Far too many people often give professional wrestlers a hard time, claiming that what they do isn't real and that they aren't athletes. That couldn't be further from the truth, and the fact that many Olympians have transitioned into the sport is all the proof needed of that.
There have been countless professional wrestlers who started out in Olympic sports (not all wrestling) and then transitioned to WWE or other places. The transition doesn't guarantee success though, as picking up the pro wrestling skill isn't as simple as it seems on paper. That's why the list of wrestlers who happened to compete at the Olympic Games are a mixed bag when it comes to success in the squared circle.
Updated on September 17th, 2021 by Kevin Pantoja: Finding out about WWE wrestlers who were in the Olympics is something that fans have been interested in for a while but it goes much deeper than that actually. Talents from all around the world and from all kinds of promotions have taken part in the Summer Games. Some feel obvious and have actually had their Olympics history mentioned several times on television or as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. However, many don't make it as known or competes in the games so long ago that it's barely remembered or mentioned by anyone.
15 Gable Stevenson
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Technically, he's not a pro wrestler yet but that's on pace to change very soon. Gable Stevenson's recent signing with WWE was one of the most high-profile additions in recent company history. That's because Stevenson isn't just someone who competed in the Olympics but he's actually one of the few to take home a medal.
At the 2020 Tokyo Games, Gable Stevenson won the gold medal in freestyle wrestling, which is the same thing that Kurt Angle famously won for. The interesting bit is that Angle didn't sign with WWE until several years later, while Stevenson inked his deal in the same year that he won the medal. Big things are expected from Stevenson.
14 Riki Choshu
There are people out there who say that Japanese wrestling feels more legitimate than what happens in the United States. So, it makes sense that there are a handful of Japanese wrestlers who have competed in the actual Olympic games. One of them was the legendary Riki Choshu.
Choshu is an icon who has held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on three occasions, the IWGP Tag Team Titles three times, and won the prestigious G1 Climax tournament in 1996. Way before any of that, Choshu actually took part in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. He couldn't compete for Japan due to being Korean but competed for South Korea as a freestyle wrestler, finishing 1-2.
13 Jumbo Tsuruta
Speaking of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, Riki Choshu wasn't the only Japanese legend to compete. There was also Jumbo Tsuruta, a star for All Japan Pro Wrestling who was the first ever Triple Crown Champion there, as well as someone who held multiple other titles.
Growing up, Tsuruta competed in several sports ranging from basketball to sumo. However, the sport he competed in at the Olympics was amateur wrestling. In the Greco-Roman tournament, he finished with no wins but making it to the Olympics is still worthy of being considered a major accomplishment.
12 Bad News Brown
When you think about Olympic athletes in wrestling, it's likely that your mind won't go to Bad News Brown. The wrestler was famous in the '80s for his signature style of brawling rather than anything you might consider traditional wrestling. That's why it lines up that he wasn't taking part in wrestling in the games.
Back in 1976, before he officially debuted with WWE, Bad News Brown took part in the Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec. He had already won multiple medals at other events and the Pan-American Games. However, his Olympics run saw an odd issue regarding the selection process that caused him to basically give up a match and he ended up taking home a bronze medal.
11 Anthony Ogogo
Although All Elite Wrestling is still a relatively young company (they're just hitting the two-year mark), they have actually had two Olympians compete for them. First up is Anthony Ogogo, who signed with AEW in October 2019, soon after appearing alongside Cody Rhodes in a few YouTube videos.
Ogogo is another talent who didn't have an Olympic career in wrestling but it was still in combative sports. He competed at the Olympic Games in 2012 in London and secured a bronze medal in boxing in the middleweight division. He even sports the Olympics logo on his vest in wrestling.
10 Jeff Cobb
The other wrestler who competed in AEW with an Olympic background is actually someone who only made a singular appearance for the company. Despite that, many fans are still very aware of who Jeff Cobb is thanks to his work in New Japan Pro Wrestling and his time as Matanza Cueto in Lucha Underground.
In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Cobb competed in the men's light heavyweight freestyle wrestling category. Although he didn't win, Cobb still had the honor of being the flag bearer for his home country of Guam. He has since taken his amateur background and incorporated it into his pro wrestling moveset.
9 Kurt Angle
Probably the most obvious example of a professional wrestler having an Olympic Games background is Kurt Angle. It is through winning the Olympics (with a broken freakin' neck at that), that he became famous, and WWE wasted no time in making him into a star.
Angle made his Olympic success into a huge part of his character, often appearing with his medals. Nobody has ever made their Olympic success into more of a gimmick than Angle. However, he also went on to become one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
8 The Iron Sheik
From one WWE legend to another, The Iron Sheik is another talent who has been involved in the Olympic Games throughout his life. WWE claimed that he wrestled and represented Iran, but that was only a storyline.
However, he did play a big part in the 1972 Olympic Games where he worked as an assistant to the coach for the USA team, proving that he has a lot of knowledge in the sport.
7 Chad Gable
A more recent example of a wrestler who transitioned from the Olympic Games into professional wrestling in a similar manner to Kurt Angle is Chad Gable. The former American Alpha member competed in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
Unfortunately for Gable, things didn't quite go to plan for him as he got through the qualifiers and then struggled to go further. However, he still got the experience and there's no doubt he is one of the best in-ring talents in WWE now.
6 Karl Gotch
Few people are as well-known in the world of professional wrestling than Karl Gotch. While he might not have been a top superstar like Hulk Hogan, he is someone who everyone talks about, mostly for creating his own style of wrestling.
In Japan, Gotch had a massive impact and even trained Tiger Mask. But as well as everything he did for professional wrestling, he also competed at the 1948 Olympic Games for Belgium in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling events.
5 Ronda Rousey
While most people instantly think of UFC when they hear the name of Ronda Rousey, the fact is that she initially began her fighting career in the world of Judo. Ronda, of course, was dominant in the sport and quickly made her way to the Olympic Games.
Rousey first qualified for the Olympics in 2004 but lost. She took part again in the 2008 Olympic Games, which were held in Beijing, and won a bronze medal at the tournament. Not only was it a huge accomplishment, but she also became the first American female in history to win a medal in Judo at the Olympics. That was just the start of Ronda being a trailblazer.
4 Danny Hodge
Danny Hodge is someone who Jim Ross often praises as one of the greatest, and most physically dominant wrestlers of all time. While he may not have become a huge name on a global scale, he is still an incredibly well-respected professional wrestler.
Hodge actually competed at the Olympic Games twice during his career. The first opportunity came in 1952, where he finished fifth. However, Hodge kept working hard and competed again in 1956, winning the silver medal in freestyle wrestling.
3 Dick Hutton
Dick Hutton is another legendary name who enjoyed success at both a professional and amateur level of wrestling. Hutton started out his career as an amateur wrestler in freestyle wrestling, and he made it to the Olympic Games in 1948, finishing 7th.
However, he arguably had even more success when it came to professional wrestling. Hutton was a big name in the NWA where he ended up becoming NWA Champion, actually defeating Lou Thesz for that title in an epic encounter.
2 Mad Dog Vachon
'Mad Dog' Vachon is a WWE Hall Of Famer and is someone who had a big impact on the business during his time in the sport. His character was very wild and aggressive and 'Mad Dog' always pulled things off well.
However, that's mainly due to his strong background as an amateur wrestler. He competed in the 1948 Olympic Games, finishing 7th overall. He impressed in the tournament and proved himself to be a great grappler in the process.
1 Mark Henry
The 'World's Strongest Man' gimmick isn't just a name tag that WWE threw at Mark Henry. He was legitimately that strong during his life, and long before he got into the ring, the Hall Of Famer was part of the 1996 Olympic Games.
He took part in the weightlifting competition, but due to a back injury, his performance was actually disappointing. He finished 14th even though he could have done much better due to his experience. However, Henry became a true star during that period and attracted the attention of Vince McMahon. He offered Henry an unbelievable 10-year contract on the spot, which is something that is very unheard of.