag Team Champion Xavier Woods
Numerous WWE Superstars today have their own YouTube and Twitch Channels through which they interact with their fans and show them a completely different side to themselves.
However, Xavier Woods has a YouTube Channel unlike anyone else in WWE today, and he has not only managed to make it into a huge deal but also managed to turn it into a rather neat business.
Speaking to Esports Observer, Woods opened up about the time when he pitched the idea for UpUpDownDown to WWE and they turned it down:
“So I actually didn’t want to create a YouTube channel,” he said. “I had zero intentions of doing that – it wasn’t even like a thought on the radar. I wanted to create a show that was like a Travel Channel-type show [where] you go to different cities and try different things…because as we were traveling for WWE what I would do most nights is find an arcade bar in whatever town we were in, go check it out, play the games, you know, play with people.”
Woods went on to launch the channel himself, which is now recognized as one of the most successful celebrity video games YouTube Channel by several outlets, including Guinness World Records.
Woods’ YouTube channel has allowed him to make UpUpDownDown into a proper business. He has now partnered with WWE to sell the channel’s official merchandise on their store and make a good amount of money from the views he generates on his social media.