7 WWE Superstars' tattoos and their emotional significance
Let’s be honest, we live in a society today where tattoos are as accepted as they have ever been. The once frowned upon form of body-art has evolved into something that is just a part of our culture. In fact, as I write this column, I am reminded of how prevalent tattoos are in the world today, as I glance down at my own ink.
Yes, I have tattoos as well. I’m not sure exactly how many, but I think after about 30 or so, they all started to morph into one giant piece of art. Oh, and to soothe your curiosity, no, I have never been to jail and yes, I have always kept a job. However, that notion too has been debunked, regarding tattooed people not being able to get a job.
Our doctors, police officers and even school teachers are heavily tatted these days.
When I first started watching wrestling, back in the early 80’s, you really didn't see many wrestlers with tattoos. Of course, things were different back then and we as a society have grown to be much more open-minded about things that were once considered entirely too provocative, or taboo, so to speak.
I can't remember exactly when I first saw a wrestler with tattoos, but I believe one of the first wrestlers I saw with a significant amount of tattoos was Bam Bam Bigelow. I’m sure there were plenty of guys well before Bam Bam’s time, I just can't think of many at the moment.
Fast forward to the current era of professional wrestling and boy, how things have changed. Not only do tattoos and professional wrestling have more of a common relationship, there are probably more current WWE Superstars with tattoos than without.
Some have more, some have less, but many of them have at least one tattoo. While some of today's Superstars have tattoos with very little meaning, as they could have been a result of an impulsive mistake from their younger years, there are some that have strong, personal and sometimes emotional stories behind them.
In this column today, we attempt to shed a little light on some of the more meaningful tattoos on your favourite WWE Superstars.
#1 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns comes from a family that is very proud of their Samoan heritage. Just like his cousin, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Roman has a large Samoan-themed tattoo covering his entire right arm, shoulder area, as well as a portion of his chest. This sort of tribal design is very common in the Samoan culture.
Roman is very close to his family and very proud of who they are and what they have accomplished. His tattoo is a common reference to the Samoan Warrior, which is the theme behind most Samoan tribal tattoos.
However, hidden within this tattoo is another, much smaller one of a turtle. The turtle is incorporated into his larger piece, hidden on the inside of his wrist. This is the tattoo he considers to be the most important to him because it is a dedication to his daughter.