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Before heading to compete in the ring, several WWE Superstars have unusual pre-match rituals.
Competing in front of thousands of fans could be stressful for many WWE Superstars. Some of these WWE wrestlers carry on specific traditions to lift that pressure off.
The Bella Twins used meditation and prayer to calm themselves before their matches, which Nikki admitted was not a usual act among WWE Superstars. They also had another uncommon backstage ritual.
"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,'" Brie told WWE.com. "And you don’t see a lot of people slapping each other’s butts before going out to the ring," Nikki added.
Today, a few superstars carry on unusual traditions before their matches too. While one has to order pizza, another likes to wear the opponent's shirt.
Here are five current WWE Superstars and their unusual pre-match rituals.
#5. WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg
Goldberg has one of the most eye-catching entrances in WWE history. He also has one of the most unusual pre-match rituals. Before heading to the ring, The 54-year-old would headbutt a door, locker, or wall.
In 2017, Goldberg appeared on Monday Night RAW for a promo, but fans noticed his forehead was busted open. It was later revealed that the former WWE Universal Champion hurt himself while practicing his ritual backstage.
In an interview with American Monster Productions’ YouTube channel last year, the former Universal Champion explained why his bizarre pre-match ritual was important.
"For you guys to get the character that you got, I had to do certain things. Well, one of them was headbutt the door. Right? And that may, on the outside, look like a stupid move, but as I mentioned, we all weigh the positives and negatives, so it's very positive to make it as violent as humanly possible, and as real as humanly possible, and all the negative is you lose a little blood and hey, man, you get another concussion and cut a week off your life," Goldberg said.
Goldberg recently returned to WWE to challenge Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship. The two powerhouses will square off for the title at SummerSlam.
#4. WWE Superstar Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks is one of the biggest WWE Superstars on the roster today. She has had many historic matches since joining the company in 2012, including the one against Bayley for the SmackDown Women's Championship at the 2020 Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
Before that match, which she won by submission to capture the SmackDown Women's Title, The Boss revealed her pre-match ritual.
"I always love to wear my opponent's shirts on the day of the pay-per-views or any big matches, just to remind me what is ahead of me, and what's gonna come tonight. I like just to stay focused," Banks said on WWE The Day Of: Hell in a Cell 2020."
Banks recently returned to WWE after months of absence following her loss to Bianca Belair in their SmackDown Women's Title match at WrestleMania 37. She went straight to challenging Belair for the title. The two ladies will go head-to-head later this month at SummerSlam.
Before their match at SummerSlam, Belair and Banks squared off four times for the SmackDown Women's Championship on live shows over the past few weeks. The EST of WWE defeated The Boss three times, while their fourth bout ended in a draw.
#3. WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair
WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair has been on fire so far in 2021. She won the Women's Royal Rumble match in January. Three months later, she captured the SmackDown Women's Championship after defeating Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37.
Belair and Banks' historic match earned them an ESPY Award for best WWE Moment in 2021.
Like Banks, Bianca Belair has a special way of preparing herself for big matches. The EST of WWE revealed her ritual in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
"People do their cheat meals after their matches, but I have pizza the night before. That always helps relax me. Before the Royal Rumble, I picked up a pizza and stayed up all night and worked on my gear," Belair said.
The 32-year-old WWE Superstar also likes to sew her ring gear the night before her matches.
"I’m usually making gear the night before. That keeps my mind occupied and ready and calm, especially with my husband right beside me," The SmackDown Women's Champion revealed.
Bianca Belair has been unstoppable since winning the SmackDown Women's Championship. She has defended her title successfully against Bayley and Carmella. Belair also defeated Zelina Vega last Friday on SmackDown.
#2. WWE Superstar R-Truth
R-Truth is one of the most entertaining WWE Superstars of all time. He is also the most crowned 24/7 Champion in WWE history with 52 reigns.
The 49-year-old has a special pre-match ritual that he has been practicing for nearly two decades now. He spoke about it to the Shreveport Times a few years ago.
"I've been doing this for 17 years and right now it's pretty much like sitting in the saddle. I do my same ritual. I listen to my music to mentally get my mind right, I go through my stretches and after that I crank that car up and I drive it," R-Truth said.
Going for a drive while listening to music is R-Truth's way of switching from his real-life personality to his WWE gimmick. According to him, R-Truth and Ron Killings are two different people.
"You rarely will see R-Truth showing anything. He's always in that mood. He's the guy you want to see when you're going through something because he's in that mood and has something good to tell you," R-Truth admitted.
R-Truth recently lost his 24/7 Championship to Reggie on Monday Night RAW. Having won the title 52 times before, it would not be a surprise if he recaptures it very soon.
#1. WWE Legend John Cena
John Cena is arguably the greatest Superstar in WWE history. While the WWE Universe might know all of Cena's in-ring moves, many probably have no idea what he does before walking down to the ring.
The 44-year-old WWE Superstar had an unusual pre-match ritual that he kept practicing for many years. However, he forced himself to stop it later.
"My thing was always Tic Tacs. It's a nervous superstition that I always have before we go on a broadcast. I've had to wean myself off of them. I would eat up to like three boxes a day and it's right in the 20 minutes before broadcast. It's pretty much 10,000 calories and straight sugar," Cena revealed on The Kelly Clarkson Show two years ago.
Cena explained that he developed that ritual because he was worried about the smell of his breath in the ring.
"You're in a small confined space. The ring is 20 by 20 feet and you're with a group of guys. So, you always want to try to smell your best," Cena said.
The 16-time World Champion recently returned to WWE to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. The Leader of the Cenation will go one-on-one with The Tribal Chief at SummerSlam.
Cena's last televised match came at WrestleMania 36 when he lost against The Fiend Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Fun House match.
