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WWE's roster is stacked with talented performers who endeavored for many years to become the Superstars they are today. Although most of them were exclusively signed to the company as in-ring competitors, others, however, had a different role to play before making it to the top of the major leagues.
Superstars such as Elias, Becky Lynch, Braun Strowman and Carmella all dressed up in flashy costumes and paraded to the ring with Adam Rose as Rosebuds before making their official debuts. Other stars (as you're about to find out on this list) were hired for much more serious roles in security and law enforcement.
WWE hires independent wrestlers to fill in as extras because they're capable of taking a bump when necessary and sometimes they even have tryout matches which could lead to them getting signed by the company if they impress the higher-ups.
They are usually brought in to act as police officers and security guards in order to restore order in the ring or apprehend a Superstar as part of a storyline.
Even though the majority of these men and women are never seen or heard from again, the fortunate few have gone on to become big stars in the company. With that being said, here are five Superstars you had no idea made appearances in WWE as security guards.
#5 Cesaro
Cesaro is credited as pound-for-pound the strongest man in the WWE. He is also considered to be the most underrated performer in the entire industry. Throughout his career, he had a very forgetful run as United States Champion, was managed by Paul Heyman, won the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and formed a tag team with Sheamus as The Bar.
Together, they captured both the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championship before splitting up. Before Cesaro joined the Vince McMahon-led company, he competed in various promotions such as Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG).
Many fans might remember his main roster debut in 2012, but he actually appeared in WWE before that. In 2006, he played a security guard during a backstage segment with Shane McMahon and D-Generation X on RAW. He was accompanied by former WWE Superstar EC3.
The two stars were there to protect Shane from Triple H and Shawn Michaels. At that time, WWE was impressed with Cesaro so they signed him to a developmental contract but he was released shortly after that. Thankfully, the company rectified their mistake years later as the Swiss Superman is currently signed to SmackDown.
#4 Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano, also known as Johnny Wrestling and Johnny TakeOver, is one of the top 5 performers on NXT. He is a former NXT, Tag Team and North American Champion, making him the inaugural Triple Crown Champion in the black and gold brand's history.
Gargano is also known for his highly acclaimed bouts and his ability to easily put on a 5-star match. He had tremendous feuds and matches with the likes of Adam Cole, Andrade and Tommaso Ciampa, his biggest rival and former tag team partner.
Johnny Gargano signed with WWE in 2016 but he actually showed up in the company before that. In 2007, during a feud with Chris Benoit for the WWE U.S. Championship, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) invited world champions from all around the globe to compete against him.
MVP introduced one of those wrestlers as Cedrick Von Haussen, who was announced as the world champion of Liechtenstein. The latter was played by none other than - you guessed it - Johnny Gargano. The former NXT Champion made another appearance for WWE during the initial season of NXT where he posed as one of Michael Cole's security guards.
#3 Keith Lee
WWE NXT Superstar Keith Lee is undoubtedly a future megastar and possibly a future world champion. He does moves in the ring that a guy his size has no business doing whatsoever. He is the reigning NXT North American Champion and one of the top performers on the show.
On WWE Survivor Series 2019, Lee's performance in the brand supremacy match where he was the last NXT Superstar remaining was praised by fans and critics. Keith Lee also received a pop from the crowd when he made his entrance during the 2020 Royal Rumble match.
He also had a successful career in other promotions such as Ring of Honor, Evolve and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Before officially signing a developmental contract with WWE in 2018, Keith Lee appeared on WWE RAW in 2009 as a member of the security guards hired by The Legacy (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr.) to stop Triple H and the returning Vince and Shane McMahon.
During the After the Bell podcast with Corey Graves, Keith Lee stated:
"I got invited to do some extra work. I did, in my case, get thrown into a barricade by one Mr. Triple H, and also got poked in the eye by Shane McMahon and punched in the face by Vince. Yeah, that was my introduction to the bosses of today."
#2 Sheamus
Sheamus is the only person on this list who had a legitimate job as a security guard before playing one in WWE. The Celtic Warrior was a security guard for wrestling events and also a bodyguard for U2. The former WWE Champion revealed in an interview:
"I've walked out in front of Madison Square Garden to 20,000 people, which is amazing as I can remember working in the O2 arena in Dublin as security for wrestling events. Today I'm on the other side of the fence. It's hard to take in."
Sheamus made an appearance in WWE as a member of the security team on the November 13, 2006 episode of RAW held in the United Kingdom where he received a pedigree by Triple H. Stu Bennett, formerly known as Wade Barrett, was also a member of the security team that night.
They were ordered by Jonathan Coachman to escort The Heartbreak Kid and The Game out of the arena, but things didn't go according to plan.
The Celtic Warrior went on to sign with WWE years later where he had a very successful career as WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, United States Champion and Tag Team Champion.
Also Read: 5 Things you didn't know about Sheamus
#1 Daniel Bryan
And last - but not least - we have Daniel Bryan. The Leader of the Yes Movement is one of the biggest stars in WWE right now. Aside from that, he is also an in-ring technician and submission specialist. Many members of the WWE Universe are familiar with his work inside and outside the ring and what goes on in his personal life.
The one thing, however, that most people don't know is that the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion also played a security guard in the WWE. Unbelievable? I know. On the February 6th, 2003 episode of SmackDown, Bryan was one of the security guards who tried to stop Brian Kendrick from streaking.
Kendrick, who wanted to impress then-SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon in order to earn himself a WWE contract, ran around the arena in his birthday suit while being chased by security. Daniel Bryan also competed in WWE as an enhancement talent from 2002 to 2003.
His most notable match as a jobber was when he took on John Cena on an episode of Velocity. Before officially becoming a WWE Superstar, Bryan competed in various promotions such as Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.
In 2010, after re-signing with WWE the previous year, Bryan, along with other Superstars from the first season of NXT known as The Nexus, made their presence felt on RAW and attacked John Cena, other members of the WWE crew and demolished the ring. Daniel was immediately fired after that for his actions during the invasion angle.
He returned to the company for the third time shortly after that and went on to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania XXX. And to think it all started with him being used as an extra.
Also Read: 5 Things Brock Lesnar is yet to accomplish in WWE
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