WWE: 3 Wrestling Dads That Are Real And 3 That Are Fake
There truly isn't anything WWE loves more than second and third generation Superstars. While it's clear these performers have an easier time honing their craft and "learning the ropes", Vince does have a soft spot for wrestlers with sports entertainment running in their blood.
Despite the fact that there are plenty of wrestlers with family history in the business, Vince certainly isn't opposed to creating or fabricating father-son relations, attempting to get fans to believe the relationship is real. However, with the changing times and fans becoming more and more knowledgeable about the business, getting fans to believe in kayfabe family ties is pretty much next to impossible.
Back in the good old WWE days (80s and 90s), storylines like this would have been possible, but in today's wrestling climate? Not so much. That being said, there are definitely a couple father-son duos in wrestling that some of you are probably unaware of or forgotten about. Today, we are going to be looking at three wrestling dads that are real, and three that are completely fake.
#6 Fake: WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and Hornswoggle
September 10th 2007, RAW. It was revealed that Vince McMahon's illegitimate son was Hornswoggle. @wwehornswoggle #WWE http://t.co/20n6tIpKPY
Recent fans might not remember this, but Hornswoggle was revealed as Vince McMahon's illegitimate son in one of the most infamous storylines in the promotion's history. While many thought it to be true, it was merely a storyline relationship that originally featured Mr. Kennedy.
Ken Anderson (aka Mr. Kennedy) was being groomed as the next face of WWE and was supposedly going to be revealed as Vince's son as part of the same. However, a wellness policy violation led to those plans being nixed, with Hornswoggle becoming Vince's child instead.
#5 Real: The Usos and Rikishi
Rikishi is mainly remembered by wrestling fans for his stint in the WWE throughout the Attitude Era as a fun-loving yet equally dangerous big man. While Rikishi wasn't a main eventer, he was the reason fans tuned in to watch every week, and he was very talented and agile for a man of his size.
Despite Rikishi retiring from full-time wrestling, his two real-life sons Jimmy and Jey (The Usos) are continuing their father's legacy in WWE, and whenever we witness The Usos perform inside the squared circle, we can definitely see shades of Rikishi.
The photo showcased above captured the moment when The Usos had the opportunity to perform the "Too Cool" dance alongside their dad Rikishi. It cannot be argued that Rikishi is proud of his two talented sons, as they have undoubtedly become one of WWE's most decorated and highly praised tag teams of the current era.
#4 Real: IRS and Bray Wyatt
Never forget. Bray Wyatt, IRS, and Bo Dallas are family. I have a feeling I might be breaking this to someone for the first time though ๐ https://t.co/SCEuHt6MzZ
While there is a good chance that some fans in the know are aware of Bray Wyatt's and Bo Dallas' relationship with former WWE star IRS, for the bulk majority of you, this may come as a shock. Bray Wyatt's real-life father is IRS, aka Irwin R. Schyster.
Although IRS wasn't a very successful wrestler in the WWE championships-wise, many fans are bound to remember the easily despised character. But if there is one thing for certain, Bray Wyatt doesn't really resemble his father Mike Rotunda all too much, so if we did not know IRS and Bray were a father-son duo, it's unlikely we would ever be able to put two and two together.
For those of you wondering whatever happened to Mike Rotunda, he used to work for WWE behind the scenes as a road agent, before being released during the global pandemic.
#3 Completely Fake: Kane and Paul Bearer
@AadilBharwani As a kid I used to watch A LOT of pro-wrestling. This one storyline, Paul Bearer came out with the Undertaker's brother, Kane. And then later on showed that Kane was actually Paul Bearer's son, so Taker's half brother.
That? That's less convoluted than whatever Rowling wrote.
What would The Undertaker or Kane have amounted to in WWE without the assistance of the late (and legendary) Paul Bearer? If you're unsure, then you would undoubtedly be in the same boat as the rest of us. Paul definitely complimented Kane's and 'Taker's dark characters in WWE, and he was one of the greatest wrestling managers of all time.
The overall Kane-Undertaker storyline unquestionably ranks among the best of all time, and the rivalry was deep, personal, and filled with dysfunction. Considering Vince McMahonโs creative sunk a lot of time, effort and creative direction into this storyline, many fans ended up believing Kane was the son of Paul Bearer...
Unfortunately, this was nothing more than an on-screen storyline, and Kane was not Paul Bearer's son, nor is he The Undertaker's step-brother. Back in the good old days before the Internet and "dirt-sheets" reported all the happenings in wrestling, some fans actually believed the father-son duo was real - the power of great storytelling!
#2 Real: Roman Reigns and Sika Anoa'i
@WrestlingGaryAfa and Sika appeared at Hell in a Cell to crown Roman Reigns the Tribal Chief after his victory over Jey Uso.
โ๏ธ @WrestlingGary
#ITRWrestling #HIAC @WWERomanReigns
itrwrestling.com/news/roman-reiโฆ
Roman Reigns has definitely lived up to his family name, because whether you love or hate The Tribal Chief, Roman is unquestionably the the top-billed Superstar of Vince's promotion. Now it's clear that Roman Reigns is the face of WWE, but if it weren't for his infamous Samoan Anoa'i family ties, Roman's push may not have been quite as strong.
Vince has always favoured second and third generation wrestlers, and Reigns certainly fits the bill, as his real-life father Sika Anoa'i was one of McMahon's personal favourite Superstars back in the 80s - Sika was a member of The Wild Samoans tag team alongside Afa. On top of that, Roman Reigns is cousins with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, so that undoubtedly sealed the deal for Roman's push.
#1 Completely Fake: Jason Jordan and Kurt Angle
The WWE has been famous for creating kayfabe father-son duos over the years, but they had not attempted it in quite some time up until the Jason Jordan and Kurt Angle pairing -- and for good reason... While some fake father and son relationships in professional wrestling can be fun (Vince McMahon and his illegitimate son Hornswoggle for example), the WWE attempted to portray Jason Jordan as actually being Kurt's "long lost" son.
Considering that this isn't the 80s or 90s, most fans share the same opinion that the storyline was bound to fail right from the start, and boy did it ever! The wrestling behemoth received tons of backlash for this kayfabe father-son duo due to the fact the bulk majority of thefans believed it was a dumb idea, not to mention fans have access to all the ins and outs of every wrestlers personal life story -- it simply wasn't believable.
With that being said, from another perspective, Jason Jordan and Kurt Angle do share some similarities, as they both have an intense style of wrestling and similar ring gear. Regardless, Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan's attempts to get fans to buy into their storyline by posting selfies together on Instagram definitely did not work as originally planned.