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Education is considered to be something which people don't usually correlate with WWE Superstars. The basic assumption is that you don't need any major education or a college degree to become a WWE Superstar. And while it is true that there is no such requirement, there still are many WWE Superstars who have a college degree to their names.
But then there are several others, who decided to drop out of school to pursue their dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
After joining WWE and getting all this success, I'm sure they'll be really happy to have made that decision. Ultimately, it's every individual's choice and all that matters, in the end, is whether they are happy with where it has led them in their career.
Let's take a look at three WWE Superstars who have a college degree and three others who dropped out to pursue their dreams. Be sure to comment down and let us know your thoughts on the same.
#3 Has a college degree - Xavier Woods
Starting with a Superstar who is as dedicated towards his educational career, as he is about his WWE career - Xavier Woods (Real Name: Austin Watson).
The New Day member graduated from Sprayberry High School, Georgia in 2004. He then went to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and completed his double bachelor's degrees in psychology and philosophy, and a master's degree in psychology.
But that was not all, as the WWE Superstar went one step ahead and started working towards a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. No WWE Superstar in history has ever held a Ph.D., and Xavier Woods plans to be the first one to do that.
During an appearance on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast, Xavier Woods mentioned how he wants to get his Ph.D. and inspire every kid and how much it means to him.
“Yes, guys have been WWE World Heavyweight champion, and it’s amazing. I take nothing from that at all. But if there’s a kid who’s out there in the world watching wrestling, and they see me and they know I have my PhD while I was wrestling, that could possibly inspire them to not drop out of school, to not drop out of college, to go and obtain that type of educational status, and that to me means a lot more.”
Xavier Woods in WWE
Xavier Woods signed with WWE in 2010 and after spending some time in NXT, he was called up to RAW in 2013. It wasn't until a year after that he finally tasted success when WWE decided to pair him up with Kofi Kingston and Big E, as the New Day.
The faction has since turned out to be one of the most successful and popular factions in WWE history, having won eight Tag Team Championships.
#3 Dropped out to pursue their dream - Bray Wyatt
With the kind of mind games that Bray Wyatt plays with his opponents on-screen and the depth of the stories of his character, one must think he might be highly educated in the subject of psychology.
Well, he is not, as he is one of those WWE Superstars who dropped out of college to pursue their dreams to become a professional wrestler.
Bray Wyatt (Real Name: Windham Lawrence Rotunda) graduated from Hernando High School in 2005. Before starting his wrestling career, he used to play football as a defensive tackle and guard and was pretty good at it.
He earned a football scholarship to Troy University in Troy, Alabama. Interestingly, he dropped out of Troy, while just 27 credits away from his bachelor's degree to pursue his dream of becoming a wrestler. And oh, wasn't that a great idea!
Bray Wyatt in WWE
Bray Wyatt joined FCW in 2009. After several character changes from Husky Harris to his Nexus days to Axel Mulligan, he finally debuted the gimmick of Bray Wyatt in NXT and formed The Wyatt Family with Erick Rowan and Luke Harper.
The faction soon debuted on WWE RAW, and while there were several memorable feuds, many WWE fans believe they could have done so much more with that run.
After a WWE career filled with ups and downs, Bray Wyatt went on hiatus, only to return after WrestleMania 35 with a brand-new gimmick of The Fiend/Firefly Funhouse, which launched him into super-stardom.
The intriguing gimmick has been considered by many to be the best one in modern WWE history. He is currently one of the top stars on WWE SmackDown and is selling tons of merchandise as well!
#2 Has a college degree - Mandy Rose
The Golden Goddess of WWE, Mandy Rose has often been considered by many WWE fans to only be a beautiful face, but she actually is a great example of a "beauty with brains".
Mandy Rose (Real Name: Amanda Rose Saccomanno) graduated from Yorktown High School in New York. She then went on to earn her bachelor's degree in speech pathology from Iona College. It was after that when she went after the fitness and bodybuilding industry, and later pro-wrestling.
Mandy Rose in WWE
In 2015, Mandy Rose became a contestant of WWE Tough Enough. She went on to reach the finals but was unable to win. But she impressed WWE enough to land herself a five-year contract with the company and made her NXT debut.
It was in November 2017, when she was called up to WWE RAW alongside Sonya Deville, as the two joined hands with Paige, calling themselves Absolution. The two had some good showing but even after multiple attempts, they were unable to capture the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
Ultimately, the two broke up and Mandy Rose has since been in a romantic storyline with the 2020 Money in the Bank winner, Otis.
#2 Dropped out to pursue their dream - AJ Styles
The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles is considered by fans across the globe to be one of the best pro-wrestlers, not only in WWE but all over the world. Be it his in-ring abilities, or his amazing promo and character work, the guy was born to be a pro-wrestler!
AJ Styles (Real Name: Allen Neal Jones) graduated from Johnson High School in Gainesville, Georgia. He got into Anderson University on a wrestling scholarship but dropped out before finishing his degree and entered a professional wrestling school, as some of his friends were doing it.
As it turns out, it was a great decision, as the world of pro wrestling got a phenomenal Superstar!
AJ Styles in WWE
After making a name for himself all over the world, AJ Styles made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble, where he was a surprise entrant. Contrary to what many fans believed, WWE treated him like a proper star that he was, with him even going over WWE's poster boy, John Cena!
In his four-year-long WWE career, AJ Styles is a two-time WWE Champion and has also won both the United States and the Intercontinental Champion. He faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36 in a Boneyard match, which might be the last match of the Phenom's WWE career.
#1 Has a college degree - Dolph Ziggler
The show-off, Dolph Ziggler is one of the most senior members of the WWE roster. In a career filled with ups and downs, Ziggler has had several memorable moments and is known for amazing matches with almost anyone on the roster.
Dolph Ziggler (Real Name: Nicholas Theodore Nemeth) graduated from St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. He then attended Kent University and graduated from there with a major in Political Science and a minor in pre-law. He also got accepted into law school at Arizona State University, but he decided to pursue his career in pro-wrestling.
Dolph Ziggler in WWE
Dolph Ziggler signed with WWE in 2004 and joined OVW. It was not until 2008 when he adopted the name "Dolph Ziggler" and started a proper singles career. He is a two-time World Heavyweight Champion and has also won the WWE United States and Intercontinental title. He was the 2012 Mr. Money in the Bank.
Recently, he was teaming up with Robert Roode before the former was forced to stay in Canada due to the pandemic. At WWE Extreme Rules, Ziggler challenged WWE Champion Drew McIntyre for his title but was unable to defeat him. It is to be seen where he goes next from here!
#1 Dropped out to pursue their dream - Shawn Michaels
WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels is widely considered by many to be one of the greatest WWE Superstars in history. Gifted with exceptional in-ring skills, Shawn Michaels is one of those who the young generation of WWE and NXT Superstars look up to.
Shawn Michaels (Real Name: Michael Shawn Hickenbottom) graduated from Randolph High School in Texas. He was an athlete from a very small age and was the captain of his school's football team. Michaels then attended Southwest Texas State University but he dropped out after realizing that it was not for him and went on to pursue his pro wrestling career.
Shawn Michaels in WWE
Shawn Michaels has had a highly accomplished career in WWE. He is a four-time World Champion, having also won the Royal Rumble twice (1995,1996) and several other championships including the Intercontinental title, European title, and multiple reigns with the Tag Team Championship.
After suffering from a devastating back injury that made him announce his retirement, Shawn Michaels returned to WWE in 2002 and his second run turned out to one of the best ones ever in WWE.
At WrestleMania 26, he lost to The Undertaker in a "Streak vs Career" match and announced his retirement. Though he later came back for one final match in 2018 at WWE Crown Jewel, teaming up with Triple H to take on The Undertaker and Kane.
He was later inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for a second time in 2019 as part of D-Generation X.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
