Jacob Fatu and 2 other WWE stars who lost an incredible amount of weight to be on the main roster
WWE Superstars are considered premier athletes. Hence, they are required to be in good physical shape with excellent conditioning. Household names like John Cena, Roman Reigns, and Randy Orton check the fitness boxes readily, with their physiques handing them an added advantage.
As much as ripped and lean physiques are encouraged, the company also discourages out-of-shape builds. There have been several instances where stars, like Big Show, were instructed to lose weight.
However, we have seen some notable talents walk the extra mile to shed excess fat en route to landing in the big leagues. Here, we take a look at two stars, including Jacob Fatu, who lost an incredible amount of weight to be on the main roster.
#3. Jacob Fatu arrived in WWE with a leaner and meaner physique
The first addition to this list is also the most recent. After months of making rounds in the rumor mill, Jacob Fatu finally arrived in WWE as the fourth member of The New Bloodline.
Fatu made an immediate statement by viciously assaulting three of SmackDown's top babyfaces - Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, and Cody Rhodes. In addition to his stunning arrival, his physique has also garnered much attention.
The 32-year-old Samoan star seems to have lost an incredible amount of weight and added much muscle to his physique. Compared to his days in MLW, The Samoan Werewolf is much leaner.
This is a clear indication of his dedication to becoming a major star in the Stamford-based promotion, where he will likely have a dominant run.
#2. Former WWE Superstar Adam Rose
Fans loved Adam Rose as the jovial, nonchalant leader of "The Rosebuds." Rose had a promising start on the main roster, but his career never took off as he was relegated to the under-card. Eventually, he asked for his release in 2016.
After his departure, Rose put on a ton of muscle, becoming incredibly shredded in the process. However, he made a surprising revelation when he revealed that he was told to lose weight for debuting the "Adam Rose" character on the main roster. Before the star took on the fun party-loving gimmick, he portrayed a character called Leo Kruger. The Kruger character was the opposite of Rose, so the company asked the wrestler to refrain from weight training.
"Before coming to the WWE, I weighed 236 lbs. When I performed as Leo Kruger, my weight was around 225 lbs... When I made the transition to Adam Rose, I was asked to refrain from weight training so the character would not look like a pro wrestler at all, and also to get as far away from the Kruger character as possible. My weight as Adam was around 201 lbs." [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
Adam Rose's struggle with addiction and weight gain is well documented. Fortunately, he is in incredible shape today and has gotten his life back together. The wrestler He hung up the boots in 2019, closing the door on his wrestling career.
#1. Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther
On NXT, Gunther was WALTER. The in-ring prowess was similar as was the character work. However, in his journey to the main roster, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion lost 60-65 pounds.
Gunther also added much muscle to his physique. Thus, the chops are as vicious as they were during his NXT stint. The Ring General made an active decision to lose weight, and it paid off well in the long run.
Acting on his own accord, The King of The Ring explained his motivation for losing weight en route to making his main roster debut:
"It was completely my own initiative. For me, it was quite clear — if I want to take the next big step, I have to present more for the general public."
The Austrian Anomaly is one of the top stars on WWE RAW and is set to face the World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam.