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I’m sure by now that you’ve heard of the stereotype of the professional wrestler: that of a dumb, muscle-brained ignoramus that only knows how to use their physical power and little-to-nothing about actual intellect. This stereotype tends to go hand-in-hand with that of the prototypical wrestling fan: an uneducated man-child that cannot distinguish between reality and illusion.
What may surprise many of those critics out there is that wrestling fans can actually be as intelligent as everyone else in society who might not be a fan of sports entertainment. But what might surprise those same people even more is that there are some people within the actual wrestling industry itself that are geniuses in one respect or another.
That’s what this list will chronicle: ten intelligent men in the wrestling business that managed to make so much out of so little. These men used their understanding of various disciplines (sports, theatre, creativity, marketing, psychology, natural instincts, etc.) and managed to achieve considerable success in doing so.
Each one of these individuals is proof that wrestlers are a lot smarter than what the negative stereotypes that still circulate about would have you believe.
#10 Raven
Raven is one of the most iconic names in the world of hardcore wrestling. His grunge-inspired look and started cutting unusual promos when in ECW. Instead of cutting racy, straightforward promos talking about how he was going to beat up his opponents, Raven would cut philosophical and esoteric promos.
These promos made him more of a captivating character, and left many people wondering where these promo subjects came from. It turns out that these things came from Raven’s own mind, as he is much smarter than the average wrestler.
If IQ tests are to be taken seriously, then Raven is one of the smartest wrestlers in the world, boasting an IQ of 143. Raven is also a member of Mensa International, which is a society open to people that score in the 98th percentile on the standardized IQ tests.
One must be extremely intelligent to be a member of such an elite cadre of high-intelligence persons. Sadly, this natural intelligence of Raven’s didn’t necessarily translate into much success while he wrestled for WWE.
#9 Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash is one of the smartest people to ever set foot in the squared circle. He achieved this distinction for a number of reasons. First, Nash was an instrumental figure in the creation and evolution of the New World Order (NWO), which was one of the most revolutionary and interesting storylines/factions in modern pro wrestling history.
Second, Nash was always an intelligent man because he managed to book himself/get booked in a way that allowed him to make the most out of so little. Although much has been said about Nash’s lack of grappling skill when compared to many of his compatriots, Nash proved himself to be a savvy businessman that took advantage of what he could do and did that well.
Nash also managed to make a considerable amount of money during his prime while being able to ‘get out of the business’, which is something that few wrestlers can say they managed to do.
After all, many ‘retired’ wrestlers have described how they feel a pull to return to the ring, but Nash is one that has managed to live a comfortable life without needing to return to the ring. It takes a very smart man to be able to make the right decisions that would allow someone to do that.
#8 Xavier Woods
Xavier Woods is one of the smartest wrestlers in WWE right now. Not because of anything related to the wrestling business, but rather, his actual intellect. Woods was one of a handful of up-and-coming stars that was highlighted in that ESPN special titled ‘Behind The Curtain’, and it was noted that Woods was working on a PhD in educational psychology while he was wrestling.
Bear in mind that he was also wrestling fulltime while working for this degree and also maintain his YouTube channel and playing video games frequently. Simply put, the man must be unbelievably smart in order to balance all of these time-consuming activities simultaneously while also being successful in each one.
#7 Paul Heyman
Though he is by no means the most financially-successful booker/promoter in wrestling history, many people have lauded and praised Paul Heyman for his past work. Despite his notorious reputation as an unabashed liar, Heyman managed to make stars out of people like few others could.
He did this by booking wrestlers and storylines in ways that concealed their weaknesses as much as possible while also pushing those same wrestlers’ strengths to the forefront. In this manner, those wrestlers got over with the audience without having to worry as much about their flaws being exposed and manipulated by more critical audiences.
Although many people cite the success of the so-called SmackDown Six as Paul Heyman’s best work as a booker, he did something spectacular with a wrestler known as ‘911’. As a rookie in ECW, 911 couldn’t do very much compared to his colleagues, but there was one move that he could do very well: the Chokeslam.
Thus, to protect 911, Heyman booked this take on the Chokeslam to be far more dangerous and powerful than anyone else’s. 911 Chokeslammed people left and right, and did in a devastating fashion. Before long, both he and this move were incredibly over, and 911 went from being an inexperienced rookie to a well-established star in ECW.
#6 Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki is one of the smartest men in wrestling history, and has played an instrumental role in shaping the modern pro wrestling business. Inoki was the first promoter to start giving more time to the cruiserweight wrestlers, especially with the original Tiger Mask.
Inoki then began emphasizing junior heavyweight wrestling for years, which turned his NJPW into a hub for smaller wrestlers looking to make a name for themselves. This led to several of the greatest wrestlers of the past thirty years working for NJPW because the head promoter was smart enough to understand that smaller guys could draw as well.
Wrestlers like Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor, and many others wrestled in NJPW because they knew they could go there and become bigger stars by doing so.
This showed just how much of a genius Inoki was: even though a lot of his contemporaries didn’t think small guys could draw, Inoki went with his gut and booked them strongly. And when he saw that the fans loved these smaller, more agile wrestlers, he made a fortune by promoting them as top stars.
#5 Jushin 'Thunder' Liger
While most fans know Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger for his legendary in-ring work as a cruiserweight and his massive impact on the wrestling industry, few people actually know about Liger’s intelligence and skills as a booker.
It was Liger that conceived and booked the Super J Cup, a one-night tournament composed of junior heavyweight wrestlers from around the world, with the end goal of making all of them look as impressive as possible in a single night. This was a daunting task, but Liger managed to pull it off to perfection.
The original Super J Cup, which was held in 1994 and was won by Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit), was one of the most critically-acclaimed shows in wrestling history. In fact, the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer called that inaugural tournament “the most incredible single night of wrestling ever’.
Keep in mind this was in 1994, which was a year that hosted, among other things, the first-ever official 6-star match between Misawa and Kawada in All Japan, and that outstanding Ladder Match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. So for Liger’s show to get such high praise speaks volumes of how smart he was as a booker and as a wrestler.
#4 Keiji Mutoh/The Great Muta
It’s said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. If that’s true, then Keiji Mutoh must be the most flattered man in pro wrestling.
Muta is one of the most frequently-emulated wrestlers in the world, with countless wrestlers paying tribute to him by using his moves and his persona. Although the Muta gimmick itself takes some elements from an earlier wrestler called the Great Kabuki, Muta managed to take that basic gimmick and made it into something new altogether.
Aside from being copied and tribute many times over, Meiji Mutoh is one of the greatest masters of ring psychology of all time. One would need only watch one of Muta’s matches (whether he wrestles under his alter-ego or under his real name, it doesn’t matter) to see his understanding of ring psychology in play.
Some wrestling observers posit that ring psychology has been lost in recent years, much to the detriment of professional wrestling as a whole. Maybe, just maybe, if more wrestlers studied the Great Muta, then that wouldn’t be such an issue in today’s pro wrestling world.
#3 Shohei 'Giant' Baba
Giant Baba is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestling promoters of all time. He demonstrated incredible booking savvy and storytelling expertise through his booking of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) during the 1990s.
Through meticulous match-making and symbolism-laden match structure, Baba managed to create a series of complex and intriguing storylines and rivalries that allowed AJPW to enjoy a critically-acclaimed and financially-successful run that lasted an entire decade.
By carefully booking four wrestlers (Akira Taue, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa) together in a series of singles and tag team matches together, fans were glued to their seats every time these four wrestlers faced one another.
With these four wrestlers at the top (along with the odd inclusion of other Japanese and foreign wrestlers), AJPW experienced immense praise that led to many people calling its matches the best on the planet during its peak.
An example of his genius booking is the rise of Kenta Kobashi. Giant Baba booked Kobashi to lose his first 63 matches, all with the intention of making Kobashi a top babyface. The plan did wonders in showcasing Kobashi's fighting spirit and determination which would eventually mould him into the legendary wrestler that he's considered to be today
Moreover, Baba and his wrestlers managed to make a very comfortable living with this booking and wrestling style (known today as ‘King’s Road’) and didn’t have to constantly headline massive buildings or have an enormous roster. In fact, Baba managed to keep AJPW going strong for a decade on a crew of only 26 fulltime wrestlers.
By comparison, you’re likely to see more than 26 different characters appear on every single episode of Monday Night RAW, and even then it gets boring and repetitive.
#2 The Undertaker
The Undertaker is one of the smartest people in the wrestling industry. Not necessarily for any kind of exceptional intelligence, but for his incredible business savvy and his understanding of the importance of change and adaptability as a wrestler.
Have you ever wondered how the Undertaker as a wrestler and as a gimmick managed to stay relevant for such a long period of time without going stale? It was because he changed here and there with enough frequency that he always felt fresh and different from how he was before.
From changing his color scheme from grey to purple; to growing out a goatee and changing his attire; to adding new moves to his match routine, the Undertaker showed just how smart he was by constantly staying on top of fan reactions.
With so many wrestlers being routinely criticized for being monolithic and slow to change and evolve, the Undertaker is a breath of fresh air in that he changes and adapts so often that even the smallest differences can have a major impact on his perception and his image.
#1 Kane
Kane was initially introduced as a mute monster that couldn’t speak, and was often maligned as an idiot by his enemies. In fact, several people in WWE have tried to tell the audience that Kane was a big simpleton beneath his mask.
However, the truth is the exact opposite: Kane is an incredibly smart man. Not only did he win the WWE edition of The Weakest Link, but he has also been very active in politics, economics and philosophy.
He has spoken about his libertarian beliefs many times and has even been a guest speaker at various libertarian conventions. If one were to listen to him speak, they’d see that the man behind Kane is very eloquent, composed and backs up his words with tangible evidence.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Kane has managed to create a very interesting life for himself outside of the wrestling ring. Not only does he still do public speaking gigs and runs his own insurance agency in Knoxville, Tennessee, but he is also running for mayor in that same county.
Only a genius of man would be able to succeed in all of these non-wrestling-related ventures.
