5 Current WWE Superstars who started on the independent scene and 5 who didn't

Can you believe that there was a time when most of WWE's Superstars came from their own developmental territory? Unless they were a huge name like Goldberg or AJ Styles, most of the performers that eventually made up the WWE roster 10 years ago were first a part of OVW, FCW or NXT.

The journey that those Superstars took to get to WWE developmental, however, has been a different road. Several toiled away on the independent scene in both the US and around the globe. Stars would often take any and all bookings they could just to get their names out there.

A good portion of the roster also consists of second or even third-generation Superstars. Some stars like Natalya, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel all have famous parents or relatives that wrestled for the company.

That isn't to say that those aforementioned stars only got their spots because of their lineage, but it did play some part in getting them through the door. A big way that WWE has signed most of its current talent is to have tryouts open to athletes from all types of sports. Those that are signed have something that WWE feels it can mold into a viable Superstar.

WWE has had a strong developmental system in NXT for almost a decade now. It helped shape stars with little or no experience in the business into viable stars. It also helped refine those that did have prior wrestling experience into performers that were ready for RAW or SmackDown. However, Not every star had the same journey. Here are five current WWE stars that started on the independent scene and five that did not.

#5 Started on the independent scene - Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe was originally one of the talented names from TNA that WWE would never sign. But that mentality changed and him joining NXT would mark the beginning of a lot of further signings from TNA (AJ Styles, Eric Young, Jaxson Ryker, Mia Yim, DJZ, Robert Roode, James Storm briefly, EC3).

Even before his time in TNA, Joe was a staple of Ring of Honor during its earlier stages. He would compete for both promotions concurrently with featured runs in each.

It took the former US Champion a while to get to WWE, but he has since had successful stints in NXT and on the main roster. Joe hasn't captured a major title just yet but has been a part of big feuds with Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Styles, Seth Rollins, and many other top stars.

#5 Didn't start on the independent scene - Mandy Rose

Mandy Rose didn't start out in bingo halls and high-school gyms. Instead, she was a bodybuilder who had some success in the competitive field. She was also a fitness model that caught the eye of WWE talent scouts.

As we all know, Rose was a part of the last iteration of Tough Enough alongside Sonya Deville, Chelsea Green, and Velveteen Dream. She finished second in her season to winner Sara Lee. Lee didn't last long in the system. It's another example of the winner of a reality show not necessarily having the most successful career in that industry. The Miz didn't win his season either but is arguably the best alumnus from those shows.

While Rose certainly got by mostly due to her looks in the early stages, she has greatly improved in the ring. Her knee strike always looks legitimately painful when she lands it and she has utilized her strength in matches. Her ongoing storyline with Otis, Dolph Ziggler, and Deville has also been one of the most entertaining angles of 2020. She might not have been a mainstay in smaller promotions but Rose has proven to be a star that belongs in WWE.

#4 Started on the independent scene - Kofi Kingston

The leader of Kofimania was a staple on the Massachusetts independent scene in the mid-2000s. Prior to signing a developmental deal with the biggest promotion in the world, Kofi Kingston wrestled for Chaotic Wrestling, New England Championship Wrestling and NWA's New England affiliate. He signed with WWE's developmental territory at the time, Deep South Wrestling and OVW, in 2006 before debuting in ECW in 2007.

While his trip from the developmental territories to the main roster was rather quick, his ascent to a major WWE title took much longer. He's proven to be one of the hardest workers in the company, making anything work. The mid-card and tag team divisions would have suffered without his contributions to both.

The varying length of time for each wrestler on the indies varies greatly. In Kingston's case, he made enough of a mark in a quick time during his runs in the New England based promotions. While his initial gimmick of being the first Jamaican wrestler in WWE has long since passed, Kingston's great in-ring skills and promo work has not. Is another run as a major champion on the cards for the member of The New Day?

#4 Didn't start on the independent scene - Randy Orton

Many WWE analysts and commentators have long said that if you were to "create a WWE star from scratch" it would look like Randy Orton. The Legend Killer has had almost two decades of success in the company including two Royal Rumble wins, a Money in the Bank win, and 13 world championship reigns.

During the build to his WrestleMania 36 match with Edge, he told the story of meeting the Rated R Superstar backstage with his father, WWE Hall of Famer Bob Orton. Orton told Edge he wanted to be a WWE star and Edge said that he'd wrestle him someday. We all know the history behind their relationships. The angle even blurred the lines of reality/kayfabe as Edge said the following:

"Clearly, we have different definitions of the word grit... You are handpicked by Evolution. That's grit to you. You are resting on the laurels of your family name, coasting off and on with spurts of magic for the last 20 years just okay with being okay," Edge stated.

The main difference that Edge might have been referencing is that Orton was essentially born into the business like a lot of current stars are. He was naturally gifted and took to the business easily because it was in his blood. Edge, on the other hand, was first a huge fan and later a star that had to make a few stops before finally making it to WWE. Orton was a part of WWE developmental but did not start his wrestling career on the independent scene.

#3 Started on the independent scene - Ember Moon

Prior to joining WWE a few years ago, Ember Moon wrestled for promotions like Shimmer, Women's Superstars Uncensored, and Booker T's promotion in Texas. During those stints, she was known as Athena. On a recent episode of WWE Backstage with The Usos as special guests, they recounted the story of when all three debuted for the promotion. Moon was called "Trouble" alongside the brothers.

Moon had some mixed success on NXT as a constant challenger for the NXT women's title when Asuka was champion. Once the Empress of Tomorrow moved on, Moon successfully won the title. Her reign was ended by the Queen of Spades, Shayna Baszler. After that, she joined RAW as an ally of Nia Jax.

It has seemed like Moon is just on the cusp of becoming a major star in WWE but the unfortunate timing of her injuries has derailed her a few times. After the 2019 Royal Rumble, she missed time due to an elbow injury. She, however, did face Bayley for the SmackDown Women's Championship at SummerSlam last year.

The Shenom also participated in two MITB matches and two Rumble matches. As we all know now, she's currently out of action after suffering an Achilles injury. When will she be back? Hopefully, it's soon and in the title picture of whichever show she rejoins.

#3 Didn't Start on the independent scene - Alexa Bliss

Like Mandy Rose, Alexa Bliss was a former fitness model/enthusiast that regularly competed in competitions across the US. She recounted the story of how she signed with WWE on an episode of WWE Backstage. Instead of working on the independent scene for various promotions, she attended a tryout at the WWE Performance Center.

On the flight back home, officials called her and said that they'd like to sign her based off of her tryout. Talk about making a good first impression! Bliss originally debuted with a fairy-like gimmick that saw her blow fairy dust out of her hands. Her finishing move was then called the Sparkle Splash.

The Goddess really made her mark, however, when she turned heel and aligned with Blake and Murphy. Her strength was first on the mic but she was good enough in the ring while still learning the craft. She might have been called up a little early during the brand split in 2016, but Bliss has greatly improved in both the ring and on the mic. There aren't many women currently in the WWE that are as good as her on the mic.

#2 Started on the independent scene - Ricochet

There was a point four or five years ago when Ricochet was the king of the indies. He was one of the hottest non-WWE acts in the world and he was a featured player in many promotions. The One and Only spent time in Chikara, Dragon Gate, Evolve, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and several other companies.

Prior to signing with WWE, Ricochet was a featured performer in Lucha Underground in three of its four seasons. He won the Lucha Underground Championship and had a match of the night candidate every time he was in the ring.

His talent was too much to be ignored by WWE for much longer. Instead of signing muscle-bound wrestlers and a few stars similar in size to Daniel Bryan, the philosophy has greatly shifted over the last six-plus years. Now seven out of every 10 male stars are similar in size to the former US Champion.

When you can do the things that Ricochet can do, it makes sense to be called the One and Only. His journey included many stops prior to making it to the WWE but Ricochet is clearly a building block for the present and future of WWE.

#2 Didn't Start on the independent scene - Braun Strowman

The current Universal Champion came to WWE via the way of power-lifting and Strongman competitions. Instead of wrestling matches in smaller promotions, the Monster Among Men was lifting insane amounts of weight and performing feats of strength similar to what we have seen him do on TV.

Braun Strowman also has the distinction of bypassing NXT TV altogether in order to debut on the main roster. While he did appear as one of Adam Rose's Rosebuds on several occasions, he never had a televised match for NXT prior to joining the main roster.

His infamous debut occurred in 2015 when he showed up on the ring apron as the newest member of the Wyatt Family to oppose The Shield. It took a while for Strowman to finally win a singles title, but his overwhelming popularity never waned once he branched out on his own.

It also might have taken some time for the Monster Among Men to learn the craft since he wasn't an independent star but he's certainly found his niche in the business. In 2020 alone, he's won both the Intercontinental and Universal Championships.

#1 Started on the independent scene - Daniel Bryan

Just like Ricochet, there was a time when Daniel Bryan was one of the hottest stars on the independent scene. His run in the early stages of Ring of Honor helped that promotion to grow. He also had stops in NJPW, PWG, Chikara, wXw, and Dragon Gate USA.

The Leader of the Yes Movement would have a few dark matches with WWE prior to signing a full-time deal with the company in 2009. Back when NXT was a game show, the former WWE Champion was one of the rookies that were mentored by a WWE star (The Miz). It was very apparent that he was clearly one of the best wrestlers in the competition so he was eliminated from the show in its early stages.

While he would be released and resigned, it didn't take long for the fans to fall in love with the man who would one day be known as The Planet's Champion. Not only is he one of the best technical stars in the business, but his character and storytelling are also among the best. The run to the WWE Championship around WrestleMania 30 was one of the first recent signs of the crowd throwing enormous vocal support behind a WWE star.

#1 Didn't Start on the independent scene - Charlotte Flair

She's The Queen, the current NXT Women's Champion. Charlotte Flair signed with the WWE in 2012 without competing on the independent scene. As NXT started to gain traction as a solid developmental territory for WWE, it started to have open tryouts for every type of athlete. For Flair, she was a volleyball star in both high school and college and also a personal trainer. She also has the genetics of the 16-time world champ Ric Flair running through her veins.

With such blessed attributes, Charlotte joined NXT in 2012 and would debut for the promotion in 2013. She took to the sport of pro wrestling right away and the rest is history. Flair has won a Royal Rumble, 12 titles, and main-evented WrestleMania 35 against Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey.

Since she's faced almost every female on either RAW or SmackDown at some point, the choice was made to have her win the NXT Women's Championship from Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania this year.

The NXT women's division is incredibly stacked and the Queen's stature should help raise the game of all of her future opponents. First to tangle with Flair on NXT is Mia Yim, who was actually the first person that Flair wrestled in WWE.

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