Pro wrestlers whose first career choice was actually pro wrestling?

[Creepy Old Man]

Among all the failed football players and unsuccessful bodybuilders there must be a few performers whose first career choice was actually pro wrestling. For some of the biggest stars ever – Hogan, Savage, Sting, Goldberg – it was just a fallback, a way to make money (although they may have become fans). Even Bret Hart, despite being the best scholastic amateur wrestler in Calgary, went to college to train in film production. Rock says wrestling is "in his blood" and he's right, but he only started doing it when he was told he wasn't good enough to be a footballer. John Cena is dubious; we've seen the videos of him executing moves on his pals as a kid ("Don't Try This at Home" temporarily out the window to prove to us "how much Cena loves this!") and making his own title belt, but it seems that he wanted to a pro bodybuilder as an adult.

Okay, so CM Punk's first career choice was pro wrestling. Who else?

 

[sMark]

Foley, Jericho, Mysterio, Hardys, Guerreros, Edge & Christian.

Foley, E & C & Hardys are very close to Cena - being kids, making their own belts, characters etc.

Rey, Guerreros & "I'am from Winnipeg, you idiot!" didn't waste time and went straight to the real rings.

 

[bioshock]

Foley for sure, along with Edge and Christian. And what about William Regal? And Rowdy Piper? Not sure about others but what about DDP and Michael Hayes and Fit Finley. I think some of the guys who were doing this at 16-19 years old are the ones who fully intended to be in wrestling. Don't forget though some have to do what they can before doing what they want.

Wrestling is wrestling, but in most cases you cant be in pro wrestling when your 14..15..16 ect.. years old, unlike football which you can play pee wee football in the 6th grade, or basketball in the 5th grade. Same goes for wrestling, you can do that in the 7th grade, those you can do and get in college doing, not pro wrestling. But those sports can all help if your first choice is wrestling, playing football will help you get there. As will mat wrestling.

 

[pipebomber]

don't forget hbk... he started at 15

 

[enviousdominous]

Rhonda Sing, one of the greatest pro-wrestlers of all time knew she wanted to be a pro-wrestler ever since attending Stampede events in her native Calgary.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Also Paige is a good one too. She is a part of an entire wrestling family & just like some of the guys named like Rey, Eddie, etc. she started when she was super young, her wiki says she was getting into the ring to mess around as early as 10 or 11.

Also I would say just about every other guy to bust his butt for years on the indies just like Punk long before ever making it to the big time (if they even do) would qualify. Like Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Adrian Neville, Finn Balor, etc. I'm sure at least a few of them might have wanted to be something else at one point or another in their lives but those kinds of guys all obviously have a huge passion for what they do & have stuck with it over the years, probably one of the main reasons a lot of the more modern day "hardcore" fans like guys like them.

 

[Goldie]

The British Bulldogs- Both Dynamite and Davey boy debuted as young teenagers. I think Davey was actually 14 when he had his first pro match!

Benoit too was eager to train as a wrestler after being mesmorised by Dynamite

 

[dd23beatlesfan1]

Terry Gordy was another one that debuted when he was a teenager, so he would qualify.

Chris Benoit is another one that wanted to be a pro wrestler from when he was 13.

Shawn Michaels also only wanted to be a pro wrestler.

I guess you could say all of the Von Erich brothers too. I don't believe they did anything else of note before becoming pro wrestlers. Though whether it was their own wishes or more the pushing of their father is up for debate.

Ted Dibiase Sr. is another one. He did play football in college as well and probably could've become a pro football player, but wrestling was always his first love.

 

[Bockwinkel's Class]

Nick Bockwinkel apparently debuted as a teen (second generation wrestler). Played college football but a knee injury killed that.