5 Best European wrestlers currently in WWE

Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre

Although WWE is based mostly in the USA, we have seen several foreign superstars grace the squared ring over the years. A critical aspect of the company's success is its global reach.

The inclusion of NXT UK is an example of how WWE looks to sustain its reach in the coming years. Superstars such as Rey Mysterio and William Regal have done their bit to build a fanbase, which has been used to perfection by Vince McMahon and co.

While there is a lot of diversity within the company, European wrestlers are slowly making their mark.

The emergence of NXT UK has enthralled the WWE audience in the past year. The hard-hitting style which most Europeans employ has struck a chord, with a couple of them even going to win World Championships on the main roster.

With the growing impact of European natives across the WWE Network, here are the five best European wrestlers currently in WWE.

Honorable Mentions: WALTER, Rusev, Nikki Cross, Cesaro


#5 Sheamus

Sheamus
Sheamus

The Celtic Warrior, Sheamus, is one of the finest European wrestlers to have wrestled in WWE. The Irish native is a household name in the company, having made his debut in 2009.

Sheamus had a rapid rise to stardom as he beat John Cena, in the TLC pay-per-view, in the same year for the WWE Championship. On route to winning the championship, he became the first Irish-born WWE Champion.

Since then, Sheamus has enjoyed decent success with wins in the Royal Rumble match(2012), the King of the Ring(2010), and Money in the Bank(2015) on his resume.

However, Sheamus also went on to win three more WWE World Championships with his record victory in just 18 seconds, over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 28 being the highlight. His hard-hitting style of wrestling, coupled with the undeniable ability to cut a villainous promo, set him apart as a heel.

Since the brand split in 2016, Sheamus has primarily worked in the tag team division along with fellow European, Cesaro. Both of them formed The Bar, and enjoyed massive success during their time together.

The Bar was one of the hottest properties with their matches against The New Day and The Usos garnering critical acclaim. He won both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships with Cesaro, before splitting up once again.

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Currently making his way back from injury, Sheamus looks in excellent shape with a victory over Shortly G at the Royal Rumble, signaling his intentions for the foreseeable future.

With a genuine lack of natural heels in the company right now, Sheamus could well earn a push given his past achievements. Regardless of what may happen in the future, Sheamus is one of the top European wrestlers in the company at the moment.

With a lot of fight left in the Irishman, you wouldn't want to bet against him winning another WWE World Championship in the coming days.

#4 Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne as NXT UK Champion
Pete Dunne as NXT UK Champion

Earmarked as a future World Champion, Pete Dunne is one of the top European wrestlers in the WWE today. Blessed with immense in-ring ability and a character reminiscent of the Attitude Era, Pete Dunne has grown in leaps and bounds over the last year or so.

Having made his debut in NXT UK, Dunne is now a full-time NXT superstar in the company after moving to Florida on a full-time basis.

The Bruiserweight first made an impression with a stinging attack on Sam Gradwell at the end of the first night on NXT UK. This drew a lot of attention and boosted his stocks although he did come up second best to Tyler Bate, who became the first-ever NXT UK Champion.

Dunne did get his revenge as he beat Bate for the Championship at NXT Takeover: Chicago in 2017. His bout with Bate was one of the best matches of the year, with Dunne establishing himself as one for the future.

Dunne held the NXT UK Championship for 685 days before losing to Walter, which also initiated his transition to a full-time NXT superstar.

Since then, Dunne has shown why he is so highly rated with stellar performances against Velveteen Dream and Richochet. Dunne even competed for the NXT Championship against Adam Cole at the Survivor Series PPV. Although Dunne lost to Cole, he showed a lot of grit and determination, belying his age.

Along with Matt Riddle, Pete Dunne recently won the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Classic, beating the Grizzled Young Veterans in the finals.

An NXT Tag Team Championship match awaits them at NXT TakeOver: Portland with The BroserWeights, as Riddle and Dunne are collectively called, likely to win their first gold in NXT.

With his recent career graph and undeniable ability within the ring, Dunne stands out, not only among his European peers but also the NXT roster as one of the best grapplers in the business. Given his limitless potential and hunger to succeed, Pete Dunne has all the makings of a future World Champion.

#3 Finn Balor

Finn Balor
Finn Balor

The inaugural WWE Universal Champion, Finn Balor, is a crowd puller. With his high flying maneuvers, Balor is highly rated by many. Apart from being the first-ever Universal Champion, the Irish native also has a couple of Intercontinental Championship reigns to his name. However, his talent wasn't being used to its full potential on the main roster.

After his injury at SummerSlam 2016, Finn Balor had to stay content as a mid-card talent. Although he did win the Intercontinental Championship twice, Balor often left the fans wanting more.

Due to poor booking, Balor's stocks suffered as he failed to break through to the main event. His Demon King persona, which is undefeated in WWE, is a rage among the fans, although it didn't get him too far in the company.

Nevertheless, Balor did churn out quality performances along the way with his triple threat match against Seth Rollins and The Miz at WrestleMania 34 being noteworthy.

Finn Balor's career took a massive turn as the former NXT Champion returned to his old hunting ground, which came as a pleasant surprise to the NXT faithful.

What makes this move revolutionary for NXT is the impact Balor had in this first stint. Finn Balor changed the perception of NXT with high-quality matches as NXT Champion.

Balor even won the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Classic alongwith Samoa Joe, beating Baron Corbin and Rhyno in the finals. Balor held the NXT Championship for nearly a year (292 days) before losing to Samoa Joe at a live event.

Upon his return to NXT, Balor has turned heel with the fans loving his new attitude. Although he hasn't had much action inside the ring, Balor's current feud with Johnny Gargano has a lot of potential.

With NXT currently battling AEW on Wednesday nights, the return of Finn Balor is just what the doctor ordered for NXT. Considering his past exploits in the brand and his skill-set, Balor is undoubtedly one of the best European prospects in WWE right now.

#2 Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch's story from an underused talent to the star of the show in just over a year is astounding. The third Irish native on this list, Lynch, was always highly rated, even in her NXT days. Along with Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch was a part of the Four Horsewomen of WWE. Together, they revolutionized the WWE women's division.

Although Becky Lynch made her main roster debut in 2015, she didn't find much success early in her career. It was only after the brand split in 2016 that Becky got her first taste of gold.

She beat the likes of Alexa Bliss and Naomi to be crowned the first-ever SmackDown Women's Champion at Backlash 2016. However, Becky wasn't able to sustain her run as champion as she conceded the championship to Alexa Bliss months later.

At a time when everyone wrote off her chances, Becky Lynch's heel turn against Charlotte came as a pleasant surprise.

Although the applause she received wasn't what the WWE expected, it helped her evolve into one of the hottest prospects in WWE today. Her feud with Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair was brilliant, with The Man winning the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 35.

This match was the first-ever instance of a women's match main eventing WrestleMania, which will always be remembered for Becky Lynch's historic victory.

Since then, Becky has remained Raw Women's Champion in spite of losing the SmackDown gold to Charlotte.

Becky has fought the likes of Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, and, most recently, Asuka over the last year. Her uncanny ability to deliver on the mic, complemented by her in-ring work has pushed her to the top of the women's division. With Becky showing no signs of slowing down, the Raw Women's Champion stands out as a top European superstar in the company today.

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#1 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre

The 2020 Royal Rumble match winner, Drew McIntyre, is finally on his way to a WWE World Championship. After being earmarked by Vince McMahon as 'The Chosen One', McIntyre succumbed to pressure and, as a result, was released at the end of his first stint.

Although he did show potential in his early days in the company, it didn't quite work out for McIntrye, who had to search elsewhere for rejuvenation.

However, the release proved to be a blessing in disguise. McIntrye worked on his skills as a pro wrestler at various promotions such as ICW, Evolve, and TNA as well.

During his time away from the WWE, Drew improved in leaps and bounds, which once again made him a sought after talent. His performances elsewhere earned him yet another go at WWE stardom as he was re-signed by WWE.

McIntrye's ascent to the main event scene in his second stint began in WWE NXT. The Scottish Psychopath won the NXT Championship by beating Bobby Roode, although his reign didn't last long.

He was soon after promoted to the main roster, where he has achieved some success as a singles competitor. Along with Dolph Ziggler, McIntyre won the Raw Tag Team Championship as well. Apart from a few notable feuds with Roman Reigns and Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre was underused for most parts of 2018 and 2019.

However, Drew McIntyre finally broke through with a mesmerizing performance in the Royal Rumble match this year. Apart from winning the Royal Rumble match, the Scottish Psychopath also eliminated Brock Lesnar, who he will be facing at WrestleMania 36.

With his Royal Rumble win, Drew McIntyre has firmly established himself as one of the go-to men in the WWE. With the prospect of becoming the first Scottish superstar to win a WWE World Championship in sight, Drew McIntyre looks set to fulfill his potential as he embarks on a relatively new experience as a face.

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