7 Bodybuilders Who Turned WWE Superstars and Made It to WrestleMania

Bodybuilders are celebrated for his or her self-discipline, muscularity, and charisma on stage, however swapping poses for powerslams requires these athletes to keep up their phenomenal physiques whereas being examined within the professional wrestling ring. Many bodybuilders have crossed over to WWE with various success, however a choose few have used their larger-than-life presence on the aggressive stage, to go all the best way to WrestleMania. With that in thoughts, M&F takes a take a look at seven bona fide bodybuilders, who bodyslammed their strategy to professional wrestling’s biggest occasion.

Final Warrior

James “Final Warrior” Hellwig set the tempo for depth in a professional wrestling ring, changing into probably the most widespread WWE Superstars of all time, however he first discovered the highlight as a aggressive novice bodybuilder, successful the NPC Mr Georgia title in 1984.

Hellwig made his skilled wrestling debut in 1985, alongside Steve Borden, and would climb to the highest of the WWE mountain by beating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 6, earlier than a crowd 60,000 followers on the SkyDome in Toronto. He sadly handed away in 2014, however his aura stays unmatched.

Sting

Talking of Steve Borden, he additionally made his debut alongside his fitness center associate, Jim Hellwig in 1985, earlier than altering his unique wrestling identify from “Flesh” to “Sting” in 1986. Each males had been scouted for the mat whereas figuring out, resulting from their sculpted physiques. And, like Warrior, Borden was a aggressive bodybuilder, who discovered worldwide wrestling fame. After signing with WCW in 1987, Sting turned a six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion. However due to his star standing in that promotion, the grappler had been resistant in regards to the concept of signing with WWE. When WCW was purchased by Vince McMahon in 2001, he finally made it to the rival firm, and competed at WrestleMania 31, in 2015, in a dropping effort towards Triple H.

Triple H

Earlier than he was WWE’s “King of Kings,” Paul Levesque took up bodybuilding on the age of 14 to look extra like his professional wrestling heroes. He gained the 1988 Mr Teenage New Hampshire competitors at 19 years of age and later turned often known as “Terra Ryzing” in WCW, Lavesque made the transfer to WWE in 1995 below the identify “Hunter Hearst Helmsley,” however when he began up the D-Era X faction, with finest pal Shawn Michaels, he shortened that monicker to “Triple H.”

In fact, Levesque is now retired from wrestling, however serves as WWE’s chief content material officer. Throughout his ring days, nevertheless, Triple H was probably the most prolific WrestleMania performers, battling everybody from the Final Warrior to blended tag workforce motion alongside his spouse, Stephanie McMahon, towards Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey.

Alexa Bliss

Alexis “Alexa Bliss” Kauffman was a Division I cheerleader on the College of Akron earlier than getting severe with the barbell. She gained the 2011 NPC Teen Collegiate Championship within the Bikini division and even competed within the 2012 and 2013 Arnold Basic.

As Alexa Bliss, the pocket powerhouse continues to be making WrestleMania historical past, making her in-ring motion debut at WrestleMania 33 in a girls’s Battle Royal, and successful the tag workforce title with Nikki Cross at WrestleMania 36. In 2026, Bliss has one other likelihood on the tag workforce championships as she’s going to associate with Charlotte Aptitude in a fatal-four-way battle.

Tony Atlas

Tony “Anthony White” Atlas was a champion powerlifter who gained the Professional Mr. USA bodybuilding title by means of the World Bodybuilding Guild in 1979 and is reported to have earned the “Mr USA” title 3 occasions general.

In WWE, Atlas is well-known for successful the tag workforce titles with Rocky Johnson (who was the daddy of Dwayne Johnson) and for being a part of the well-known Battle Royale at WrestleMania 2 that featured each WWE and NFL combatants. Atlas was extra not too long ago a part of WWE’s “Legends Home” actuality present.

Dana Brooke

Ashley “Dana Brooke” Sebera first competed within the Health division on the NPC Junior USA Championships in 2012 and earned her IFBB Professional card that very same yr, final competed on the 2017 Arnold Basic.

Turning into Dana Brooke in WWE, the star signed with the professional wrestling juggernaut’s developmental system in 2013 and remained with the corporate for over a decade, successful the 24/7 championship 15 occasions no much less. Brooke appeared at WrestleMania 34 in a girls’s battle royal, WrestleMania 35 as a part of the kick-off present Battle Royal, and most not too long ago at WrestleMania 37 in a Tag Crew Turmoil Match.

John Cena

Earlier than he turned out of sight as one of many biggest WWE Superstars of all-time, John Cena earned a level in science and kinesiology from Springfield School in Massachusetts earlier than shifting to Venice, CA, and choosing up odd jobs on the well-known Gold’s Gymnasium, all whereas giving aggressive bodybuilding a shot. These Gold’s Gymnasium connections would provide an opportunity for Cena to coach as a professional wrestler, and took on the apt identify of “The Prototype,” earlier than signing with WWE within the yr 2000.

Because the “Physician of Thuganomics,” and later the grasp or “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect,” John Cena carved out an distinctive professional wrestling profession, incomes a record-setting seventeen world titles earlier than retiring as a sure-fire WWE Corridor of Famer upon dropping to Gunther in 2025. Along with his Hollywood profession, Cena is slated to be the official host WrestleMania 42.

Those that need to see much more muscularity on show can tune into WrestleMania 42 on April 18 and 19, 2026, reside from Allegiant Stadium, in Las Vegas. WWE’s greatest annual occasion will stream on ESPN within the U.S. and on Netflix internationally.