Professional wrestling is a family business more often than not, with a lot of superstars attempting to surpass what their elders have done in the industry. Of course, that isn’t the case for all the names on this list as you’ll soon see, but achieving more than a relative who took part in the same profession of you must be a good feeling.
Some of these guys have risen to heights that they could never have dreamed of, with a multitude of world championships between them. Seriously, we consider this to be an all-star list (perhaps barring one entry) and their legacies are only going to grow and grow as the years go on – and that’s a fact.
This isn’t to say their fathers didn’t pave the way because that’s exactly what they did, but they should be proud of what their offspring have accomplished through their guidance. Who knows, perhaps there will soon be a generation of stars created by this lot that goes on to have 200 world championships between them. That’s obviously somewhat unlikely, but let’s just go with it.
With all that being said, here are five WWE superstars who are more successful than their fathers.
#1 Randy Orton
This may well be one of the most famous instances of a child superseding what his father has achieved, with Randy Orton picking up an outrageous amount of championships throughout his tenure in the WWE. Honestly, the guy is one of the most successful superstars in the history of the company and that’s no small feat.
Many people will argue that Randy has had so much success because he’s the safe option, but that shouldn’t detract from all of the world-class matches he’s had. Also barring a few injuries here are there, Orton has been on the road for over 15 years now and given that he’s still relatively young he’ll probably still be around for at least another five.
That being said, Bob Orton did take part in the main event of the first-ever WrestleMania – so that’s something to be proud of in itself.
It’s time for the Eater of Worlds.
#2 Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt is possibly the most fascinating character that WWE has produced since The Undertaker. The former WWE Champion has made a fantastic impact since arriving in the company under his latest gimmick, with many people forgetting that his father IRS was a big part of the company for many years.
The man born as Mike Rotunda also played a part in the first ever WrestleMania, however, aside from telling people to pay their taxes, there weren't many other memorable moments during his WWE tenure. Still, he should be extremely proud of everything that Bray has done in addition to everything that he has left to achieve.
The big dog is here.
#3 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is already a multi-time World Champion in addition to having main evented the last three WrestleManias. Despite what many fans choose to believe he is indeed the guy within the WWE, and in terms of future potential Reigns looks to set to rule the company as the top dog for many more years to come.
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His father, Sika, was one-half of the Wild Samoans who were one of the most notable tag teams in the world back in the day. Still, his success is nothing compared to that of his son and Sika is so proud of Roman that he even went so far as to actively seek out the higher ups backstage following his son’s loss in the main event of WrestleMania 31. It’s still real to him dammit.
His time is now.. kind of.
#4 John Cena
What is there to say about John Cena that hasn’t already been said? The guy is a 16 time World Champion and would certainly be in the running to have a place on the Mount Rushmore of WWE. Come hell or high water he has been there for the company over the last 15 years, and his position within the history of this business has been solidified.
Then you have his father, who’s presence in the professional wrestling industry makes John the first ever reverse second generation superstar. What does that mean, you ask? Well, essentially his father got into the business AFTER Mr Hustle Loyalty & Respect did, becoming a manager on the independent scene around Boston. Fair play.
Ooohh yeah.
#5 Randy Savage
Macho Man Randy Savage is one of the most influential WWE superstars of all time, with his famous catchphrase only being outdone by his sensational in ring work and charisma. The former WWF Champion was a trailblazer in every sense of the word and if it wasn’t for his bout with Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania 3, we may never have seen the dawning of an entirely new era when it comes to that syle of wrestling.
His father, Angelo Poffo, was also a professional wrestler in addition to being a booker for International Championship Wrestling. The duo shared a lot of notable traits, particularly their supposed hatred of Vince McMahon, but in terms of quality inside the squared circle, Randy far surpassed his father by becoming one of the greatest performers in the history of wrestling.
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