Crazy Things Wrestlers Did For Money

Pro wrestlers have it tough. Fans see several athletes working for major companies like WWE, AEW, or NJPW, but they make up only a handful of wrestlers who actually managed to make it big. Even after making it to the top, precious few stay there.

Whether it’s before they sign with a big company, or after their cut from one, or even when they’re signed to a full-time contract, wrestlers have taken on some really crazy jobs to bring home the bread. A former pro wrestler being a bodyguard, some kind of bouncer, or athletic performer makes sense, but these jobs come a little out of left field.

John Cena Was A Limousine Driver

The Franchise Player Took The Job After Failing To Become A Traffic Cop

• John Cena was a limousine driver
• He took the job after failing to become a traffic cop

John Cena is one of the greatest of all time. As divisive as he was during his full-time run, he carried the company on his back for about a decade.

But before he ever set foot in WWE and convinced officials he was worthy of leading the company, Cena worked as a chauffeur. The future-16-time World Champion decided to get behind the wheel after he came up short when applying to become a traffic cop.

The Great Khali Put Away The Bad Guys As A Police Officer

The Punjabi Playboy Was A Member Of The Punjab Police

• The Great Khali was a police officer in Punjab
• He was on their payroll as late as 2014

Before he made his professional wrestling debut in 2000, The Great Khali was better known as Dalip Singh Rana, Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Punjab Police.

He would go on to be one of WWE’s resident monsters for a while, even winning the World Championship. He would somehow still be a cop though, with reports as late as 2014 showing he was on the police payroll.

Jimmy Wang Yang Was A Party Bus Host

He Created The Redneck Party Bus After His 2010 WWE Release

• Jimmy Wang Yang created the Redneck Party Bus
• The business was unexpectedly successful

Jimmy Wang Yang played one of the wackier characters in WWE, so what he chose to do after being released by WWE in 2010 feels almost fitting.

He bought a school bus, modified it, and it became the Redneck Party Bus. The wrestler allegedly drove around the Cincinnati area doing pretty good business.

Mason Ryan Worked At Cirque Du Soleil

Ryan Became Chief Archer At The Circus

• Ryan Mason was a member of the New Nexus
• He joined Cirque du Soleil in early 2016

Mason Ryan was one of the most jacked heavyweights on the roster during his time with WWE. That build doesn’t quite match up with Cirque Du Soleil, which showcases feats of otherworldly flexibility and athleticism.

The New Nexus member would be released by WWE in 2014. After spending about a year and a half working with smaller promotions, Ryan would join Cirque Du Soleil as Chief Archer in early 2016.

Mandy Rose Chose Content Creation Over Professional Wrestling

The Nature Of Her Content Led WWE To Release Her

• Mandy Rose was let go by WWE because of her risque content
• She has found great success outside the promotion

WWE has always had a complicated relationship with third-party streaming platforms. That relationship reared its ugly head with Mandy Rose in December 2022, when the company released her because of her risqué Fan Time content.

Since her release, Rose has bet on herself. She has become a business owner, and content creator, and has confirmed that she has made more money than she ever did as a WWE Superstar.

Diamond Dallas Page Became A Yoga Guru

He Has Helped Several People And Multiple Wrestlers

• Diamond Dallas Page created a Yoga program that has changed lives
• He has helped other wrestlers get sober and increase their longevity in the ring

It can be argued that Diamond Dallas Page has had a great impact on the world after he retired as a professional wrestler, as opposed to when he was an in-ring competitor.

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He developed a fondness for Yoga in the late 90s, when he used it to heal up after hurting two of his vertebrae. All his learnings would eventually come together in the form of DDP Yoga. In addition to helping regular people and notable athletes get healthier, DDP also helped fellow wrestlers battle addiction, most notably Scott Hall. His program also breathed new life into Dustin Rhodes’ career.

Sheamus Was An IT Technician

He Also Worked As Bono’s Personal Bodyguard To Pay The Bills

• Sheamus believed he did well because he was good at managing people
• He is a surefire Hall of Famer with several championships to his name

Before it was Fight Night, Sheamus spent his time helping others with their computers. He has never claimed to be some sort of tech-whiz, but he found his value came in the form of managing people and solving problems.

That was all before he found his way to WWE and put together a Hall of Fame-worthy career stacked with championship wins.

Becky Lynch Was An Air Hostess Like Her Mother

The Irish Wrestler Did Multiple Odd Jobs Before Making It Big

• Becky Lynch did lots of oddjobs
• She was an air hostess, sandwich maker, pizza chef, and stuntwoman

Before The Man came around to some of the biggest wrestling events the world has ever seen, she came around with peanuts and headphones for customers on flights. But before that, she worked at a sandwich shop, and was even a pizza chef.

After a brief run on the indies ended with a (at the time) career-ending injury, Lynch joined her mother in becoming an air hostess. In her time away from the ring, Lynch got a degree in acting, which undoubtedly comes in handy these days, and did some work as a stuntwoman.

Bryan Danielson Spent Time As A McDonald’s Cashier

He Used The Money To Pay For Wrestling Training

• Danielson worked at McDonald’s to pay for wrestling training
• He has gone on to become one of the greatest technicians and wrestlers of all time

Bryan Danielson’s dislike of the consumption of animal meats and Big Business is well-documented. So it’s a little surprising to learn that he actually spent time working for the biggest fast food chain in the world; McDonald’s.

Danielson was a cashier at one of their outlets, saving up every cent to pay for wrestling training.

Roman Reigns & The Usos Installed Office Furniture

The Trio Struggled Before Becoming Massively Successful

• Roman Reigns and The Usos all worked as office furniture installers
• They would eventually dominate WWE for a number of years as The Bloodline

The original trio of The Bloodline took a long time to work their way into the conversation for being all-time greats. Roman Reigns spent years as an unlikable babyface before finally reinventing himself as the Tribal Chief. Jimmy and Jey Uso were interchangeable personalities as a tag team, but their work in The Bloodline forged individual identities and turned Jey into a legitimate main event player.

But before all of that, all three of them worked as office furniture installers in different offices. Reigns had just been cut from the NFL and the twins had struggled to find a path. But this job eventually put them on the path to global superstardom.