7 WWE stars who were legitimate tough guys

Booker T once beat up Batista backstageThere are people who claim that wrestling is fake. It is well known that the industry is scripted, but the bumps and violence in most cases, is very real. Wrestlers can be some of the baddest, most dangerous men on the planet.No, Hulk Hogan wasn’t badass, neither was Ric Flair, this list will talk about the seven toughest wrestlers in real life, ranked in increasing order of toughness.So without further ado, we give you:

#7 Wade Barrett

Art imitating life?

Some may find this addition to the list to be weird, but Barrett’s ‘bare knuckle championship career’ that Michael Cole would keep bringing up was legitimate. Before being signed to WWE, in his early 20s, Barrett became a champion bare-knuckle boxer, fighting in various locations throughout Europe.

An infamous story about his career is that he once fought in a fight dubbed ‘Battle of the Buda’ and won a significant amount of money after defeating an illustrious fighter. In keeping with the shady nature of bare knuckle boxing, as Barrett attempted to hail a cab after the fight, someone stabbed him with an 8-inch Blade.

It is testament to his toughness that Barrett fought back and came away with the money. For legal reasons, he isn’t allowed to talk about the fight, but he has said that ‘the assailant incurred serious injuries, and Barrett escaped with the cash despite significant blood loss.’ 

The attack left him with a 12-inch scar that stretches from his upper back to halfway down his right triceps that he has now covered with a tattoo, but the scar and his crooked nose reminds one of the tough times he had to endure before he got to the relatively glitzy world of the WWE.