10 WWE Superstars you don't want to mess with in real life

As a professional wrestling fan since my childhood, I’ve often found myself on the receiving end of questions as to why I like watching what most people refer to as ‘pretend fighting’ or ‘fake fighting’ between larger-than-life cartoonish characters.

I’m sure you, the reader, can relate to such instances you've been questioned about what really draws us to this scripted sport that sees grown men and women sport outlandish gear and perform high-risk acrobatic moves, whilst working with each other; rather than a real fight where one works to legitimately hurt one’s opponent.

Well, first of all, professional wrestling is an art, and as such, it has carved a unique niche for itself in the world of sports and entertainment.

Secondly— and this is one of the key components that serve to attract us towards the world of scripted wrestling competition—most of the performers we see compete in pro-wrestling are legitimate athletes, with highly-respectable backgrounds in arts such as gymnastics, track & field, football, amateur wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, MMA and so on and so forth.

In other words, the vast majority of WWE Superstars are no strangers to the pain and rigors of non-scripted sporting competition and have time and again reached that final crescendo of sports where your will and heart determines your fate, and you’re forced to dig deep in order to pull away victory from the jaws of defeat.

They are tough as nails and gritty as a hungry cat. You don’t wanna mess with these WWE ‘performers’. Because in the odd instance that someone does rub them the wrong way, they’ll quite literally put you down for the 1-2-3. Today we take a look at a few such scary customers on the WWE roster who you’d better not mess with!

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#10 Braun Strowman

Braun is a highly accomplished former strongman competitor.

Braun Strowman portrays a scary monster heel in the WWE. Speaking of which, the 34-year-old former Wyatt Family member is just as intimidating outside the ring as well.

The 6’8” behemoth has an extensive background in bodybuilding and power-lifting, having won several strongman contests before making the transition to the world of professional wrestling. Strowman is known for his excellent strength & conditioning and deceptively quick reflexes coupled with endurance that’s seldom seen in athletes of his size.

The Monster Among Men brings a unique skill-set to the table which enables him to throw weights around like a giant, and move around as though he were a Cruiserweight; proving the old Muhammad Ali boxing adage true — Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee.

#9 Shane McMahon

Shane O'Mac is an avid BJJ and Muay Thai practitioner.

Shane McMahon loves the pro-wrestling business; nothing serves as proof of this more than his insane high-risk manoeuvres and death-defying stunts.

However, Shane O’Mac is also a firm believer in the beautiful but deadly art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — a grappling-based martial art specifically designed to equip its practitioners with the requisite skills to neutralize any given opponent, with the usage of joint-locks, choke-holds, takedowns, ground-control, etc. The man has been religiously practising BJJ over the years, and at age 47 is fitter than ever, with sneaky good athleticism and decent speed. Not to mention his signature Ali shuffle — something that’s become a trademark during his entrance over the years.

In simple words, you wouldn’t want to pick a fight with Shane, or else you may very well find yourself with a broken arm or wake up after he’s put you to sleep with one of his many BJJ headlock-turned-chokes.

#8 Aleister Black

Aleister Black is a dangerous kickboxer.

Aleister Black is one of NXT’s top young prospects today, however, his history in the sport dates back to 2002 when he first started taking bumps in the professional wrestling ring.

Nevertheless, Black’s history with physically-demanding sporting competition goes way back to his childhood, as the man started competing in the sport of kickboxing at the tender age of 9. Besides, the 32-year-old Dutch Superstar has also been an avid practitioner of Pencak Silat — the ancient forms of Indonesian martial arts that emphasize not only physical dominance but also mental fortitude.

Black is one of the toughest nuts to crack — mentally, physically and spiritually. And it’s his eerie calm during confrontational scenarios that makes him an extremely dangerous fight for anyone— be it a street scrap or a licensed kickboxing showdown.

#7 Lars Sullivan

Lars Sullivan is a deceptively agile mat wrestler.

Lars Sullivan stands at an imposing 6’3” tall and weighs in at nothing less than 300 pounds (137 kgs). Not to mention he’s a former football player who quit the sport to follow his true passion ergo professional wrestling.

The WWE has done a great job of building up Sullivan as a monster heel down in NXT, and rightfully so. He looks every bit the part of a wrecking machine and is touted to have a bright future on the main roster in the years to come.

When it comes to mat-wrestling and athleticism, there are not many—except Brock Lesnar—who can weather the storm of takedowns and wrestling ties that Sullivan brings to the game. He is incredibly athletic and fast for a man who weighs north of 300 pounds, and at just 29 years of age, is one of the scariest men in the sport today.

Honest question to you: would you really pick a fight with Lars Sullivan? I wouldn’t!

#6 Big E

Big E broke several records during his powerlifting days.

Let’s forget about the ever-smiling Big E whom we’re used to seeing every week as part of the New Day. Today, we look behind the character and at the man who portrays the gentle giant on TV.

Ettore Ewen has a stellar athletic background, having played for the Iowa Hawkeyes as well as competed extensively in the sport of powerlifting. The 31-year-old is one of the most explosive athletes to have ever stepped foot in a professional wrestling ring.

His speed and power have time and again proved to be more than most WWE Superstars can handle, let alone something that a common man can deal with. Big E is one guy you don’t want to mess with, be it in the gym or on the street!

#5 Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler has a strict strength & conditioning routine.

Dolph Ziggler is often viewed as nothing more than an over-the-top cocky wrestler who often bites off more than he can chew. However, this author begs to differ.

Ziggler is a highly accomplished amateur wrestler from Kent State University, famed for his speed and grappling prowess. He can take you down at will and keep you pinned on the ground for as long as he wishes…or worse, he can get you in a signature catch-wrestling bulldog choke and put you to sleep.

Ziggler’s cocky persona may throw you off and make you underestimate his athleticism and grappling wizardry. Beware of the Showoff!

#4 Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe has honed his striking skills for years.

Samoa Joe has served as a sparring partner for famed MMA group Team Punishment—one that housed the legendary former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz.

Joe is a bona fide Heavyweight and earned the MMA community’s respect by putting in years and years of work at Team Punishment and being famed for his endurance and ability to absorb punishment but truck on nonetheless.

Joe is well-versed with the disciplines of BJJ, Muay Thai and Judo often training at LA Boxing in Costa Mesa, honing and perfecting his shoot-wrestling skills in addition to his God-given agility and fearless demeanour. Don’t mess with the Destroyer!

#3 Baron Corbin

Corbin is an excellent boxer.

A former football player and 3-time Golden Gloves Champion, Baron Corbin’s accolades in the sport of amateur boxing speak for the Lone Wolf.

The 33-year-old Superstar is one of the deadliest fighters to have ever transitioned to the sport of professional wrestling, and like a few others that preceded him, it’s Corbin’s speed and endurance that make him an extremely dangerous person one could go toe-to-toe with on a given day.

Stay away from a face-off with the 6’8” giant, lest he gets mad at you and decides to box your ears off!

#2 Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura has an awkward style of fighting.

Shinsuke Nakamura competed in the sport of MMA in the early 2000s, notching a pretty impressive record for himself in his native Japan.

However, what makes the King of Strong Style notably intimidating is his eerie calm and awkward fighting style that can be seen in all of his MMA bouts. He’s an excellent submission grappler and can catch you sleeping from weird angles. The man had previously received an offer to join the UFC — an opportunity which he’d reportedly declined in favour of a career in pro-wrestling.

The smiling assassin known as The Artist may be easy to size up on the street, but equally baffling to handle when he starts putting the hurt on you. You don’t wanna get into fisticuffs with this Superstar!

#1 Brock Lesnar

The Beast Incarnate has slain multiple legends in MMA.

Seriously, who else was going to be on top of this list?

Brock Lesnar has been called one-dimensional, a fighter who gets by only due to his otherworldly athleticism. However, the Beast Incarnate has time and again proved critics wrong and indeed reached the pinnacle of the brutal sport of MMA by capturing and successfully defending (2x) the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Lesnar was introduced to the art of striking relatively late in his athletic career but still managed to stand and trade with legends such as Frank Mir, Randy Couture and Shane Carwin.

Add to this equation the fact that he fought the aforementioned Carwin and then lost to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem, all while battling a life-threatening illness: diverticulitis; it makes Lesnar’s resume even more impressive.

Lesnar’s combination of excellent shoot-wrestling skills complemented by his insane athletic ability, make him one of the baddest men on the planet. You don’t wanna lock horns with this Beast!

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