Old photos of 1 former and 5 current WWE Superstars as fans
It's not often that WWE Superstars sign with the company without having been a fan as a child. While some of these have still become top stars, a large part of this generation of wrestlers were big fans growing up.
Here are some old photos of one former and five current WWE Superstars as fans:
#6 Current: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens reflects on ten year old advice from Steve Austin that changed his life cagesideseats.com/wwe/2015/9/8/9… http://t.co/2QdbMYgRG8
The main event of WrestleMania on Saturday this year was surrounded with a ton of hype. WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin returned to the squared circle, fighting his first match in almost two decades and defeating Kevin Owens in a No-Holds Barred match.
However, years before the match took place, a young Kevin Owens was able to meet Stone Cold, a superstar he idolized, and gain some valuable advice from him.
#5 Current: Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks has had a long relationship with WWE. She was always a fan growing up, and Eddie Guerrero was and still is her favorite. Banks revealed how she attended RAW in Minnesota in 2005, not knowing that Guerrero had passed away.
It was through her cousin Snoop Dogg that she had her first connection with the company, getting backstage access. However, her professional wrestling journey would only begin in 2010. After two years on the independent scene, she officially signed with the wrestling behemoth.
Those who have followed her journey from the NXT days know just how radical an evolution she has had. Sasha Banks was among the most highly-touted women when there were first talks about the Four Horsewomen in NXT.
When she was called up to the main roster in 2015, it would take her time to reach the next level. While Charlotte Flair's success was instant, Sasha Banks had to wait a year before winning her first Women's title. She did so in 2016, and the title reigns started pouring in during a feud where she and Charlotte Flair would constantly win the title from each other.
Already a Women's Grand Slam Champion, there are only a few things Sasha Banks has left to accomplish before achieving everything there is. She is the centerpiece of the women's division and will go down in history as a legend of the company, regardless of the current rift between her and the management.
#4 Former WWE Superstar: Peyton Royce
Peyton Royce grew up as a wrestling fan from Sydney, Australia. She was a fan from the age of nine, and just like Sasha Banks, was inspired to become a wrestler by the late, great Eddie Guerrero. At the age of 16, Peyton Royce made her professional wrestling debut and performed for five years before receiving a WWE tryout in Australia. She signed with the promotion in 2015 and has come quite far since.
Her biggest accomplishment with the company was, alongside Billie Kay, winning the Women's Tag Team Championships from Sasha Banks and Bayley at WrestleMania 35.
#3 Current: Ricochet
Oh... My... God... Is that Ricochet with Triple H? https://t.co/P0ynWqnAJk
Ricochet is WWE's resident high-flyer. He made a name for himself years before joining the company and has a decade-and-a-half of wrestling experience. It was in early 2018 when he signed with the promotion, finding instant success in NXT.
Being quite ready for the main roster, he moved up soon after and has found some success, winning the United States and the Intercontinental Championships. In the photo above, Ricochet can be seen in his younger days with Triple H.
#2 Current: Bayley
It's incredible to think of how far Bayley has come. She was a long-time fan and started training to become a pro-wrestler as soon as she turned 18. Serena Deeb was a mentor to Bayley in her early years, and in 2012, she had her breakthrough and signed with the company.
By 2015, the fans began to hear rumblings of Bayley due to her high-quality title matches in NXT. The following year, she would make her main roster debut. She has come far since then and is now a Women's Grand Slam Champion. The only thing she has left to achieve in the promotion is a Royal Rumble victory. In the photo above, she can be seen with John Cena.
#1 Current: Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston began training as a professional wrestler a lot later on this list, being 24 years old when his journey started. However, it didn't take long for him to sign a WWE contract.
Kingston is currently one of the longest-tenured Superstars on the roster. He's a grand slam champion, with his defining moment coming at WrestleMania 35 when he became the WWE Champion. Long before then, he posed for a picture with Ricky Morton.