WWE is widely known for its larger than life characters such as The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and WWE’s Women’s Division is no different. Former female superstars like Trish Stratus, Beth Phoenix and A.J. Lee all had entertaining gimmicks in their WWE careers as well. With the "Women’s Evolution" in full gear, WWE has stocked their developmental NXT with the world’s best female athletes. The company has already raided the NXT roster before to bring up these talented superstars who are ready to tackle the Raw and SmackDown brands. Gone are the days of the "smart, sexy and powerful" Divas. Now, WWE is stacked with a wide variety of female professional wrestlers with their own specific characters and gimmicks.
Just like the male superstars, the Women’s Division has their characters too. From the pedigree of Charlotte Flair, to the spunk of Alexa Bliss, these characters keep fans on their toes wondering which direction the storylines will pull these superstars. While it’s these characters the fans want to see, the truth is some of these women are as far from their characters behind the curtain as they can be. Obviously, some of these women aren’t the villains they portray, but even the babyface characters can be separated from who they really are.
Still, not all characters are as different from their real life personalities as one might think. For the male WWE superstars like The Rock or John Cena, the person you seen on the screen is who they really are even behind the scenes. The Women’s Division has these superstars as well, who are similar, if not identical, to the gimmick they’re portraying on TV. For some of these women, their personality or their brand is unique enough to not warrant a gimmick, and they are simply playing themselves. This article is about these female superstars who are like the characters they play in WWE, and those superstars who are playing someone totally different. Here are 10 female WWE stars who are nothing like their characters, and 5 who are the same.
15 Different: Stephanie McMahon
The Billion Dollar Princess has come a long way as a businesswoman and as a character in WWE. Stephanie McMahon went from the spoiled “dirty, filthy, disgusting, bottom feeding, trash bag…” (well, you remember the quote) to the powerful general manager of Raw and one half of The Authority. Stephanie has played the hero, standing up to her father, as well as a villain, sabotaging the rise of Daniel Bryan.
Stephanie’s character has definitely received polarizing responses from fans, but the real Stephanie is far from the witch she portrays on television.
Despite being labeled as one of the most vilified characters in WWE, Stephanie sure hasn’t made it easy to hate on her. Her work with children’s hospitals and Make-A-Wish Foundation is very admirable and makes a huge difference to those kids. She doesn’t have to make those appearances, but takes up her free time to do so. Hate her character all you want, but Stephanie, the person, isn’t the tyrannical manipulative villain she makes herself out to be. At least, not to those kids, anyway.
14 Different: Sarah Logan
Sarah Logan is a newcomer to the WWE’s SmackDown roster and is currently portraying a villainous Riott Sqaud member. Believe it or not, this isn’t Logan’s first WWE appearance in WWE. She’s portrayed a concession manager with Kane, an extra for a spoof of Viagra, a backstage make-up artist for The Miz and a Rosebud. Even before her arrival in WWE, Logan portrayed her Crazy Mary Dobson character which is similar to the crazed Nikki Cross character.
Her character currently may be closer to her real personality, however, the real Sarah Logan can actually be understood when she’s speaking.
Sarah Logan has been nominated by fans for the worst backstage promo of 2017. Logan is apparently aiming for a southern belle character, but her accent is so exaggerated no one can even understand her. While she may be from the south and outdoorsy in real life, the real Sarah Logan's southern twang has never been difficult to interpret until now. Not to mention Logan isn't just about the outdoors. She loves staying in and playing video games as well. Who knows where they're going with this character, but Logan definitely isn’t the southern hillbilly WWE is trying to make her out to be.
13 Same: Shayna Baszler
Like Ronda Rousey and many of these former UFC fighters that are entering professional wrestling, Shayna Baszler has arrived in NXT with seemingly no character at all. WWE is letting Baszler’s background in UFC as an actually fighter do the talking. Baszler is a legit fighter so that may be enough for a time, but you have to wonder how long that will hold the attention of fans. Regardless, what you see on NXT is pretty much Shayna Baszler in real life.
Baszler has 15 legit wins in MMA (albeit 11 losses also) so there’s no questioning Baszler’s credibility.
Although her name doesn't carry as much weight as a Ronda Rousey, WWE didn't bother to give Baszler a new moniker and are hoping her real name will promote her better than any gimmick. If she acts the same way in WWE as she did in UFC and carries herself like a fighter she should be just fine.
12 Different: Sonya Deville
Like Shayna Baszler, Sonya Deville is a legitimate Mixed Martial Artist. Though she doesn’t have the MMA career that Baszler does, Deville is still incorporating her MMA style into her character and her wrestling, adding a lot of kicks to her repertoire and applying an MMA-esque ring attire.
While she is a no nonsense character on screen, the real Sonya Deville, Daria Berenato, is a lot different without the MMA gloves off screen.
While Sonya Deville may be one of the more legit fighters in WWE, she can still turn the emotionless ultimate fighter gimmick off and enjoy her real life softer side. Her Instagram account actually shows Deville smiling which is a sharp contrast from her hardened member of Absolution character she plays on TV.
11 Different: Lana
WWE should have done everyone a favor and dropped the whole Lana gimmick after splitting her up from Rusev. Despite being on the same brand, WWE decided to break Lana away from the manager role and turn her into a wrestler. The experiment isn’t exactly working, and her “Ravishing Russian” character is pointless in its current state. WWE should have sent Lana down to NXT to train and create a new character since no one believes Lana is Russian anymore anyway.
On Total Divas, WWE doesn’t even try to hide that Lana is actually an American model born in Florida. Her accent is completely gone and, of course, has no animosity to the U.S. whatsoever. Props to Lana for trying to get good in the ring, but the Lana character has been exposed long ago. Time to give it up.
10 Same: Bayley
Much like John Cena, Bayley has fully embraced her role as a superhero to young kids. “The Huggable One” isn’t just a gimmick to get her over as a babyface. Bayley's affinity for providing hugs is seen outside of Monday Night Raw also.
Whether it’s before a show or at a Make-A-Wish event or a meet and greet with fans, Bayley wears a big smile, brings the positive energy and literally embraces her supportive fans.
Despite her widespread support, WWE officials don’t seem to be as supportive. Bayley’s sketchy booking and a teased heel turn have fans worried that Bayley’s lovable hugger character may be in danger. Her feud with best friend on Raw, and best friend in real life, Sasha Banks, may be the storyline that changes Bayley’s character and separates it from Bayley’s real life sweetheart personality.
9 Different: Maryse
Fans may not have missed Maryse when she departed from WWE, but they definitely remember her. Maryse's supermodel good looks and her snobbish French Canadian attitude were great at generating heat. However, her ring work was subpar, and Maryse's character wasn’t exactly going anywhere. Still, fans welcomed her back, and her role managing her real life husband, The Miz, has exceeded expectations.
Maryse, with The Miz, got involved in a feud with Nikki Bella and John Cena, allowing Maryse to tone down her stuck up attitude and tone down her exaggerated French Canadian accent. At the same time, Maryse showed off her hilarious side, mocking Nikki, all while retaining her status as a villain. Not to mention Total Divas has shown fans that Maryse is not the prissy villain she plays on TV and actually gets along with her fellow WWE colleges. Well, everybody but The Bella Twins that is.
8 Different: Alexa Bliss
The Goddess of WWE has succeeded on Smackdown, and is succeeding on Raw. If Alexa Bliss (dare I say) retired now, her career in WWE would still be considered a huge success. Thankfully, Alexa is just getting started, but her desire to win and be the best at everything she does isn’t a gimmick. “Little Miss Bliss” has always wanted to be the best whether it was cheerleading, gymnastics, track, softball, kickboxing or competitive bodybuilding.
Her competitive nature isn’t surprising to people who know her, however, her convincing heel character shocked everybody including her parents.
The real Alexa Bliss isn’t the mean girl she plays on TV. Bliss is actually a girly-girl sweetheart, who loves Disney and loves her real life best friend, Nia Jax. With Bliss being only 26, she is big into pop culture which is so unusual hearing the malign "Goddess" who body shamed Nia Jax also talk about NSYNC.
7 Same: Ronda Rousey
“The Baddest Women on the Planet” (aside from Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes) has arrived in WWE! Like Shayna Baszler, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey needs no gimmick apparently. WWE is banking on the Ronda Rousey brand to sell itself, and unlike Shayna Baszler, it’s a much easier sell. Rousey is definitely one of the baddest female wrestlers in WWE, and her name carries a lot of weight with wrestling fans and casual fans alike.
Despite two devastating losses in UFC, Ronda Rousey is still one of the most recognized names, not just in MMA, but in all of sports. For now, Ronda doesn’t need a gimmick and has a strong enough fanbase. Ronda’s preparation for WrestleMania is not unlike a big fight, and she is ready to tackle this new stage of her life. Hopefully, like Brock Lesnar, who is also basically just portraying himself, the fans don’t become bored with Rousey.
6 Different: Alicia Fox
Alicia Fox has been in the WWE longer than any other female on the roster. She’s won a complimentary Divas Championship, but the company hasn’t really given her a gimmick or a character for almost as long as she’s been in the company.
While she remains a jobber for the most part, Foxy was able to find an intriguing character for herself that is surprisingly entertaining, albeit crazy and over-the-top.
Fox debuted a crazy side to her character which is significantly better than no character at all. Fox took the character to the next level by becoming captain of the Raw’s Women’s Team. Wearing the captain’s hat and making announcements like she was a captain of a plane was pretty entertaining, but thankfully, behind the scenes, she doesn't take her gimmick seriously. Fox is a completely normal person and is not riding the crazy train in her personal life to our relief.
5 Different: Nia Jax
If WWE is trying to push Nia Jax as a monster heel, the “Irresistible Force” hasn’t quite panned out. Nia was great at destroying local jobbers, but losing big matches hasn’t helped protect her unstoppable image. However, her attacks on Sasha Banks and lately Asuka helped remind fans that she is not like most girl and is still looking to dominate the WWE’s Women’s Division.
While Nia plays the monster on Raw, she is anything but a monster in her personal life.
She can seriously crush it at the gym, but she can also display an amazing outgoing personality with a great sense of humor that she has to have gotten from her cousin The Rock. And yes, Nia isn’t a size 0, but she is using her body type to inspire other girls who have suffered from body shaming while speaking openly about her own personal struggles with bullying and negativity. In all honesty, WWE should probably consider promoting more of her real personality.
4 Same: Naomi
Fans didn’t exactly have high expectations for Naomi, but she has won fans over with her surprising athletic abilities. Despite not having years of wrestling experience, Naomi has held her own in WWE and has become a two time WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion. Naomi’s character started as a Funkadactyl for Brodus Clay which fit well with Naomi’s cheerleading background. However, since the breakup of the Funkadactyls, Naomi really hasn't had a character at all.
Naomi in the WWE ring is pretty much the Naomi behind the scenes. She’s a little flashier during her entrance than she is in real life, but, for the most part, Naomi is the same person on television as she is meeting with the fans or hanging out with her real life husband Jimmy Uso.
3 Different: Ruby Riott
Ruby Riott is not your average “Diva” which is fine since the Diva brand has been virtually phased out. Still, Ruby seems to go out of her way to be this anti-Diva with the questionable tattoos, piercings and by sticking out her tongue whenever the camera is around. However, the real person behind the heel leader of the Riott Squad isn’t always the complete tomboy she makes herself out to be.
Ruby Riott is definitely not going for the glamorous look on Smackdown, and she’s certainly not your typical girl next door. However, Ruby Riott is also not afraid to look attractive on her social media and in her private life. Despite her villainous desire to turn the Smackdown Women’s Division upside down, Ruby isn’t the antisocial, wicked outcast she makes herself out to be in real life either. Ruby can dress herself up on her Instagram and has plenty of good friends inside the WWE and out.
2 Different: Nikki Cross
Believe it or not, Nikki Cross is not the crazed member of SAnitY behind the scenes. Much like the other members of her stable, the Scottish born WWE superstar on NXT found herself an awesome character who thrives on chaos, destruction and pain. Cross is fully immersed in her gimmick, grinning after taking a brutal table spot during her matches.
However, Nicola Glencross, while quirky, is actually a normal, down to earth person in everyday life.
Nikki Cross has been wrestling for a long time before landing her deranged NXT character. You can tell from older promos how "normal" she can act. You can also tell from her visit with a young victim of the Manchester Terror Attack that, despite her dark, mentally unstable character on screen, off screen Nikki Cross has a heart of gold.
1 Same: Sasha Banks
It’s Boss Time! Sasha Banks is the confident, almost cocky, four time Raw Women’s Champion. Her strut, her hair, her shades and her bling give her that legit look of a “Boss.” Sasha strives to be the best on Raw and even went so far as to eliminate her (real life) best friend, Bayley from the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble. Even though Sasha is only hinting at a turn, we’ve seen from her NXT days just how dastardly she can be. While Sasha in real life isn't as evil as she had portrayed herself in NXT, Sasha lives her gimmick as the legit Boss inside the ring and out.
Sasha has her young fans and may be the most popular women’s wrestler at the moment, but make no mistake about it, her confidence is real. Whether it’s her character on screen or her backstage gaming before a WWE event, Sasha truly wants to be the best at everything she does and get the "W."