Antonio Cesaro is one of the newest WWE Superstars. Before entering the squared circle, he was a professional rugby player in his homeland of Switzerland.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
He was kicked out of the league for being too aggressive on the pitch. Cesaro is the latest in a long line of pro athletes to transition into a career as a Superstar.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Lex Luger was a member of the Green Bay Packers and several USFL teams.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Steve "Mongo" McMichael played on the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears. He was a member of The Four Horsemen when he joined WCW.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons is also a hall of famer at Florida State University, where he played defensive tackle before heading to the USFL and, ultimately, the squared circle.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Kurt Angle won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics. During his WWE career, Angle was a five-time World Champion.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
The massive Earthquake was a successful sumo wrestler in Japan.
1 / 38
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
"The Alpha Male" Marcus Cor Von played four seasons in the NFL before becoming a sports-entertainer.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
He played linebacker for the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
William "The Refrigerator" Perry, a member of the WWE Hall of Fame's celebrity wing, was a teammate of McMichael's on the Bears.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
The 335-pound defensive lineman took part in a Battle Royal with NFL players and WWE Superstars at WrestleMania 2.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Known as "The World's Most Dangerous Man," Ken Shamrock jumped from the octagon to the ring.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Shamrock is a former Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion and also the 1998 King of the Ring.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Pro Football Hall of Famer Bronko Nagurski played for the Chicago Bears in the 1930s and 1940s, while competing in the ring. Each year, the best defensive player in college football is presented an award named after him.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
"Big Cat" Ernie Ladd played for the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL before embarking on a Hall of Fame career in sports-entertainment.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
"Macho Man" Randy Savage went from the diamond to the squared circle.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Savage played in the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system before an injury forced him out of baseball.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Brian Pillman played for his hometown Cincinnati Bengals in 1984.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
The nearly 8-foot tall El Gigante was a standout basketball player in his home country, Argentina.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Advertisement: Click the arrow to continue
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
He was drafted by the NBA's Atlanta Hawks before becoming a competitor in WCW.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
He also competed in WWE as Giant Gonzales, waging war with The Undertaker at WrestleMania IX.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Wahoo McDaniel was a linebacker for for several AFL teams, including the New York Jets, before engaging in memorable rivalries with Ric Flair and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
During the 1994 baseball strike, Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz crossed the picket line into the squared circle.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Mark Henry competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics as a powerlifter.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
"The World's Strongest Man" was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
JBL played in the World League of American Football before becoming a "wrestling god."
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Bob "Spark Plug" Holly raced into WWE from the stock car circuit.
1 / 38
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
As Hardcore Holly, he went on to hold the Hardcore and World Tag Team Titles.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Dan "The Beast" Severn won several UFC tournaments before entering the squared circle.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Goldberg played several seasons in the NFL as a defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
After debuting in WCW, he went on an unprecedented winning streak, picking up 173 consecutive victories before his first loss.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
The Goon was too rough for hockey, so he decided to get his fighting fix in WWE.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
With boots crafted to look like skates, The Goon checked, charged and slashed opponents to his heart's content, as there is no penalty box in WWE.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
Ken Patera competed in the 1972 Olympics as a weightlifter before breaking into sports-entertainment.
+ Show Caption
1 / 38
The former Intercontinental Champion was part of a training class that included Ric Flair and The Iron Sheik