Line #29 OneOfUs/WrestlingWeenies


1	Wrestlers are some of the most physical performers in the world. They constantly put their well being on the line and are usually very tough. Some are even huge and ridiculously muscular. But most of them are gigantic geeks and nerds who love the same stuff we do. Below is a list of wrestlers who have openly admitted to their geekdom:
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3	* Former Wrestling/{{WWE}} wrestler [[Wrestling/GregoryHelms Gregory "Hurricane" Helms]]' love of the ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' is well-documented (not the least of which by the Green Lantern Corps logo tattooed on his shoulder), and his total fanboy obsession was actually his gimmick for a short time after entering Wrestling/{{WWE}} (before the character jumped completely off the deep-end and became a campy {{Superhero}}). His website also features a piece of art by himself, showing The Hurricane delivering his FinishingMove to [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] as ComicBook/BlackAdam looks on approvingly.
4	* A lot of WWE wrestlers are gamers. Wrestling/CodyRhodes has the Triforce on his boots. He even admitted to playing ''Zelda'' every year. Specifically, he's admitted that every year he plays ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'' from start to finish ''without saving or quitting.'' A recent match against Wrestling/KotaIbushi even had him bust out a new finishing move he proudly called [[VideoGame/TheLegendofZeldaOcarinaofTime Din's Fire]].
5	** He's also a huge comic book fan and has said his favorite characters are [[ComicBook/XMen Archangel, Omega Red, Cyclops]] and the Inhumans. He has a cabinet of the Konami ''X-Men'' arcade game at his house, he once said he'd want Patriot from the ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' as a member of Legacy, and that he'd want to wrestle ComicBook/BlackPanther in a cage match. He also enjoyed the comparisons of him to Doctor Doom while masked.
6	** It's also been told that he plays with action figures. He'll even let you play with him, but be warned: When he plays, he ''[[SeriousBusiness plays]]'', and you better take it serious and be able to keep up with him.
7	** Cody has taken to doing a bit of cosplay since leaving WWE. At Ring of Honor's Final Battle in 2018, he came out dressed as [[VideoGame/MetalGear Big Boss/Venom Snake]] with his wife Brandi as the Boss. At Wrestling/{{A\|llEliteWrestling}}EW ''Double or Nothing'', his gear was inspired by Alucard from Castlevania.
8	* Wrestling/TheMiz and Wrestling/JohnMorrison have talked about the new ''WWE'' games in detail with game sites like IGN.
9	* Wrestling/KofiKingston told ''Magazine/NintendoPower'' that he wanted [[VideoGame/PunchOut a pink hoodie]]. He compares his style to characters from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' and ''Franchise/StreetFighter''.
10	** Did anyone else just envision him as Dee Jay?
11	*** He debuted a pair of [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Riddler]] trunks on ''Superstars'' (which he then went on to wear in the Royal Rumble, as well as the following ''Monday Night Raw''), with the question marks all over, and his "Kofi-face" logo wearing the Riddler's hat and mask. He also mentioned in a ''WWE Magazine'' interview that the one pair of trunks he had made that he has never worn was a Red and Black ComicBook/HarleyQuinn one.
12	* Wrestling/MontelVontaviousPorter, better known as MVP, based one of his early finishers off of an [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Eddy Gordo]] move. It was named Malicious Intent.
13	* Wrestler [[Wrestling/GeorgeSteele George "The Animal" Steele]] had a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master's degree from Michigan State University.
14	* Wrestling/DwayneJohnson is a big video game geek. So much so that his interview with Jon Stewart for ''Series/TheDailyShow'', ostensibly to promote the then-new ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' movie, eventually became the two of them just talking about the games instead. During [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e67slmggcQ an interview]] about the movie, when the subject of the {{BFG}} came up, Johnson insisted on calling it the "Big Fucking Gun" rather than the "Bio-Force Gun" (the name used in the movie).
15	** In his college days, he was a big fan of ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. When a preview for the [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 2020 film adaptation]] tossed in a joke with Sonic asking "Is The Rock the President?!", Johnson [[ApprovalOfGod gave his approval]].
16	** Also, while he was one of the biggest stars in wrestling history, once he left for the big lights of Hollywood, most people assumed that he never actually cared about wrestling and just saw it as a launching pad to stardom. Thanks to his Twitter account, it turns out that he's still very much a ''huge'' wrestling geek, and in addition to Wrestling/{{WWE}} he regularly watches both [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] and Wrestling/RingOfHonor. He's a big fan of Kevin [=Steen/Owens=].
17	*** And [[https://twitter.com/TheRock/status/689978459666436096 he]] watched Wrestling/LuchaUnderground.
18	* Wrestling/MickFoley was an avid wrestling fan before getting his start professionally. Since semi-retiring he's gone on to become a novelist and voiced "The Boulder", an AffectionateParody character of Wrestling/DwayneJohnson's iconic persona, "The Rock" on ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''.
19	** Foley is also notable for talking about things in his life that wrestlers might think dilutes their tough image. For instance he loves the music of Music/ToriAmos to a near religious degree, loves Christmas and so regularly goes to Santa's Village (an all year round Christmas themed amusement park), not to mention that he always talks about events in his life other than wrestling in his books. Since his first book, his books have been just as much about his family life as they have about his career.
20	* Wrestling/ChrisJericho, longtime WWE star and now with AEW, is such a geek, he named his son [[Franchise/EvilDead Ash]], sings for a [[Music/{{Fozzy}} metal band]] in a persona called Moongoose [=McQueen=] (named for [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]], of course), and has recorded with Music/DreamTheater and Music/IronMaiden.
21	** Rumor has it he once met Rob Reiner and alienated him by geeking out about ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap''.
22	*** At the ''Wrestling/{{WCW}} Fall Brawl 98'' [=PPV=], he parodied Wrestling/{{Goldberg}}'s dramatic guided entrance and, in an {{Homage}} to ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'', got "lost" on his way to the ring.
23	** He also has a degree in journalism.
24	** Jericho has also admitted to playing Dungeons and Dragons.
25	* Former Wrestling/{{WWE}} star Wrestling/CMPunk is a big comic book fan and a bigger Franchise/GIJoe fan, going so far as to have the Cobra logo tattooed on his arm.
26	** Every time he comes out to the ring he pauses, hears an imaginary watch ring, and screams [[ComicBook/FantasticFour "It's Clobberin' Time!"]]
27	** Post-WWE, he was hired by Marvel to write comics for both Thor and Drax.
28	** He's also busted out the lines [[Franchise/StarWars "I find your lack of faith disturbing"]] and [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} "I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me!"]] during recent promos.
29	** In an interview, he was deliriously happy over the fact that his most recent WWE contract included a tour bus and driver, because it meant he would finally have time to play video games while on the road. He describes himself as a retrogamer, but is very eager to catch up to the modern day.
30	* WWE's Wrestling/{{Kane}} has a bachelor's degree in English and is a very avid gamer and [[http://www.adventuresofcitizenx.com/ political blogger]].
31	** He has also written some short science fiction and horror, and knows more about economics than many econ professors.
32	** As of 2018, he's now the mayor of Knox Country, Tennessee, under his real name of Glenn Jacobs.
33	* [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]]'s Chris Sabin (real name Josh Harter) is a big gamer and took his wrestling name from Sabin in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''. Considering that the [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment MOTHERFUCKER SUPLEXED A TRAIN]]... [[http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/01/12/chris-sabin-interview Sabin (the wrestler) still plays video games to this day.]]
34	** His former tag partner Alex Shelley falls into this as well. Mainly due to his extensive collection of wrestling tapes.
35	* Former WWE wrestler Scott Levy - best known as Wrestling/{{Raven}} - is a member of UsefulNotes/{{MENSA}} and a huge comic book fan. While in Wrestling/{{ECW}}, he often wrestled wearing T-shirts of comics from DC's Creator/VertigoComics imprint (usually ComicBook/TheSandman). He has also been spotted wearing a ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} shirt on occasion, and [[http://www.wwe.com/f/styles/talent_champion_m/public/rd-talent/Profile/Raven_pro.png]] his picture on his WWE.com profile has him wearing a ComicBook/DoctorStrange shirt. He also co-wrote issue #14 of the ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' limited series ''Spider-Man's Tangled Web''
36	* WWE's Wrestling/{{Hornswoggle}} is a big fan of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' and [[StealthPun it shows.]] He has tattoos of Animal, JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf, Beaker, and Sweetums, has all ''The Muppet Show'' seasons on DVD and has watched them three times and has paid 250 dollars for a rare Muppets Monopoly board game.
37	* WWE wrestler Wrestling/JohnCena has admitted to being an anime fan. His favorite anime movie? ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''![[note]][[Film/FistOfTheNorthStar The film]] included a wrestler in the cast: [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Leon "Vader" White]] played "Goliath".[[/note]] He's also a ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' fan.
38	** Cena is also a huge Franchise/StarWars fan, even ranking ''all of them'' (including prequels) amongst his favorite films. He even once cut a promo imitating Yoda's voice.
39	** Adding on to that, Cena is also a fan of Transformers, as revealed in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfOY1-kgf1M this video]]
40	** Cena is also a video game fan. Earlier in his career it was common to see him wearing wristbands with 1-up mushrooms.
41	** Cena is also a fan of K-Pop. Specificially the boyband Music/{{BTS}}, even considering himself a member of the "BTS Army."
42	* Former ''[[Wrestling/{{WWESmackdown}} WWE [=SmackDown!=]]]'' color man Matt Striker betrays his {{anime}} geekdom with every nickname he bestows upon a wrestler. "[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Neon Genesis]]" Yoshi Tatsu, indeed. His commentary also has him proudly displaying his ComicBook geekery ("AvengersAssemble, this is ComicBook/{{Secret Wars\|1984}}!"), not to mention that his vast knowledge of professional wrestling history is starting to reach ''[[Wrestling/JimRoss J.R]].-level'' ContinuityPorn. And now he's revealed that he named his cats after Wrestling/TheMidnightExpress. Yup, geek.
43	* Independent wrestling promotion Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} pretty much runs on this. Wrestling/MikeQuackenbush, their booker/head trainer/owner/wrestler/jack-of-all-trades is a diehard comic book and pop culture junkie and it shows. Much of the DVD covers are homages to famous comic book covers, their shows have titles that are references to Music/TheyMightBeGiants, Music/TalkingHeads, [[Music/BenFolds Ben Folds Five]], ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'', and everything in between, and the booking itself basically patterns itself after continuity-heavy TV shows along the lines of ''Series/{{Lost}}'' (which Quackenbush is also, unsurprisingly, a huge fan of as well).
44	** There was a TagTeam called Wrestling/TheSuperSmashBrothers, Player Uno and Player Dos, now part of The Dark Order PowerStable in AEW as Evil Uno and Stu Grayson. And they are, indeed, true geeks; they now have [[https://www.youtube.com/thenerdslam a YouTube channel called The Nerd Slam]] where they post videos of themselves playing video games with their friends. Uno also does videos where he previews upcoming indie games, as well as the occasional LetsPlay.
45	** They had a wrestler named [=Create-A-Wrestler=], where the idea was that the fans would get to decide his gimmick for him. At ''Time Will Prove Everything'', Wrestling/{{Crossbones\|TheWrestler}} [[http://www.cagematch.net/?id=93&nr=267 questioned the logic of that idea]].[[note]][=Create-A-Wrestler=] would be reintroduced at ''Young Lions Cup V'' (2007) as [=MosCow=] the Communist Bovine, and as Ultimo Breakfast a year later. He was repackaged as the turn of the 20th Century UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} player Wrestling/DasherHatfield, debuting in the gimmick at ''CHIKARA Young Lions Cup VII'', Night I, August 14, 2009 and has continued in the gimmick ever since.[[/note]]
46	* A [[EnsembleDarkhorse J]] [[Wrestling/AJStyles Styles]] is a gamer and a fan of Creator/JKRowling.
47	* Wrestling/SamoaJoe based his finisher, the Muscle Buster, on the one used by ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' character King ([[OlderThanTheyThink though the move was actually created as the Kinniku Buster]]. Then again, it was created for a [[Manga/{{Kinnikuman}} manga character]], so it keeps a nerdy origin).
48	** He also sided against Creator/RogerEbert in the "games as art" debate, proclaiming such games as ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' and ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' to indeed be art. He also called ''Uncharted 2'' "the best action flick I've seen all year".
49	* Before coming to Wrestling/{{A\|llEliteWrestling}}EW and adopting a librarian gimmick, Leva Bates, best known for her time with Wrestling/{{SHIMMER}}, regularly wore wrestling attire consisting of cosplays from various movie and comic franchises. Cosplays she has used for her attire have included [[Franchise/StreetFighter Chun-Li]], ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, ComicBook/ThePunisher, ComicBook/TheJoker, ComicBook/{{Robin}}, Harley Quinn, Franchise/IndianaJones, Franchise/{{Rocky}}, [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]], ComicBook/IronMan, ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'', and [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Luigi]].
50	* [=LuFisto=]'s main gimmick is being a CosplayOtakuGirl, her RedBaron is "Super Hardcore Anime".
51	* Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio\|Jr}} trots out the cosplay for pay-per-view events (usually ''Wrestling/WrestleMania'', but occasionally other shows), having dressed as ComicBook/TheFlash, ComicBook/SilverSurfer, ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/TheJoker, a Na'vi from Film/{{Avatar}}, as well as ComicBook/CaptainAmerica.
52	* Wrestling/AJLee is a huge fan of [[https://twitter.com/WWEAJLee/status/450412000464879616/photo/1 video games]], anime and comic books. She regularly [[Website/{{Twitter}} tweets]] about her love of all of them, especially the X-Men (her favorite story is the Dark Phoenix Saga), she has a dog named after Kagome from ''Manga/InuYasha'' and in a promo video there were clearly visible action figures of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 Yuna]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Meryl Silverburgh]]. This carries over into her wrestling persona; she describes herself as a "geek goddess", and in a Halloween costume battle royal, she dressed as [[Franchise/MortalKombat Kitana]] and actually attempted a fan lift.
53	** "YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle, [[http://vids.wwe.com/13858/wwecom-exclusive-kaitlyn-and-aj Nattie...]]"
54	* Wrestling/{{SHIMMER}}'s resident banshee Wrestling/{{MsChif}} is the alter ego of one Rachael Collins, a sweet horror movie and BlackMetal-loving microbiologist.
55	* Japanese legend Wrestling/MitsuharuMisawa was quite the gamer, being a noted fan of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWars Super Robot Taisen]]'', ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', and ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}''; when he passed away in 2009, the developers of ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' even named a minor character after him as a tribute.
56	* Wrestling/BigShow has said in an interview that when he goes home he "grabs an Ice Tea, goes to his room and plays ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'', it's therapy for me." He also has a tour bus with [=TVs=] and Xboxes hooked to them. And then there was the time he appeared on the official ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' web stream "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-blGAjzL3yI Stream of Many Eyes]]" playing a 14 foot tall [=half-giant=] [[StealthyColossus ...Rogue Thief]].
57	* [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]]. Japanese wrestling fanboy, comic book nerd.
58	* Wrestling/MattCardona (fka: Zack Ryder) seems to collect a number of action figures (a [[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} Peter Venkman]] figure makes at least one appearance in each episode of his [=YouTube=] [[WebVideo/ZTrueLongIslandStory webseries]], along with one of Wrestling/DolphZiggler), and likes ''Franchise/StarWars'' so much so that he's made more than a few ''Star Wars'' references, and made out with someone dressed as Princess Leia. He's also dressed as Han Solo. Again, this has occurred in all of his webisodes).
59	** Recently, he and Brian Myers (fka: Curt Hawkins) has been collecting wrestling action figures.
60	* Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels is a ''massive'' comic book fan, gamer, cosplayed Magneto for [=ComicCon=] and was made a Series/DoctorWho [[http://www.comicbookresources.com/prev_img.php?pid=9923&pg=9 villain]].
61	* WWE Diva [[Wrestling/BellaTwins Nikki Bella]] has admitted to loving video games, listing ''Tony Hawk'', ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' as her favourites. Her sister Brie, [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl not so much]].
62	** The two ended up dressing up as the [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario Bros.]] during a Halloween battle royale.
63	* Wrestling/BethPhoenix has been stated to be the most imposing diva in WWE history-- against the likes of [[Wrestling/KiaStevens Kharma]] and Wrestling/{{Chyna}}, that's saying something. She is also a huge fan of video games, horror films and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
64	* WWE's Wrestling/SethRollins, formerly of Wrestling/TheShield, named two of his finishing moves the [[Literature/HarryPotter Avada Kedavra]] (superkick) and the [[Franchise/StarWars Skywalker]] (Shiranui).
65	** Rollins is also a huge fan of ''Series/GameOfThrones'', in which one of his {{Red Baron}}s was the "Kingslayer" (named after Jaime Lannister) at [=WrestleMania=] 33 and to the point where he also came out as the Night King at [=WrestleMania=] 34.
66	** His former teammate in Wrestling/RingOfHonor, Wrestling/JimmyJacobs, is obsessed with video games and Franchise/TheMuppets, and calls himself "The Zombie Princess". He calls one of his finishers [[KonamiCode The Contra Code]].
67	* Wrestling/StevieRichards is a '''HUGE''' gamer. He even [[http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/09/pro-wrestler-pitches-first-known-perfect-mlb-2k11-game-wins-not/ pitched the first perfect game in MLB 2K11]].
68	* Former [[Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} WWE Diva Jacqueline]] grew up watching [[Wrestling/VonErichFamily World Class Championship Wrestling]], has a [[IKnowKarate black belt in Taekwondo]] and loves {{Martial Arts Movie}}s.
69	* Former wrestler Wrestling/KevinSullivan is a huge history buff, and he recently did a shoot interview wherein he made several accurate references to different comic book superheroes.
70	* WWE's Wrestling/SashaBanks has a ''Anime/SailorMoon'' themed Twitter background and calls her fans the "Sasha Scouts"[[note]]In TheNineties English dub of ''Sailor Moon'', the senshi were called the Sailor Scouts[[/note]], frequently mentions her love of ''Mario Kart'', owns a Ninja Turtle dress and is a fan of ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}''. Aside from ''Sailor Moon'', she has also mentioned being a fan of other anime, including ''Anime/DeathNote'', ''Anime/{{Monster}}'', and ''Anime/SchoolRumble''.
71	* Wrestling/DevonStorm, aka WCW's Crowbar, claims to be the biggest ''Franchise/StarWars'' fan alive. His former ally Wrestling/DaffneyUnger cited ComicBook/HarleyQuinn as an inspiration for her original gimmick.
72	* Funkadactyl and WWE Diva Wrestling/{{Naomi\|Wrestler}} is a big fan of Japanese women's pro wrestling (aka joshi puroresu), specifically Wrestling/ManamiToyota.
73	* Wrestling/XavierWoods has being a huge anime, video game, cartoon and anime fan as part of his gimmick. He even [[http://www.wwe.com/inside/overtheropes/xavier-woods-night-of-video-games-and-sportsmanship-26177348 challenged fans to a WWE2K14 match,]] and has name-dropped players in the competitive ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' scene.
74	** Woods also hosts a Website/YouTube channel called [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIr1YTkEHdJFtqHvR7Rwttg UpUpDownDown]] under an older ring name of "Austin Creed", and invites a bunch of other nerd wrestlers to play with him as a video series.
75	** This has taken on a life of its own as Xavier's stable with Wrestling/BigELangston and Wrestling/KofiKingston, Wrestling/TheNewDay, has all sorts of nerdy in-jokes going for it (such as coming out dressed in [[Anime/DragonBallZ Saiyan armor]] at [=WrestleMania=]). They also seem to nod to the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Brony"]] fandom through their use of unicorn references (as Woods has been seen out of the ring wearing Brony merch).
76	* On one episode of ''The [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin Steve Austin]] Show'' {{podcast}}, the eponymous Steve Austin (as in the beer drinkin', hell raisin', middle finger flippin' Stone Cold) and Vader (aka Big Van Vader, one of the baddest big men alive) discussed their love of ''Franchise/StarTrek''.
77	** Also, Steve Austin watched Wrestling/LuchaUnderground. [[https://twitter.com/steveaustinBSR/status/692549268654145536 Here he is, giving kudos to Matt Cross (AKA Son of Havoc) and Ivelisse on his Twitter]].
78	* Wrestling/{{Batista}} has expressed interests in superhero stories, science fiction (to the extent where he collects memorabilia in addition to movies), and vintage lunchboxes. The first two motivated him to land acting gigs in such productions as ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' and ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy\|2014}}''. (He even admitted crying TearsOfJoy after becoming a star of ''Guardians of the Galaxy''.) He also read Shakespeare during his acting lessons, and admitted a desire afterwards to someday appear in a Shakespearean production.
79	* Portia Perez is a big fan of ComicBook/{{Batman}} (and not so much of Eartha Kitt as Catwoman). Also likes Franchise/TheMuppets.
80	* Wrestling/VelvetSky can be seen in several photoshoots wearing comic book merch (and Leia's gold bikini) and her Website/{{Twitter}} bio lists her as a hardcore gamer who plays Videogame/CallOfDuty among other things.
81	** [[https://www.instagram.com/p/BxDWBVyAOhS/ This shirt]] combines her in the gold bikini with a sendup of Music/{{Slayer}}'s logo, calling herself "[=Sleia=]". She's also been photographed dressed as R2-D2.
82	** While in TNA, she once did a photo shoot lying face down nude with only a [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball New York Yankees]] [[HandOrObjectUnderwear baseball cap covering her butt]].
83	* Wrestling/HiroshiTanahashi is a huge ''Franchise/KamenRider'' fan. He even had ring gear inspired by Kamen Riders over the years, and his pose he does (besides his famous air guitar) is very similar to Kamen Rider Kabuto's "Walking Heaven's Path" pose. He later became a PromotedFanboy appearing at ''Film/KamenRiderGenerationsDrPacmanVsExAidAndGhostWithLegendaryRiders'' as one of the villains of the film as Sōji Kuruse aka the Robol Bugster.
84	* Wrestling/TheaTrinidad is a GamerChick and loves comic books and anime especially Manga/{{Naruto}}. Her favorite comic book character is Harley Quinn as well. She even cosplayed as various characters. Special mention goes to Madara at the Royal rumble 2021 complete with his voice actor Creator/NeilKaplan as her special announcer. She would also be a selectable commentator for ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6''.
85	* Creator/RondaRousey once wore an [[{{Memes/DragonBall}} OVER 9000]] tank top to a match. In a Reddit AMA, she declared her love for [[{{AllGirlsWantBadBoys}} Vegeta]], and mentioned she used to moderate a ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' forum.
86	** She's also ''huge'' fan of ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' since childhood, and Sonya Blade was her first memory of an ActionGirl, who she "admittedly kind of emulated in [her] own way" in her UsefulNotes/{{UFC}} and WWE careers. Now she's a PromotedFanboy in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' providing the voice of Sonya. At Wrestling/EliminationChamber 2019, Rousey sported a ring gear based of Sonya's vest and leather pants outfit in [=MK9=] combined with the military hat from MKX and [=MK11=] as an special entrance gear.
87	* Wrestling/{{Jushin Thunder Liger}}'s ''entire gimmick'' is based around anime superhero tropes. Even his ring name comes from [[Anime/JushinLiger an 80s anime]].
88	* Wrestling/KanakoUrai, better known to indy fans as Kana and to Wrestling/{{WWE}} fans as Asuka, is a part-time video game journalist and used to work for Platform/{{Xbox}} magazine when she wrestled in Japan. Prior to her NXT run, her entrance theme was actually "The Sun Rises", the final boss theme from ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}''! She occasionally includes video game content on her Youtube channel, as well as manga (including ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' and ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'').
89	* Mr. 450 wears a headlight that looks suspiciously like a scouter from ''Manga/DragonBall'' as entrance attire, along with tanktops styled to resemble Saiyan Army/Freeza Force rit armor, and one of his [[RedBaron nicknames]] is "The Saiyan Prince".
90	* ACH calls his brain buster "Spirit Bomb" and has asked fans [[CombinedEnergyAttack to give him their energy]] before attempting a warrior's way. His' tag team with Shin Shynron is called "FusionDance", he has a pair of tights with "Over 9000" on them and sometimes wears and orange top with a small white circle in the corner as entrance attire. It's safe to say he likes ''Manga/DragonBall'' too.
91	* Similar to Xavier Woods, Wrestling/KennyOmega is a big gamer too, particularly in the realm of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqPZdqqKjT4 fighting games]]. He also patterned much of his wrestling persona on anime and video game influences:
92	** ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': His ring name is based on recurring boss enemy Omega Weapon, his primary finisher is named the "One-Winged Angel" after Sephiroth's {{leitmotif}}, and his current theme ("Devil's Sky") was heavily inspired by it as well.
93	*** He would use the actual song and have a Sepiroth style attire as Wrestle Kingdom 17
94	** ''Franchise/StreetFighter'': One of his current signature moves is called the [[VideoGame/StreetFighterV V-Trigger]], he shouts Alex's "You can't escape!" taunt during matches, he previously imitated the Hadouken gesture and modified it as a dual palm strike as a signature move, once performed Zangief's Ultimate Atomic Buster on a blow-up doll, copied Cody's Bad Stone throw with a crumpled paper ball, once paraphrased one of Bison's speeches [[Film/StreetFighter from the movie]], and he can play the game on a competitive level in addition to being a really good commentator. This came to a head at CEO 2016 as not only did Kenny participate in the Street Fighter V tournament but fellow gamer Xavier Woods dropped in as well (being a Florida local) and the two took to the main stage [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxb5BuecXoc to do battle]]. As icing on the cake, he became a PromotedFanboy when he portrayed Cody Travers in a live-action segment from the character's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTrNPcE1J48 reveal trailer]] for ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' that pays homage to the opening of ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' (complete with Xavier Woods as the menacing voice on the phone).
95	** ''Franchise/MegaMan'': His Twitter handle references ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', his previous entrance track was a remix of the first Wily Castle theme from ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'', two of his previous signature moves were named the "Dr. Wily Bomb" and "Flash Man's Time Stopper".
96	** ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': His habit of wearing a black longcoat in addition to shades references series BigBad Albert Wesker.
97	** ''Manga/HajimeNoIppo'': Not reflected in his moveset or gimmick, but he learned Japanese just to read ''Ippo'' raw and now speaks the language fluently.
98	** ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'': His entrance at Wrestle Kingdom 13 uses ''Hopes and Dreams'', the TrueFinalBoss music from ''Undertale'' as his theme and his gear is based of Kris from ''Deltarune''.
99	* KUSHIDA, the resident Junior Ace of New Japan, has a gimmick which essentially boils down to "the best junior heavyweight who just so happens to be a massive ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' fanboy".
100	* Former 205 Live's resident Gentleman, Jack Gallagher, happens to be an avid gamer, regularly appearing on ''WebVideo/UpUpDownDown'' to play and once wrote for Website/GiantBomb [[https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/jack-gallaghers-top-10-games-of-2017/1100-5662/ his Top 10 Games of 2017]]. He even lists ''VideoGame/Persona5'' as his personal game of the year, while referring to the MC as [[LetsPlay/Persona4EnduranceRun Charlie Tunoku]].
101	* [[Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli Cesaro]] and Wrestling/{{Sheamus}} have incorporated [[Manga/DragonBall the Fusion Dance pose]] into their entrance routine.
102	* [[Wrestling/RubyRiott Heidi Lovelace (aka Ruby Soho/Riott)]] is a fan of [[HorrorFilms horror movies]], particularly the work of Music/RobZombie. She [[https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/heidilovelace sells]] T-Shirts that reference the HardcorePunk band Music/TheMisfits, ECW and ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim''. She's also friends with band ''Music/{{Rancid}}'' who would not only play her new song ''Ruby Soho'' but also coin her new name after said song
103	* Wrestling/PaigeTurner, the [[WrestlingDoesntPay wrestling librarian]] (before Leva Bates), has said that she grew up as a wrestling fan and that Wrestling/{{Chyna}}'s workout tape inspired her to lose 30 pounds while in high school and that she is a fan of the ''Literature/ThePendragonAdventure'' and ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' novel series.
104	* Wrestling/HaniaTheHowlingHuntress is a GamerChick with her own channel on Platform/{{Twitch}} and has praised ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. While working as Saturyne in CHIKARA, she appeared on the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5uDtYmoQgc&t=7s July 18, 2012]] edition of their Website/YouTube series ''The Barber Shop'', which asked different CHIKARA personalities to describe their version of a perfect date. Saturyne's involved "an episode of ''Manga/InuYasha'', an episode of ''[[Wrestling/{{WWERAW}} Monday Night Raw]]'' and then me kicking his butt in ''[[VideoGame/WWEVideoGames SmackDown Shut Your Mouth]]''". She is a fan of Music/MichaelJackson, Music/{{Prince}}, Music/LionelRichie, Lenny Kravitz, Music/TupacShakur, Music/{{Wham}} and Creator/AlPacino, and has said that Wrestling/ShawnMichaels is her favorite wrestler. When [[https://twitter.com/HaniaHuntress/status/1134627617355784193 asked on Twitter]] if she could only watch three shows for the rest of her life, she said, "''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife''. ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower''. ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''."
105	* [[Wrestling/DeanAmbrose Jon Moxley (aka Dean Ambrose)]] is a big fan of cartoons and movies, and says that the inspiration for his promo video that released the moment his WWE contract was up was [[Film/Venom2018 Venom's teaser trailer.]]
106	* Wrestling/JohnnyGargano is a big fan of Creator/MarvelComics, usually wearing ring gear inspired by characters at big events. He is also a huge ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' fan. Meanwhile, his wife, Wrestling/CandiceLerae, is a huge fan of Creator/{{Disney}}, to the point where one of her finishing moves was called "Ms Lerae's Wild Ride." Since Lerae moved to Orlando after signing with NXT, the pair have gone to [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Walt Disney World]] many times. She has been ''billed'' from [[PartsUnknown "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride"]].
107	* Kairi Sane (formerly known as Kairi Hojo in STARDOM) loves pirates due to her past as a sailing champion in high school. This means she's a fan of ''Manga/OnePiece'' and ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''. She also enjoys ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' and ''Franchise/SailorMoon''. Also, there are photos of Kairi wearing a [[Music/BabyMetal Babymetal]] uniform. Yes, [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EAWOwUDWwAEZIVW?format=png&name=small Kairi]]-[[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EAdthPaXUAANft0?format=png&name=small Metal]].
108	* Wrestling/AleisterBlack or Malakai Black is a legitimate occultist (nothing wrong with that) but he still loves video games and comic books and is a huge fan of the band [[Music/GhostBand Ghost]].
109	* Brennan Williams aka Maçe of Maximum Male Models was a former NFL player who gained notoriety for revealing he had an [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Asuka]] body pillow on Twitter. Years later, he would retire from football and begin a wrestling career where one of his finishers was the "[[Anime/LoveLive Nico Nico Knee]]". He would also collaborate with the Best Friends Zaibatsu, where his resemblance to Woolie earned him the nickname "Better Woolie". His love of anime and manga is so great that he has been dubbed "Great Black Otaku". He is currently signed to WWE where he took on the ring name of [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Dio]] [[VideoGame/MaddenNFL Maddin]] and had a notable stint in commentary on RAW where he would sprinkle in references to anime and video games only the most hardcore nerds would recognize.
110	* Wrestling/TylerBreeze is a frequent collaborator on Up Up Down Down before he started his own Twitch channel alongside Baron Corbin and Tye Dillinger called TheSweetz100.
111	* CHIKARA original Wrestling/{{UltraMantis Black}} has his own HeavyMetal band and his [[http://ultramantis.firstpress.net/ website]] sells T-shirts based on Music/BlackFlag's logo and the cover to Music/TheSmiths' ''Meat Is Murder''. Originally known as [=UltraMantis=], his name and image were based on ''Series/{{UltraMan}}'' and ''Franchise/KamenRider''. In his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wg_rYAZGzk promo]] at ''CHIKARA The Constant'', one of the events of the "lost" Season 17, he said that he planned to go "from enslavement to obliteration," which is the title of an album by Music/NapalmDeath.
112	* A lot of wrestlers are {{UsefulNotes/Juggalo}}s, including Wrestling/{{Raven}}, Wrestling/{{Sabu}}, Wrestling/{{Rhyno}}, Wrestling/RobVanDam and Vampiro, as was the late Wrestling/BallsMahoney, who was also a {{metalhead}}.
113	** Wrestling/MadManPondo took his name from [[Wrestling/AbdullahTheButcher "The Madman from the Sudan" Abdullah The Butcher]] and he and Crazy Mary Dobson ([[Wrestling/TheRiottSquad WWE's Sarah Logan]]) hosted ''Horror Movie Massacre'' on Music/InsaneClownPosse's Radio/PsychopathicRadio.
114	* In the CHIKARA {{Documentary}} ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFQoErgT-ig&t=1s CHIKARA: Wrestling Equality]]'', Wrestling/TeamSeaStars (Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo) talked about growing up watching wrestling, ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' and ''Franchise/SailorMoon''.
115	** Going by her [[http://twitter.com/Jawsolyn_ Twitter]], their former {{Sidekick}} Wrestling/{{Jawsolyn}} is a fan of ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', ''Series/GameOfThrones'', ''Series/TheBachelor'', ''Series/{{Friends}}'' and ''Film/{{Aquamarine}}''
116	* Wrestling/TheProletariatBoarOfMoldova has [[https://twitter.com/BoarIsWar/status/1146259853498900487 acknowledged]] that Wrestling/BretHart is his all-time favorite and his first inspiration to pursue a career in wrestling, and praised the Creator/ABCFamily MadeForTVMovie ''Film/LifeSize'', and, in [[https://twitter.com/BoarIsWar/status/1160732790998089731 this post]], he compares a move Wrestling/BrayWyatt did at ''Wrestling/{{SummerSlam}} 2019'' to ''Literature/TheHungerGames''.
117	* Wrestling/MinoruSuzuki's a big ''Franchise/OnePiece'' fan. He is friends with its author Creator/EiichiroOda and voiced the character Kazeno Minoru (who is based on himself) in the episode 336 of the anime. He is also a huge fan of the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series, as well as ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''
118	* Wrestling/ErickRowan is a big time MetalHead. He's worn many band t-shirts ever since January 2019.
119	* [[Wrestling/TrevorMann Trevor "Ricochet" Mann]] sometimes wrestles in superhero {{Cosplay}}, dressing ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} for Wrestling/SummerSlam 2019 and [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia All Might]] for Crown Jewel 2019.
120	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF39igfzgik As this video shows]], former NXT UK and NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley is a huge mark for ''Franchise/DragonBall'', having shown her love for ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' when it came out, and basing her [=WrestleMania=] 36 gear off of Vegeta.
121	* Tomoyuki Oka/Great-O-Khan of ''Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling'' is apparently a fan of ''WebAnimation/{{Hololive}}'' V-tuber Oozora Subaru, to the point of once using a move she [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAbjx24XbCs&t=38s pulled on Watame in an animated short]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DSClrfSlpM on an opponent in the ring]].
122	* AEW's Miro, better known to WWE fans as Wrestling/{{Rusev\|AndLana}}, is an avid gamer, having made appearances on ''WebVideo/UpUpDownDown'' during his WWE tenure, and after leaving regularly streams on Twitch.
123	* WWE NXT's Shotzi Blackheart is a massive horror and punk rock fan.
124	* Wrestling/ShaynaBaszler is a self-described TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 fan, going so far as to try cycle through the colors of the original 20 Space Marine Chapters into her wrestling costumes.
125	* Mike Bennett of Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling fame can be often seen streaming on Twitch playing various games in his spare time when he's not programmed in wrestling matches or doing motivational seminars.
126	* Wrestling/Keith Lee is avid anime fan from naming one of his signature moves the [[Manga/OnePiece Grizzly Magnum]] and wearing anime apparel like a [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Akatsuki theme hoodie]]

Context OneOfUs / WrestlingWeenies