9 Irish wrestlers who have appeared in WWE
Today, we look at nine wrestlers from the Emerald Isles who've appeared in WWE. This includes names you will know and some you may have missed.
Three athletes represent Ulster, the province that makes up Northern Ireland, and six represent Leinster, the majority of whom were born in the capital city of Dublin. One wrestler billed as being from Dublin, was born in Limerick in Munster while the Belfast Bruiser was born in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.
To find out more, read on and tell us who your favorite Irish wrestler is.
Paul ‘Tucker’ Gallagher from Belfast, Northern Ireland
Tucker is an Irish wrestler born in Belfast who worked in WWE from 2017 to 2018. Before this, he worked on the independent circuit competing in Pro Wrestling Ulster.
Tucker’s first appearance in WWE as part of the United Kingdom Championship Tournament in 2017. He was beaten by winner Tyler Bate in the first round.
Tucker lost in the first round of the following year's tournament against Joe Coffey. From October to December, he sporadically appeared for the newly created NXT UK until his release at the end of 2018.
Since being released, Tucker has returned to the independent circuit for Titanic Wrestling. He became the AYA Catch Champion on 19th February 2020 at the French premotion AYA Catch.
Local WWE wrestler Paul Gallagher (AKA Tucker) working at Belvoir
Activity Centre. Book yourself in for an induction with Paul today. https://t.co/611kyxZEBj
Mr. Wrestling, Pat Barrett from Dublin, Ireland
Patrick Barrett, known professionally as Pat or Paddy, wrestled all over the world from 1960 to 1985 appearing in the NWA and WWWF [now WWE] and was known as Mr. Wrestling.
In 1975, he made his way to the World Wide Wrestling Federation, now known as WWE, battling World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino. That June, he held the WWWF Tag Team Championships alongside Dominic De Nucci. They lost the championships to The Blackjacks in August 1975, before returning to NWA.
After his short stint with the WWE, he traveled all over the world before heading back to his native Ireland. He retired in 1985 becoming a trainer.
The Woke Queen of WWE: Aoife Valkyrie from Dublin, Ireland
Irish wrestler Aoife Valkyrie made a name for herself on the Irish and British independent scene. Having trained at the famous Fight Factory Pro Wrestling, she debuted a year into her training in 2015 for Celtic Championship Wrestling under the ring name Valkyrie Cain. She has held two Women’s Championships, one in Over the Top Wrestling and the other in Pro Wrestling Ulster.
As Lady Valkyrie, she teamed up with Debbie Keitel to form The Woke Queens. The two won the Pro Wrestling EVE Tag Team Championship in 2017 and, by 2018, she achieved an even bigger accolade. At an event for Zero1 Ireland/Fight Factory Pro Wrestling, she became the first woman to win the Irish Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Aoife Valkyrie signed with WWE in January 2020 appearing for the NXT UK brand before heading to the US for house shows. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, she returned to WWE and NXT UK remaining undefeated until she came face-to-face with Meiko Satomura in 2021. Since the summer, Valkyrie has been feuding with Jinny on NXT UK.