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Mick FoleyWWE might be hesitant when it comes to acknowledging other wrestling promotions, but the company is always ready to snatch major superstars from their rivals. It takes a lot of skill to be in WWEs radar and not many wrestlers out will be up to that benchmark. WWE has a unique way of filtering out talent and they are willing to go beyond the seven seas to do the same.Over the years, Vince McMahon has scouted and recruited some excellent wrestlers who proved their worth in foreign promotions. Finn Balor attracted a lot of attention with the show in Japan which makes it a great time to look back at some wrestlers who belong to the same category.
#7 Mick Foley
Mick Foley had a lot of iconic moments during his stay in the WWE. From the Hell in a Cell match with Undertaker to the WWE Championship win on Monday Night Raw, Foley has done it all. But one thing that we often forget about Foley is the time he spent abroad. A lot of the fans would only know Foley as a WWE superstar, but the ones who read his autobiography will know how he wrestled across continents.
Foley had a memorable spell in Japan where he won over the crowd with his hardcore style. He was part of the legendary death match tournament where even C4 explosives were used during matches. The death-defying dives he took at WWE deserves credit but what he went through in Japan should also be covered in discussions.
#6 Cesaro
The Swiss Superman kick started his wrestling career in his homeland of Switzerland. When Cesaro realized that staying put was not an option, Cesaro decided to jump ships to Germany. Westside Xtreme Wrestling was the promotion he worked for and he used a Japanese Gimmick there. Later, Cesaro moved to England, where he started training with Dave Taylor.
Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan and a string of promotions in the United States were soon added to his resume before Cesaro finally made it to WWE. He learned a lot of languages thanks to the travelling and makes good use of the knowledge as well.
#5 Rey Mysterio
Before reaching WWE, Rey Mysterio proved his worth in Mexico. He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders at an early age as his uncle; Rey Mysterio Sr. was a big name in the wrestling business. The family background, however, helped Mysterio get a job in AAA and as years went by, Rey became more popular than his uncle.
It was Paul Heyman who bought Rey into the United States with ECW. Being a major part in the WCW’s cruiserweight division was what followed. The door to WWE opened soon and now, Rey is doing work in both Mexico and the United States.
#4 Alberto Del Rio
Just like Rey Mysterio, Del Rio had a lot of pressure. His father, Dos Caras, was a great luchador and most of the fans down in Mexico expected Del Rio to take the similar path. After securing a degree in Architecture, Del Rio did the same.
He took up Greco-Roman Wrestling first and won medals in the Pan American Games before joining AAA. While working for AAA is a big deal in Mexico, Del Rio bettered that achievement when he worked for CMLL. He had two characters in CMLL and finally in 2009, WWE approached him. Del Rio now wrestles in both Mexico and the United States and is still a big draw despite his fall out with WWE.
#3 Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero’s roots in Mexico are no secret. He was born into the legendary Gurrero family and this made the path a bit easier for Eddie. 1989 saw Eddie’s major United States entry. He jobbed to Terry Funk in WCW, but this did not take him anywhere.
AAA gave Eddie his first big break in Mexico. He was a mainstay in the promotion during the early 90s. Eddie found work in New Japan Pro Wrestling as well till 1996. ECW then snatched up Eddie in 1995 and soon, Eddie was back in WCW’s radar. He spent a good five years in WCW before finally settling in Vince McMahon’s WWE.
#2 Chris Benoit
The tragedy that happened to Chris Benoit overshadowed everything he achieved over the years. Most of the fans now see him as a murderer and completely buried the fact that he was an excellent performer. Just like all the other superstars in the list, Benoit was also well travelled. Born in Canada, Stampede Wrestling was his first stop.
After a memorable four years there, Benoit was packed to Japan where he was snatched up by New Japan Pro Wrestling. While working for them, Benoit also found time to wrestle in Mexico and Germany. His hobby of jumping ships came to a standstill when he signed up with WCW. And when the going got tough there, Benoit moved on to WWE.
#1 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is well travelled. He started his career with the dream of wrestling for WWE but it took him a lot of years to achieve his dream. And instead of just wasting his time, Jericho travelled across the world and learned different wrestling styles.
Jericho started off his career in Canada. Mexico was Jericho’s next destination and he wrestled in many small promotions before making it into CMLL. A trip to Germany followed and after a short spell there, Jericho ended up in Japan. Jim Cornette and Paul Heyman then played a big role in bringing Jericho to the United States.
Spells in Smoky Mountain Wrestling and ECW soon earned him a spot in WCW. After a memorable spell in WCW, Jericho finally reached his dream and secured himself a contract in WWE.
