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Most of the times fans see WWE Superstars, they're on television and in character. Other than fans who like to delve into what's happening backstage and shoot interviews, most fans never get to know the person behind the Superstar.
WWE Superstars are human beings like you and me, and they also have their own quirks as we all have. One thing a lot of WWE Superstars have opened up about over the years is their pre-match rituals.
Here are 5 WWE Superstars and their own unique pre-match ritual:
#5 Rey Mysterio
The first Superstar we take a look at today is none other than Rey Mysterio. Mysterio is self-admittedly a little superstitious and we can't question him because of his incredible career where he's been a former WWE Champion as well as a Royal Rumble winner.
In an interview with WWE.com, Mysterio described his pre-match ritual in detail:
“I’m very spiritual. I’m a big believer in God. I believe that all of my success, everything that I’ve accomplished, I couldn’t have done without God. So I thank him every night and every day before I step into the ring, and after the match, for all of my accomplishments, and for always being there with me. That’s my ritual. My spirituality is extremely important when it comes down to me going to the ring, because I have to ask God to forgive me for my sins and guide me through my match and make sure that neither my opponent, nor myself, nor anybody on the card, gets hurt that night, so we can go out there and entertain our fans and give them the best of the best.”
Rey Mysterio is currently in the best shape of his WWE career and has been a top babyface on SmackDown since his WWE return.
#4 Cesaro
The 'Swiss Cyborg' Cesaro is a wrestling machine. The former United States champion never truly got the push he deserved as a singles star but after forming The Bar with Sheamus, the duo has become one of the most feared tag-teams in the WWE. Despite forming their tag-team less 3 years ago, The Bar has already won tag-team titles 5 times.
How does Cesaro prepare before the match for these monumental performances? Here's what he has to say about what he does before matches:
"Normal people do push-ups, but I like to do push-ups with extra weight because that’s not normal. I also perform a variety of them: Hindu push-ups, reverse push-ups, dive-bomber push-ups and handstand push-ups, and most body-weight exercises in general. They’re old-school, and they make your body stronger and more functional. I’m always very excited because I love to compete. You should always feel a little nervous each night — or you shouldn’t be doing this.”
#3 Booker T
Booker T is as famous for his wrestling ability as for his catchphrase that he's a "5-time, 5-time WCW Champion" as well as the Spinaroonie. Booker is actually 6-time world champion - WCW and WWE combined. Booker has had a long and successful career in WCW, WWE as well as his somewhat forgotten run in TNA.
What's the secret behind Booker T's success? What's his secret pre-match ritual? Here's what he had to say while he was still an active wrestler:
"My ritual is meditation for one hour, and it may start around five o'clock. Then I start with my preparation as far as getting myself together—getting my body ready and warmed up to its peak. That may take jumping rope for 30 minutes straight; that my take doing 300 pushups; that may take doing a couple hundred sit-ups—and that's just to get myself warmed up for that main event of that main course."
#2 Randy Orton
We move onto 'The Viper' Randy Orton next. He's won almost every title in the WWE and even after all this while in the company, remains one of the most popular Superstars around. His finisher, the RKO is one of the most popular in WWE history and the guy is a 13-time world champion.
How does a 13-time world champion great read for his matches prepare? Here's what Orton had to say:
"I have a stretching routine that I do. I also try to hydrate and drink a lot of water early in the day so I can get that first sweat going before I go into the ring—almost like I'm reaching my second wind before I go out there. The first five minutes out there is usually the toughest if you haven't gotten your body warmed up to get in the ring. However I go about it, whether it's jumping rope, stretching, Hindu squats or whatever, I like to warm up and get that second wind kicked up before I step in the ring."
Orton looks set to face AJ Styles at WrestleMania.
#1 John Cena
Let's finish our list with 16-time world champion John Cena. Cena's currently in the middle of winding down his WWE career and focusing on his acting career. After almost 2 decades in the WWE, you can't blame Cena for wanting to try something new.
Cena has won it all the WWE, well almost everything. The 'Face that runs that place' is another Superstar who has his own pre-match ritual. Cena shared it in an interview with WWE:
"I always knock on wood, and always before I go out there -- and this is something that you can see in the match right before the bell rings every the time because I go out there with a lot of energy, and I'm kind of just rowdy and having fun—but when it's time to get serious you'll see me back up against the corner, put my head down, hit the corner, and then I'm coming out swinging. So, those are the things I do every single match."
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
