During his tenure as head of talent relations in WWE, Jim Ross would suggest to his whole team that they have some sort of formal education. The sports entertainment business is certainly not for everyone and career threatening, shortening, or even career-ending injuries can happen at any time. It’s a good idea to have a fallback plan.
Some WWE superstars then, now, and forever heeded this advice and got some sort of academic degree. Not just “meaningless” arts degrees either, but the kinds of degrees that plenty of businesses love to see on resumes.
10 Drew McIntyre
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As a boy, Drew McIntyre had a unique hobby. He would use the United States’ Freedom Of Information act and send away for all sorts of redacted documents. While that didn’t lead to a career of chasing down conspiracies and “little green men,” it did lead The Scottish Warrior to a Master’s Degree in Criminology from Glasgow Caledonian University. While he was studying, he was also studying how to be a wrestler, which his parents supported as long he continued his schooling.
9 Chad Gable
Despite his status as a heel, Chad Gable is quite the role model. The Minnesota native headed to college as an amateur wrestler for Northwestern Michigan. He got his bachelors degree for the school as well as wrestled for them and in the Olympics.
It wasn’t until he was part of WWE that he went back to school, this time at Full Sail to become a real Master. He added to his Motion Graphics Bachelor with a Masters in Media Design from Full Sail in 2021.
8 Jake Hager
Since his debut in AEW, Jake Hager has always been Chris Jericho’s side. Thanks to the pairing, the big Oakie has been used far better in All Elite than anything WWE has done with him. He graduated from his state’s alma matter not just as a duel-sport athlete in Football and Wrestling, but a Bachelor’s in Finance. He was ready to embark on a career in that field before heading to WWE developmental.
7 Matt Striker
Plenty of superstars have academic degrees, but they’re typically not moonlighting their day jobs by trying to make towns! He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History, and a Master’s in Educational Psychology. But as he embarked on a full time teaching career, he was using his sick time to wrestle in Japan. Once he was found out, the New York Board Of Education let him go.
6 Daniel Garcia
One of the hottest rising stars in the business is right now is AEW’s Daniel Garcia. The Dragon Slayer is not even 25 and clearly has years to go. If he’s already this good now, imagine how he’ll be in ten more years. Thankfully, he has the ability to do that, let alone walk.
In 2019, he broke both of his legs in a nasty car accident with several other wrestlers. It’s also during this time that Garcia resumed his studies at Buffalo State and earned his Bachelor’s in communications.
5 Dolph Ziggler
Die hard fans can bemoan Creative all they want to about how Dolph Ziggler has never been booked like a top guy, he should’ve been a top guy, he’s wasted. However, for nearly twenty years, the guy has made a lot of money getting to live the life and have the hobbies that most of us fans dream of. So don’t cry for Dolph’s booking. He’s also no slouch academically either. He established a slew of amateur records at his alma matter of Kent State. He received a degree in Pre-Law and Political Science and was accepted to Law School at Arizona State, but the WWE came calling.
4 Big E
The Powerhouse Of Positivity finally made it to the mountaintop late last year to become the WWE champion. Unfortunately and botched up has put him on the shelf for an indeterminate amount of time while he is convalescing. While not as academic as some of the other members of this list, Big E was able to earn a Bachelor’s in Arts from Iowa state while he was playing football and powerlifting.
3 Mandy Rose
Late last year, Mandy Rose began a career resurgence when he headed to NXT. She quickly defeated Raquel Gonzales and has dominated the Women’s division ever since as the Women’s champion. She’s got the entertainment chops, and certainly has the beauty and brawn to win fitness competitions like she used to. But should she ever want to, Mandy Rose also has her degree in Speech Pathology from Iona College and could fall back on that as a career.
2 Bobby Lashley
It took a little over a decade for the wrestling world to come around to him, but we are all finally living in The Almighty Era. There aren’t many wrestlers in the world better than Lashley right now.
He headed to college in Missouri and did what he does - dominate the wrestling competition. But he also earned a degree in Human Service Management And Recreation Administration.
1 D’Lo Brown
One of the first ever instances fans heard of a wrestler also having a degree was the first ever Euro-Continental champion, D’Lo Brown. As a member of several groups throughout Smoky Mountain and then the WWE, his early days in the business were spent more as cannon fodder. He also was spending his time getting a degree as an accountant. The guy had one of the best duel career paths of all time. Plenty of wrestlers don’t understand how they have to pay their taxes and right in the locker room was a friend who was able to help them.