You Can't See Me John Cena

John Cena
Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 240 pounds
From: West Newbury, Mass.
Signature Move: Attitude Adjustment, STF
Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Champion; WWE Champion; U.S. Champion; World Tag Team Champion, 2008 Royal Rumble Winner

Let’s be honest: hailing from the rolling hills and broad valleys that constitute West Newbury, Mass., will likely never earn you “street cred”--unless, of course, you’re John Cena. Then again, it didn’t happen overnight for him, either. Long before he became the Dr. of Thuganomics, young Cena had to endure the neighborhood rocker kids’ taunts about his baggy pants and rayon Kwamé shirts. His love for freestyling lyrics about rebellion and individualism just didn’t fit within the small rural community. By the time he turned 15, however, those same kids would stop teasing him, for it became apparent that Cena had been developing another passion: hitting the gym.

After applying to more than 60 colleges (and being accepted by 58), Cena attended Massachusetts’ Springfield College, where he excelled as a Division III All-American offensive lineman and team captain for the Pride. But as much as he fondly remembers his college football accomplishments, he’s equally as proud of earning his degree in Exercise Physiology, which he attributes to making him a smarter, more durable performer in the ring today.

Though a huge WWE fan since childhood, rooting for heroes like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels, Cena had honestly never even considered a career in WWE. Instead, he flew out to California in 2000, to pursue a profession in bodybuilding (a move he now admits to making simply because his father had told him he wouldn’t make it out there). But while working behind the counter of Gold’s Gym in Venice, a discussion with a wrestler-in-training encouraged Cena to enroll in classes at Ultimate Pro Wrestling. He was instantly hooked, and became motivated to learn everything he could about his newfound craft. He obviously proved a quick study; within a year, World Wrestling Entertainment signed Cena to a developmental contract to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling. By June 2002, he had joined the SmackDown roster, and less than a year later headlined the first of what has since become countless main-event matches.

That said, Cena has never forgotten his roots. In fact, remembering where he came from has helped him evolve into the man he is today: a well-versed hip-hop artist, a successful movie star and a blue-collared Chain Gang Soldier who’s always ready to fight. In his jean shorts and Under Armour Proto Power sneakers, he leads his WWE fan-based army into battle with the mission statement he’s been down with since Day One: hustle, loyalty and respect.

The Smallest Man In WWE Hornswoggle

Hornswoggle
Signature Move: Tadpole Splash
Career Highlights: Cruiserweight Champion
Associates: Finlay
WWE Debut: May 26, 2006

When ECW Superstars face Finlay inside the ring, they also now have to watch out when they step outside the squared circle.

Amidst an eerie green glow under the ring resides Hornswoggle, a little man who looks like a mini version of the fighting Irishman. Clad in all green with a shaved head, Hornswoggle does most of his damage once Finlay’s matches are over; the fighting Irishman will lift up the ring apron, and Hornswoggle will scurry out to attack Finlay’s defeated opponent.

Originally believed to be the illegitimate son of Mr. McMahon, Hornswoggle was revealed on Raw to be the son of then-SmackDown Superstar Finlay. The pint-sized Superstar was attacked during a cage match against Mr. McMahon by JBL, who later told the Chairman that Hornswoggle was not a McMahon.

Following the startling announcement of where Hornswoggle truly comes from, the dynamic father and son contingent has enjoyed tremendous success among the tag team ranks.

Finlay

Finlay
Height: 6 foot 2
Weight: 233 pounds
From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Signature Move: The Celtic Cross

Career Highlights: United States Champion; WCW Television Champion; WCW Hardcore Champion
Associates: Hornswoggle
WWE Debut: 20 January 2006

Finlay has made his mission clear: he’s here to fight. That’s exactly what he’s going to do, and he’s always been good at it. Hailing from the mean streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Finlay will tell you that he loves to fight, and this double-tough individual can back up his bravado.
Throughout his career, Finlay has been regarded as one of the toughest men to ever step foot inside the ring. Originally plying his trade in Europe, Finlay held 16 major championships in Great Britain and Germany before coming to the United States in the mid-1990s.

Landing in WCW, Finlay immediately began an intense rivalry with fellow European William Regal. Finlay went on to win the WCW Television Championship from Booker T in 1998, but made his true mark in WCW’s Hardcore division. However, shortly after winning the first ever Hardcore Junkyard Invitational in 1999, Finlay suffered a severe leg injury at a WCW live event when he was sent crashing through a table. After a short stay in WCW following his return, Finlay returned to his native Great Britain to wrestle in 2001.

After five years away from American rings, Finlay came to SmackDown in January 2006 looking for a fight, but no one ever expected him to be a father. Though originally believed to be the illegitimate son of Mr. McMahon, Hornswoggle was revealed to be the son of the Fighting Irishman. Since the announcement of this startling revelation, the dynamic father and son contingent has enjoyed tremendous success among the tag team ranks.

The Dead Man Undertaker

Undertaker
Height: 6 foot 10 1/2
Weight: 299 pounds
From: Death Valley
Signature Move: Chokeslam; Tombstone; Last Ride
WWE Debut: Nov. 22, 1990
Career Highlights: WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, World Tag Team Champion, WCW Tag Team Champion, Hardcore Champion, undefeated at WrestleMania (16-0)

From the moment his signature gong fills the air, The Undertaker captivates WWE fans by his mere presence. The Deadman from Death Valley is usually a man of few words, but he can intimidate even the toughest WWE Superstars with just one glance. His somber persona has been a terrifying trademark of WWE for nearly two decades and no list of WWE all-time greats can be considered complete without Undertaker.

First seen at the 1990 Survivor Series, Undertaker was introduced as the final member of Ted DiBiase’s “Million Dollar Team.” Since then he has come to be a multiple time WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, and maintained a WrestleMania undefeated streak that stands at an impressive 16-0. The Deadman has defeated such Superstars as Randy Orton, Triple H, “Sycho” Sid, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Bret “Hitman” Hart and Jake “The Snake” Roberts to earn his many titles and keep his WrestleMania streak intact. In October 2007, The Deadman also became the first man to break free from The Great Khali’s Vise Grip to defeat the 7-foot-3, 420-pound colossus as well.

Throughout his time in WWE, Undertaker has notoriously disappeared for months at a time; often thought dead and “resting in peace,” The Phenom always mysteriously returns to the ring to seek vengeance against those who have sent him away. From Yokozuna to Kane to Edge, Undertaker always finds a way to claim the souls of those who have wronged him.

In addition to his solo success, Undertaker has been quite the team player throughout his career. From his lengthy relationship with manager Paul Bearer to spearheading the Ministry of Darkness (which included the recruitment of Superstars such as the Acolytes, The Brood, Mideon & Viscera), The Phenom has been successful in every venture. He has even earned multiple World Tag Team Championships, standing alongside the likes of The Rock, Stone Cold, Big Show and his own brother, Kane.

In fact, the Big Red Monster is the ally-turned-adversary (and often back again) that Undertaker continuously comes to crosses with. Kane made his WWE debut by costing his brother the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match, and while their relationship is always turbulent, they have seen eye-to-eye on many occasions as well. They’ve been opponents at multiple WrestleManias, but they’ve also held the World Tag Team Championship together; a true theme for brothers in all walks of life.

The Undertaker also has many firsts to his credit. Aside from being the originator of the Tombstone Piledriver, he has also taken part in the inaugural Hell in a Cell Match – against Shawn Michaels in October 1997 – as well as the first-ever Casket Match, which saw him defeat Kamala at Survivor Series 1992.

Undertaker had never beaten Edge, so his perfect WrestleMania streak was in dire jeopardy going into WrestleMania XXIV. The Rated-R Superstar proved that he was up to the task of withstanding The Phenom’s mightiest blows, including a Tombstone Piledriver and Last Ride, until Undertaker locked Edge in his mysterious submission hold. Edge finally tapped out, relinquishing both his World Heavyweight Title and unbeaten record against The Phenom. The win boosted Undertaker's astounding WrestleMania streak to 16-0.

Five-time World Champion Edge ended the legendary WWE career of Future Hall of Famer Undertaker at One Night Stand in San Diego on June 1, 2008, after a carefully laid-out plan with SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. However, a pre-wedding betrayal by the Rated-R Superstar caused Guerrero to have a change of heart, reinstituting The Phenom and opening a new era of dominance by The Deadman.

Throughout it all, Undertaker has remained one of WWE’s most popular Superstars, almost cementing his place as a Future Hall of Famer.

John Morrison

John Morrison
Weight: 219 pounds
From: Los Angeles
Signature Move: The Snapshot, The Moonlight Drive
Career Highlights: ECW Champion; Intercontinental Champion; WWE Tag Team Champion
Associates: The Miz
WWE Debut: April 2005

John Morrison endured a personal evolution of sorts after capturing the vacated ECW Championship at Vengeance: Night of Champions. The Tuesday Night Delight, formerly known as Johnny Nitro, officially renamed himself John Morrison, his given birth name, on the historic July 17, 2007, edition of ECW. Morrison had reached the peak of his fame with the ECW Championship and he believed he could "be himself" from that point, forward.

Shortly thereafter, Morrison found unexpected success alongside another brazen, rising star in the Land of the Extreme, The Miz. The unlikely tandem secured the WWE Tag Team Championship on SmackDown territory following the unique talent exchange arrangement between SmackDown and ECW managing officials. The Shaman of Sexy's vanity reached new heights, much like his sports-entertainment career.

And Morrison has good reason to be confident. He has never been too far away from gold since his debut in 2005, capturing tag team gold as well as the Intercontinental Championship. The Shaman of Sexy was ultimately drafted to ECW during the 2007 Supplemental Draft on WWE.com, and his career was given new life. As the world can now see, Morrison has taken full advantage of his extreme home, and ECW may never be the same.

Alongside, the Miz, John Morrison won the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Montel Vontavious Porter & Matt Hardy on SmackDown. Since, the duo has dominated WWE's tag team division.

The Miz

The Miz
Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 231
From: Cleveland
Signature Move: The Mizard of Oz
Career Highlights: WWE Tag Team Championship
Associates: John Morrison

If you ask self-proclaimed chick magnet The Miz, all the ladies want him and all the guys want to be him. And, quite frankly, it's hard to argue otherwise.

A devoted WWE fan his whole life, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin competed on the fourth season of "Tough Enough" in hopes of winning a contract to become a WWE Superstar. After finishing as the runner up, The Miz didn’t give up on his dream and continued to train once the "Tough Enough" competition ended. Now, his hard work is being rewarded as the reality TV alum with the frat boy looks, sophomoric humor and explosive intensity is living out his dream as a Superstar on ECW.

The Miz was first introduced to TV audiences as one of the seven strangers on "The Real World: Back to New York," the 10th season of MTV’s popular and groundbreaking reality show. Since then, The Miz has certainly made his rounds on the reality TV circuit. He’s been on four seasons of the "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," "The Inferno," "The Gauntlet," "Battle of the Network Reality Stars," and recently as a competitor on a special edition of "Fear Factor."
Alongside John Morrison, The Miz won the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Montel Vontavious Porter & Matt Hardy on SmackDown. Since, the duo has dominated WWE's tag team division.

The Strongest Man In The World Mark Henry

Mark Henry
Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 392 pounds
From: Silsbee, Texas
Signature Move: World's Strongest Slam
Career Highlights: ECW Champion; European Champion
Associates: WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas

Breaking records, pumping iron and devastating opponents with his unmatched strength, it's no wonder they call Mark Henry the World’s Strongest Man.
Mark Henry’s rise to fame began in 1992 at the Olympics in Barcelona, where he competed in weightlifting in the super-heavyweight division.

Three years later at the Pan American Games, Henry captured a gold, silver and bronze medal, solidifying his place as one of the strongest men ever to walk the planet. He has also engaged in Strongman competitions, including the 2002 “World’s Strongest Man” competition at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, where Henry earned first prize.

Henry began his WWE career in 1996. He worked on his own, but in 1997 he was soon lured into the faction known as the Nation of Domination, which also featured The Rock. The group broke up in late ’98, and Henry went back to singles competition. After holding the WWE European Championship in 1999, Henry took time off in 2001 to train for another Strongman competition. Henry returned to the ring in 2002, and was drafted to the SmackDown roster and later briefly appeared on Raw after a big trade.

Mark Henry has gone toe-to-toe with top stars such as Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, Batista, Undertaker, and Big Show. This big man is a force to be feared every time he steps into the ring.
The future looks frightening for anybody that gets in Henry's way. After battling back from many obstacles including periods of down time and uncertainty due to injuries suffered through the years of his career, he is now at the top of his game.

After being drafted to the Land of the Extreme, Henry reached the pinnacle of his career by capturing the ECW Championship. He was also recently named the "Second Strongest Man That Ever Lived" by Flex Magazine. And above all else, he has vowed to destroy anyone who gets in his way.

Kane

Kane
Height: 7 foot
Weight: 323 pounds
Signature Move: Chokeslam
Career Highlights: WWE Champion; ECW Champion; Intercontinental Champion; World Tag Team Champion; WCW Tag Team Champion; Hardcore Champion
At 7-feet tall and more than 300 pounds, the Big Red Monster has been tormenting opponents since his debut, and even that was huge.

Following months of speculation, Kane made his first appearance on Oct. 5, 1997, at Bad Blood. There, he ripped the cage door off during the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match between Shawn Michaels and Undertaker. Kane and Undertaker then stood toe to toe during a chilling stare-down. The Big Red Monster wore a mask, and he hid his body in attire designed to conceal hideous burns from a fire supposedly started by his half-brother Undertaker. Then, Kane kicked the Deadman in the stomach and Tombstoned him — allowing a bloody Michaels to pin Undertaker for the victory.

Despite the unprovoked attack, Undertaker vowed he would not wage war against his own flesh and blood in front of a national audience. But Kane’s assaults continued, and when he set Undertaker ablaze inside a casket at the 1998 Royal Rumble, the Phenom was left with no choice. At WrestleMania XIV, the half-brothers met for the first time in singles competition, but it was only the beginning.

After the brutal WrestleMania matchup, Kane continued to climb the ranks by beating down the opposition. At King of the Ring 1998, Stone Cold and Kane clashed in a First Blood Match for the WWE Championship. As an added stipulation, Kane promised that if he lost, he’d set himself on fire.

The match, a brainchild of Mr. McMahon, gave Kane a distinct advantage since his face and body were covered, making it nearly impossible to confirm if he was bleeding. During the match, the referee was knocked out, and Undertaker ran to the ring with a steel chair to interfere. He swung at Kane but nailed Stone Cold, busting his head wide open. When the referee regained consciousness, he saw the blood and awarded the match to the Big Red Monster. Undertaker later revealed that he intended to bust open Stone Cold so that his half-brother wouldn’t set himself on fire. This punctuated a theme in the difficult sibling relationship, as they’d battle often but align at times to achieve great success as well. They’d also innovate during their heated rivalry, inventing such contests as the Inferno Match.

The night following the First Blood victory, Mr. McMahon decorated the ring with a red canvas and crowned Kane the new WWE Champion. The reign lasted only one night, but it was still an amazing accomplishment considering his debut was only eight months prior. Kane did pin the WWE Champion on one other occasion, but he did so simultaneously with the Undertaker. The event was Breakdown 1998, and because the half-brothers both covered Stone Cold, neither was declared champion. Instead, the WWE Championship was vacated.

While Kane hasn’t recaptured the WWE Championship, he’s experienced enormous success. He’s a two-time Intercontinental Champion and nine-time World Tag Team Champion. He has also reigned as ECW Champion. He’s shown near-unprecedented versatility in the tag team ranks, winning championships with brawlers such as Stone Cold and Mankind, as well as smaller, quicker partners such as The Hurricane and X-Pac. He’s also twice won the World Tag Team Championship with his half-brother, including a reign during the Alliance Invasion when they simultaneously held the World Tag Team Championship and WCW Tag Team Championship.

But it was during his time teaming with Rob Van Dam that Kane experienced one of the most emotional nights of his career. After being egged on for weeks about becoming “soft,” Kane agreed to a “Mask vs. Championship” Match against Triple H. Despite a valiant effort, Kane lost, and as RAW came to a close, the 7-footer unmasked and revealed his face to the world.

Once the mask was removed, Kane went on a hell-bent trail of destruction. He chokeslammed RVD, Eric Bischoff and Stone Cold. Then, he set RAW announcer Jim Ross on fire. But the action that could not be tolerated was hitting WWE CEO Linda McMahon with a Tombstone. That forced Shane McMahon to return to the ring in defense of his family, but even the risk-taking Shane-O-Mac couldn’t stop the Big Red Monster’s rage.

At Survivor Series in 2003, Kane attacked Undertaker once again and buried him alive with a bulldozer. For the following months, the Deadman haunted his younger sibling before announcing that at WrestleMania XX, the two would meet one more time.

After that, Kane began randomly attacking anyone who crossed his path. He viciously assaulted Shawn Michaels, putting him out of action. He then began to make life miserable for Lita, with whom he seemed obsessed.

Thanks to victory in a “’Till Death Do Us Part” Match against Matt Hardy, Kane got what he wanted. He married an unwilling Lita, who was carrying Kane's child. But an in-ring incident on Raw injured Lita, causing her to lose the couple's unborn son and leaving Kane an emotional and angry mess. He swore vengeance on Gene Snitsky, who he held responsible.

At Taboo Tuesday, Kane faced Snitsky in a “Weapon of Choice” match. Wielding a steel chain, Kane delivered a brutal beating. But Snitsky eventually gained the upper hand, crushing Kane's throat with a steel chair. After recuperating, Kane haunted Snitsky until he exacted some measure of revenge. Then he began tormenting Trish Stratus — Lita’s nemesis — and through doing so is seemingly finally gaining his wife’s favor. In a shocking moment the April 11, 2005 edition of Raw, Kane and Lita kissed. It was the first time both parties had done so willingly and passionately. After aligning briefly with Kane, Lita has changed her allegiances now to Edge in an act of ruthless betrayal.

Kane had a hard time dealing with Lita's betrayal. Lita took it even further and continually made out with Edge in front of Kane and even flushed her wedding ring down the toilet. Edge and Lita even had their own wedding ceremony, but Kane would not allow it to go down quietly. Kane came up through the altar and chased off the couple. Kane and Edge then fought in a series of brutal matches including a Steel Cage Match and a Stretcher Match. Lita was the one who ended up needing the stretcher, though, as Kane Tombstoned her on the stage.

After a brief hiatus, Kane returned just prior to Taboo Tuesday. Because he lost out in the voting for the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels, he was paired up with Big Show to face World Tag Team Champions Trevor Murdoch & Lance Cade. Big Show & Kane proved to be just too much size and strength to overcome for the young tag team, and Kane won his ninth World Tag Team Championship.

Kane and his tag team partner also played a huge role in the RAW vs. SmackDown rivalry that was brewing. They were key players on RAW's team at Survivor Series, but could not lead their brand to a victory. But at Armageddon they challenged SmackDown's WWE Tag Team Champions, Rey Mysterio & Batista, to a match. Even though it was a SmackDown pay-per-view, Kane & Big Show reigned victorious in the rare Champions vs. Champions Match.
The Big Red Monster and Big Show turned back the challenge of Carlito & Chris Masters at WrestleMania 22. But just one night later, on Raw, they faced Kenny and Mikey of the Spirit Squad. If it was just a two-on-two match, the tag champs surely would have retained the gold. But the other three members of the Spirit Squad - Mitch, Nickey and Johnny - all got involved. The numbers proved to be too much to overcome, and Big Show was pinned.

That’s when things started going horribly wrong for the Big Red Monster. Kane thought that the madness and the voices would stop once May 19 came and went. Leading up to that day, the same day that Kane's adopted parents died in a fire, the Big Red Monster was hearing voices that drove him to the brink of insanity. But it didn't stop after May 19. Things only got stranger for Kane. On the May 29 edition of Raw, Kane came face to face with what appeared to be a mirror image of himself. The mysterious being was dressed like the Kane of old, complete with his old ring attire and mask. After a stare-down, the unknown man chokeslammed Kane.
Kane continued to be attacked by his “clone” until they finally met in a match at Vengeance where he found himself on the receiving end of all of his own moves. Bringing new meaning to “being your own worst enemy,” the imposter Kane defeated the real Kane with a thunderous chokeslam. Just one day later, though, Kane chokeslammed the imposter on the stage at Raw and then threw him out of the arena.

Now that he is back on Monday Night Raw, the Big Red Monster is intent on showing the entire WWE Universe that he is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

The Great Khali

The Great Khali
Height: 7 foot 3
Weight: 420 pounds
From: India
Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Champion
Associates: Ranjin Singh
WWE Debut: April 2006

Hailing from India, The Great Khali stands at an impressive 7 foot 3 inches and weighs 420 pounds. This enormous monster has walked the jungles of India unafraid of pythons and wrestled White Bengal tigers. Legend states that the Punjabi Warrior has "stared into the abyss and the earth trembled at his gaze."

The Great Khali is a master of the most barbaric match in WWE history: the Punjabi Prison Match. He showed his excellence in this vicious contest at No Mercy 2007.
One of the largest athletes the WWE has ever bared witness to, The Great Khali stands to be a powerful force and a threat to every member of the locker room. In his short time in the WWE, he has already boasted a World Heavyweight Championship reign. During visits to his native India, he is treated as a national hero.

In 2008, The Punjabi Giant starred in the new Get Smart movie based on the 1960s classic TV show. Khali is no stranger to Hollywood, as he also starred in 2005’s The Longest Yard alongside Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds.

Rated-RKO Randy Orton

Randy Orton
Height: 6 foot 4
Weight: 245 pounds
From: St. Louis
Signature Move: RKO
Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Heavyweight Champion; Intercontinental Champion; World Tag Team Champion; 2009 Royal Rumble winner
Associates: Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes
WWE Debut: April 2002

Randy Orton doesn’t have many interests. Other than listening to Metallica or Pantera and watching the occasional movie, wrestling is his life…or, as he would tell you, his destiny.
It’s easy to understand why. His father is WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton, his uncle Barry “Barry O” Orton, and his grandfather “The Big O,” the late Bob Orton, Sr. Most kids remember their first ball game or school play; Randy’s childhood memories include sitting in the kitchen of his family’s St. Louis home with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and repairing a broken banister leaned on by Andre the Giant. He wasn’t even five years old when he watched his father knock out “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff in the main event at the inaugural WrestleMania, but he already knew he wanted to be a WWE Superstar.

Randy’s parents tried dissuading him; his father even warned that life in the ring meant a life on the road, away from family. Yet Randy, seeing how his friends perceived his world-traveling dad in “a different light,” recalls only thinking the prospect was “quite appealing, and something I wanted to do.”

Still, he agreed to try other avenues first. After graduating Hazelwood Central High School in 1998 (where he was an accomplished amateur wrestler), Orton enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. His plan was to serve a four-year tour of duty, then focus on a wrestling career; his reality was a dishonorable discharge one year later, due to unauthorized absences on two occasions (one for 82 days) and for disobeying a superior officer’s direct order. After spending 38 days in the brig of Camp Pendleton Base, he would resume his civilian life…and to pursuing his destiny.

Back home in St. Louis, Orton accompanied his father backstage at a local WWE live event in late 1999. He left the show with an opportunity to try out in Stamford, which soon resulted in a developmental deal to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling. Orton quickly rose through OVW’s ranks, and in April 2002, he officially made his WWE debut as a member of SmackDown. The third-generation Superstar had at last fulfilled his dream, though a long-standing rivalry with Mick Foley (and a brutal Hardcore Match at Backlash in 2004 that Orton remembers as one of his greatest contests) provided him with a new purpose:
What better way to make himself a WWE legend…than to destroy the legends before him?
Since then, many WWE legends have fallen to Randy Orton. And many more will follow.

It’s his destiny.

Rated-R Superstar Edge

Edge
Height: 6 foot 5
Weight: 250 pounds
From: Toronto
Signature Move: Spear
Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Heavyweight Champion; World Tag Team Champion; WWE Tag Team Champion; Intercontinental Champion; WCW U.S. Champion; 2001 King of the Ring; won first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Associates: SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neely
WWE Debut: June 1998
Trained By: Ron Hutchison & Sweet Daddy Siki

Don't pretend to think you know Edge. You didn't grow up with the Rated-R Superstar and his single-parent mother in some cramped apartment in Orangeville (a tiny Ontario town that Edge recalls offered residents two choices: "work in a factory in town, or if you're really lucky, land a job in Toronto"). You likely identified with his classmates at Princess Elizabeth Public School, carrying a hockey stick and aspiring to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Edge, meanwhile, dreamed of rocking out on a Les Paul guitar and following in the platformed footsteps of KISS. (He didn't, but it hasn't stopped him from amassing an impressive collection of signed, custom-made guitars over the years.)


If you really knew Edge, you would have noticed the "black cloud" that hung over the eight-year-old boy after a car accident claimed the life of his most-admired uncle. You would have also seen that cloud give way to the yellow and red-clad form of Hulk Hogan, whose mantra of saying prayers and taking vitamins spoke directly to Edge from the TV. Perhaps then you would have sat eleventh-row ringside with him in Toronto's SkyDome; it was there he watched Hogan face Ultimate Warrior in the "Ultimate Challenge" at WrestleMania VI, and vowed he would also headline a WrestleMania someday.

Edge's pals in high school knew he was destined for greatness, even writing in his yearbook "Most Likely to Win the WWE World Championship." Yet they couldn't predict he'd receive free wrestling training after winning an essay contest in the Toronto Star. Only his trainers, Sweet Daddy Siki and Ron Hutchison, and those training with him in Sully's Gym, could truly appreciate juggling multiple odd-jobs while wrestling on the independent circuit. But unless they were riding shotgun, they couldn't begin to comprehend Edge's "winter death tours" across frozen north Canadian lakes, or eating only canned tuna for days at a stretch, simply to wrestle in poorly attended venues.

Much due-paying and a recommendation from fellow Canadian Bret "Hit Man" Hart ultimately helped Edge make his WWE debut in June 1998, though few believed he would last. So he made his opponents believe, even if it meant taking chairs to the head, falling off ladders and crashing through tables. He's suffered a torn ACL, ruptured labra, a broken neck, a fractured skull, metal rods in his teeth and countless stitches over the years, but not without giving as good as he's received. Ask any man-or woman-who has gone toe-to-toe with him; they'll tell you why he's called the Rated-R Superstar.

You think you know Edge? Think again.

Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy
Height: 6 foot 2
Weight: 236 pounds
From: Cameron, N.C.
Signature Move: Twist of Fate
Career Highlights: ECW Champion; United States Champion; World Tag Team Champion; European Champion; Hardcore Champion; Cruiserweight Champion; WCW Tag Team Champion
In the ring, Matt Hardy lives his motto: "I will not die." Time and time again he has sacrificed his body for both the enjoyment of the fans, and the sport which he has loved so dearly for his entire life.

Matt came to the WWE in 1998 as a tag team specialist, teaming up with his brother Jeff to form the appropriately named The Hardys. While severely undersized, The Hardy's outstanding chemistry and unmatched heart carried them to stardom. The Hardys went on to become five-time World Tag Team Champions in WWE before breaking up in 2002.

In 2003, shortly after joining the SmackDown roster, Matt Hardy pursued the Cruiserweight Championship. After struggling for weeks to make the weight limit, Hardy defeated Kidman for the Championship at No Way Out '03.

After he won the title, Hardy endured an up and down rivalry with Rey Mysterio. Hardy got the best of Rey Mysterio in a controversial Championship match at WrestleMania 19. A month later however, Mysterio got his revenge, defeating Hardy for the Cruiserweight Championship on SmackDown.

In 2004, Matt Hardy's girlfriend Lita became the object of Kane's affection. For weeks on Raw, Kane stalked Hardy and Lita, routinely abusing Matt while pursuing Lita, at one point even planting a disturbing kiss on Lita's cheek. On a June episode of Raw, Lita told Matt she was pregnant, presumably with his child. One week later, Matt prepared to propose to Lita, but was interrupted by Kane, who made a shocking allegation. Kane claimed that the baby Lita was carrying was not Matt's, but his own. At Vengeance, Hardy got a small matter of revenge, beating Kane in a No Disqualification Match after the use of a steel chair and ring steps. Shortly thereafter, Lita took a DNA test and found out that Kane was indeed the father. Matt told Lita that it didn't matter to him, and he still wanted to marry Lita. Kane however decided that he also wanted to marry Lita. A unique match was set for SummerSlam, Matt Hardy vs. Kane for the right to marry Lita. SummerSlam was a nightmare for Hardy as Kane won the match, and the right to marry Lita on Raw. The marriage took place two weeks later on Raw, but not without drama. A desperate Matt Hardy tried to come down and interrupt the wedding, but a forcefield of flames kept him from getting to the altar. After the vows, Kane attacked Hardy and brutally chokeslammed him off the stage. As a result, Hardy was badly injured and was forced to take time off from Raw.

While Hardy was away, he learned that his long-time real life girlfriend, Lita, was having a sordid affair with Edge. Adding to an already emotional period, Matt was also released from WWE during the same time. It wasn’t long before information regarding the personal hell Matt was experiencing became public knowledge. His faithful followers began to make their voices heard at WWE events across the country. In fact, Matt points out the crowd’s reaction at Madison Square Garden at the April 12 Raw for starting his “movement.”Unable to simply sit at the sidelines while his heart was wrenching, Matt started popping up uninvited at WWE events, wreaking havoc on Edge and Lita every chance he had. He even called in and crashed Lita’s Byte This! interview, confronting her about their tumultuous relationship. Not long after, Mr. McMahon said that Hardy was starting fires all over the place, and he couldn’t help but to pour gasoline on those fires by re-hiring Matt. Upon his return, Hardy adopted a vicious focus that has been previously unmatched in his career. For several months in 2005, Matt made the lives of Lita and Edge a living hell, just as they did to him.After clashing with Edge on several occasions including a classic steel cage bout at the 2005 Unforgiven which saw Hardy defeat Edge following a daring legdrop from the top of the cage, Hardy and Edge would meet one more time in a ladder match at the Raw Homecoming in October 2005. The battle would result in the two bitter rivals’ careers going in quite different directions. After taking Edge to the limit and nearing an end, Lita interjected herself in the match costing Matt not only the match but his spot on the Raw roster.

After joining SmackDown once again, Matt soon found himself tag team champions along with his rival, the then United States Champion, MVP. Although the pair were not the best of friends, they made very effective champions, even though MVP constantly insisted that he was the entire reason for it. Unfortunately for Matt, MVP's true motive for partnering with him was to keep him from challenging him to his beloved United States Championship. When Matt pushed the issue, MVP double-crossed him and caused Matt a serious injury, forcing him to leave SmackDown once again.

Upon returning from this injury, Matt not only cost MVP the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania XXIV, but inevitability the United States Championship as well.
In 2008, Hardy was drafted to ECW as part of the WWE Draft. A few months later, at Unforgiven, Hardy satisfied his career-long hunger for a World Title when he won the ECW Championship Scramble Match against Mark Henry, Finlay, Chavo Guerrero and The Miz.
After dropping the ECW Title to Jack Swagger in January 2009, Hardy set his sights on teaching his brother, Jeff, a lesson. To do so, he asked to be released from the Extreme brand to allow a return to SmackDown.

The Fly Man Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy
Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 225 pounds
From: Cameron, N.C.
Signature Move: Swanton Bomb, Whisper in the Wind, Twist of Fate
Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Tag Team Champion; Intercontinental Champion; Hardcore Champion; European Champion; Light Heavyweight Champion; WCW Tag Team Champion

Simply put, Jeff Hardy is an artist. His world revolves around writing “emoetry,” recording music (“alternative, alternative music,” according to his brother Matt), and employing tinfoil and paint to craft intimate, personal, and sometimes bizarre works of art. His house is decorated with toys, artificial plants and life-size Japanese fiberglass sculptures. One of his most cherished creations—a thirty-foot “Aluminummy” statue called Neroameee, from Nero, his middle name—stands tall outside his studio.

Still, this artist has always been drawn to another, very different canvas—that of the squared circle. Growing up with Matt in the pinewoods of Cameron, North Carolina, 11-year-old Jeff—influenced by the likes of Ric Flair, the Fabulous Freebirds, and the Rockers—took a ramp he built for his bike and painted it to resemble an entrance stage for his “wrestling ring,” the backyard trampoline. As he grew older, so did his desire to take greater risks, whether it was to feel the rush of executing hundred-foot-high triples on his motorcross bike, or jumping off the roof of his house as a member of the brothers’ “Teenage Wrestling Federation.” It was such fearlessness and desire that would bring the 16-year-old daredevil to World Wrestling Entertainment, and after several years catapult him to worldwide fame and main-event status, first as one-half of WWE’s high-flying “Team Extreme,” The Hardys, then in singles competition.
Though many of his paintings are abstract, this free spirit is a Rembrandt inside the ring, signing his name not with the traditional paintbrush or pen, but with wildly unorthodox, high-impact maneuvers off top ropes and 20-foot ladders. His credo is simple: to create, then surpass his creation.

Unfortunately, most true artists must sink to their lowest point before attaining their greatest heights. For Jeff, the wear-and-tear of living life on the road would help prompt him to leave WWE in 2003. But after a three-year personal journey of refocusing his passion and energies, he now finds himself “in a positive place…and that’s what motivates me.” Since returning to WWE in August 2006, this reinspired risk-taker has gone back to creating the art he loves most—entertaining WWE fans in arenas around the world. And his most extreme masterpiece awaits.

After coming close time after time in his quest to capture his first World Championship - including being forced out of the Survivor Series WWE Championship Triple Threat Match after being found unconscious in a hotel stairwell - Jeff Hardy earned yet another WWE Championship opportunity at Armageddon. After tying Triple H in a Beat the Clock Challenge on SmackDown, Hardy reigned supreme over both Edge and The Game, dropping the Swanton Bomb on the Rated-R Superstar in the culmination of an explosive championship Triple Threat Match.

CM Punk

CM Punk
Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 222 pounds
From: Chicago
Signature Move: G.T.S. (Go to Sleep); Anaconda Vise
Career Highlights: ECW Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, World Tag Team Champion, Intercontinental Champion

Luck is for losers, at least according to CM Punk. Even though his arm is literally tattooed with good-luck charms, Punk believes you make your own good fortune through hard work and intense preparation.

Growing up in Chicago, the Raw Superstar’s childhood consisted of watching the likes of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka exchange words, then blows. Such heated rivalries helped Punk realize that WWE was where he belonged. Adopting the “straightedge” movement—in which one bases their life around personal development, and avoids drugs, alcohol and a dependency lifestyle — Punk has brought his own style to WWE.


Punk's in-ring repertoire is an assimilation of fighting styles he has learned from his travels around the world. In his WWE pay-per-view debut as a part of Team DX at Survivor Series 2006, Punk brought down the house in Philadelphia where fans showed their respect for his talents.

In 2007, the Straightedge Supertar obtained the ECW Championship by defeating John Morrison on ECW on Sci Fi. In his tenure in the Land of the Extreme, he was considered a top contender and constant threat for whoever was holding the ECW Title.



At WrestleMania 24, Punk won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, becoming Mr. Money in the Bank. This means that Punk has earned an opportunity to challenge any WWE champion, at any time, through WrestleMania XXV.

On the June 23 edition of Raw, the Straightedge Superstar was drafted from ECW to Raw after World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly defeated ECW's Chavo Guerrero & Bam Neely earning the brand the draft pick.

The Big Show

Big Show
Height: 7 foot
Weight: 441 pounds
From: Tampa, Fla.
Signature Move: Chokeslam; Cobra Clutch Backbreaker
Career Highlights: ECW World Champion, WWE Champion, WCW Champion, World Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, United States Champion

After more than one year away from the ring, Big Show made his long-awaited return to WWE when the immense monster re-emerged at No Way Out 2008 – almost eight years to the date of his debut.

Last seen carrying the ECW Championship in the Land of the Extreme, the self-proclaimed “raw-boned bastard that breaks things and moves the immovable objects” is one of the most dominant forces in WWE history. Returning from a 14-month hiatus, Big Show has once again engulfed WWE with his gargantuan paws and the goliath looks to wreak more carnage than ever before.

Reminiscent of Andre the Giant and Big John Studd before him, the pound-for-pound World's Largest Athlete is a feared competitor who can intimidate an opponent with his size and stare alone. Big Show’s measurements are astounding: 441 pounds; 7-feet of raw girth and might; 22 EEEEE shoe size; 22 1/2 ring size and a 64-inch chest.

Big Show made his in-ring debut in WCW where he left a massive impression as The Giant, and captured the WCW Championship on two occasions, along with the WCW Tag Team Titles. The Giant had an immediate impact in WCW, focusing his attention on some of the biggest icons in the industry, from Hulk Hogan to The “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

In 1999, the mighty giant became a worldwide star upon signing with WWE. He continued to collide with Superstars of great renown and captured countless titles, including the WWE Championship. From “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to The Rock to Undertaker to Triple H, Big Show has battled and manhandled the top names in all of World Wrestling Entertainment.

The 619 Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio
Height: 5 foot 6
Weight: 175 pounds
From: San Diego
Signature Move: 619; West Coast Pop
Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Championship (WrestleMania 22, 2006); Royal Rumble winner (2006); Cruiserweight Champion; WWE Tag Team Champion; WCW Tag Team Champion; WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion

Exploding onto the WWE scene in the mid 1990s, the colorfully masked Rey Mysterio quickly redefined the way the game was played in the ring. From his awe-inspiring West Coast Pop to his trademark 619, Mysterio is on the cutting edge of wrestling excellence. The definitive high-flying Superstar, Mysterio, despite his size, is an innovative underdog that fans of all ages have grown to respect and love.

Rey's impressive Championship resume ranks up there with the all-time greats. His World Championship reign complimented eight Cruiserweight Championships, four WWE Tag Team Championships and one Royal Rumble win.

Becoming a World Champion is something he aspired to do all his life. While growing up in San Diego, Rey Mysterio always wanted to be a wrestling Superstar. As a young teenager, he followed his dreams by training in the unpredictable and high-flying Mexican Lucha Libre style of wrestling. His training and early career in Tijuana, Mexico led him to an even bigger stage – first in ECW and then WCW where he revolutionized the fast, high-impact style you now associate with the master of the 619.

Rey had several memorable matches in his short time with ECW, but his first national exposure came in WCW, where he debuted in early 1996. It didn’t take long for Mysterio to make his mark in WCW, as he defeated Dean Malenko in July ‘96 to capture the first of his eight Cruiserweight Championships.

Rey had many memorable rivalries while in WCW, including ones with Ultimo Dragon, Malenko, Billy Kidman, Psicosis, Juventud, and Kevin Nash. He also recorded the first chapters of storied rivalries which would surface later in his career with future WWE Superstars like Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, and Chris Jericho. Mysterio remained with WCW until the company was purchased by WWE in 2001.

Upon his WWE debut in 2002, Rey joined the SmackDown roster and immediately began a rivalry with Kurt Angle.

Rey’s next big rivalry was with Matt Hardy over the Cruiserweight Championship. The two battled throughout the Spring of 2003 and wrestled an exciting match at WrestleMania 19. The rivalry reached its peak in June 2003 when Rey beat Hardy for the Cruiserweight Championship on Smackdown.


That same Cruiserweight Championship was the focal point of a long series of battles between Mysterio and Tajiri throughout the second half of 2003. The two exchanged the Championship on multiple occasions before Rey took it for good on a January 2004 edition of SmackDown.
Rey’s next challenger for the Cruiserweight Championship was Jamie Noble. Unfortunately for Noble, Rey was able to successfully defend his Championship on each occasion, culminating in another exciting Mysterio victory at the Royal Rumble.

In the Spring of 2004, Rey participated in WrestleMania 20. Madison Square Garden played host to the Cruiserweight Championship Open. Rey fell short as Chavo Guerrero successfully defended his Championship, but the groundwork was laid for Rey’s next rivalry.
The rivalry with Chavo Guerrero Jr. consumed the middle months of 2004, as the two battled frequently on SmackDown. The rivalry even saw the appearance of Chavo father, Chavo Classic. A freak occurrence in a handicap match saw Chavo Classic accidentally win the Cruiserweight Championship from his son, only to lose it to Rey Mysterio shortly thereafter. The victory marked Rey’s eigth Cruiserweight Championship.

The end of 2004 saw Rey turn his attention to the tag team ranks. Mysterio and his tag team partner Rob Van Dam challenged Renee Dupree and Kenzo Suzuki for the World Tag Team Championships. A late December edition of SmackDown saw Mysterio and RVD capture the Championships and then successfully defend it in a rematch at Armageddon.

The beginning of 2005 saw the start of one of more popular rivalries of the year. Only, it didn’t begin as a rivalry. Rey Mysterio and the late, great Eddie Guerrero successfully captured the WWE Tag Team Championship by defeating the Bashams at No Way Out. The duo defended their Championship successfully through the months leading up to WrestleMania 21. Rey and Eddie split up for one night only at WrestleMania, as they competed against each other in singles action in what was the first ever matchup of Tag Team Champions. Rey won a hard fought contest in which both competitors pulled out all the stops.

The following months exposed the rift between the tag team partners. Rey and Eddie lost their WWE Tag Team Championship to MNM in April 2005. A frustrated Eddie blamed Rey for the loss, and the partners-turned-enemies embarked on the rivalry which took them through the summer, and left an indelible mark on SmackDown. Mysterio won every battle including memorable matches at Judgment Day, The Great American Bash, and a Ladder Match at Summerslam. The Ladder Match was for custody of Rey’s son Dominick after Eddie had revealed to the world that he was, in fact, Dominick’s father. After months and months of trying, Eddie finally got a win over Rey in a cage match on a September edition of SmackDown.

After an emotional series with Eddie Guerrero, Rey turned his attention towards defending the honor of his home show, SmackDown. At Survivor Series, SmackDown and RAW met in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match. With Rey’s help, SmackDown came out victorious over RAW, claiming immediate bragging rights between the shows for the year to come.

After Survivor Series, the rivalry with RAW continued for Rey Mysterio as he became the subject of the RAW Tag Team Champions, Kane and Big Show’s frustration. Smackdown’s World Heavyweight Champion, Batista, came to Rey’s rescue, and a match was made between the teams for Armageddon. Just days before on SmackDown, Rey and Batista beat MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship, making the match at Armageddon a battle of Tag Champions. After falling short at Armageddon, Rey and Batista lost the Championship back to MNM on SmackDown.

The tragic loss of his good friend Eddie Guerrero shortly before Survivor Series seemed to put Rey’s focus in a different direction. After Armageddon, Rey decided to pursue a lifelong goal, to win the World Heavyweight Championship, and do it in Eddie’s honor. Rey’s first crack at the Championship came on SmackDown in a 20 Man Battle Royal for Batista’s vacated World Heavyweight Championship. Rey lasted to the final three men, only to be eliminated by Mark Henry. Kurt Angle would go on to claim the World Heavyweight Championship, leaving Rey just short of his dream.

Rey’s next chance to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship came at the Royal Rumble. His goal was the same, to honor his fallen friend by winning the Rumble, and going on to headline WrestleMania 22, just like Eddie had done two years earlier. However, Rey learned early on that it wouldn’t be easy as he drew the No. 2, and was forced to start the match against Triple H. Rey would not be deterred, as he courageously defied the odds, winning the Royal Rumble, and in the process, setting a Rumble record for longest time in the ring at well over one hour.

At WrestleMania 22, Rey Mysterio showed the world that dreams really do come true. Coming into the event, no one thought he could walk out of Chicago as the World Heavyweight Champion. Mysterio was no stranger to playing the role of the underdog, so he was right at home when he faced Kurt Angle and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Rey was overpowered early in the match, but he showed persistence and fought back. Mysterio utilized his unique blend of quickness and agility as he soared through the air hitting the Legend Killer with a West Coast Pop into a pinning combination. Just like that, the undersized Mysterio was the World Champion.

As World Champion, Rey Mysterio went through hell and back, and somehow, the biggest underdog Champion in WWE history endured beatings from Kane, Mark Henry, The Great Khali, Finlay, Kurt Angle and JBL.

Rey Mysterio's dream came to an abrupt end at The Great American Bash as Rey's close friend, Chavo Guerrero, cost Mysterio his livelihood: the World Championship. Seemingly about to strike Rey's opponent, King Booker, with a chair, Chavo swung at Rey and laid out the Champion for Booker to get the win and steal the World Championship. Not only did Mysterio lose his very precious World Championship, but he also lost his closest ally in Chavo Guerrero.

After recovering from an injury suffered at the massive hands of Big Show, Rey is now competing on Raw for the first time. In a short time, the WWE Universe has already come to recognize the Ultimate Underdog as an integral part of their Monday Nights, and their respect for him is sure to do nothing but grow as he continues to represent the 619 with his renowned high-flying maneuvers.

The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels
Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 225 pounds
From: San Antonio
Signature Move: Sweet Chin Music
Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Heavyweight Champion; Royal Rumble winner (1995 & 1996); Intercontinental Champion; World Tag Team Champion; European Champion
Associates: Triple H
Trained By: Jose Lothario

Sports-entertainment has seen its share of immortals. There have been icons, some Great Ones, a few Olympians and a whole lot of legends. But there has only been one Showstopper, and he is Shawn Michaels.

In an industry where the hyperbole is the norm, there may not be enough ways to describe HBK. He is truly incomparable. Michaels has made a career of stealing the show – competing in matches that are talked about for years. His rivalries over a career spanning more than 20 years are truly the stuff of legends.

Michaels first started revolutionizing the sport during his partnership with Marty Jannetty as The Rockers. Their wars with “Playboy” Buddy Rose & Doug Sommers in the AWA and then the subsequent rivalries with The Hart Foundation and The Brain Busters in WWE changed the face of tag team wrestling and captured the imagination of our fans. Arguably, Michaels could have gone down as one of the greats if he had chosen to stay primarily in tag team competition. But HBK knew he could become an all-time great. One superkick to Jannetty during Brutus Beefcake’s Barber Shop closed the door on a popular partnership and opened another to Michaels’ legend.



HBK’s career can’t be just measured in titles, even though his trophy case is spilling over. He was WWE’s first-ever Grand slam Champion, holding the European Championship, World Tag Team Championship, the Intercontinental Title and WWE Championship. He, along with Triple H, co-founded one of the greatest factions of all time, D-Generation X, whose popularity and anti-establishment philosophy continue to capture the imagination of our fans today.

Perhaps the greatest measure of Michaels’ legacy is his uncanny ability to perform his best on the biggest stages. He has won the Royal Rumble Match twice and has headlined WrestleMania more times than the Immortal Hulk Hogan. HBK didn’t compete in the first Ladder Match, but he put them on the map with his WrestleMania X war against Razor Ramon over the Intercontinental Championship. He didn’t win the match, but at the end of the night, no one was talking about the loss. They were talking about Michaels and the amazing risks he took during the bout.

Students of the sports-entertainment game continued to talk about The Showstopper's performances in many WrestleManias that followed – from an unbelievable clash with John Cena for the WWE Championship in 2007 to HBK's emotional confrontation with the "Nature Boy" at WrestleMania XXIV, ultimately Ric Flair's last match.

Owning the spotlight has been a common theme throughout Michaels’ life. Even as a little boy growing up in Texas, he wanted to be the star of the show. At age 12, he saw his first wrestling match and knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler. Michaels became a stand-out linebacker and a captain on his high school team. Upon graduating, he attended Southwest Texas State University, but soon realized that college wasn’t the path he wanted to follow. He began chasing his dream to become a WWE Superstar.



But success didn’t come overnight. Early in his career, Michaels had doubters, skeptics who said he was too small to become a World Champion. But he, along with his bitter rival Bret “Hit Man” Hart, overcame incredible odds and proved that skilled wrestlers did not need to be giants to succeed in sports-entertainment. Even when WWE struggled early in the Monday Night Wars against WCW in the late 1990s and its Superstars jumped ship to the competition, HBK stayed and carried the company on his shoulders as champion. He helped lay the foundation that eventually enabled WWE – and Superstars such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Mankind – to overcome WCW in the Monday Night Wars.

A serious back injury put HBK on the sidelines for four years between 1998 and 2002. During that time Michaels healed and overcame personal demons to find peace in his life. Amazingly, he returned to the ring better than ever, defeating Triple H in a Street Fight at SummerSlam, and then eventually winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

The Game and HBK have been the worst of enemies, spilling buckets of blood in one of WWE’s most memorable rivalries. But their wars have only made them the best of friends; it’s difficult to imagine these DX cohorts teaming with anyone else. Triple H, who does not give praise easily, sums up Michaels’ legacy like this:
“If you were to ask me who’s the greatest I’ve ever been in the ring with, that’s easy. It’s Shawn.”

Though more than 30 years have passed since he saw his first wrestling match, HBK is still a 12-year-old boy at heart, daring to dream. He’s still tuning up the band and delighting audiences with Sweet Chin Music. Even after the show finally ends for good, Michaels will still be the Icon … the Showstopper … the Main Event.

The Game Triple H

Triple H
Height: 6 foot 4
Weight: 255 pounds
From: Greenwich, Conn.
Signature Move: Pedigree
Career Highlights: WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, Intercontinental Champion, World Tag Team Champion, European Champion, King of the Ring (1997), Royal Rumble winner (2002)
Associates: Shawn Michaels
WWE Debut: May 1995
Trained By: Killer Kowalski

For a moment, forget all the monikers and catch phrases. Overlook the seemingly countless championships and tournaments he has won. Ignore the fact that he has spearheaded two of the most important factions in WWE history, and overcome what the pundits considered a career-ending injuries. You need only two words to properly sum up Triple H: The Game

Strong words, especially when one considers the King of Kings was once a 135-pound “beanpole” from Nashua, N.H. But when he received a free one-week membership for a small local gym one summer day, the 14-year-old “gangly” teen’s life changed forever. For the next three years, he spent nearly every day in that gym, developing every muscle in his body and transforming himself into a six-foot-four, 210-pound powerhouse. He entered — and won — numerous regional bodybuilding competitions, including the prestigious Teen Mr. New Hampshire title at the age of 19. Yet The Game himself admits, “I never seriously considered becoming a pro bodybuilder…My dream was World Wrestling Entertainment.”

Enrolling in Walter “Killer” Kowalski’s Pro Wrestling School in Malden, Mass., the future Cerebral Assassin trained four days a week under Kowalski’s “tough love” tutelage, then divided his weekends between wrestling in the independent circuit and managing a Gold’s Gym in Nashua. Almost inconceivably, he would have to fly himself down to Atlanta in 1993, to convince then-new VP Eric Bischoff that he was “good enough” to join the World Championship Wrestling roster. Fortunately, the unlimited potential he showed at World Championship Wrestling quickly got him noticed at World Wrestling Entertainment; by May 1995, “Hunter Hearst-Helmsley” (a name which soon became more identifiable as Triple H) would make his WWE debut. And the rest, as they say, is history.

More than 20 years after entering that small Nashua gym, Triple H maintains the strictest of training regimens, incorporating techniques from world-renowned fitness trainers like Charles Glass. Such dedication has provided him with the fortitude to become a Grand Slam champion; the wisdom to shepherd the “Evolution” of then-newcomers Randy Orton and Batista to WWE Superstardom; the charisma to star in feature films, television shows, and commercials; and the stamina to pull countless sophomoric pranks on Mr. McMahon as a founder of D-Generation X. And it’s precisely what makes him “that damn good.”

The Animal Batista

Batista
Height: 6 foot 6
Weight: 290 pounds
From: Washington, D.C.
Signature Move: Batista Bomb
Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Champion; WWE Tag Team Champion; World Tag Team Champion; 2005 Royal Rumble winner

Dave Batista has been “The Animal” since childhood, in temper if not in name. Raised in a rough part of southeast Washington, D.C., he describes himself as being “a skinny kid with asthma and a bad size complex”— and a penchant for getting into trouble with authorities. He spent a few years in San Francisco after his parents separated, until his mother sent the troubled teen to live with his father in suburban Virginia. By the time he turned 17, he was estranged from both parents, living on his own, and still getting into trouble.

For the better part of 10 years, Batista spent his days training and competing as a bodybuilder, and his nights “bouncing in clubs, floating from here to there.” (He’s still amazed that one club he worked at is less than two blocks from Washington D.C.’s MCI Center, where he defended his World Heavyweight Championship against JBL at SummerSlam in 2005.) His drifting stopped the night he unleashed his explosive temper on two patrons who had attacked his fellow bouncers. “By the time I was finished with them,” he relates, “they were lying on the ground with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads. I was very scared they were going to die.” They didn’t, but the incident did result in Batista’s arrest, a year’s probation, and his decision to make radical changes in his life.

Enrolling in Wild Samoan Afa’s wrestling school in Allentown, Pa., Batista admits that at first he saw WWE simply as “a way to make a living”— until he was told at a WCW tryout that he didn’t have the chops to make it as a wrestler. “That lit a fire under my a**. Wrestling became an obsession that I fell in love with. I completely redirected my training and philosophies, redesigned my body and mental outlook. I just really wanted to be an athlete and an entertainer.”

Though his personal perseverance brought him to WWE in May 2002, Batista credits former Evolution colleagues Triple H and Ric Flair with developing “a muscleheaded goofball” into a World Heavyweight Champion, one who backs his composed words and demeanor with an explosive fury befitting his nickname. He considers himself neither a leader nor a follower in the locker room (“I’m just a loner, I keep to myself,” he insists), but inside the ring, on the covers of muscle mags like FLEX, and even once against budding Superman Tom Welling on The CW Network series Smallville, “The Animal” is clearly a dominant species. A dominant species who, by the way, has collected more than 50 vintage tin lunchboxes. Our advice: respect this six-foot-six, 290-pound beast and his 1967 Green Hornet sandwich container (sporting Bruce Lee’s face on the front), which he cherishes among his most prized possessions. You’ll live longer.