Many professional wrestlers have dedicated their careers to one thing: wrestling. A career after the action in the ring is often an afterthought. For some, a position as an agent, trainer, or on-air personality exists, but this is not the case for most. A life out of the limelight and without the lucrative income has left some performers in despair.
However, some have found great success and contentment in other ventures. These retired wrestlers have found new careers in an arena outside of professional wrestling.
10 Scott Steiner
Wrestling has been the lifeblood of Scott Steiner from youth amateur days through his professional wrestling career. While it may be difficult to picture Big Poppa Pump doing anything but going on verbal tirades or terrorizing opponents in the ring, he has now found new life in the service industry.
The Big Bad Booty Daddy is the proud owner/operator of Shoney's Kitchen and Bar in Acworth, Georgia. Scott appears to be embracing his new career and his business is prospering. Holla if ya hear me!
9 Rick Steiner
The other half of the legendary Steiner Brothers tag team, the dog-faced gremlin has always had a wild and maniacal character. The locker room and road stories of the Steiner brother are equally legendary.
These days, Rick's barking and biting gimmick has now transitioned to making decisions on the Cherokee County, Georgia school board. He also is a successful real estate agent in North Metro, Atlanta. Rick appears to have found success and happiness in both, and he says he's content that his days of mayhem are behind him.
8 Kane
Glenn Jacobs aka Kane has evolved in a number of capacities since retiring from his career with the WWE. His character Kane was both haunting and viscous, and his presence was enormous. Standing nearly 7 foot tall and 350 pounds, this masked villain was a 3-time WWE champion.
Glenn Jacobs now resides as the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He and his wife Crystal also own an insurance agency. With Kane's days of fire and brimstone behind him, his focus in business and politics is firmly in place.
7 Tito Santana
During the 1980s, Tito Santana was one of the most popular babyfaces in wrestling. Tall, athletic, and full of charisma, Tito could also deliver in the ring. Today, he goes by his real name, Merced Solis, as a middle school Spanish teacher in Roxbury Township, New Jersey.
He is often reminded by his students' parents how enamored they were with him as Tito Santana. He also coaches basketball at the school. Santana occasionally appears at an independent show, but Señor Solis, as he is now known, is fully invested in his career as an educator.
6 Diamond Dallas Page
After an unsuccessful (and highly cheesy) gimmick of manager and wrestler in the early days of WCW, DDP is now the president and CEO of a renowned multi-million dollar company called DDP Yoga, or DDPY.
People of all ages and goals have found solace from the benefits of this program, which focus on a diverse number of modalities including weight loss, flexibility, and rehabilitation. Many professional wrestlers have found life-changing success, as well. Chris Jericho, Scott Hall, and Jake The Snake Roberts all swear by DDPY.
5 Haku
Widely regarded as the toughest wrestler of all time, the stories of Haku are legendary. In the ring, his crazed islander character resonated with fans, eagerly waiting to see the Tongan death grip incapacitate his next victim.
These days, Haku can be found managing the detail shop at a Toyota dealership in Kissimmee, Florida. Haku still has fond memories of his career in WCW and the WWE, and will occasionally perform at an independent show. In recent interviews, he seems calm, articulate, and happy, embracing life after wrestling.
4 Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin epitomized rebelliousness and attitude during his run as Stone Cold. Guzzling beer, brawling, and using his finishing move, the Stunner, on everyone from Santa Claus to Linda McMahon, his popularity rivals anyone in the history of the business.
Stone Cold's passion and charisma is now applied toward two business ventures. His Broken Skull IPA beer has received high praise. He also hosted his Broken Skill Challenge show on CMT. The reality program ran from 2014-2017, pitting contestants against each other in physical and skill competitions.
3 The Rock
During the Attitude Era of the late '90s and early 2000s, Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson was at the pinnacle of popularity. His self-proclaimed moniker of “the most electrifying man in professional wrestling” was embraced by fans. Whether a heel or babyface, The Rock always evoked emotion from the crowd.
He started to divert from the WWE and began a venture in making action movies. In short order, this became his primary focus. For the last decade, Dwayne Johnson has been the most successful former wrestler in terms of money earned and fan popularity. Today, he is still receiving high profile movie deals.
2 Jesse Ventura
Jesse “The Body” Ventura has always been over the top and done it his own way. His colorful outfits, brash opinions, and iconic mic skills made him easily recognizable. His signature moniker of “The Body” spoke to his muscular physique and egocentric personality.
In 1999, Jesse would reinvent himself to become the 38th Governor of his home state of Minnesota. He has written books and also hosted podcasts and television shows focusing on conspiracy theories. Jesse has always done it his way and taken pride in living up to his claim of “telling it like it is.”
1 Chris Jericho
While Y2J is still active in the ring with AEW, his side gigs are both entertaining and widely popular. Chris is the frontman for the heavy metal band Fozzy, who has opened for bands like Kiss and Iron Maiden. In 2019, Fozzy achieved a big milestone, signing with Sony Music.
They are also slated to release their eighth studio album in 2020. Chris has also made a name for himself as the host of the acclaimed podcast Talk is Jericho. Part of the podcast's success lies in its diversity; including interviewing wrestling and music legends, as well as a recurring discussion on the paranormal and cryptozoology.