5 little-known parents of current WWE Superstars
Although their children are famous wrestlers, a few superstars' parents are little-known to the WWE Universe.
Some WWE Superstars' parents are very well-known to wrestling fans. The Miz's father, for example, has appeared several times on WWE television over the past few years. A few appeared on the "My Son/Daughter is a WWE Superstar" show a few years ago, like Alexa Bliss' and Mandy Rose's parents.
Meanwhile, other WWE Superstars' parents are largely unknown to wrestling fans. Unlike The Miz's father, many have never stepped inside the squared circle and prefer to stay away from the public eye.
Here are five little-known parents of current WWE Superstars.
#5. WWE Hall of Famer Edge
Although she made a brief appearance on WWE television during Edge Appreciation Night in 2011, the WWE Universe does not know much about The Rated R Superstar's mother, Judy Copeland.
In his autobiography, "Adam Copeland on Edge", the Hall of Famer revealed some information about his mother's life. He disclosed that she was born in 1953 and left her home when she was 17. She later married and gave birth to him when she was only 20 years old.
Edge never saw his father as he left before the WWE legend was born. Copeland raised her son as a single mother and had to work two jobs to support him:
"My mom worked two jobs, secretary during the day and waitress at night. (...) When my mom headed to the waitressing job, I would either go to my grandparents' or one of my uncles would come over," Edge wrote in his book.
Edge's mother passed away in 2018 at the age of 65. The Rated R Superstar wrote her an emotional tribute to her on his Instagram account, disclosing that she has always supported him:
"She was my rock. The backbone and bedrock that kept my balance through some very tumultuous years. She never doubted me. Ever. I wanna be a wrestler Ma. 'Do it.' She scraped together our pennies and kept me fed and clothed and even managed to get me those Kiss action figures and Wrestlemania tickets. Somehow. Because that's what she did. She supported me and bred me to be the man I eventually became," he wrote.
Edge is currently an active competitor on Monday Night RAW. He is set to go head-to-head against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 38.
#4. Doudrop
Doudrop was born in Kilbirnie, Scotland, on May 6, 1991. Although her parents Niven and Yvonne have played a crucial role in her life, they are probably unknown to many wrestling fans
The Scottish Superstar's parents run a family coach-hire business. Before joining Vince McMahon's company, Doudrop worked part-time for them while pursuing a wrestling career on the independent circuit.
In an interview with The Sun, the 30-year-old revealed that her parents initially thought wrestling was just a phase their daughter was going through. However, they later realized otherwise:
"At first they thought it was just a phase I was going through, but ten years on, they’ve realised otherwise (...) It's hard for my dad seeing me getting all beat up. Poor guy doesn't know whether to jump into the ring and help me or cheer (...) Sometimes it can be pretty brutal, seeing your daughter covered in blood," she said.
Doudrop is currently active on Monday Night RAW. She last competed on the Red Brand three weeks ago when she lost to Bianca Belair.
#3. Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre's parents, Angela and Andrew Galloway Sr., have played a key role in their son's life. In his autobiography, "A Chosen Destiny," The Scottish Warrior disclosed that his mother was a stay-at-home mom. Meanwhile, his father worked for a local family-owned furniture company, JRG Group Ltd.
"Dad came from a humble background, and was the youngest of four boys (...) Dad worked. As the boss’s right-hand man, he worked in the showroom and warehouse, or would be out delivering. It was a routine Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five job, but hard work, and he would have to travel away from home sometimes. Mum was a stay-at-home mum and brought us up," he wrote.
Growing up, McIntyre had a close bond with his mother. In an interview with BBC in 2020, he revealed that he was a "mommy's boy." The Scottish Warrior also spoke about his mother's health struggles before she passed away in 2012, calling her a superhero.
" Around the age of 18 she was stricken with a disease called cerebellar ataxia (...) It throws your balance. It becomes difficult to walk (...) As far as she was concerned there was nothing wrong with her. Growing up, she did everything (...) She never complained all that time. Then she got cancer and still never complained. Going through chemo and radiation, it was horrible. She never complained once. She was a superhero. I miss her a lot," he said.
McIntyre's parents have always supported him as he pursued a wrestling career. In an interview with The Scottish Sun, the former WWE Champion's father disclosed that he and his late wife rarely missed any of their son's matches in his early wrestling days.
Today, McIntyre is an active performer on SmackDown. He is scheduled to square off against Happy Corbin at WrestleMania 38.
#2. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar likes to keep his life away from the public eye. However, he has revealed some information about his parents over the past few years.
In his autobiography, "Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival," The Beast Incarnate disclosed that his parents, Richard and Stephanie, were farmers.
Brock was raised on a dairy farm in South Dakota, where he helped his parents milk cows and shovel manure. They also allowed him to attend wrestling practice:
"I grew up poor, on a dairy farm in South Dakota, and I had to work for everything I have. A lot of my friends were not allowed to play any sports or participate in other after-school activities. They were farmers, and farm chores came first. We were farmers, too. But my mom and dad let me start wrestling when I was only five years old. I milked cows and shoveled manure like everyone else, but I never missed a wrestling practice," he wrote.
The current WWE Champion also stated in his book that he owes everything he has become to his parents, explaining that their willingness to sacrifice for him differentiated him from other talented athletes.
"I want you to understand something. It's real simple. I owe it all to my mom and dad. Who I am. What I am. Where I am. (...) I was born with the talent and the athleticism—those were God-given gifts. But a lot of talented athletes go nowhere. What made me different? More than anything else, my mom and dad, and the rest of my family for that matter, were willing to make sacrifices for me. There are a lot of people who helped mold me into a champion, but my mom and dad deserve the credit first, before anyone else," he added.
Lesnar's parents have previously appeared in their son's 2003 documentary "Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain." They spoke about their son's life as a kid and his journey to becoming a successful WWE Superstar.
The Beast Incarnate currently holds the WWE Championship. He will face Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a Winner Takes All Title Unification Match at WrestleMania 38.
#1. Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston arrived in Accra this morning.He was welcomed by Officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, members of the Year of Return Steering Committee, family and friends including his Mother and younger brother.
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#GhanaTourism #WE https://t.co/0SGQnTTvwv
Many WWE fans may not know that Kofi Kingston's mother, Elizabeth Sarkodie-Mensah, is a very accomplished woman and an important political figure in his home country of Ghana.
Sarkodie-Mensah is a social anthropologist. She graduated from the University of Ghana, majoring in French and Spanish. Kingston's mother then moved to the United States, where she earned a master's degree in library science at Clarion University in Pennsylvania. She then earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2000.
The Ghanian worked as a law librarian at the Massachusetts Port Authority before becoming a senior research librarian at Ropes & Gary LLP. She then moved to Merrimack College, where she worked as a Liaison Librarian until 2017.
Meanwhile, Kingston's mother was also the leader of the Women's Wing in the United States branch of the Ghanian opposition New Patriotic Party for eight years between 2009 and 2017. Sarkodie-Mensah is currently Ghana's Deputy Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.
The Ghanaian politician has supported her son throughout his wrestling career. In an interview with the BBC in 2008, Kingston disclosed that although his mom does not know much about wrestling, she is happy for him.
"She's very happy I am doing what I want to do, but I don't think she knows how big wrestling really is," Kingston said.
Kingston's father Kwasi is also a well-educated man. He currently works at Boston College as a Lecturer and Manager of Instructional Services. He is also a Ghanaian Language Consultant for the United States State and Federal Government.
In the same interview with the BBC, Kwasi revealed that many of his friends were disappointed that his son became a WWE Superstar rather than following in his parents' footsteps. However, Kingston's father defended his son's decision to pursue a wrestling career:
"I know it is a very anti-intellectual thing, but I think everybody should get up in the morning and be excited about what they do," Kwasi said.
Kofi Kingston is currently active on SmackDown. Next Saturday, he will team up with his New Day partner Xavier Woods to face Sheamus and Ridge Holland at WrestleMania 38.