World Wrestling Entertainment is the pinnacle for those who pursue careers in the professional wrestling industry. Athletes who ascend to the tops of cards and become one of the faces of the WWE are capable of earning millions of dollars per year. They are superstars in every definition of the term, men and women who are offered advertising gigs, movie roles and other opportunities to expand their brands and make boatloads of cash. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the ultimate example of how somebody can use the WWE to become an international sensation and someone worth a fortune. Once known as “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” among people who watch weekly WWE television, The Rock went from performing inside of rings for episodes of Raw and SmackDown to the biggest action-movie star in the world today. The Rock has seen it all and done it all in the pro wrestling industry, and he could, before all is said and done, main-event one more WrestleMania before he decides he is finished working in the industry. Maybe we could see a final edition of The Rock facing John Cena in an icon versus icon battle that determines who is, in fact, the biggest star of the 2000s.

For everything positive one could say about the money and fame that comes with living as a top WWE superstar, such an existence can be stressful for those who become dads and get married before they reach the figurative mountaintop. A plethora of noteworthy and recognizable male and female WWE stars have, for different reasons, quietly gotten divorces during their careers, and some of those breakups were downright heartbreaking. Others currently on the roster are dads who are finding ways to maintain their relationships despite being on the road for hundreds of days each and every year. As cliche as it may be to say, being dads to children while working a WWE schedule may be the most difficult job those wrestlers have. After all, they don’t get to come home and watch television or have a catch in the backyard following a standard 9-to-5 workday. Along with being physically beaten-up due to the punishment they endure on a nightly basis, these dads face difficulties and struggles we mere mortals cannot fathom. WWE fans may have joked upon learning that Titus O’Neil was once named Celebrity Dad of the Year, but we have no doubt that he earned that award.

15 Dad: Brock Lesnar

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion and current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar has done well to keep his private life private throughout his professional careers, so fans may not know that he is a father of four children.

Two of his kids came from a prior relationship, and he has fathered a pair of children with his wife, former WWE star Sable. Lesnar also serves as stepfather for Sable’s daughter whom she had before her and Lesnar became a pair.

It is likely WWE fans will never hear Lesnar discuss his children on programming or as part of a storyline, and that isn’t by accident. The Beast has chosen to separate his work and personal lives, and he prefers to live secluded when he isn’t in front of cameras and working inside of a ring or fighting in a cage. As much as some fans may not like that Lesnar is seen as a part-time worker who shows up to WWE shows when he wants, he has managed to land a contract that pays him millions of dollars and allows him to work his desired schedule. Lesnar is a mercenary, sure, but he is also a brilliant businessman.

14 Divorce: Ric Flair

We are adding “Nature Boy” Ric Flair to the list of “current” WWE stars who got divorced because he is still mentioned on shows such as Raw and SmackDown thanks to his daughter, Charlotte (more on her later), and also because Flair was often quiet about his four wives throughout his career.

That shouldn’t surprise anybody, of course, as the four-time divorced wrestling champion didn’t want it known that he was attached when he was on the road and performing throughout North America. As has been mentioned in multiple documentaries and interviews, Flair earned a reputation for “living the gimmick” during his legendary career, and that involved him being the Nature Boy on and off camera.

This wasn’t always best for his personal life, and Flair has even admitted that he has regrets about decisions he made over the years. Such comments won’t prevent fans of varying ages from wishing that they could follow in Flair’s footsteps and be their own versions of the man who is widely perceived as the greatest to ever work in the industry. Now 69 years old, one may think or even hope that Flair has slowed down. We aren’t so sure he is capable of doing so.

13 Dad: Jeff Hardy

Matt Hardy, brother of Jeff Hardy, has not been shy about the fact that he is married and has children. In fact, his son has even performed on shows such as those that aired on Impact Wrestling. Jeff, on the other hand, has not used his daughters in storylines that involved BROKEN/WOKEN Matt, Brother Nero and the Hardy Compound. We can’t blame the nefarious Brother Nero for choosing to go down this path. Plenty of people would rather do this than be like Matt and use their children in pro wrestling storylines, not that there is anything wrong with Matt having King Maxel pick up the occasional pinfall in comedic matches.

Different people simply live and parent different ways, and it seems Jeff is the type of dad who, like the previously mentioned Lesnar, wants to separate his work persona and life from his personal affairs.

Recently, the WWE split Jeff from Matt when Jeff was moved from Raw to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup. The possibility exists that Jeff could have one last main-event run left in him, as he is a beloved babyface who draws positive reactions from fans around the world. Don’t be shocked if Jeff wins a World Championship before he and the company parts ways.

12 Divorce: Randy Orton

While Randy Orton is currently married and a dad, he also has a divorce on his personal resume. Probably the funniest thing WWE fans have seen from Orton’s relationships was when the WWE gave him a fake wife for a television segment. We wonder how that conversation went behind the scenes and inside of the Orton household. Was it Randy who decided he didn’t want his wife on the air? Did she make the choice? How did that casting call go out? Whatever happened, fans have, since, seen Orton’s actual wife on television at events such as WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies and also pay-per-view shows. Still, one would have to admit it would be pretty funny to witness Orton’s actual wife and his fake wife interact with each other during a backstage segment.

That may kill off The Viper gimmick, as it would humanize the former World Champion, but it would give us something fresh to see in the character. Not to complain or anything, but the man who was once known as the Legend Killer has become somewhat stale as a wrestler who is currently taking losses to the likes of Jeff Hardy in championship contests on major shows.

11 Dad: Mustafa Ali

Mustafa Ali is one of the feel-good stories on the current WWE roster. Ali has discussed his journey in the professional wrestling industry and his personal life in interviews that have aired on the WWE Network, but fans who skipped those segments may not know that the Cruiserweight is a dad who has a son and a daughter. One remarkable aspect about his career is that Ali was not originally planned to wrestle in the first WWE Cruiserweight Classic, but the company reached out to him after a different athlete could not perform because of visa issues. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Ali clearly made a positive impression in front of Triple H and others working within the WWE, as the promotion gave him a contract for Raw and the 205 Live show following that initial tournament. The WWE has not yet pulled the trigger on putting a championship on Ali, but it seems as if it will be only a matter of time before he has a belt around his waist. His imploding 450 splash, also referred to as the 054, is one of the most unique moves fans see from anybody wrestling for the WWE in the spring of 2018.

10 Divorce: The Undertaker

Depending on your age and when you started actively following the WWE, you may have forgotten or missed that Sara, Undertaker’s real-life wife, became an on-air character involved in storylines with wrestlers such as Diamond Dallas Page.

You may not know that Sara was actually Undertaker’s second wife, and that his first marriage, like his relationship with Sara, ended in divorce.

The pro wrestling industry has often brought performers together, and that was the case with Undertaker and former Diva Michelle McCool. McCool, who was famously loving life during her early days on the main roster, and Undertaker welcomed their first child into the world back in 2012, and both the Deadman and the WWE have been slightly more open about showing her in the audience at shows than in the past. One does not have to be an insider or wrestling journalist to realize Undertaker is in the twilight of one of the greatest careers in WWE history. We can’t help but wonder if McCool and Undertaker’s children will join him on the stage whenever he has his night at a Hall of Fame ceremony in the future. That would involve him not living his gimmick, something he often hasn’t embraced.

9 Dad: Chad Gable

The WWE gave fans looks and information about Chad Gable’s life before pro wrestling before he became a star and a Tag Team Champion in NXT and, later, on the SmackDown roster, but you may not know that he is a dad.

In fact, Gable and his wife welcomed their second daughter into the world this past January, something the company quietly acknowledged on its official website.

Gable’s wife and children have not been major parts of his character’s persona on television, and the assumption is that we likely won’t see them on episodes of Raw or on pay-per-view shows for whatever reasons. Here is hoping Gable is able to maintain his privacy, if that is his wish, and also that he will receive some sort of push after being moved from SmackDown to Raw in the Superstar Shakeup that occurred after WrestleMania 34. Gable isn’t one of the biggest guys on the roster, but he is a proven and gifted athlete who can get the job done in the ring and play either a heel or babyface if given the opportunity to shine. He is too good to be wasted in the mid-card or as a jobber in a tag team by the WWE.

8 Divorce: Goldust

WWE fans have been watching Goldust perform on television since even before the Attitude Era, so it is easy to forget that his former wife played a character in the promotion when the two were together.

He and Terri, who also went by Marlena, divorced, and the son of “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes apparently married a second time in the early 2000s. That relationship, one some fans may not have known about, also ended in divorce.

He married a third time in 2012, and it seems those two are going strong as Goldust continues to perform with the WWE. The veteran of the industry who turned 49 years old earlier this spring has discussed his different personal struggles in past interviews, but he worked to defeat such demons and, ultimately, make a triumphant return to the WWE and work alongside his father and his half-brother, Cody, for a time. Cody is now working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and other promotions, but fans can hope that he will eventually make his way back to the WWE for one last program involving Goldust before “The Natural” decides that it is his time to hang his boots up for good.

7 Dad: Tony Nese

Tony Nese is known as the Premier Athlete in the WWE. The Cruiserweight may also be the premier dad in the eyes of his daughter, somebody Nese has referenced in social media posts but has not discussed while playing a heel on 205 Live. It was reported that Triple H took over control of the Cruiserweight division and 205 Live from Vince McMahon earlier this year, something that may go against Nese knowing how Vince has reportedly felt about people who look like the sculpted Nese looks when wrestling. He may not be the best overall performer in that division, but nobody can deny that the guy supposedly has everything McMahon would want in a star among Cruiserweight performers.

Granted, the Nese character still needs some work, but that can be developed as others are headlining shows and competing for the main title. We would not mind seeing Nese paired up with another great athlete for a tag team division if the WWE is serious about creating one for the Cruiserweights. A purple championship belt would cover each of his verified abs (check his Twitter to get the joke), but he’d probably be fine with that; or he could just place the title over his shoulder.

6 Divorce: Kurt Angle

An old wrestling adage that is both humorous and accurate teaches that a wrestler probably shouldn’t have his wife play alongside him as a character if he wants for her to remain his wife for long. Those of us on the outside who don’t know them personally cannot say, for certain, that Karen Angle being introduced to fans while in Impact Wrestling definitely resulted in that divorce, but it may not have helped matters.

Along with being a dad from that previous relationship, Kurt has also fathered three children with his current wife, actress Giovanna Yannotti. We’re not exactly sure who the mother of Jason Jordan, Angle’s on-air son thanks to one of the worst storylines presented by the WWE in 2017, is supposed to be or if we’ll ever see this woman on Raw or at a pay-per-view. Then again, let’s just throw that entire angle (pun intended) into the trash and agree to act as if it never happened in the first place. It wouldn’t be the first time the WWE went down this road regarding a character or story. Remember when Kofi Kingston had an accent, or when Lana was definitely a Russian? Let’s just let Jordan be Jordan.

5 Dad: Apollo Crews

We can’t blame you if you feel annoyed and disappointed with how the WWE has treated the Apollo Crews character since even before he debuted on the main roster. There were such high hopes for Crews when the company presented him to fans via fascinating and entertaining videos ahead of his in-ring debut. He talked about his parents and his journey through the independent scene all the way to the WWE.

One thing Crews did not discuss was a desire to have a child, something that happened to him in June 2017 when he and his partner welcomed Sade Sofiya into their lives.

Fans have not seen much of Sade or Crews’ other half on television, probably because the WWE has largely squandered this tremendous performer who could use a refresh or a jump start. Maybe the WWE should think about turning him heel, or perhaps he merely needs somebody to serve as his mouthpiece, manager and/or valet. Whatever the case, we hope the WWE figures it out with Crews, because he should be having great matches with main-event wrestlers rather than taking part in forgettable feuds and storylines that do nothing for him or for his persona in the promotion.

4 Divorce: Charlotte

Unless you have caught interviews in which Charlotte Flair is open and honest about her personal life, you may not know that she has been divorced twice over the years.

She has talked about her first marriage to Riki Johnson, a relationship that ended following what she described as multiple domestic violence incidents. She was also married to a performer who made his name as Bram in Impact Wrestling.

The daughter of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair who worked to evolve into one of the best women on the current roster does not talk about these real-life issues while working on episodes of SmackDown, but she has discussed them during segments that aired on the WWE Network, in her book and for interviews published by media outlets such as ESPN. Charlotte is wrestling royalty and the daughter of the man who is considered to be the greatest pro wrestler of all time by plenty who watch and cover the product, but do not discount the fact that she has become one of the faces of the WWE on her own and due to her hard work and skills. In all, Charlotte is one of the best wrestlers, male or female, signed by the WWE as of May 2018.

3 Dad: Curt Hawkins

We decided to add Curt Hawkins to the list of current WWE stars who are dads not just because he has a beautiful daughter in his life. Hawkins deserves to get any win he can get these days, even if it is merely being mentioned in a list. We don’t have any reason to believe the WWE is going to push Hawkins outside of making a t-shirt that honored his epic losing streak, but that doesn’t mean the guy isn’t an entertaining follow on social media.

As of the typing of this sentence, his alleged streak is at 0-192 according to his Twitter page. That’s right up there with streaks accumulated by Goldberg and Asuka! Hawkins is an admitted die-hard fan of Major League Baseball club the New York Mets, so he is definitely used to feeling heartbreak that comes with watching sports entities lose time and time again. Maybe Hawkins should consider working on his pitching rather than his wrestling and see if he could give the Mets a hand either in the rotation or the bullpen. He couldn’t be worse than several of the players who are signed by the Amazins, and he wouldn’t have a goofy nickname such as “The Dark Knight.”

2 Divorce: John Cena

Odds are that most, if not all, WWE fans reading this are aware that John Cena and Nikki Bella ended their relationship in the spring of 2018 ahead of their scheduled marriage. You may not know, however, that Cena's first and only marriage ended in divorce back in 2012. Cena’s personal life has been a subject of shows such as Total Divas, and it has been written about by knowledgeable reporters who have learned about his supposed desire to never have children.

One could reasonably say that Cena is an example of how being fully committed to working as a top WWE superstar can be taxing on one’s personal life. Cena meets with fans all around the world, and he has hosted talk shows and accepted acting gigs when not wrestling as a member of the WWE main roster. Some assumed that his relationship and planned marriage was a sign that he was slowing down and possibly even thinking about retiring as an in-ring worker. Maybe there is something to the notion that Cena does not want to completely leave the WWE as The Rock did when he became a movie star, or perhaps married life is just not for the leader of the CeNation.

1 Dad: Pete Dunne

We end with the WWE United Kingdom Champion who recently informed the world that he will become a dad later this year. Pete Dunne took to Instagram in May to announce that he is expecting his first child, who is scheduled to be born in November. Fans may have a difficult time imagining The Bruiserweight and the man who carries his championship belt to the ring via his teeth as a dad. We’re sure one of the members of British Strong Style is up to the challenge and excited for his new role away from the ring.

As a member of the WWE roster, Dunne has become one of the more popular figures of the NXT brand. It looks as if he will be involved in an intriguing storyline in NXT heading into the summer months, and we wonder if a call-up to the main roster will be in his future following SummerSlam. Dunne has the goods to work in the Cruiserweight division and on 205 Live, and he could be the champion that show needs come the fall. Then again, we are going to have no complaints watching Dunne take part in five-star classics in NXT if that is the plan for him.