The Great One, a technical savant and more - 7 current WWE performers who have been compared to past stars
The famous line 'imitation is the highest form of flattery' is one that is heavily used in the WWE and the industry as a whole. Pop culture often dictates current characters, while iconic movie or TV characters can inspire a persona.
Michael Myers of Halloween fame inspired Kane, while Max Cady from Cape Fear inspired Waylon Mercy and later Bray Wyatt.
Many wrestlers and WWE stars also borrow moves or machinations from earlier wrestlers, whether intentional or not.
Regardless of whether it is true or not, the following seven WWE stars have been compared to WWE Legends.
#7. Bronson Reed is a new-age Bam Bam Bigelow
Athletic big men who can fly are a rare commodity in wrestling. There are more in today's industry than ever, but few were as trailblazing as Bam Bam Bigelow.
The Beast From the East stood out due to his bald, tattooed head and beefy physique. When he hit the ring and started to jump off the top rope, he broke the stereotype that bigger guys couldn't be high flyers.
While he doesn't have multiple moves off the top, Bronson Reed impresses fans whenever he hits his Tsunami Splash off the top. He's physical for his frame and has garnered comparisons to Bigelow. Reed even looked up to The Beast From the East as a child.
#6. Chad Gable resembles WWE legend Kurt Angle
Any time an amateur wrestler makes waves when signed by WWE, they will always be compared to Kurt Angle. The Hall of Famer famously won a gold medal 'with a broken freakin' neck' during the 1996 Olympics.
Chad Gable competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He then signed a deal with NXT shortly after competing for his country. Due to the amateur wrestling and Olympic connections, Gable has always been linked to Kurt Angle.
Both stars are well-versed in mat tactics as well as suplexes and submissions. Gable routinely uses the ankle lock that Angle famously used as his finishing maneuver throughout his career.
#5. Bron Breakker is linked to Goldberg
When he first debuted, Goldberg was presented as an unstoppable force of nature. He amassed a historic winning streak before winning the WCW World Championship in 1998.
His matches were limited to under 10 minutes, and over the last decade, his bouts were kept relatively short. Whenever he did compete, however, he was explosive and dominant.
Bron Breakker's debut was similar, as he essentially squashed LA Knight on The Megastar's way out of NXT in 2022. Breakker then became the face of NXT 2.0 and a two-time champion.
His main-roster career has been the same as he has squashed his opponents during his matches. Breakker also uses a Spear, Powerslam, and Jackhammer like the WWE legend.
#4. Rey Mysterio calls Dragon Lee "the Future of Lucha Libre"
It's taken years, but Rey Mysterio and WWE have finally found the next big face of Lucha Libre in WWE. After Alberto Del Rio, Sin Cara, and Kalisto were unable to make a lasting impact, Dragon Lee joined NXT last year and has wowed ever since.
Lee is a rare blend of power and speed in a small 165-pound frame. While Rey is also known for his smaller stature, he wasn't able to hit power bombs or huge suplexes on opponents.
The current landscape of WWE has also aided in Lee's ascent as the LWO and Legado Del Fantasma are both featured on SmackDown. Each faction claims to represent the future of Lucha Libre. Due to the endorsement from the Hall of Famers, the comparison is a reality for Dragon Lee.
#3. Seth Rollins & #2 AJ Styles have both been linked to HBK
While one was garnering acclaim and comparisons in TNA and IMPACT, the other has done so throughout his WWE career. AJ Styles is one of those 'Once in a Lifetime' stars. He simply has the natural ability between the ropes that some stars have to hone over the years.
Analysts like Booker T have compared Styles to Shawn Michaels due to both stars being able to use mat-based wrestling with high-flying moves. The same is true of Seth Rollins, especially since he uses the Superkick, which was made famous by HBK.
Rollins is a bit more high-flying than Michaels, but he and Styles have defined their generation of wrestling in WWE as HBK did in the 1990s and 2000s.
#1. LA Knight can't escape comparisons to The Rock
One current comparison is happening in real-time on SmackDown. When he was able to spread his wings as LA Knight, The Megastar was constantly compared to The Great One, The Rock.
Both stars have similar promo styles and were throwbacks to ring stars in the past. They didn't use a plethora of high-flying moves that almost every star in the business now incorporates into their repertoire. Both performers are methodical and use mostly mat tactics.
While there are similarities between the two, Knight has made some of the similarities work for his character. However, he doesn't refer to himself in the third person but always says something memorable in promos. Despite that, The Megastar is usually compared to The People's Champion.