The wrestling business is and has always been full of larger than life characters with often larger than life physiques. For years, audiences have marvelled at the physical specimens walking to the ring to fight and wrestle for glory. Of course the wrestling business has not only featured muscular wrestlers, as a lot of overweight wrestlers have still had stellar careers and have even become legends in the sport.
A lot of fans, however, gravitate towards the muscular sort, as most often it is these types of wrestlers that get more of a push and better opportunities in the ring. Although being on the road almost 325 days a year can most definitely have its toll, and a lot of injuries, jet lag, and personal problems can often get in the way of a good workout. These days most employees of WWE make time to work out, but in the early days it wasn't so easy.
That’s why it’s often the case that some wrestlers only achieve the bodies they’ve always dreamed of attaining after retirement from the ring. With more time on their hands and an ability to diet, they change their bodies for the better as you’ll soon read. While some of these men truly are great examples, others definitely retired and put their feet up to take it easy in their later years.
However in other cases, some retired wrestlers decide to let it all go and they’d much rather chill and relax as they enjoy the time they’ve been given after working so hard for so long. What follows are examples of both.
20 Ripped After Leaving: Al Snow
Al Snow entertained audiences throughout the attitude era and he was popular not only for his in ring ability, but for the often very funny angles and storylines he was given by creative. Most times he ran with it, never looking back, but every now and again, even he fell short on his delivery, but most of the time no one was the wiser and he was indeed a fan favourite.
As he competed in the ring both in ECW and the WWE, his physique was never considered amazing by any way shape or form… he was primarily average, although he did have the cardio to last in long matches. Later in his career, he turned to training younger wrestlers and he himself started to train a lot harder, as he’s in the best shape of his life. People who remember Al from back in the day are still shocked when they see him at indy events every now and again.
19 Took It Easy: Barry Windham
Barry comes from an era of wrestling where physiques were a little more simple. Wrestlers didn’t really look like bodybuilders, but ring shape was shown in a different way … basically how well they moved from move to move, how they carried themselves, and strength was shown in a wrestler’s capacity to beat his opponent. A definite far cry from what we see today.
But even such wrestlers can eventually get in bad shape as can be proven with the likes of Windham. What served as big boy good looks and strength, have now turned to paunch and a sedentary existence. He hasn’t done much to keep up with his exercising since his retirement and it unfortunately shows.
18 Ripped After Leaving: Kozlov
Vladimir Kozlov was meant to have been a force to be reckoned with back in his time in WWE, but a tight schedule and difficulty to diet kept a decent amount of fat on his gut. He was unable to keep that menacing perfect specimen look he was meant to have. Also, his mic skills were extremely poor and he failed at the many angles he was chosen for, ultimately leading to his leaving the company.
Yet, since he’s been gone, his gut is now sleek and rippled up and he has even found work as a stuntman and actor in Hollywood films—most notable The Fast and The Furious franchise. If you look at pictures from him in his wrestling days to now, it’s very much like night and day.
17 Took It Easy: Tazz
Tazz was one of the most fearsome competitors ever to step in the ring. A martial artist and serious submission specialist, there wasn’t a hold Tazz didn’t know. Not the tallest wrestler, and never the fittest, until his neck injury, he was in the best possible shape he could have been in.
After deciding to hang up the tights and wrestling boots in favour of a spot at the announce table, Tazz exchanged braun and an aggressive attitude for providing voice over for matches and being one heck of a funny colour commentator. During the early 2000s, fans couldn’t get enough of his antics on the Smackdown commentary. Unfortunately, after retiring, his body went from chunky but fit, to just chunky.
16 Ripped After Leaving: Sean Waltman
Sean Waltman, otherwise known as The 123 Kid, Six Pac, and X-Pac, wasn’t always known for his dedication to staying fit. He started off as being pretty serious about in ring action early on, as many matches he had as The 123 Kid proved. He even faced Bret Hart in a pretty serious match on Monday Night Raw in 1994 and for the world heavyweight title… a big night indeed with Macho Man on commentary.
But he went from that to a career based more on antics and degenerate behaviour. He fell to the use of drugs and alcohol and as the friends around him succeeded in their chosen profession, he failed at every turn. His body, nor his image was never really much of a concern for him. But times have changed and he has improved considerably both in attitude and in physique and for the first time he is showing a dedication and resolve for his well-being and it couldn’t be more refreshing.
15 Took It Easy: Ahmed Johnson
Ahmed Johnson was known for being a powerhouse wrestler. His aggressive attitude in and out of the ring garnered him a reputation and back in the day, he even got fired for getting a little too physical in the ring. Now… that doesn’t mean he groped fellow wrestlers inappropriately in the ring, mind you.
In fact, he was in such great shape, he looked more like a modern day bodybuilder than a wrestler, his body full of muscle. Unfortunately, if you look at recent shots of him at public appearances, he couldn’t be further from the younger version of himself, his muscle turned almost entirely to flab. There are a million possible reasons for this, but seeing that someone as serious as he was about lifting and being in shape, could get out of shape in such a way, it leads us to believe some form of injury must surely be a factor.
14 Ripped After Leaving: Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio, the high-flying Luchador who dazzled audiences for years in both WCW and the WWE is surely missed, as no one has been able to fill his shoes to date.
In his time at WCW, he was definitely a cruiser weight in every way shape or form … small and thin, he definitely fit the bill. However, shortly after joining the ranks in WWE, he got chunkier as time progressed. And yes, it was muscle, it wasn’t the lean and ripped sort one would have expected. After his release from WWE, his body leaned out and stayed muscular as his Instagram shots can definitely prove. He looks healthier than ever and still looks like he could fly around the ring better than any luchador, alive or dead.
13 Took It Easy: Ted DiBiase Sr
Now once again, here’s a wrestler who most certainly comes from another school of thought. Yes, in his day in both the WWE and WCW, he wrestled with some of the most impressive physiques in wrestling history … The British Bulldog, The Ultimate Warrior and The Macho Man, to name a few, and The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase was definitely in considerably good enough shape to go toe to toe with most of those men throughout his illustrious career, although he could never have been considered a wrestler who was known for his physique.
He’s been enjoying his retirement now for many years, but to see him now only proves his lack of dedication to staying fit no matter what. For so many wrestlers, staying fit was just a means to an end.
12 Ripped After Leaving: Snitsky
Snitsky was odd. Very odd. His wrestling career is shrouded over with controversial storylines and segments that have gone down in history. For true hardcore fans of the modern wrestling age (post 2003), we’d only have to mention a few key words to bring it all back in a flood: Baby … punt … Mae Young … Foot. Had enough down memory lane?
Indeed. Snitsky’s time in the squared circle wasn’t necessarily inspiring. His body, although big wasn’t much to talk about either. He was in decent ring shape and big with a few slabs of muscles here and there without much definition. Although now, he’s the complete opposite of what he once was. He’s now ripped and in incredible shape and is concentrating on parlaying his mediocre fame to the big screen.
11 Took It Easy: Cowboy Bob Orton
Father of the great tactician of the ring, Randy Orton, Cowboy Bob Orton definitely has secured himself a spot in the annals of time when thinking about wrestling history. Who can forget his “broken arm” and how he always used it to his advantage. A wrestling gimmick if ever there was one. Cowboy Bob Orton was the consummate professional, who hit the road and performed harder than anyone on the classic roster, and he stayed in the best possible shape he could which wasn’t always what you could call ideal. After his retirement, his physique only got worse, as he definitely wasn’t really worried about it all that much anymore, it seemed. Regardless, he put in his time and now, as he watches his boy, his son, he can do so relaxed and without a care in the world.
10 Ripped After Leaving: Santino Marella
The comic relief, Santino Marella, who never broke character … ever. You could have caught him on TMZ and he would still have that ridiculous Italian accent … of course he didn’t really talk like that. That unibrow wasn’t really a unibrow... it looked like a caterpillar for crying out loud!
He was a great performer who was always good for a laugh, but don’t count him out of the great wrestler category too quickly as he was never given the opportunity to perform seriously in the WWE ring. Marella left the company after a serious injury and has since gotten into the best shape of his life. He now dedicates his time training others in the martial arts and for the ring.
9 Took It Easy: The Undertaker
The Undertaker. Such an icon. The feats he’s accomplished in the ring are immeasurable and he definitely deserves his spot at the top and eventually in the hall of fame, but unfortunately, in recent years, speculations that he’s overstayed his welcome have saturated the internet on many an article.
We’d have to agree. Over the last few years, his matches at WrestleMania have been lumbering spectacles of a seemingly geriatric grave digger as opposed to the menacing Undertaker he was supposed to be. Injuries have not let him train to the best of his ability and the feats he was once capable of performing flawlessly in the ring now seem clumsy and forced. We’re sorry, but a true champion knows full well when it’s time to hang it up, and Taker… it’s time.
8 Ripped After Leaving: Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin was always in pretty decent shape, but seeing that he was often victim to injury, his body kind of flip flopped throughout his epic career and understandably so. Time constraints, injury, personal problems and not having a decent place to eat at other than McDonalds and The Waffle House, kind of makes things difficult when you’re on the road as often as this man was; we’re amazed and impressed that he looked as good as he did most days.
Since his retirement from the ring, he’s able to keep up with his daily training and diet a lot easier, as his plethora of action films can prove. Furthermore, when he shows up to a special event, or on his multitude of TV shows, he always looks great, as can be seen on the 25th Anniversary special of Raw. The man indeed looks awesome.
7 Took It Easy: Don Muraco
Don Muraco had a long and illustrious career. His seat at the top stands protected and his everlasting memory of feats in the ring will remain untouched for generations to come. A Hall of Famer, his accomplishments are respected by one and all. During his career he had a muscular frame of epic proportions. He had a bodybuilder’s physique, complete with abs, 24 inch biceps, traps, and a chest and back that wouldn’t quit. Even by today’s standards, the dude was huge and nobody can ever take that away from him. Unfortunately today, he’s relaxed considerably and all that muscle has … well, gone away, as any look at recent photos will show you. But maybe it’s just us, but doesn’t he still look like he can tear you apart with his bare hands just sitting there?
6 Ripped After Leaving: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Throughout The Rock’s illustrious full-time career, he had a decent physique, but as was well documented, he wasn’t without his flaws. It was only after Hollywood came calling and the bug hit that his body started to change drastically and for the better, at first leaning out and then bulking up. But so did his time in the ring and on the road get cut and considerably so, as his schedule for filming grew more and more.
When he returned to host WrestleMania and subsequently feuded with Cena in 2011, he was a massive beast, with very little body fat. But as was documented in an interview in Muscle and Fitness, he said that a return to the full time roster during that period was exceptionally hard on his diet and he felt the stress of the schedule led to the injury he suffered in the ring at Rock Vs Cena 2 in 2013.
5 Took It Easy: Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer, the King of Hardcore. For those of us who lived it, no one will ever be able to remove his epic battles from our brains … the images of such utter punishment to his body and the bodies of his opponents. Tommy Dreamer definitely had no filter when it came to what he would do in the ring … if it came to his head he did it, and devil may care. Wrestling was very different back then, youngsters, as his career shows. And if you want to see his epic matches, the really good ones, they’ll be very hard to find, indeed.
He started his career in actually very good shape, but once he started amassing injury after injury, his body started to change and drastically so. He gave his body to entertain us, and as did Mick Foley and Terry Funk, so we can forgive him the gaining of a few pounds now can’t we?
4 Ripped After Leaving: CM Punk
We couldn’t have a more controversial figure on this list. He came into WWE with a chip on his shoulder and he left with an even bigger one. He always fought for what he believed in and fought tooth and nail to boot. His career has been peppered with great moments as well as controversial ones, as young Phil Brooks was and is a very opinionated individual and maybe that’s why we love him.
He’s straight edge, and that means, no alcohol, no drugs, no promiscuous sex, and pretty much a clean lifestyle. Throughout his WWE career, his body wasn’t much to look at. He was in decent shape and he moved around well in the ring, although towards the end of his time there, he had suffered quite a few injuries, but he worked through them … gee, I wonder who that sounds like … I’m thinking of a bald head, a goatee, a Texan accent. Regardless, he has since stepped up his A-Game in the gym as he is now an MMA fighter.
3 Took It Easy: Greg Valentine
Every now and again, you could be scrolling down Facebook and all of a sudden there’s that one photo of one of your favourite wrestlers that’ll make you pause in utter shock. The above photo is more than capable of doing that for many of us. Honestly though, what happened?
Greg Valentine’s wrestling career can only be accentuated by the great and epic physique he once had, and to see him in such bad shape is truly disheartening. He not only had a great physique, but he was also an epic in ring tactician, as his matches have gone down in history and so has his colourful career. But still… what happened? We shake our heads in sadness and remember the better days and hope that Greg can turn it around for himself.
2 Ripped After Leaving: DDP
Diamond Dallas Page, the coolest cat to come out of the Jersey Shore, and that’s saying something, people. His hard work and dedication proved that time and time again over the years as he battled in WCW against the oppression of the NWO. Page stuck to his guns and fought for us the fans at every turn.
His body wasn’t really much to look at in those days, as he’s said so himself, but as he was about to retire, he included Yoga into his routine and he hasn’t looked back since. He looks great and says he feels the part. He launched DDP Yoga and is responsible for turning around the clock for many ex and current superstars like Jericho, Jake Roberts, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall.
1 Took It Easy: Iron Sheik
An epic villain if ever there was one, The Iron Sheik was evil incarnate back in the day and he had the muscular frame to back it up. He provided the character for the perfect villain for Hulk Hogan to go up against at the start of HulkaMania and without The Sheik, many have wondered if Hogan’s fame would ever have catapulted as much as it did. On January 23rd, 1984, HulkaMania was born when Hulk Hogan pinned this mammoth villain from Iran at Madison Square Garden, which represents hallowed ground for wrestling fans and industry representatives alike.
The Sheik for his part played the villain well and his epic physique only further sold the match. In recent years, his body has gone the way of many ex-wrestlers as we’ve seen on this list, but hey, we can still remember the good days, can’t we?