A company that prides itself on being larger than life, the WWE loves to find people that fit that description so they can make stars out of them. If that means tracking down someone that has no in-ring experience and training them to work from the ground up that is no problem assuming they see something in the person. As a result, each week on WWE TV fans see contracted performers that have very distinct looks. However, a lot of the time once the company releases a performer they will begin to look quite different. For example, some wrestlers stop caring and they let themselves go while others see their cleared schedules as an opportunity to get in better shape than ever. Realizing these things has inspired us to put together this list of twenty-one former WWE wrestlers we barely recognize today.

In order for someone to be up for consideration to be included on this list, they first and foremost need to have made a living under the WWE umbrella at one point or another. For the purposes of this list, it doesn’t matter if they were a regular contributor in the ring, or if they’ve ever fought in the squared circle at all, as long as they were a part of the business. Obviously, it should go without saying that they need to have become well enough known at one point that fans would recognize the way they looked at the height of the career. Finally, it doesn’t matter if their main claim to fame came as part of a different company.

21 Scotty 2 Hotty

One-half of a tag team with Brian Christopher, this wrestler is best known as Scotty 2 Hotty today but originally went by Scott Taylor. Every bit as out there as his name ended up being when he was at the height of his WWE fame, fans of the Attitude Era will likely never forget his signature move, “The Worm”. Also memorable for his love of dancing in the ring with the Grandmaster and Rikishi, the latter of which he tagged with for a time as well, Scotty was awfully entertaining. Able to stand out by dressing and acting extremely over the top, Scotty now works for the WWE in their Performance Center and wants to be taken seriously.

20 Raven

A character that always seemed like it was perfect for the Attitude Era, at that time the gothic look of someone like Raven fit the fashion choices of a lot of teens. A former two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion that made his mark with brutality against his foes like Tommy Dreamer, he also proved himself to be a leader. Eventually making the leap to WCW where he led a group named The Flock, his character picked up wrestlers that were slipping through the cracks and remade them in his vision. Also a member of the WWE roster for a time, he won their Hardcore Championship a mind-boggling twenty-seven times. From there going to TNA, it was during that run that his look began to change from what we’d known. Seemingly letting himself go to a large degree, his weight ballooned and his hair seemed to become a lot more stringy and sparse as well.

19 Sunny

Someone that broke ground in the WWE, Sunny has often been called the first ever Diva in the WWE. As a result of the so-called Women’s Revolution we thankfully are in, that could be seen as a negative but she was a major focal point of the entire company for a while. Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, her wrestling career and its impact were celebrated. Something she deserved as she was once a big enough deal that AOL named her “the most downloaded celebrity on the internet” that took place when they were the biggest IP in America. Known for her incredible body and looks during her time in the spotlight, since leaving the business she has become a great deal larger than she was in her prime.

18 Al Snow

A wrestler that clearly was respected by the people in charge of the WWE, Al Snow was given many chances to be a star by the company. Eventually able to be popular when he became obsessed with a mannequin head while he was on loan to ECW, when Al returned to the main WWE roster he became a fan favorite. Linked with people like Mick Foley and Steve Blackman in the ring over the following years, he also was tapped by the WWE to serve as the main trainer in their “reality” show Tough Enough. Now more of a behind the scenes figure, it seems like he has decided that on top of helping to train up and coming talents their craft he is also working on his body. Far more muscular today than he has ever been in the past, his arms can best be described as massive and even his face somehow looks beefier.

17 Lex Luger

At one-time known as “The Narcissist” in the WWE, Lex Luger was so huge during his wrestling career that he outdid everyone when steroids in the business were extremely common. Actually, as a result of his size, he had runs near the top of both WCW and the WWE who clearly saw an opportunity to make him a huge star. Also a member of the Four Horsemen for a time, one of the most respected stables of all-time, he also is a former two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Unfortunately, since his heyday in the business tragedy has come calling as his live-in girlfriend, Miss Elizabeth, passed away and he suffered a nerve impingement in his neck and a spinal stroke. Paralyzed temporarily during this period, he has regained the ability to walk but he can’t train like he once did which has led his once huge body to shrink.

16 Slam Master J

A former WWE character that many fans seem to have completely forgotten about, the man that briefly went by the name Slam Master J did not make much of an impact during that period. Instead, most people are much more likely to have remembered when he was known as Jesse, one-half of a tag team with Festus, the man known as Luke Gallows today. A major shift in his character as he went from being a redneck to a would-be “rapper”, Slam Master J never went very far but it easily could have been pretty entertaining if you ask us. Either way, when he appeared at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in order to accept the induction of his real-life father, The Fabulous Freebird Terry Gordy, he looked totally different. Now sporting a buzz cut instead of his signature long hair, he also looked somewhat stockier as well.

15 Marc Mero

A wrestler who Vince McMahon reportedly at one time thought would be a very big deal, when the former Johnny B. Badd joined the WWE as Marc Mero it was a bit of a letdown. Best known today because of his feud with Sable, someone he was actually married to for ten years, Marc also served as the manager for the WWE Hall of Famer Jacqueline. No longer a part of the wrestling business today, he now makes his living as a public speaker. Someone that was outspoken about the use of drugs in the business after the tragic passing of Chris Benoit, he has given lectures at many schools about the dangers of substance abuse. However, he clearly is all for plastic surgery based on how his face looks now, which looks really odd.

14 Mideon

Another former WWE wrestler whose character took a hard left turn, the man that became best known as Mideon initially played a redneck character named Phineas I. Godwinn. Given initials that intentionally spelled out PIG during his early run, he would come to the ring with a slop bucket and wearing overalls. Eventually remade into the gothic Mideon character after he joined The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness, his previous fans must have been shocked by how different he looked at that time. Evidently he is prone to dramatic makeovers and as far as we can tell that not only is the case in the looks department but it also applies to his career as well. Now a high-end chef that spends a lot of time wearing glasses and a dress shirt as he meticulously perfects the presentation of his dishes, he also now has a shaved head which also is a huge departure.

13 “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase

One of the most entertaining characters the WWE has ever created, The Million Dollar Man was a cornerstone of their programming during the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling era. An exorbitantly wealthy businessman that prided himself on his ability to force anyone to do his bidding, the character truly believed that “everybody has a price”. Memorable for his gaudy fashion choices that were designed to flaunt his wealth, everything he wore either looked like it was covered in gold, silver, and jewels or was emblazoned with dollar signs. Now living a much more simple lifestyle, he spends the majority of his time with friends and family and looks like a lot of retired people do, comfortable. Almost always pictured wearing clothes you could get at your local department store, we also would be remiss if we didn’t point out that he has put on quite a few pounds.

12 Rene Dupree

One of the youngest people to ever hold a championship in the WWE, Rene Dupree made his debut on Raw when he was only twenty years old, which is incredible. The son of a former wrestling promoter, he came to the business naturally which may have been why he was so adept at playing his character at such a young age. Cast as an egotistical French-Canadian that had a great deal of disdain for the unwashed masses, he absolutely exuded disgust with crowds pretty much wherever he went. Without a doubt, a good looking young man at the time, to say the guy was ripped was one heck of an understatement. Still in great shape today, his ever-changing and always outrageous hair somehow manages to make his face look so different that we had no idea we were looking at him when we saw the shot on the right.

11 Shane Douglas

One of the most controversial figures in the history of the NWA, for a long time Shane Douglas was the last ever champion in the history of that company. Given the opportunity to hold their world championship, instead, he threw their belt down and announced that ECW was going out on its own. Something that was highly disrespectful, as so many talented performers had built up the importance of that belt, the extremely egotistical Shane seemed to relish their disgust. One of the biggest stars in the history of ECW, he eventually made the jump to WCW where he looked extremely muscular and was a major part of their roster. No longer a big star, Shane has packed on a lot of pounds and is so out of shape that during his run in TNA he overdid it to such a degree, in a slow-moving match, that it made him vomit.

10 Vladimir Kozlov

A wrestler that was signed by the WWE under interesting circumstances, Vladimir Kozlov was brought to the WWE by Jerry Jarrett after he no longer had pull in TNA, a company he co-founded. Odd as his son Jeff still was a power broker there, at the time it seemed like Jerry was so passionate about Vladimir’s skills that he was going to get him a job come hell or high water. Never living up to that perception, despite that Kozlov did find success in the WWE as the partner in crime of Santino Marella. After all, if you saw the time that the two of them held a tea party for Sheamus while they were in England you likely found it too amusing to ever forget. Someone that always looked like you would never want to mess with him, during his WWE run Vladimir carried some body fat on him but since then he has become totally shredded.

9 Demolition

A tag team that somehow is not a part of the WWE Hall of Fame today, the fact that Demolition hasn’t been inducted is truly shocking. A major part of WWE history, for a very long-time Ax and Smash had the longest single tag team title reign in the history of the company and that was only one of the three times they were champs. On top of that, for years even when they were not carrying the belts there was still little doubt that the tag division revolved around them as they cast such a wide shadow. Known for their incredible studded ring gear, immense size, and bruiser attitude, these days when the two original Demolition members appear they still wear makeup but otherwise look very different. Out of shape and wearing T-shirts while they work in order to cover up their bellies, their slicked back hair is also gone and they simply aren’t nearly as intimidating.

8 Jazz

First able to turn heads in ECW where she was a part of the Impact Players, it didn’t take long for the WWE to swoop in and bring Jazz into their fold. Able to feud with the likes of Trish Stratus, Jacqueline, Victoria, and many more, she was a major part of a women’s division that at the time was the best in company history and still might be. A former two-time WWE Women's Champion that looked like she could physically destroy anyone she competed against, Jazz was one of the most dominating women to ever work for the company. In her prime known for being very muscular, it was a real shock when she showed up in a ring most recently and all off that definition was gone and she even had a little bit of a belling on her.

7 “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff

One of the wrestlers that found themselves standing across the ring from Hulk Hogan, unlike some of the others in that position Paul Orndorff could hold his own. Quite muscular and able to exude confidence with the greatest of ease, Mr. Wonderful as he called himself was born to be a star. Chosen to team with Roddy Piper in the main event of the first-ever WrestleMania, they took on Hulk Hogan and Mr. T in arguably the most important feud in company history. After all, if that event had failed the WWE would not be the powerhouse it is today. Closing in on sixty years old today, Paul also suffered injuries that led to the end of his career and make it difficult for him to train today. As a result of those two things, Paul now looks like a shadow of his former self, even though his personality clearly still has a lot of fight in it.

6 The Dynamite Kid

If you look back at the WWE in the eighties it was called the land of giants for a reason. Dominated by massive men that lumbered around the ring, many of them looked impressive but their matches were anything but riveting. Then you had someone like The Dynamite Kid who had an amazing body but also was among the most athletic people the company had ever hired at that time. Able to fly around the ring with the greatest of ease and an absolute dynamo in the ring, he was a marvel to watch. Sadly, he suffered many injuries to his legs and back which led to him having such a hard time walking that he ended up in a wheelchair. No longer possessing visible muscles and quite skinny these days, Dynamite looks nothing at like he once did.

5 Ahmed Johnson

From one wrestler known for their body to another, Sunny made a name for herself in large part due to her tiny waist while Ahmed Johnson was celebrated for his massive arms. A huge guy that held the WWF Intercontinental Championship and won a Slammy and their Kuwait Cup, it was very clear that for a while the WWE saw him as a potential main eventer in the future. Sadly for him, he never even came close to that and between his horrible wrestling and mumbling promo delivery he ended up washing out of the company. Making his WCW debut only a year after he left the WWE, somehow by that time many fans had no idea that Big T, as he was now named, was once Ahmed Johnson. That was because he had gained so much weight that it seemed physically impossible to expand that fast and he has just gotten larger since.

4 Dawn Marie

Someone whose WWE career came to an end in one of the most appalling ways ever, what happened to Dawn Marie should anger everyone. First able to become a star in ECW, she eventually joined the WWE’s women division where she is best remembered for a feud with Torrie Wilson. Involved in a storyline where she seduced Torrie’s dad and then married him, from there because of too much, ahem, activity, his character died. It was far from a high-brow piece of storytelling. Then she took maternity leave which should have secured her job upon her return but the company disgustingly released her which led to a lawsuit the WWE settled. No longer an entertainer today, this once skinny woman is now a much more common size but because she was once so tiny it has rendered her unrecognizable.

3 Gene Snitsky

A performer that proves how far some wrestlers will go to make it, the man known as Gene Snitsky did incredible things to himself. Best remembered for a tasteless storyline in which he was blamed for a miscarriage that Lita’s character had, his character played into the situation wholeheartedly. A move that was supposed to make his character hated, many fans that knew the real-life pain of what the company was using for entertainment fodder were angry with the WWE instead. As a result, that storyline was dropped and Snitsky began taking part in undercard feuds but in an attempt to garner attention he changed his image by cutting off his hair and dying his teeth brown. No longer a wrestler today, he had his teeth whitened once again and has further changed his image by growing a massive beard and turning his once pudgy body into a rock hard one.

2 Perry Saturn

One of only a select few wrestlers that were able to work for ECW, WCW, and the WWE, Perry Saturn was a ripped man that had memorable runs in all three companies. One-half of the three-time tag team champions known as The Eliminators in ECW, he then went to WCW where he joined Raven’s Flock and eventually wrestled in a dress. From there joining the WWE with Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Dean Malenko, at first he was the least focused on of the four but then he became obsessed with a mop he named moppy. In short, he always kept things including when he disappeared for so long that many thought he might have died and never been discovered. Resurfacing in 2011, turns out that he suffered a “traumatic brain injury", fought substance abuse issues, and was homeless for a time which makes his now tiny frame make sense.