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There are many current WWE Superstars whose paths have crossed before they started working for the company. Several performers came up through the independent wrestling scene around the world and supported one another en route to WWE.
During their WWE careers, wrestlers often train together and learn new skills and techniques from one another. Many stars also become trainers once their in-ring careers come to an end. Some huge names are current WWE trainers including Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels, and English wrestling legend, Robbie Brookside.
Sometimes, up-and-coming stars have helped to train others while honing their craft themselves. It isn't uncommon for younger and independent wrestlers to help to train others, and in some cases, establish their own wrestling schools.
Multiple current WWE superstars trained others, and some may come as a surprise.
#5 WWE NXT Superstar Killian Dain trained NXT UK stars, Mark and Joe Coffey
Hailing from Ireland, Killian Dain has already had a lengthy run with NXT and he is currently a part of a tag team with Drake Maverick. Before his WWE career, Dain was a regular fixture on the independent wrestling scene. He performed for many notable promotions such as Insane Championship Wrestling and Revolution Pro Wrestling.
Dain trained in Scotland under the current NXT trainer, Coach Brookside. Dain has often praised Brookside for giving him a start in his professional wrestling industry.
During his time in Scotland, Dain was one of the top stars of the Scottish Wrestling Alliance in Glasgow and later took over their school. While leading the school, Dain trained multiple wrestlers who are now WWE Superstars, including his wife Nikki Cross, and Joe and Mark Coffey.
#4 WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor trained Becky Lynch, Nikki Cross, and Jordan Devlin
Finn Balor is one of the biggest names in WWE right now. The two-time NXT Champion has also held the WWE Universal and Intercontinental Championship.
Balor got his break training in the United Kingdom as a teenager and quickly embarked on tours of the UK, the United States, and his native country, Ireland. In fact, Balor set up his own wrestling school in his hometown of Bray. One of the first people to join the school was the future WrestleMania headliner, Becky Lynch, who enrolled with her older brother.
WWE explored the history between Lynch and Balor in an episode of WWE 24, Becky Lynch: The Man. During the documentary, Lynch revealed that she even lied about her age to join as she was under sixteen at the time.
As well as the former RAW Women's Champion, Balor also trained fellow Irish WWE Superstar, Jordan Devlin, who like Balor, also wrestled in Japan before he joined the company. One-half of the former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, Nikki Cross, also briefly trained under Balor early in her career.
#3 Mercedes Martinez trained WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Shayna Baszler
Before she joined WWE in 2017, Shayna Baszler made a name for herself as an independent wrestler. Baszler was also an MMA fighter, who came to prominence under the tutelage of fellow UFC turned WWE star, Ronda Rousey.
After leaving MMA to pursue a career as a wrestler, Baszler began training under Mercedes Martinez. Both Baszler and Martinez were part of SHIMMER Women's Athletes. They worked together when Martinez returned to the company in 2016 after a two-year break.
In the 2017 Mae Young Classic, the pair reunited in the ring during the semi-finals where Baszler defeated her former mentor. The Submission Magician reached the finals but she lost to Kairi Sane.
Over the last few years, both wrestlers have become stars on the NXT roster. Baszler enjoyed a record-setting title reign and Martinez joining the brand in early 2020.
Both stars also made their Royal Rumble debut in 2020. At the event, Baszler almost came out on top, but Charlotte Flair eliminated her to win the annual battle royal. Hopefully, fans will see The Latina Sensation and her mentee cross path again with WWE.
#2 WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley trained Lars Sullivan
Bobby Lashley has been a WWE Superstar on and off for the past fifteen years, first appearing as a face on SmackDown. Lashley signed with WWE from 2005 to 2008. Then, he left to spend time on the independent circuit and become a prominent star for TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, as well as an MMA star, before he returned to WWE in 2018.
Between his times with WWE, Bobby Lashley has also spent time training up-and-coming wrestlers like Lars Sullivan. The current United States Champion later recommended him to WWE, who later offered him a contract.
WWE signed Sullivan in 2013 and he had sporadic appearances at NXT house shows before he made his televised debut in 2017. On NXT, Sullivan became a dominant member of the roster, defeating Ricochet and Velveteen Dream. He later moved up to RAW in 2019.
Sullivan's main roster career has been somewhat stop-start so far. An apparent anxiety attack halted his initial push. Later, some controversial online posts emerged and forced WWE to send him for sensitivity training. The Freak also suffered a severe knee injury in the summer of 2019, but he recently made his return on SmackDown last month.
#1 Former WWE RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch trained Kyle O'Reilly
Becky Lynch has been one of the biggest stars of WWE's women's division. When Lynch was a teenager, she began training with Finn Balor in her native country, Ireland. Before she even turned twenty, she was working all over the world as an independent wrestler.
The former WWE RAW Women's Champion spent much of her early independent career in Canada, where she wrestled for SuperGirls. During that time, Lynch also helped train prospective wrestlers such as Undisputed Era's Kyle O'Reilly. The Man revealed on The Jim Ross Report that she taught during his first-ever lesson in his home country.
When both wrestled in Canada, Lynch, who was billed as Rebecca Knox at the time, and Kyle O'Reilly even faced each other in the ring on multiple occasions. Since their time as independent wrestlers, both Lynch and O'Reilly have become huge stars with WWE.
Recently, Kyle O'Reilly has been involved in a major storyline with the Undisputed Era on NXT. He also currently holds the record for the most reigns as an NXT Tag Team Champion. Becky Lynch is also a record-setting champion with WWE and one of the first women to headline WrestleMania.
