Ranking the 5 most successful WWE Tough Enough contestants of all time

Though many of WWE's top stars today, such as Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins made names for themselves on the independent scene, there was a time when WWE tried a different approach to find their Superstars.

Over the years, there have been six iterations of Tough Enough, WWE's reality series which allowed lucky contestants to be signed to a contract with the company.

Some contestants have even gone on to have better careers than the winners, in a bizarre twist of fate.

Here are the five most successful WWE Tough Enough contestants and how they're ranked.

#5 Maven

Maven was the first male winner of the very first iteration of Tough Enough.

Maven was the first-ever male victor of the Tough Enough show. He quickly made his mark on the main roster after being given a solid push right out of the gate by the company.

Finishing his time as a triple Hardcore Champion, and having a WrestleMania match under his belt, isn't a bad career by any stretch of the imagination. Maven was likely deemed as a success by WWE as a result.

Arguably, Maven's greatest moment came during the 2002 Royal Rumble though, where he entered the match and shocked the world by eliminating The Undertaker. It was one of the most memorable eliminations in history.

Though his career would never go higher than that moment, the plucky Superstar did find himself in the main of the Survivor Series 2004 Pay Per View, where he won as a part of Team Orton.

Quietly leaving the company the next year, Maven still has plenty of fans and recently appeared at an event for Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder's Major Wrestling Figure Podcast.

#4 Sonya Deville

Despite losing Tough Enough, Deville would get signed by WWE.

Appearing on the sixth season of WWE Tough Enough in 2015, Daria Berenato came into the competition with something very few applicants had: a combat background.

Before trying out, Bernato competed in MMA, where she boasts a 2-1 win record, and this obviously helped her chances to impress the judges.

Coming out of the closet during her tryout in front of the judges, Barenato made it to the final thirteen, but was the third person eliminated from the show.

Undeterred, 'the Jersey Devil' would sign with the company that October, and receive the name Sonya Deville, appearing in NXT where she partnered with fellow Tough Enough star, Mandy Rose.

Joining the main roster in 2017 as part of Absolution, Deville has impressed many fans in the ring, as well as by being a spokesperson for LGBTQ+ rights.

Though she is yet to hold championship gold in her WWE career, expect that to change, as she could make a fine Tag Champion with Rose, and her MMA background and real-life toughness no doubt makes her a strong candidate to be a singles Champion in the not so distant future.

#3 Velveteen Dream

Dream is one of NXT's hottest stars and is the reigning North American Champion.

He might only be at the early stages of his WWE career and he hasn't managed to make it to the main roster yet, but Patrick Clarke is more than deserving of the number three spot on this list.

Joining the 2015 edition of Tough Enough, Clarke quickly established himself as a fan favourite due to his dedication to wrestling but didn't win the competition. Joining the company later on, Velveteen Dream has already proven he is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the company and at such a young age, he has tons of potential to become one of the biggest stars in WWE's future.

The Dream has been one of the most entertaining talents in NXT history and has consistently stood out on every Takeover and with his bright future, he is certainly going to climb the ranks of this list.

It seems to be only a matter of time until the reigning NXT North American Champion makes his presence felt on the main roster, and hopefully, he will have the same success there, as he has had in the developmental brand.

#2 John Morrison

Morrison enjoyed a lengthy career in the WWE and has had similar success on the independent scene.

With his incredible athleticism, unique move set and handsome look, it's no wonder why John Morrison managed to emerge from Tough Enough's Season 3 as a victor. After a rocky start on the main roster as the protege of Eric Bischoff, Morrison re-debuted in 2005, as part of MNM.

After splitting from the group, Morrison would go on to have a fantastic time in WWE, becoming the ECW World Champion in 2007, working his way up the ladder to Raw and back to SmackDown, where he competed at the highest level.

Being released from the company in 2011, this setback didn't hurt Morrison, who has done plenty on the independent scene and has even appeared in a handful of movies.

The master of Starship pain has consistently put on incredible matches throughout his career, whether that be in WWE, IMPACT Wrestling, Lucha Underground, or on the independent scene, maintaining a consistent level of stardom.

Picking up multiple championships everywhere along the way, Morrison has maintained a steady level of success, going down as a reliable upper mid-card or main event talent.

#1 The Miz

The A-Lister is the only Tough Enough contestant to hold the WWE Championship.

When Mike Mizannin joined the WWE as part of the 2004 Tough Enough competition, few fans could have expected what was going to happen.

Impressing in the competition, Miz made it to the finals but came second after losing to Daniel Puder in a 'Dixie Dog Fight' at the Armageddon Pay Per View that year.

Though he would lose the challenge, The Miz would eventually find himself in the company, but even that didn't come easy.

Joining in 2006 as the 'host' of Friday Night SmackDown, Miz underwent severe bullying behind the scenes, and would only receive his first push the following year, when he moved to ECW.

Fortunately, things would finally lookup for the A-Lister on the Extreme brand, as teaming with fellow Tough Enough-alum John Morrison allowed Miz to show his charismatic.

Capturing the United States, Tag Team, WWE Championship and Money in the Bank, in 2010, The Miz has also become the company's resident movie star thanks to the Marine film franchise, and is now considered by many as one of WWE's most reliable stars, and the most succesful person from Tough Enough.