Vince McMahon has a long history of signing athletes who competed in other sports before joining World Wrestling Entertainment. In fact, the company scouts competitions such as amateur wrestling tournaments, college and pro football games and tryouts and, not surprisingly, bodybuilding events. While much has changed about the WWE and the pro wrestling industry since the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the business is still a cosmetic one. Looks will always play a significant role in which performers are pushed over others. This point has often resulted in certain wrestlers beloved by fans being pushed down into micard status in favor of others. Daniel Bryan wasn’t a physical freak of nature, but he nevertheless got over because of his undeniable wrestling skills and ability to get over among fans of all ages.

With that said, a plethora of WWE stars associated with the company and on the active roster today have posted insane lifting numbers over the years. It is probably no surprise to those who know about McMahon, Triple H and others who make booking decisions that they have pushed wrestlers who have produced remarkable performances inside of gyms as top stars who compete for championships and in main events of shows and pay-per-views on a regular basis. Thanks to the Wellness Policy and the company’s desire to keep wrestlers as safe as possible as long as they are signed to the promotion, we are to believe each of these great athletes are clean and pass certain tests. Assuming that’s the case, these men and women are, in fact, freaks of nature for their lifting prowess.

15 Mark Henry - Squatted Over 1,000 Pounds 

While Mark Henry has officially retired — although we’re not sure we can believe him considering that awesome fake retirement he once gave us on an edition of Raw — he remains with the company working behind the scenes, so we begin with the star once known as “The Strongest Man in the World.” Multiple wrestlers have, in the past, praised Henry’s work inside of weight rooms, and the former world champion once held a high school state power lifting record that lasted 22 years before it was broken.

Back in 2009, Henry told WWE.com the following: “The bench press is the most limited, and the least functional of all the lifts. I've squatted 1006 pounds, and I've deadlifted 900 pounds consistently, which is my forte. There have been very few 900 pound deadlifters, ever.” Sheesh.

14 Roman Reigns - 465 Pound Bench Press 

We understand that Roman Reigns may not be your favorite member of the active WWE roster heading into his WrestleMania 34 match against Brock Lesnar, but even his biggest detractors would have to admit that the guy is a tremendous athlete. Reigns once boasted that he benched 465 pounds, a feat that may surprise you considering he doesn’t appear to be the most jacked or most ripped guy in the company.

What you have to remember is that Reigns is a former football player who was given multiple opportunities to make pro rosters both in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. Reigns possesses somewhat of a sneaky amount of strength, something he has put on display in matches over the years. This probably won’t keep pockets of fans from booing him, though.

13 The Undertaker - 500 Pound Deadlift 

John Cena wasn’t kidding about Undertaker sharing impressive workouts via Instagram when he mentioned this during a promo on Raw weeks ahead of WrestleMania 34. Back in March 2016 as the Deadman was preparing to face Shane McMahon at the Showcase of the Immortals, the Phenom’s trainer shared a video of the WWE icon deadlifting 500 pounds.

Not all that impressed? Undertaker also cleared a 40-inch box jump at that time. He was a week shy of turning 51 years old two years ago, which makes those numbers all the more insane. Yes, Undertaker was fortunate to be given an all-time classic gimmick that is perfect for an aging superstar. Don’t think he hasn’t put in the work needed to continue to go in the ring at his age.

12 Baron Corbin - 457 Pound Bench Press 

Some fans out there have poked fun at Baron Corbin during his tenure in the WWE because he doesn’t flash six-pack abs as do others on the roster. Corbin hasn’t been shy about responding to trolls via social media outlets such as Twitter, and he also proved his strength when he pushed 457 pounds on the bench press in June 2017. That is no easy task for a former offensive lineman who was listed at 6-foot-6 during his playing days.

As a player, Corbin exceeded 315 pounds, and he has worked hard to get into and remain in wrestling shape through the spring of 2018. Yes, Corbin is a multi-sport athlete who happens to be a physical freak, but he's a freak in a different way than are some others mentioned in this piece.

11 Stephanie McMahon - 155 Pound Squat

It turns out there is some truth behind the WrestleMania 34 storyline that involves Stephanie McMahon, an executive who isn’t a legitimate fighter, training like a madwoman for the bout that will involve her teaming with her husband, Triple H, to battle former Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle. McMahon has not posted historic lifting numbers, but she has routinely been featured in fitness magazines and websites for the workouts she and Triple H perform.

Most notably, the #MidnightWorkout routines they share on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter need to be seen to be believed. Remember that these execs who play television characters are also parents of three daughters. It’s amazing they find the time and energy to do what they do, often in the middle of the night. It's also pretty impressive that Steph had 155 on the squat, a number most men sadly cannot hit.

10 Triple H - 405 Pound Bench Press

Back in 2004 when he was one of the top villains on the active WWE roster, Triple H released Making the Game, a book about his approach to bodybuilding and working out. As would be expected over time and with age, the former champion and current WWE executive has modified his diet and workouts over the past 13.5 years.

It was once said that he could bench press up to 405 pounds, but he has since become more-so focused on shredding fat and excess weight so he can move better inside of the ring for big matches such as his previously mentioned WrestleMania 34 encounter with Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey. You wouldn’t know that he will turn 49 years old in the summer of 2018 just by looking at him, as he seems as fit as ever.

9 Big Show - 500 Pound Bench Press For 12 Reps 

Of course the so-called “world’s largest athlete” would be responsible for some insane lifting numbers. While speaking with WWE.com about his top performances inside of a gym for a piece published in 2013, Big Show explained that he had topped 500 pounds for 12 reps on the bench press. Show admitted that wasn’t always the case, as it took him time to go from roughly 350 pounds to where he was when at his best.

While that number is certainly remarkable, his ability to shed excess pounds during the latter stages of his career is even more impressive considering how much he struggled with his weight over the decades. At 46 years old, Big Show is probably more ripped today than he was in his physical prime. That man is definitely a freak of nature.

8 Titus O’Neil - 545 Pound Bench Press 

Like several others spotlighted in this piece, Titus O’Neil is a former football player who was no stranger to the gym long before he first stepped foot inside of a WWE ring. Take one quick look at the guy, and you can see he is a physical freak who could put plenty to shame in weight lifting competitions.

During an interview with WWE.com, O’Neil claimed he once maxed-out at 545 pounds on the bench press, which is absolutely ridiculous. Those who have seen his workouts on YouTube and social media platforms probably wouldn’t be too shocked to see that number. O’Neil may not be a World Champion in the WWE, but nobody can doubt his raw strength and attributes. Titus Worldwide boasts several jacked performers, including O’Neil, Apollo Crews and Dana Brooke.

7 Cesaro - 405 Pound Bench Press 

Claudio Castagnoli was often regarded as one of the strongest wrestlers on the independent scene during his time in promotions such as Ring of Honor, and he has maintained his strength and conditioning since joining the WWE. The company’s “King of Swing” once told WWE.com that his best bench press was 405 pounds, but also that he considers functional strength to be much more important than how much one can hoist while inside a gym.

He definitely practices what he preaches, as Cesaro’s functional strength has been put on display in matches throughout his stint in the company. Cesaro really isn’t all that interested in breaking records in the weight room, but he has managed to post some insane numbers in his time; just don’t ask him about them!

6 Bianca Belair - 415 Pound Trap Bar Deadlift 

Bianca Belair became a hit among fans who watched her during the Mae Young Classic for her hair-whip attack, but she is more than just a one-trick pony. In fact, she was the star of the women’s division of the 2017 NXT Combine. She finished first in standing broad jump (8 feet, 7 inches), overhead medicine ball test (38 feet, 10 inches), 1,000 meter row (3:29), bench press (51 reps at 75 pounds), weighted chin-ups (three reps at 206 pounds) farmer’s carry (1 minute, 6.4 seconds), and she finished tied for first with Ember Moon in trap bar deadlift (415 pounds).

Belair hasn’t yet been given many opportunities to thrive on NXT television, but we are excited to see more from her in the months following WrestleMania.

5 Brock Lesnar - 600 Pound Bench Press 

You shouldn’t need to see any insane lifting numbers to understand that Brock Lesnar is a freak of nature and a once-in-a-generation athlete. He was a dominant amateur wrestler. He took the WWE by storm and became, at the time, the youngest heavyweight champion in history. He made the practice squad of an NFL team after he decided he wanted to leave WWE. Later, he became UFC heavyweight champion.

Back in 2011, Kurt Angle, who worked out with Lesnar plenty of times during the Beast’s first tenure in the company, claimed Lesnar could bench over 600 pounds and squat over 1,000 pounds (which might be fabricated, seriously, Brock can squat as much as Mark Henry!?). Wrestlers have been known to tell tall tales in the past, but we are not going to question these numbers to Lesnar’s face anytime soon.

4 Big E - 749 Pound Deadlift 

Big E enjoyed a successful power-lifting career before he ever became a WWE star and a member of the New Day stable. He legitimately broke records in Florida, and he won the 2011 USAPL national championship. A story on WWE.com once claimed that his lifting numbers included the following: “A 611-pound squat, a 490-pound bench press and a 749-pound deadlift for a total of 1,851 pounds.”

We don’t want to question the WWE’s facts, here, but Big E later stated during an interview for the promotion’s website that his personal best on the bench press was 475 pounds. What’s a few pounds here and there between friends, right? Either way, you don’t need to be a weightlifting or powerlifting expert to see that Big E is a freak of nature and one of the strongest WWE performers in recent memory, if not ever.

3 Braun Strowman - Deadlifted A Car 

Yes, the WWE admittedly exaggerated the strength of Braun Strowman during his push into main-event status, but he is a freak of nature and one of the strongest individuals on the roster. Before he was a WWE star, Strowman competed in and won multiple strongman competitions.

At the 2012 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships, he deadlifted a car with such strength that he managed to move the car backward, as explained by Bleacher Report’s Ryan Dilbert. A video from that same year showed him making a mockery of 350-pound reps on the viking press. Those who have watched Strowman toss men such as Brock Lesnar and Big Show around WWE rings don’t need to see his exact lifting numbers to understand he is a beast and, probably, a future World Champion.

2 Otis Dozovic - 225 Pounds For 46 Reps On Bench Press

It should be no surprise that one-half of the tag team that cares about “Steaks and Weights” above everything else has proven himself to be a physical freak capable of posting insane lifting numbers. Back in September 2017, the WWE shared a video of Otis Dozovic, a member of the team Heavy Machinery, pushing out 46 reps on the 225-pound bench press during that year’s NXT Combine.

If that isn’t enough to get Vince McMahon’s jaw to hit the floor, he should watch Dozovic perform his version of a Caterpillar Elbow Drop during a weekly NXT program or at a house show. Dozovic may not be a future world champion, but fans are going to love him once he is called up to the main roster.

1 John Cena - 481 Pound Bench Press

We end the list with John Cena, a noted physical freak who has repeatedly returned from injuries ahead of schedule and who has been featured in numerous magazines for his workouts and his lifting numbers. Back in 2013, Cena explained that the most he had ever bench pressed, at that time, was a whopping 465 pounds. He later crushed that record when he successfully lifted 481 pounds.

Despite the fact that Cena will turn 41 years old just a few weeks after WrestleMania 34, he remains one of the strongest individuals in WWE history. No wonder a movie studio wants him to play the Duke Nukem character in an upcoming film. Cena following in The Rock’s footsteps and embracing a full-time career in Hollywood could be next for the future Hall of Famer.