World Wrestling Entertainment performers are, theoretically, meant to be larger than life Superstars who stand out in a crowd and who, in many cases, more so resemble actual superheroes than the types of athletes you see play in Major League Baseball, on football fields or soccer pitches. For the most part, wrestlers are already in tremendous shape when they sign with the WWE. Otherwise, they wouldn’t receive such opportunities to perform for the largest wrestling company in the world in the first place. As with other walks of life, not every top-tier athlete looks like a bodybuilder or somebody capable of hoisting small vehicles over his head upon joining the WWE. Plenty seem to be nothing more than “Average Joes” when inside of a ring or working out at the WWE Performance Center.

There is a long history of WWE wrestlers working to build muscle and add needed weight in order to get over and receive pushes from those making booking decisions for the organization. This includes some of the biggest stars in the history of the company who maybe didn’t stand out when they first debuted on WWE television or as part of NXT. While it has been nice to see the promotion embrace individuals with different body types in recent memory, it remains understandable that the company wants stars to look a certain way. Pro wrestling has always been a cosmetic business, and that remains the case in 2018 as the WWE hopes to feature people on national television shows, interviews and magazine covers. Average Joes may have a home in the WWE, but such wrestlers should work to improve physiques if they want to win titles.

20 The Miz

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The Miz largely looked like a dude who walked off the street when he first entered the WWE, because that’s what he was back in the early 2000s. The former reality television personality needed plenty of seasoning during his early days in the promotion, and he didn’t stand out in a crowd of other would-be performers.

Give Miz credit for working his craft and his physique, as, in time, he became a wrestler capable of working in main-event feuds and carrying the WWE Championship into the top match of a WrestleMania card. Miz may never be seen as a Hall-of-Famer in the eyes of diehard and passionate followers of the product, but those who still lash out at him as of March 2018 aren’t giving him credit for all he’s achieved over the years.

19 Braun Strowman

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WWE Superstar wasn't always the plan for Braun Strowman. Instead, in his earlier days, the Monster Among Men was taking on a low-key job as a security guard. His life would change forever when he was approached about working strong men competitions due to his size - before he knew it, Strowman was training to become a professional power-lifter.

Braun caught the attention of the WWE and was asked to attend a tryout, one that he passed with flying colors. The company offered him a deal and of course, Strowman was quick to accept. He's changed drastically since his earlier days, he's now regarded as a top  WWE star and in all likelihood, a future WWE Champion, perhaps as early as 2018.

18 Daniel Bryan

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Bryan Danielson, who became Daniel Bryan after signing with the WWE ahead of his debut on the original NXT show, was never going to be one of the biggest guys on the roster regardless of what he did after signing his contract. Go back and watch him working for promotions such as Ring of Honor, though, and then go review some of the best matches from the later stages of his WWE career, particularly when he won the championship at WrestleMania.

Bryan, who was already an accomplished wrestler and athlete before working for the company, did well to get himself into better shape, and he then, with the help of booking, used some real-life circumstances to become one of the biggest babyfaces in recent memory. We miss you, champ.

17 Randy Orton

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It is easy to forget how ordinary and, if we’re being honest about it, average Randy Orton looked when he first debuted in the WWE and even before that during his brief indie run. After all, he was only in his early 20s and nowhere near his physical prime when he first wrestled on SmackDown.

Nobody could have guessed, at that time, that he would eventually become part of Evolution, the youngest WWE Champion in history and a consistent performer who is deceptively huge. In fact, WWE fans who have never seen Orton in person may not grasp how massive he is compared to the young man who first wrestled as a wide-eyed babyface. Orton already possesses a Hall-of-Fame resume, and he isn’t yet in his 40s. He could have another solid decade of work ahead of him.

16 Johnny Gargano

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We’re not going to pretend that Johnny Gargano isn’t always going to look somewhat like an Average Joe compared to other performers on the WWE roster regardless of his diet and how much he trains between matches. Gargano’s frame is only going to allow for so much improvement, after all. Watch some of Gargano’s matches from before he signed with the WWE and also from the beginning of his run with the promotion, and then take a look at the beloved babyface known as Johnny Wrestling today.

Gargano is absolutely shredded, and there is no reason to believe he won’t get into even better shape after he is added to either Raw, SmackDown or the 205 Live brand. We are hyped to see Gargano on WWE television throughout 2018 and beyond.

15 Samoa Joe

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Any story about supposed Average Joes being signed by the WWE has to include the top Joe in the company, yes? All jokes and puns aside, Samoa Joe often experienced fluctuations with his weight outside of the WWE. After signing for the company, however, Joe worked to cut weight and get himself into phenomenal shape, something that didn’t go unnoticed by outlets such as the Wrestling Observer back in 2015.

Granted, Joe is never going to look like a bodybuilder who appears to have been cut from granite. He doesn’t need to in order to get over as a monster heel who destroys opponents. Here is hoping Joe continues to remain in great shape as he works to return from a foot injury that has him sidelined this March. He is missed on the main roster.

14 Jinder Mahal

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If it wasn’t for the man at the top of this list, Jinder Mahal would probably be the top example of a guy who looked like an Average Joe before signing with the WWE but who later went through a physical and life transformation. Mahal looks like a different person today than the wrestler who was released by the WWE in 2014, to the point that some who weren’t following the product four years ago may not believe they were looking at the same person were they to see pictures of both versions of the wrestler.

Via social media platforms such as Instagram, Mahal shares his workouts and his diet that he credits for helping him become the athlete he is today. The company was obviously impressed, as he held the WWE Championship in 2017.

13 Seth Rollins

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Even Seth Rollins has publicly talked about his “CrossFit Jesus” moniker during interviews that have aired on outlets such as SportsCenter. Rollins was a high-flyer and a talented athlete well before he signed with the WWE, but he looked far more like a Cruiserweight and an Average Joe than the ripped guy who was once awarded with the opportunity to carry multiple championships at the same time.

It is almost humorous to go back and watch some of Rollins’ work from NXT before seeing how he looks on editions of Raw on 2018. He has come a long way in a short amount of time. We just hope he can stay healthy for an entire year en route to working in main-event feuds on either Raw or SmackDown.

12 Buddy Murphy

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The photo above shows the 205 live star during his indie days as Matt Silva. The transformation of Buddy Murphy from Average Joe who was indistinguishable from his former tag team partner has been amazing to behold even with the WWE, and it has even been used as a storyline on WWE programming. Not long ago, Murphy was just a guy working as a singles performer on the NXT roster who seemed headed on his way out the door. After putting in the work to get into better shape, he was added to the 205 Live roster, where he impressed in the Cruiserweight Championship tournament before suffering a defeat to Mustafa Ali in the quarterfinal round of that competition.

The hope is that loss isn’t a sign of things to come, as Murphy has unquestionably shown plenty of promise since dropping some weight and joining the Cruiserweight division. He has opened eyes with his in-ring skills in 2018.

11 Roman Reigns

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It is revisionist history to suggest that Roman Reigns always looked like a future World Champion desired to carry the banner for the company by none other than Vince McMahon. Reigns put in the work needed to improve his look and, more importantly, his in-ring abilities and promo skills, and he quickly became the most-over member of The Shield before it became clear, in the eyes of some fans, that the company was going to shove him down the throats of viewers as the promotion’s next babyface and the roster replacement for John Cena.

Fans may boo Reigns whenever he enters the ring for a match or a promo, but nobody can say he hasn’t improved dramatically from when he first debuted on WWE TV.

10 Stephanie McMahon

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Stephanie McMahon has been a WWE television character for roughly 20 years, so it is easy to forget that she was just an average member of the McMahon family who wasn’t supposed to be taken seriously as a wrestler in the late 1990s. Things changed, over time, and the real-life romance between Triple H and Stephanie resulted in the daughter of Vince McMahon training alongside her husband who happens to be a former world champion.

Stephanie may not be your favorite WWE personality, and it is understandable if the idea of her feuding with former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ronda Rousey bothers you. Don’t let any of that cloud that Steph is ripped and in tremendous shape for anybody, let alone a mother of three.

9 Tommaso Ciampa

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The awesome part about the pic above is the fact that Ciampa posted the photo to his Twitter account.

Much of what was said about Johnny Gargano also holds true for Tommaso Ciampa, his former NXT tag team partner who turned on Johnny Wrestling before unfortunately suffering an injury. Ciampa never looked bad or out of shape inside of a WWE ring, but he has undergone a transformation as of late. In short, Ciampa is ripped and seemingly ready for his in-ring return, and the inevitable showdown between he and Gargano is going to excite fans and, possibly, generate considerations for the best WWE bout of 2018.

The future is bright for both Ciampa and Gargano, but there are probably still pockets of fans around the world who wish that the team of D.I.Y. would have received a chance to join either Raw or SmackDown as a duo.

8 Bayley

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The photo above shows Bayley during her indie days as Davina Rose. Perhaps it’s unfair to characterize Bayley as an Average Joe before she signed with the WWE because that was part of her gimmick and charm. Unlike the majority of the other women currently on the roster, Bayley was presented as a fan who was just happy to have a chance to work with other pro wrestlers. In time, the Bayley character got over among NXT audiences who wanted to see the underdog win a title, and she also showed vast improvements as a wrestler and an athlete.

While WWE booking has not been kind to Bayley since her days in NXT, she has shown that she has the goods to get over and steal a show in the right circumstances. Nobody should give up on Bayley just yet.

7 Velveteen Dream 

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Those who remember seeing Patrick Clark back on Tough Enough may remember that he was a good athlete, but also that he didn’t look like anything other than a young prospect one may find in any college gym. Clark kept at it after he failed to win that competition, however, and the 22-year-old became one of the better young talents on the NXT roster who turned a Velveteen Dream gimmick that could have flopped into one of the best acts on that brand.

The biggest concern with the Dream moving forward is that the WWE will call him up before he is ready due to the reactions he receives at shows. Yes, Dream has impressed with his in-ring skills and on the microphone, but he needs time before he joins either Raw or SmackDown.

6 Dolph Ziggler

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Did anybody out there ever believe, for a second, that the artist formerly known as Nicky from the Spirit Squad would become a World Champion after looking like just a dude in a male cheerleader uniform? Even before he signed a WWE deal he was recruited by the WWE as a prominent amateur wrestler.

Ziggler worked to evolve as a worker and an athlete once he became a singles worker, and he has described the diet that helped him shape the body that he has today. Per his own words, Ziggler subscribes to a “70-30” diet that involves eating moderately healthy 70 percent of the time, and eating whatever he wants for 30 percent of his diet all while working out. Ziggler no longer looks like any Average Joe while inside of the ring, but that hasn’t helped him receive a push to main-event status since joining SmackDown.

5 Tye Dillinger

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How much was Tye Dillinger just an Average Joe during his early days in the WWE? His first significant and memorable appearance with the company involved him playing the role of a backstage employee who was superkicked in the face by “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels during a Pay-Per-View.

Later, as a member of NXT, Dillinger was given the gimmick of the “Perfect 10,” which often felt like it was meant to be a joke since he lost so many matches in developmental. Dillinger got over with fans, improved as a worker and put some needed muscle on his frame, and he eventually earned a spot on SmackDown. We hope he is always in the No. 10 spot of the Royal Rumble every year moving forward for the rest of his career.

4 Kassius Ohno

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We are adding Kassius Ohno to the list of wrestlers who looked like Average Joes before signing with the WWE because of the undeniable change Ohno/Chris Hero has undergone over the years. Ohno never had the best physique on the independent scene, but he noticeably gained weight during his first stint in NXT. In fact, it was widely believed among fans and some journalists that his weight played a part in the WWE parting ways with him the first time.

Ohno explained a couple of years ago that injuries and also a thyroid issue have affected his size and ability to shed excess pounds. He may not be the slimmest guy on the roster, but anybody who sees Ohno perform impressive moves during matches wouldn’t call him any Average Joe.

3 Charlotte

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Much like with Seth Rollins, Charlotte has not been shy about how much she has improved, physically speaking, since first signing with the WWE. She has even laughed about old phot-oshoots for segments that have aired on WWE.com and the WWE Network. The daughter of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair always possessed promise from her start in the business, but she deserves praise for the diet and workout program that helped her transform into the champion she is heading into WrestleMania 34.

Don’t take our word on it. Publications such as Muscle & Fitness have featured Charlotte on covers and in stories. It’s astounding that she actually didn’t have an interest in becoming a pro wrestler in her youth considering how great of a wrestler she is in 2018.

2 Rey Mysterio

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We are offering a throwback here, if only because of all of those rumors linking Rey Mysterio with a return to the WWE at some point in 2018. While Mysterio was noticeably bigger from his days in World Championship Wrestling after he first signed for the WWE in June 2002, he continued to add muscle throughout his tenure with the promotion.

Some believed at the time that was a negative and even resulted in injuries he suffered, but he became a main-eventer and a World Champion while with the company. Mysterio last wrestled on a full-time basis for the WWE in February 2015, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to hit the gym. In short, Mysterio is jacked these days, and nobody would confuse him for any Average Joe despite his height.

1 Triple H

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Remember when Triple H was in WCW ahead of his career in WWE? Do you recall the guy who went as Hunter Hearst Helmsley on the day of his WWE debut? It is practically unfathomable, without knowing all that we know 20-plus years after the fact, that same guy became “The Game” and, at different times of his career, one of the most-jacked wrestlers on the roster and of his time.

It should be noted that Triple H hasn’t been shy about his physical changes. His workouts are legendary and have been highlighted in magazines, on WWE television segments and via social media platforms. How many other executives out there perform midnight workout routines with their wives? Triple H is a lot of things to a lot of people in 2018. He’s no Average Joe.