WWE: 5 Current/Former Superstars whose spouses are more famous than them
Almost every WWE fan grew up with the dream of becoming a wrestler one day and headlining WrestleMania. While we have heard so many wrestlers speaking about this dream being their motivation that it has now turned into a cliche, it is a natural desire. The desire to emulate and be a part of the same profession as your childhood heroes. The goal of most pro wrestlers is to achieve the highest level of fame and respect possible, typically by making it to WWE and becoming a main eventer in the promotion.
However, not everyone can be world champions or Hall of Famers. For the wrestlers on this list, whatever fame they were able to achieve has seemingly been overshadowed by the accolades of their significant others. Whether they married famous actors, second and third generation wrestlers or they just weren’t able to attain the same level of success as their partners. These five pro wrestlers seem to be eternally caught in the looming shadow of their spouse (or ex-spouse!)
So, without further ado, join us in toasting these underappreciated pro wrestling superstars:
#1 Billy Kidman
Billy Kidman and Torrie Wilson https://t.co/bb0mLKNObu
For fans needing a quick jog down memory lane, the image above is of former wrestler and Playboy cover-girl Torrie Wilson. Her ex-husband, former Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman, also happens to be in the picture with her.
Despite having quite a successful career of his own, which included Cruiserweight Championship runs in both WCW and WWE, Billy Kidman’s ex-wife Torrie Wilson is by far the more prolific of the two. A former two-time Playboy cover-girl, Torrie’s fame seemingly far out-shined her ex-husband’s. She was featured prominently on the cover of the prolific Men’s Lifestyle magazine, as well as take part in several memorable segments at WrestleMania.
Meanwhile, her former partner Kidman currently works as a producer for WWE.
#2 David Otunga
After Cheating on David Otunga With a Gospel Singer, Lying About Abuse to Keep Him From Seeing His Kid & Not Wanting to Pay Child Support Even Though Otunga is Raising Their Son, Jennifer Hudson Finally Caves on Custody Agreement bit.ly/2LZqvp2 https://t.co/0Su74sc5KR
If there is anyone you’d be forgiven for forgetting about, it’s David Otunga. Most current fans will remember Otunga as a part-time commentator on RAW. While his in-ring career hasn’t really produced anything memorable, he is an actual bonafide Harvard graduate and lawyer. Another thing Dave is best known for is being his marriage to Academy Award Winning actress Jennifer Hudson and the eventual separation.
#3 WWE producer Tyson Kidd
Natalya on Tyson Kidd: “This year at Survivor Series, he produced 1/3 of the show. Last year at WrestleMania, he did 52 hours of rehearsals and four women’s matches, and had it all like in his head.” wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/natal… https://t.co/fvofpOJYn9
It’s pretty hard to have a list like this one without referencing a guy who was once assaulted with chants of “Nattie’s Husband!” from the audience. Tyson Kidd is a former WWE Tag Team Champion and one of the most criminally underrated performers of the modern era.
Still, it can’t be helped that the woman he married just so happens to be the daughter of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, who just so happened to be Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s partner during the glory days of The Hart Foundation. As hard of a worker as Tyson is, the former SmackDown Women's Champion's lineage will always make her the more recognizable and prominent of the pair. Kidd being forced to retire in 2017 has also kept him limited to backstage roles, which is another reason for him being less popular than his wife.
#4 Marc Mero
Wildman Marc Mero & Sable #NewWWFGeneration #WWE #WWF #WWERaw #Smackdown #WWENXT https://t.co/KldAi2lHd4
Marc Mero is a wrestler who has been away from the game long enough now for an entire generation to have come and gone. Mero was an extremely talented boxer who brought his unique blend of athleticism and charisma to WWE at a time when one just couldn’t seem to really stand out from the crowd. Now retired, Marc spends his days working as a successful motivational speaker.
Of course, he was also married to former wrestler and Playboy cover-girl Sable for ten years. Sable, one of the most recognizable female wrestling personalities in the world and a bonafide sex symbol in the ‘90’s, overshadowed Marc to such a degree that it was used as the basis for their storyline split on television.
#5 Mike Bennett
.. FIRST UP .. #WWEBATTLEGROUND #KICKOFF MATCH .. SAMI ZAYN .. VS .. MIKE BENNET .. AND AT RINGSIDE , HIS WIFE , MARIA KANELLIS .. :) https://t.co/pXZrIMVmMf
Mike Bennett had a short run in WWE when SmackDown started airing live, working under the ring name Mike Kanellis. On the flip side, always accompanying him to the ring is his wife Maria Kanellis, who most fans will remember from her days in the WWE. She played a ditzy but lovable backstage announcer and occasional in-ring performer.
Maria is also known for having competed in the Diva Search (which used to be an annual contest WWE would hold to pick a new Diva. She is also known for being a Playboy cover-girl.
While Mike has been able to make a name for himself since leaving WWE and working on the indies, his wife is still better known among casual wrestling fans than him.