I would like to believe that most of us 90s kids have outgrown WWE (known back then as WWF) and have moved on to remember it as the fodder to imitate violence upon our friends. I often think of how much my friends and I would entertain ourselves with the trumps they sold outside school, as we played endless card games on our way back home.
You will be surprised to know that most of these wrestlers have not withdrawn from the spotlight and still continue to make an appearance in the wrestling entertainment industry.
1. Triple H
Born as Paul Michael Levesque, his character name is an abbreviation of Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Triple H started his career at WWE in 1995 and went on to become Executive Vice President after marrying into the McMahon family which maintains majority ownership of the brand franchise.
2. The Rock
Remembered for his opening dialogue of "Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?" he started his career as an American Football Player before signing on to the WWE in 1996. After 2005 he made sporadic appearances and began focusing his career on acting. Today he is popularly known as Dwayne Johnson and has appeared in movies like Fast Five and Get Smart.
3. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho won several championships within the WWE and forayed into the music industry where he was the lead singer of his own band. He appeared on reality shows like Dancing With The Stars and on several talk shows. In April 2015, he began hosting a live podcast on the WWE.
4. The Undertaker
Remembered for his dark and ghost like stage personality, the Undertaker has had the longest tenure with the WWE, from 1990 to making a reappearance in the 2015 Word Heavyweight Championships.
5. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Steve Austin entertained the audience with his anti-hero-like behaviour with clashing of beer cans and often disrespecting his boss, Vince McMahon. He won several championships before retiring in 2004 to become a referee and join the ranks of the WWE Hall of Fame.
6. Goldust
Known for his distinct black and gold face paint, Goldust has been wrestling since 1988. He switched between the various federations, making a comeback to WWE 5 times. He currently performs in partnership with his half-brother Cody Rhodes.
7. Trish Stratus
After a brief stint as a model, Stratus joined the WWE where she won seven women's championships and was involved in several relationships with various wrestlers. She was awarded the 'Diva of the year' title and inducted into the Wall Of Fame in 2013. After 2006, she appeared on several TV shows and opened an eco-friendly yoga studio in the suburbs of Toronto.
8. Christian
He joined WWE in 1998 alongside his best friend Edge (Adam Copeland) and left for TNA wrestling in 2005. In 2009 he returned to WWE where he made sporadic appearances. Many people consider him retired although it hasn't been formally announced. The wrestler has however alluded to looking for employment outside the wrestling world.
9. Booker T
Having won the World Heavyweight Championship, he was the first African American to win it. After a brief stint at TNA, he returned to WWE in 2011 and eventually became a commentator.
10. Shawn Michaels
Michaels entered the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. He is a four-time world champion, a three-time WWF Champion and a former World Heavyweight Champion. Michaels won the 1995 and 1996 Royal Rumbles and was the WWF's first Grand Slam Champion. He also won the Pro Wrestling Illustrated "Match of the Year" reader vote a record eleven times.
Today, he makes rare appearances on the show.
11. Chyna
Chyna first rose to prominence in the professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1997. A founding member of the stable D-Generation X, she held the WWF Intercontinental Championship (the only female performer to do so) twice and the WWF Women's Championship once. She is also the first woman to participate in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring events, as well as to become the number one contender in the WWF Championship. Since leaving the WWE in 2001, Chyna has wrestled sporadically, most notably with New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2011.
Outside wrestling, she has made a debut in acting and pornographic films.
12. Rikishi
Best known for depicting a sumo-like character on WWE, the Samoan wrestler went on to win the Intercontinental Champion once, World Tag Team Champion twice, and one-time WWE Tag Team Champion. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015.
13. The Big Show
Born as Paul Donald Wight Jr., he joined the WWE in 1999 where he was nicknamed 'The Giant'. Wight has been world champion seven times and is the only person to have held the ECW, WWE, World, and WCW World Heavyweight Championships.
Outside of wrestling he has appeared in movies like Star Trek: The Enterprise and had a lead role in the comedy film, Knucklehead.
14. Kane
Kane was introduced in 1997 as the demonic half brother of the Undertaker and went on to win several titles under his name. His identity was kept hidden under a red and black mask which he wore to matches but it later stripped off to reveal who he really was. He went back to wearing it again in 2011 only to take it off again 3 years later to fit into his new fictional role as 'Director of Operations' of the authority.
