5 non-WWE stars who are changing wrestling

While it may sound like a nice tidbit for some, the world of professional wrestling doesn’t revolve around WWE.

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For years now there have been wrestlers from around the world that have been carving out their own path in this business, and in the present day, you could argue that pro wrestling is less reliant on WWE than ever before. Some may take that as an insult, but trust us, we understand just how awful the industry’s position would be if the top dog didn’t exist.

Alas, we aren’t here to talk about that, because we’re here to talk about some of the guys who are really making a difference that goes above and beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. A handful of the names we’re about to list will come off as extremely obvious choices, but that’s only because of just how effective they’ve been throughout their time on the independent circuit.

So with that being said, here are five non-WWE stars who are changing wrestling.

#5 Cody

While a handful of the guys on this list never really got a chance to prove what they could do in WWE, that doesn't really apply to Cody - formerly known as Cody Rhodes. The ex-Intercontinental Champion has been able to do things outside of WWE that few could've imagined, and as one-third of the All In team, he's proven that professional wrestling extends far beyond the realms of Vince McMahon.

Some fans don't like his methods and others straight up think he doesn't deserve to be in this kind of position, but Cody is a hard worker, and he's earned everything that is coming to him. He's earning a fantastic wage for someone outside of WWE and moving forward, more pro wrestlers will look to him as an example of what life can be like away from the big time.