The world of professional wrestling and reality television to many, have major similarities between them. They are both competitive in nature, they utilise shock factor in people which in turn creates emotion in the viewer. And not to mention that they both rely heavily on stereotypes to attract viewership.
Both forms of entertainment have been noted to exploit their talent pool and pretend what you are watching is actual reality.
With all of the similarities between the two, it’s easy to see how some professional wrestlers have made a switch to or from reality televison throughout the years.
Here are 5 wrestlers that have made appearances on reality T.V. shows.
#5 Eric Rowan
In 2010, before Eric Rowan joined the WWE, he competed in a Norwegian game show called Alt For Norge which was marketed in America by the much more attractive name The Great Norway Adventure.
The show saw contestants of Norwegian descent compete against each other doing very Norwegian-esque things such as, eating lute fish and camping out on fjords.
Eric actually ended up coming third place on the show which is quite supprising considering his on-screen character in WWE doesn't do a whole lot except be silent, wear a creepy sheep mask and job on behalf of the Wyatt family.
# 4 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has never been shy about appearing on television shows other than WWE.
In 2011 he was invited to compete on the reality show “Dancing with the Stars”.
In his own blog, Y2J described his experience on the show as something of a different animal in comparison to wrestling in front of thousands of wrestling fans. Jericho trained intensely with his partner Cheryl Burke for three weeks before the show.
After an impressive showing, Jericho finished in a respectful 7th place on the show.
#3 CM Punk
While ECW was on SciFi, WWE had several wrestlers appear on fellow SciFi show Ghost Hunters. The craziest of the WWE Superstars on the show was probably when CM Punk joined the Ghost Hunters for a live 6 hour special on Halloween 2006.
Punk said he heard children laughing and footsteps, even though the hotel was empty.
Was he serious?
Only Punk knows that.
#2 John Cena
John Cena will be featuring in a reality show called American Grit.
On this show, sixteen competitors are divided into four teams of four, each led by a military veteran who is designated as the team's cadre. The teams compete in a series of challenges called "Evolutions," modeled after military training exercises, and must cope with both the physical rigors and demands of the outdoor wilderness setting.
On American Grit, Cena notionally plays second fiddle to one of the teams of four as they’re cadre. They’re military veterans who act as judges on a television show and pick teams of competitors to mentor.
This new venture for Cena could be an indication of him winding down his WWE career with reality T.V. as an option for the franchise player in his future.
#1 The Miz
When WWE and reality television are in the one sentence, only one WWE superstar comes to mind, The Miz.
The Miz first got his fame he now has from a reality T.V. show call MTV’s “The Real World,” which aired in 2001. The show focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships.
After success on the reality show, The Miz then went on from there to compete in WWE’s Tough Enough in 2004.
He now still competes as an active wrestler on the WWE roster, using his background as a reality television star and an actor to further his character on the show each week.
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