Kevin Nash is arguably one of the most well-known and respected names in the entire WWE, and possibly even the world of wrestling, period. Nash took home the title of World Heavyweight Champion in 1995, and two decades later was brought into the Hall of Fame. Now, Nash is actually doing quite well for himself in the realm of acting.
You may have seen Kevin Nash playing such roles as “Tarzan,” in Magic Mike, who was one of Mike’s male stripper buddies. He first dipped his toes in the acting pool in the second rendering of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, The Secret of the Ooze, and kept it pretty consistent afterward. He has also acted on television, appearing on shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Love Boat.
Paul Burchill: Firefighter
When Burchill first hit the scene, fans really seemed to like him. But things never really did pan out for him in the WWE. It seems as though there was somewhat of an identity crisis in finding out how to play this character that suited him, but unfortunately, he never found his true identity in the ring. In fact, officials brought in on-stage sister Katie Lea to see if she might be able to successfully partner up with him, but that failed, too.
Finally, Burchill threw in the towel and left the ring for good in 2010. After he retired, Burchill decided to try his hand at fighting fires and saving lives. He got a degree in nursing science before becoming a firefighter in his home state of Kentucky where he lives with his wife and three boys. Check out how this former Diva Champion capitalized on her triple-threat status.
Bella Sisters Takeover
Gorgeous twin siblings Brie and Nikki Bella hit the scene in 2006 when they entered the WWE Diva Search. Over the years, each sister claimed the title of Diva Champion, with Nikki actually winning it twice. During a match, the twins would pull a switch-a-roo and sub in for one another if one of them needed a break, they called this signature move “Twin Magic.” In fact, it was actually Brie that claimed the second Diva Champion crown, defending her sister's title while pretending she was her.
Nikki went on to draw WWE superstar, John Cena’s, attention her way when they met while training in Florida Championship Wrestling, a sector of the larger organization. The wrestlers actually ended up becoming pretty serious and they even got engaged at one point. However, after the WWE’s golden couple spent a year planning the wedding, things took a turn for the worse and they ultimately ended their relationship in 2018.
Chris Jericho: Rockstar?
Jericho made a name for himself as a badass wrestler when he popularized his move, “The Walls of Jericho,” which was an escalated version of the “Boston Crab.” Once he’d gotten his opponent in position, he’d drop that move and it was all over for them. But what did Chris Jericho decide to do when his wrestling days were over? Well, he decided to sing, of course!
Jericho followed his musical passions when he retired from the WWE, forming the band “Fozzy,” in 99’. Fozzy was no simple garage band, either. In fact, Slash asked Jericho and his band to come on tour with them one year. Some speculated that Slash invited them along because he was a fan of Jericho’s WWE moves, but Slash denied the claims, offering up instead that Fozzy would have complimented him on the tour.
AJ Lee: Wrestler Turned Writer
AJ Lee, who was born as April Jeanette Mendez, has made quite a name for herself in the world of wrestling. Lee kicked off her professional wrestling career from Florida in 2007, where she worked with WWE’s developmental branch for a couple of years before being promoted. Lee’s fanbase grew along with her success as AJ Lee, a character who was a bit unstable in the head department but loved nonetheless.
In 2017, Lee published an autobiography that she titled Crazy is My Superpower. The book gained national recognition and allowed her to move into the role of producer at WWE. In fact, the book was such a hit that there are rumors it is being made into a television show of its own. Supposedly, Lee will even be writing up a number of the show’s episodes. We’ll keep our eyes peeled!