Top 10 WWE Wrestlers You Won't Recognize Today
#10: Bull Nakano
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When Bull Nakano returned to the WWE, then WWF, in 1994, she quickly became one of the most intimidating wrestlers on the roster as she feuded with Alundra Blayze, AKA Medusa. With long colored hair styled upwards, lined face paint, and a domineering attitude, Nakano caused many of us to hide behind the couch in fear as she walked to the ring. But after retiring from wrestling in 1997, she didn’t need to be the powerhouse anymore. Instead, Nakano took up golf. In recent years, she’s even worked in the wrestling industry again, yet her appearance is drastically different. Now, Nakano has long brown hair that flows downwards, and she's smaller than she used to be. But the dominating magic is still there.
#9: Scotty 2 Hotty
We can admit it. We’ve tried to copy Scotty 2 Hotty and whip out the worm at many parties. It never worked, but we've tried. After working as a jobber for a few years, Scotty’s rise to fame came with the formation of Too Cool with Grand Master Sexay and later Rikishi in the late 90s. Scotty’s spiked, bleach-blonde hair and goatee encapsulated the fashion perfectly at the time. After being released by WWE in 2007, in 2013, he trained to be a firefighter. As such, the spiked hair was gone. Instead, replaced with a more sensible look. But the lure of wrestling called him back as he became a trainer and mentor at WWE’s Performance Center before he left the role in 2021.
#8: Val Venis
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In the olden days of WWE, wrestling gimmicks regularly featured jobs like farmers, dentists, and the IRS. But when the edgy attitude era came in, they took things up a level with the adult film star Val Venis. With long, slicked-back hair and a goatee that looked a little sleazy, Venis was a fan favorite quickly. Later in his run, he shaved his head, making him look like a completely different person. In 2019, Venis spoke about his weight issues. After leaving the wrestling business, he’d put on some weight. Then, Venis lost a lot rapidly, concerning fans. However, he explained he had dreams of running a marathon. So, Venis began a new regiment to improve his stamina.
#7: Adam Rose
When he debuted as the kid-friendly eccentric party fantastic in 2014 on NXT after playing other gimmicks, Adam Rose was barely there before being escorted to the main roster with his Rosebuds. There, his soul patch, long hair, lean physique, and lollipop had a small cult following among fans. And even after Rose left WWE in 2016, the South African mostly appeared the same on the indies. But shortly before his retirement match in 2019, Rose showcased a vastly different look. He had bulked up a lot, grown a big bushy beard, and slicked back his hair. Beyond the name, the only things that helped identify it was Rose were the colorful tights and the signature lollipop.
#6: Rico Constantino
In 2002, Rico Constantino arrived on the main WWE roster as a stylist for Billy and Chuck, introducing the world to his glorious mutton chops. As he stepped more into the ring, fans loved his face paint and the persona Rico displayed. But in 2004, he was suddenly released from the company. After working in Japan, Rico stepped away from the ring and found another career path, that of a police officer. A clean-cut, muttonchop-less Rico was now on display. Unfortunately, he then had a series of health issues in 2016. By 2019, sporting long dark hair and cleanly shaved, Rico was in much better shape and was taking great care of himself.
#5: Haku
Wrestlers from the 80s and 90s have spoken about the insane backstage stories of Haku, AKA Meng, that demonstrated just how tough he is, such as being sprayed with mace and inhaling it without any problems. Modern fans will remember his short WWE run in 2001 when the Tongan wrestler had big hair and a no-nonsense attitude. After Haku was released in 2002, he took a step back from wrestling. But by 2016, as part of the Bullet Club, a short-haired Haku surprised everyone by appearing for New Japan Pro Wrestling as part of the Rumble. In 2021, he emerged for AEW’s “Fight for the Fallen” in 2021. With gray hair and beard, Haku accompanied his son Hikuleo to the ring.
#4: Sunny
In the 90s, the WWE was obsessed with Sunny. She was everywhere, and, with the product getting more and more adult, they leaned into it by having Sunny test the waters by being more risque. This led to her being deemed the most downloaded woman in the US. However, the real-life Tammy Sytch struggled to stay in the wrestling business due to allegations of substance abuse. Yet she still made sporadic appearances for WWE over the years. However, in 2012, Sunny began having many, many legal issues. Most seriously, in 2022, she was allegedly involved in a fatal car crash while driving while intoxicated. Her mugshots and court appearances showed a vastly different Sunny to her WWE heyday.
#3: Spike Dudley
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As the “runt” of the family, Spike Dudley captured the hearts of fans when he emerged at ECW in 1996 to support the Dudley Boyz. When he arrived in WWE in 2001, Dudley’s speed, enthusiasm, and underdog status got him over pretty quickly. With floppy blonde hair, a goatee, and glasses held together with tape, Spike’s look was iconic and earned him several championship runs at the company. After leaving WWE, hanging up his boots in 2015, and focusing on a career as a financial advisor, the long shaggy hair vanished. When he reunited with Bubba Ray and D-Von in 2022, Spike was sporting a shaved head alongside a salt and pepper goatee.
#2: Lex Luger
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WWE had high hopes for Lex Luger when he debuted for the company. With flowing blonde locks and a physique that looked carved from marble, the company quickly switched him from “The Narcissist” to being a face and pushed him hard before he left for WCW. However, Luger relied on substances to mold his shape. In 2007, after experiencing neck pain on an airplane, Luger became paralyzed from swelling due to years of spinal injuries from wrestling and football. It took years of rehab for him to regain some mobility, but he still relies on a walker or wheelchair. Due to this unfortunate injury, Luger lost a lot of weight and the muscle mass old-school wrestling fans remember.
#1: Tyler Reks
Known for their intimidating appearance, marvelous flowing dreadlocks, and teaming with Curt Hawkins and causing shenanigans, Tyler Reks worked for various WWE brands for several years. With the visually impressive “Burning Hammer” finisher, it delighted and frightened many fans with how brutal it looked. But in 2012, the wrestler decided to step away from the ring to spend more time with their family, as well as set up a fitness company and several other businesses. In 2021, the performer behind Reks came out as a trans woman and is now known as Gabbi Tuft. She works as a fitness guru and regularly promotes her work on podcasts, YouTube, and TikTok alongside her wife, Priscilla.
