10 WWE Superstars who are immensely popular among non-wrestling fans

The world of pro-wrestling has had its ups and downs in terms of cultural relevance over the years. In the 1980s, it was building partnerships with the worlds of film, TV and music, only to experience a sharp decline as overall interest levels dropped throughout the early 90s.

Then, as pop-culture in the US took on a more anti-authoritarian feel at the turn of the century, WWE once again became a trend setter for people across the world. Stars from that era and others are now well-known amongst fans who have since fallen away from wrestling, but every now and then the company will produce a superstar that manages to capture the imagination of people with no interest in sports entertainment whatsoever. Here is a look at 10 WWE superstars that are immensely popular among non-wrestling fans:

#1 Hulk Hogan

When you mention professional wrestling to anybody, whether they are avid fans or someone who hasn't watched a single second of it, more often than not they will at least know who Hulk Hogan is. Hogan's fame is a testament to how big and culturally relevant wrestling used to be back in the 1980s.

Hogan paved the way for guys like The Rock and John Cena by being able to transcend the squared circle, finding himself in Hollywood movies and sitting across from prime time chat show hosts on a consistent basis. Hogan was 'the man' back in the 80s, and it was more than just the wrestling industry that wanted a piece of him.

While his current reputation is a little shaky at best, the Hogan name has been used to market everything from energy drinks to food blenders over the years. He has also tried his hand at opening restaurants, including Pastamania in Minnesota as well as the more recent Hogan's Beach eatery in Tampa.

There has also been his movie career of course. Some of his more well-known appearances were in Rocky III as 'Thunderlips', and his more prominent roles in The Nanny and No Holds Barred.

While the present does appear bleak for Hogan, there is no counting him out just yet. A thawing of his relationship with WWE is probably not too far away, but whatever happens in the future, he certainly has quite the career to look back on.

#2 Andre the Giant

While Hulk Hogan has helped to cement many wrestlers' careers just by being in the ring with them, the superstar that arguably turned Hogan into one of the industry's top legends was Andre Rene Roussimoff, better known as Andre the Giant.

While Hogan leads the way for the company in the 80s, Andre was undoubtedly the star of professional wrestling in the 1970s. The official line from the WWE is that Andre embarked on a 15-year undefeated streak throughout the 70s and 80s, although this is disputed depending on which parts of his career you take into account. Whatever the numbers say, Andre was the ultimate Superstar for such a long time that it would take the might of Hulkamania to topple him.

Andre lends himself to several different forms of entertainment due to his size and his loveable personality. The archetypal 'big friendly giant' persona allowed him to make appearances in various movies throughout his lifetime. His most notable role came as Fezzik in The Princess Bride. This alone helps many non-wrestling fans identify him despite their having never seen his epic showdown with Hogan at Wrestlemania 3.

Another reasons fans will know Andre is through the OBEY T-shirt design. The iconic image of a stencil drawn Andre appears on various shirts across the world and has transcended the world of wrestling to point where anyone can be seen wearing one.

The design was born from a street art campaign started in 1989 entitled 'Andre the Giant has a posse'. Stickers with the same design of the OBEY t-shirts began appearing in cities across the world as part of a grassroots art project that flooded the imagination of many throughout the 90s and 00s.

If plans come to fruition, we will soon be seeing a biopic of Andre in cinemas later this or early next year, and you can guarantee it won't just be wrestling fans tuning in to watch it.

#3 John Cena

The so-called Hulk Hogan of the 21st century, John Cena is another one of those instantly recognisable names regardless of how much professional wrestling you follow. While never quite reaching the levels of a Hogan or Rock, Cena is no stranger to the world of light entertainment, regularly being called on to represent the WWE on talk shows and award ceremonies.

Cena has made several television appearances, once acting as guest host for Saturday Night Live in 2016, as well as the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards a year later. His acting career is yet to fully break through into the mainstream, but he has enjoyed relative success with movies such as The Marine and 12 Rounds.

In addition to this, Cena is the most requested superstar in history - wrestling or not - for the Make a Wish Foundation, making over 500 appearances for children with life-threatening illnesses. He is often given the responsibility for leading on WWE's many charitable ventures and has built many links with other celebrities over the years who are also involved in the world of philanthropy.

Cena also has a slightly more bizarre reason for being well-known outside of pro-wrestling. A few years ago, the 'unexpected John Cena' internet meme became hugely popular, where internet users superimposed Cena's face into random cartoon and movie clips with a voice over saying 'and his name is John Cena!'. Pretty much anyone who scrolled through their Facebook walls in 2015/16 would have come across one of these videos, further exposing the Cena brand beyond the three walls of WWE.

#4 Stone Cold Steve Austin

Wrestling fans are, by their very nature, constantly locked into a debate around who the greatest professional wrestler of all time is. One name that certainly tops many people's lists is Stone Cold Steve Austin. One thing you can say for sure is that Austin has probably proven to be one of WWE's most important superstars owing to the fact that he essentially saved the company from annihilation in the mid to late 90s. Along with The Rock, Austin helped WWE and the wrestling business as a whole transcend the four corners of the squared circle and is now one of the sports most recognisable names.

Throughout much of his in-ring career, fans would also have known Austin from Celebrity Death Match where he provided the voice for a clay model version of himself. He used to present the show and provide commentary, owing to the popularity of the WWF at the time.

Later in his career, Austin starred in various movies including his widely popular performance as Jack Conrad in The Condemned, He has also appeared in The Expendables alongside Sylvester Stalone and Mickey Rourke.

Austin's in-ring gimmick isn't at all far from his real life persona, making constant references to his redneck roots. This image has led to him becoming the host of Redneck Island and his new show Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge which still airs on CMT to this day.

Austin's association with the Attitude Era will forever endear him to wrestling fans, and his ongoing relationship with the WWE in the form of podcasts and sporadic appearances only helps keep that bond as strong as it is. It's to the man's credit, however, that you will probably know his name whether or not you follow professional wrestling as an interest.

#5 Jesse Ventura

The former 80's colour commentator Jesse Ventura might not enjoy the levels of notoriety as some of the other entries on this list, but anybody with at least a passing interest in US politics may well know who he is.

Ventura has been involved in mainline politics since 1990 when he became Mayor of Brooklyn Park. His most signature position came a few years later when he was elected Governor of Minnesota. Ventura's time in office was unlike most, running very much as an independent. This has allowed him flexibility on a range of issues, claiming to be economically conservative and social liberal.

Ventura has proven quite the controversial figure, most notably for raising doubts about the official government account of what happened on 9/11. In a recent interview, Ventura said that at the very least he believed the government knew what was going to happen but did nothing to stop it.

Ventura is a name many might also know from the world of film. His most notable appearances came in the movies Predator and Batman and Robin. He is also a talented author, generally using his publications to be outspoken against mainstream politics in the US.

#6 Mick Foley

When you're seen as one of the main building blocks of WWE's most successful era, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to learn you are fairly well known outside of the ring as well. This is definitely the case with Mick Foley, who is also known as a best selling author, a regular TV and film personality, and a liberal activist.

Foley has used his time in the spotlight to write about his experiences in the ring. His memoirs, which he began writing in 1999 and is still adding to today, have become popular with readers whether they watch sports entertainment or not. In this way, Foley has essentially become a bridge for people who want to know what the inside world of wrestling is like but don't have much of an interest in watching it.

Mick is also known as a talented children's author, writing various fiction tales, normally with Christmas or Halloween themes. In other forms of media, Foley has provided voice overs for various TV shows including Celebrity Death Match, Squidbillies.

He is also a fairly big name in the world of Liberal activism. He has appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart several times, defending gay rights and immigration reform. Amongst the many charities he works with, the one closest to him is child poverty. He has donated huge sums of money to organisations in the US and abroad assisting children who are struggling to get by.

Don't be too surprised when you see somebody post a link to Foley's work without knowing what Hell in a Cell even means.

#7 CM Punk

It's safe to say the now infamous 'pipe bomb' that CM Punk delivered on that legendary episode of Monday Night RAW turned his entire life around. Before then, he was struggling to make a name for himself with anyone who hadn't followed his independent scene career. Now he is one of the most recognisable names in the world of sport.

Punk's shoot promo essentially revolved around the fact that despite his immense talent as a sports entertainer, he was never given the recognition he deserved. After he hit the promo, he was soon made the WWE Champion, which led to various media appearances on shows like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. Some might also have seen the hilarious weather forecast he delivered on a morning news show around that time.

Punk's name will live on in the world of pro-wrestling, but recently he has made the move to MMA. His first appearance for UFC, while not going strictly according to plan, was one of the most anticipated bouts that company had ever seen. The UFC drew eyeballs from the world of pro-wrestling and beyond that night, and given the notoriety that still follows Punk around, it would be quite the sound business strategy to have him appear again.

Punk, like his wife AJ Lee, is also a well-known name amongst comic book enthusiasts. He has written an introduction to Marvel Comics' Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover event, and has also co-written various other Marvel Comics publications.

Given his fame, he is probably the most well-known fan of US hockey, constantly showing his support for the Chicago Blackhawks. Even if CM Punk never makes a return to WWE again, there is plenty out there to keep him occupied.

#8 Brock Lesnar

Another name synonymous with both professional wrestling and MMA is Brock Lesnar. The fact that Brock is a widely gifted athlete is more than just a Paul Heyman promo soundbite. The man has tried his hand at wrestling, mixed martial arts and professional football in his time.

His UFC career is well documented, once holding the UFC Heavyweight Championship itself. Lesnar has become the ultimate crossover star, bringing a lot of the MMA shoot-style fighting into his WWE matches. It's never entirely clear with Lesnar where his loyalties lie. He is currently signed to WWE and holds one of their main championships, but fans wouldn't be surprised if, at any minute, he decided not to renew his contract and make another return to the octagon.

Brock's NFL career is a tale of frustration and missed opportunities. Since high school, he harboured a dream to compete at the very top levels of pro-football and made his first attempt back in 2004 shortly after Wrestlemania XX. He played in several pre-season games for the Minnesota Vikings but was always held back slightly by a motorcycle accident from which he suffered a pelvis and groin injury. Who knows where Lesnar would be now if his days in the NFL were allowed to come to fruition?

Due to his sheer size and strength, and a general lack of interest in following the rules, Lesnar has attracted the attention of many media industries that would normally have nothing to do with pro-wrestling. He, like Punk, has appeared on Jimmy Fallon, as well as the Jay Leno show and Mike and Mike in the Morning.

Wherever his career takes him, Brock is one of those personalities that most people want to listen to, as you never quite know what is going to come out of his mouth,

#9 Chris Jericho

An infectous personality — An infectious personality

When fans think about Chris Jericho, they will either recall his legendary in-ring wrestling career or his time on stage as the lead singer of Fozzy. It's probably safe to say his time in the ring during the Attitude Era helped Fozzy reach the heights it currently enjoys, but there are still many hardcore metal fans that will know the name Jericho without having watched any of his matches.

Fozzy has been in existence for 17 years, releasing their debut album 'Fozzy' back in 2000. Since then the band has gone on to make six more studio albums, including 2017's Judas which is currently being promoted. Jericho himself has also performed with other metal bands including Bullet for my Valentine. In 2005, he did lead vocals for the Iron Maiden tribute album 'Numbers of the Beast' recording a cover of their hit 'The evils that men do'.

Along with Foley, Jericho is seen as one of the most accessible authors of pro-wrestling on the planet. His autobiography 'A Lion's Tale: Around the world in spandex' became a New York Times best seller. He has also released two follow up books and is working on a fourth. Due to how well these titles are written, many readers have been attracted from outside of the pro-wrestling bubble.

Jericho's other mainstream media appearance came in 2011 when he competed on Dancing with the Stars. Despite being eliminated half way through the season, his involvement led to a rush of publicity, appearing with his dance partner on the Jay Leno show.

Jericho's surprise return on Smackdown this week was well received, but we all know he has so many other commitments that seeing him in a WWE ring has become somewhat of a privilege.

#10 The Rock

As we've seen from the other entries on this list, there are many ways to make a name for yourself outside the world of Pro-wrestling. But perhaps none have been able to do it with the sheer amount of love and admiration than Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who has a whopping 69,922,015 social media followers!

There is an old debate amongst wrestling fans about who the true star of the Attitude Era was. Fans who consider themselves more 'wrestling purists' might say Stone Cold Steve Austin, but there's no denying that of the two, Dwayne Johnson was able to make wrestling far more culturally relevant during his time at the top.

Johnson is probably seen as wrestling's greatest success story, arguably transcending the heights of Hulk Hogan in the 1980s. Even before his permanent departure from full-time wrestling, The Rock was appearing in various music videos and even hosted Saturday Night Live back in 2000. WWE's overall popularity was so immense during this time that it seemed everyone wanted a piece of their top stars.

Out of the long list of wrestlers who have attempted a movie career, it's probably safe to say that The Rock has been the most successful. His first appearance in The Mummy Returns as the Scorpion King now feels like a lifetime ago. His official filmography is far too long to talk about in detail, but some of the biggest films from the list include Get Smart, Tooth Fairy, G.I Joe: Retaliation and Hercules. Since 2011, Johnson has also been a main feature of the Fast and Furious movie franchise appearing in the last four instalments.

Even after all this time outside of the day to day operations of WWE, The Rock still remains one of the most sought after celebrities on the planet, making several appearances on late night and prime time television shows including an instantly memorable appearance on Lip Sinc Battle a few years ago.

If all this wasn't enough, there are even rumours that Johnson might be running for President in 2020. It is still unclear just how serious these ambitions are, but given the fact that a TV personality/Business owner just received the keys to the White House last year, having a former Wrestler turned mainstream personality as Commander in Chief wouldn't feel so out of the realms of possibility.

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