5 major athletes who became successful WWE Superstars

Ronda Rousey excelled at Judo and MMA before shifting her attention to WWE.
Ronda Rousey excelled at Judo and MMA before shifting her attention to WWE.

#4. WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle is the only Olympic gold medalist to ever wrestle for WWE. Angle, a well-known amateur wrestler, was appalled by the extremity of ECW, but couldn't reject a later deal presented by WWE.

Angle turned out to be natural, with much success in both serious and comic portrayals. As part of countless iconic in-ring moments and a holder of multiple championships in WWE and beyond, Kurt Angle is a true legend of the industry.


#3. Olympic Bronze medalist Bad News Brown

One of the toughest men to ever enter WWE, Bad News Brown didn't remain in the company for a long time but managed to create a spot for himself. A unique character: he was a loner who never smiled.

Bad News Brown was also a respected judoka who represented his nation in several international competitions. In the 1976 Montreal Olympics, he won the Bronze medal.

Brown would leave WWE without winning a championship, frustrated by WWE turning their back on their promise of turning him into their first African-American world champion.

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