5 WWE Superstars who married Tough Enough contestants
Over the past few years, some WWE Superstars have tied the knot with Tough Enough contestants.
Tough Enough was a reality television show where contestants underwent pro wrestling training and competed for a WWE contract. Vince McMahon's company has produced six seasons of the show, with the last airing in 2015.
Several Tough Enough contestants have found success in WWE in the past few years, like John Morrison and Mandy Rose. Few have also found love in the WWE locker room and married other WWE Superstars. Although some of these stars are no longer married, others are still going strong.
Here are five WWE Superstars who married Tough Enough contestants.
#5. WWE NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa - Jessie Ward
Several years before meeting Tommaso Ciampa, Jessie Ward participated in the second season of Tough Enough in 2002. Nonetheless, she had to leave the competition in the seventh week after being diagnosed with a heart condition.
Despite not winning Tough Enough, WWE hired Ward for backstage roles. She spent a few years in WWE before leaving the company to go back to college.
Meanwhile, Ciampa made a few appearances in WWE in 2005 and 2006 before signing a developmental contract in February 2007. However, his first run with the company ended shortly after. WWE released Ciampa from his contract nearly six months after signing him.
After his WWE departure, Ciampa spent several years competing in different promotions, including TNA. The 36-year-old then returned to WWE in 2015.
Although Ciampa and Ward worked in WWE at different times in their lives, they met outside the company. In an interview with Lilian Garcia, the NXT Champion disclosed that the former Tough Enough contestant had already left the wrestling business when they first met.
"She wasn't involved in the business. She did Tough Enough as a contestant. The next season she became a producer on Tough Enough and then that lended her a gig in WWE for three years as a backstage producer. Then she got out of the business. By the time we met, she was out of the business," he said.
NXT Superstar Samoa Joe was the one who introduced the couple to each other. They dated for a while before announcing their engagement in November 2012. A year later, Ciampa and Ward tied the knot. They now have a daughter together.