Jobs WWE stars had before they were famous, including The Undertaker as debt collector and John Cena as a limo driver
BEFORE they were kings of the square circle, these famous WWE stars took a regular job to make ends meet.
To survive while they were up-and-coming, the likes of The Undertaker, Roman Reigns, John Cena and The Bella Twins worked a very normal 9-5.
Of course, now they’ve all made millions from wrestling they won’t be returning to these roles anytime soon.
Even The Undertaker, who announced his retirement in 2020, wouldn’t even consider going back to his previous employment.
Here’s what they all did.
THE UNDERTAKER
Mark Calaway, better known as The Deadman, made his debut more than thirty years ago in the WWE (when it was the WWF).
But before his Survivor Series appearance that year, the 6ft 10in Texan had a job that we imagine he was the best in the world at.
He was a debt collector, making sure anyone who owed money paid up.
Just imagine him knocking on your door demanding cash?
Calaway also worked as a bouncer in nightclubs and bars for additional income.
JOHN CENA
Cena, who transcended the WWE and became a Hollywood movie star, grew up in Massachusetts.
There, while working in a gym, he also drove people around in a limo.
But he wasn’t very good at it, as he revealed on Late Night with Seth Meyers back in 2019.
On his first pick-up he was over three hours late. It then took him to two hours to get to Boston Logan International Airport, meaning his clients were late for their flight.
ROMAN REIGNS
The furniture we’ve seen Roman with in the past has been chairs, whacking his opponents with in and outside the ring.
But before he made it, the 6ft 3in Floridian installed office furniture for his sister’s business.
“I was just working nine-to-five,” the former NFL star revealed.
“I knew I wasn’t supposed to be putting on the furniture shirt. I was supposed to be doing something else.
“And I didn’t know what it was at that point, but I knew WWE could possibly be that team I was looking for.”
NIKKI AND BRIE BELLA
The fabulous Bella Twins lit up the WWE when they arrived on the scene in 2008.
However, their first job in San Diego was working as waitresses together in the popular US chain restaurant Hooters.
And they had a novel way of getting tips.
Nikki revealed on YouTube: ‘We were taught that whenever you were taking the customer’s order, you would have to lean in and you squeeze your cleavage and then you’d have to be like: “Well, would you want fries with that?”
SHEAMUS
The Irish star, real name Stephen Farrelly, made his debut in the WWE in 2009.
And he hasn’t looked back – becoming the first world champion in WWE history from the Emerald Isle.
However, it wasn’t always other wrestlers he was grappling with, more computers.
Sheamus worked in IT for years before he got his big break.
DANIEL BRYAN
You wouldn’t believe this.
Daniel Bryan, who preaches good health and eating right and was once a fully fledged vegan, worked in McDonald’s.
As a cashier, he also swept the floors and admittedly lived off a fast food diet while he worked there.
It all helped finance his budding wrestling career, as he poured all his money into making it in the WWE.
THE GREAT KAHLI
Like The Undertaker, The Great Kahli is an intimidating presence.
Which makes his first job one that would’ve struck fear into many a criminal.
The Indian-born wrestler, real-name Dalip Rana, was an assistant sub-inspector with the Punjab Police.
A 7ft3in policeman would certainly uphold the law better than Robocop.
BECKY LYNCH
The glamorous Lynch, who was known as Rebecca Quin when she wasn’t in the WWE, worked as a flight attendant with Aer Lingus for two and a half years.
She later left that post and studied acting at the Dublin Institute of Technology and Columbia College Chicago.
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She worked briefly as a stuntwoman, until she was encouraged to try out for the WWE in Birmingham.
Jim Ross and Gerry Brisco signed Lynch on to a two-year developmental deal with NXT and the rest is history.
No need to know where the exit signs are now.