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For over 50 decades, hundreds of wrestlers have made their marks in the WWE. They are the reason why we as fans still get up every morning or stay up late to watch our favourite wrestling shows even though we know it's all scripted. Although many of these Superstars have made it to the WWE, not all of them can say they enjoyed an illustrious career. But that doesn't mean that they're not responsible for some memorable moments in the company.
These legends have inspired many kids to join their footsteps and some of those kids are now in the WWE inspiring other kids to also become WWE Superstars. These superstars have gone on to become iconic figures in the world of professional wrestling. Ever since they step foot into the squared-circle; their moves, styles, catchphrases and gimmicks have shaped up their careers and identities which increases their popularity even more.
However, at the end of the day, they are just regular human beings outside the ring and they too lead a normal life. And before they grew up to become WWE Superstars with great bodies and personalities, they too were little kids who grew up and went to school just like everyone else.
Today we will look at some of the best wrestlers WWE has to offer when they were still young.
#5. Lita
The woman who took the WWE Women's division by storm during the Attitude Era and its post wrestling days is none other than WWE Hall of Famer Lita. Her introduction changed the concept of the 'Divas' gimmick which was restricted to catfights and romance stories into meaningful storylines and great in-ring action. While other Divas were nothing but a pretty face, Lita actually competed in the ring and that too at a high level.
Lita attended many different schools throughout her childhood and adolescent years and managed to finish high school 6 months before her graduation. She first became interested in wrestling after watching Rey Mysterio wrestle on an episode of WCW's Monday Nitro. She travelled to Mexico in 1998 to learn more about pro wrestling and how to wrestle.
WWE mentions Lita as "A woman who always kept the WWE Universe on their toes. Whether she was flying high with The Hardy Boyz or shocking censors alongside Edge, the four-time Women's Champion knew how to elicit a reaction around the world."
She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014 by none other than her best friend Trish Stratus, who is also one of the most decorated and popular female superstar in WWE history.
#4. Sheamus
The Celtic Warrior and current one-half of the WWE Smackdown tag team champions Sheamus is currently one of the top stars in the company. He has done it all in the ring. He has won the WWE Championship three times, World Heavyweight Championship once, United States Championship two times, Raw tag team championships four times and Smackdown tag team championships once.
In addition to these championships, Sheamus has also won the 2010 King of the Ring tournament, the 2012 Royal Rumble match and the 2015 Money in the Bank ladder match. This makes him one of the most decorated professional wrestler in the history of this industry.
Sheamus was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. His inspiration into a professional wrestling career came from watching both British wrestling and American wrestling on television. On the advice of Bret Hart, he began training to become a pro wrestler and WWE Superstar.
#3. CM Punk
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk goes by his name and even though he does lead a straight edge lifestyle, his life has been filled with a lot of problems and controversy. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in nearby Lockport, Illinois, USA. Punk's father struggled with alcoholism which inspired him to become straight edge from an early age.
Punk began his wrestling career at a young age where he adopted the CM Punk nickname. He has also wrestled in Ring of Honor and TNA before joining WWE. His feud with John Cena in 2011 was voted "Feud of the Year" by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
The Straight Edge superstar held the WWE Championship twice and he held it for 434 days, making him the 6th longest reigning WWE Champion in history. Punk became one of the biggest household names of the company and he is known for his infamous "pipebomb' promo which took the world by storm.
Even though Punk stated several times that he will never return to WWE or any other wrestling promotion, many fans around the world still believe that he will return sometime in the near future.
#2. John Cena
John Cena, in Michael Cole's mind, is the greatest WWE Superstar of all time. Cena has been the face and the biggest babyface in the company for over a decade and whether you agree or not, Cena is one of the best in the industry. His mic skills are gold, his matches are good, and his character is well liked by many people around the world. Cena is one of the most talented performers you can ever find.
He is a record-tying 16-time WWE World Champion, former United States champion, former World Tag Team Champion, 2012 Money in the Bank briefcase winner and 2013 Royal Rumble match winner. He grew up wanting to be a WWE Superstar and he has since made his dreams come true. He puts over younger talents and he is loved by everyone around the world.
Whether you love him or hate him, no one can deny that Cena has done a lot for this business and he is definitely a future Hall of Famer.
#1. Brock Lesnar
Current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is one of the most successful athletes in history. He began his amateur wrestling career in high school and won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) heavyweight wrestling championship in his sophomore year. He made his official WWE debut in 2002 where he was signed to Raw before joining the Smackdown brand permanently.
Lesnar became the youngest WWE Champion by winning the title at the age of 25. He went on to win the 2003 Royal Rumble match and successfully defeated Kurt Angle in the main event of WrestleMania XIX. Brock left WWE in 2004 to pursue a career in the NFL. He joined NJPW IN 2005 where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his first match.
Lesnar also competed in UFC where he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Brock is the first person to win a world heavyweight championship in WWE, NJPW and UFC. Lesnar is also the first 2-time and longest reigning Universal Champion in WWE history. Although he is scarce in presence, Brock is still a major attraction wherever he goes.
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