These Are The Toughest Pro Wrestlers In Real Life

Professional wrestlers are some of the toughest athletes in the world, but unfortunately, they never seem to get the credit that they truly deserve. WWE superstars work year-round, so unlike other organized sports, they don’t have an off season. These wrestlers often rely on their mental and physical toughness to get through a match. It’s blatantly clear that any individual able to sustain a career in the professional wrestling industry needs to have an extraordinary pain threshold and an innate toughness.

There are some individuals who not only have these attributes, but they also exude them. Regardless of the scenario, professional wrestlers are legitimately some of the toughest athletes in the world. This only features the guys you wouldn’t want to cross on the street. So, while WWE stars like Mick Foley have an insane threshold for pain, he’s about the nicest guy in wrestling history. These are the toughest wrestlers of all time.

25

Darby Allin Is AEW’s Biggest Risktaker

His Style Has Made Him Popular With Fans

• Allin is a two-time AEW TNT Champion.
• He is a former AEW World Tag Team Champion with Sting.
• He has been included as one of the “Four Pillars.”

Easily, AEW has never seen a bigger daredevil than Darby Allin. His career in AEW has been marked by his willingness to go to whatever length it takes to win a match. The former TNT Champion has been seen delivering Coffin Drops off any height. He throws his body as a weapon. There is no feat that he will not do for the sake of his craft and art. Allin is the underdog, but always proves why fans should never count him out.

24

Matt Riddle Competed At The Top Of WWE And UFC

He Had A Strong Record In MMA

Matt Riddle is a great example of why fans shouldn’t just a book by its cover. Riddle fought in the UFC before he made his way to WWE, and his record as an MMA fighter was more than impressive. He was on SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 7 and had a four-fight winning streak before WWE fired him for a positive drug test for marijuana. Riddle’s overall MMA record was eight wins and three losses and when he left UFC, he ranked third in takedown defense and eight in total strikes landed. In WWE, he was mostly used for comedic relief.

23

Rhea Ripley Pops Her Shoulder Back In

Mami Shocked Everyone

• Ripley faced Liv Morgan at SummerSlam 2024.
• She competed for the Women’s World Title.
• Seh sustained a shoulder injury during the match.

Injuries in the ring are extremely common. They can happen due to the most extravagant move or the most basic. And while some call off the match right away, other wrestlers take the saying “The show must go on” very seriously. At SummerSlam 2024, Rhea Ripley showed how much she wanted to get her hands on Liv Morgan and take her Women’s World Title away.

During their championship match at SummerSlam, Ripley had legitimately dislocated her shoulder when she was sent into a ring post. This led to her roll out of the ring and popping her shoulder back into place. Despite not winning the title, Ripley showed the grit and determination that she had.

22

Cody Rhodes Competed With A Torn Pec

He Defeated Seth Rollins Inside Hell In A Cell

• Rhodes and Rollins feuded throughout 2022.
• The match was critically acclaimed.
• It was Metlzer’s first five star match for WWE since 2011.

Before Cody Rhodes stepped inside of Hell in a Cell in 2022 against Seth Rollins, it was announced that he had a legit torn pectoral muscle. And nobody was ready for what Rhodes was going to reveal once he took off his jacket. Rhodes’ skin was horribly discolored. It was revealed that the muscle was totally torn off the bone.

Despite all of this, Rhodes still competed inside the cell and managed, somehow, to defeat Rollins. The match was loved by fans and was given five stars by Dave Meltzer. Rhodes has always been dedicated to his craft in professional wrestling as a whole. But, this was something else. This showed just how much he loved the business.

21

Danny Hodge Was Top Wrestler In The 1950s-60s

He Was An All-American Collegiate

• Hodge was a three-time NCAA Champion.
• There is a trophy called the Dan Hodge Trophy.
• He crushed an apple with his hand at 81 years old.

Danny Hodge was one of the best wrestlers in history when he competed in the 1950s and 1960s. Before he started wrestling professionally, he was an All-American collegiate wrestler for the University of Oklahoma and was undefeated, with a 46-0 record. He was never taken off his feet in his college career. Hodge was a three-time NCAA Champion, and the top college wrestling trophy is now called the Dan Hodge Trophy. To add to his toughness, he has the ability to hold an apple in one hand and crush it with just his grip, which he still did in 2013, when he was 81 years old.

20

Minoru Suzuki Delivers Some Of Wrestling’s Toughest Chops

He Can Dish Out A Lot Of Pain

With him making more and more appearances in AEW, fans are getting the chance to watch one of the legitimately toughest wrestlers of all time from Japan work in the company. Minoru Suzuki makes special appearances for the company, and he is as scary now as he ever was.

In matches against Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, and Chris Jericho, Suzuki has proven that he can make even the best young wrestlers cringe with just a chop to the chest. Other than amateur wrestling and his professional career, he also competed in MMA fights, where he has a record of 30-20, with three wins by knockout and 22 submission victories, proving his dominance.

19

Shinsuke Nakamura Is The King Of Strong Style

He Has That Name For A Reason

Shinsuke Nakamura is known as the King of Strong Style, and he has the background to back it up. While his wrestling style in WWE and Japan is hard-hitting, he has also proven outside professional wrestling that his strikes are just as deadly. In MMA fighting, Nakamura fought from 2002 to 2004 and has a record of 3-1, with one no-contest. His only loss took place in his first fight, where he lost to Daniel Gracie, member of the legendary Gracie Family. His three wins all came via submission, despite his propensity for striking in pro wrestling. Shin also practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Shito-ryu karate.

18

John Cena Returned Quickly After Injury

• Cena was injured in a match with Mr. Kennedy.
• He was estimated to be out of action for six months to a year.
• He returned at the 2008 Royal Rumble and won the titular match.

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Throughout his career, John Cena has been renowned for his dedication to the professional wrestling business. Cena trains an incredible amount. However, his toughest display was his fast return to WWE in 2008 after sustaining a very serious injury.

In October 2007, Cena tore his pectoralis major muscle off the bone. It was an injury that was predicted to keep him out of action for six months to a year. Instead, Cena recovered far quicker than that. In only a few months, he made his triumphant return to WWE at the 2008 Royal Rumble. It was truly a feat of determination and toughness that was remarkable.

17

Chris Masters Saved His Mother By Uprooting A Tree With His Hands

The Masterpiece Was Tough In And Outside The Ring

• John Cena said Masters is the toughest wrestler he has faced.
• Only he and Miro have made Cena pass out.
• He is a two-time NWA National Champion.

At first glance, it may come as a surprise to see Chris Masters called one of the toughest wrestlers ever, but it’s definitely for a good reason. After a crazed neighbor held his mother inside her home against her will, the former WWE Superstar came to the rescue in a heroic fashion.“The Masterpiece” used his pure unadulterated strength to uproot a tree and use it as a battering ram, coming to the rescue after the neighbor set the house on fire to keep police from entering the residence. Masters smashed the tree through a window, saved his mother, and led her to safety.

16

Dan Severn Had The Resume To Back Him Up

He Dominated MMA And Pro Wrestling

• Severn was a dual champion in pro wrestling and MMA.
• He competed in WWE and the NWA.
• He still competes on the indies.

When it comes to stars who were able to successfully cross over from MMA to professional wrestling, there are a handful who did it the best. But, there was a reason that Dan Severn earned himself the nickname of “The Beast.”

Severn had conquered the UFC when he won the UFC Superfight Championship and professional wrestling when he became the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. He even held the two titles simultaneously at one point. And while it would have been great to see Severn feud properly with the next name on the list, it does not take away anything from his dominance in the UFC, WWE, and NWA.

15

Ken Shamrock Was A UFC Legend

He Was The First UFC Superfight Champion

Ken Shamrock is clearly one of the toughest athletes ever to lace up his boots and enter the squared circle. “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” was just that in the WWE. He is one of the biggest stars in the history of MMA, headlining over 15 events in the UFC and Pride over the course of his career.

Ken Shamrock was the first UFC Superfight Champion, defeating Dan Severn at UFC 6. The UFC renamed the title the UFC Heavyweight Championship when introducing weight categories. He definitely brought legitimacy with him to the WWE.

14

Arn Anderson Was Tough In The Ring And Real Life

He Survived Being Stabbed

• Anderson was involved in one of pro wrestling’s most notorious brawls.
• He got into a fight with Sid Vicious.
• He was stabbed over 20 times.

Fans widely considered Arn Anderson one of the toughest professional wrestlers ever to lace up a pair of wrestling boots. He was also tough in real life, as proven by a locker-room fight with Sid Vicious. On October 27, 1993, during a WCW tour of the United Kingdom, Arn and Sid got into one of the most insane brawls in wrestling history.

It started as an argument that eventually escalated to a point in which Sid grabbed a pair of scissors and reportedly stabbed Anderson 20 times. Although both parties lost a lot of blood, it served as a testament to Arn Anderson’s believability as a legitimate tough guy.

13

Bam Bam Bigelow Was “The Beast From The Beast”

He Saved Three Children

• Bam Bam Bigelow competed in WWE, ECW, and WCW.
• He is a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
• He sustained burns on over 40% of his body when he saved three children.

Based solely on his physical appearance, “The Beast From The East” always exuded toughness. In 2000, he took that toughness to the real world. Bam Bam Bigelow dashed into a burning house and rescued three children that were trapped inside. He reportedly suffered burns on over 40 percent of his body.

Bigelow reportedly spent weeks in hospital, and the injuries forced him out of wrestling forever. In a tragic turn of events, Bam Bam Bigelow died in 2007 at the relatively young age of 45.

12

Steve Blackman Survived Serious Illness

He Was Known As “The Lethal Weapon”

• Blackman was sick with dysentery and malaria.
• He eventually debuted for WWE in 1997.
• He operated his own MMA School.

In May 1989, Steve Blackman was days away from beginning his career with WWE. A week later, he was in sub-Saharan Africa, on the brink of death, dealing with dysentery and malaria. He spent the next six years recovering and training until he eventually made his way to the WWE in 1997.

After enjoying success in WWE and finally stepping away from the squared circle, “The Lethal Weapon” opened his own MMA School and began working as a Bounty Hunter. He has extensive training in various martial arts and Teddy Long has told a story where he swept the massive giant Big Show off his feet with a leg scissors takedown while Blackman was resting on the ground.

11

Akira Hokuto Was Dedicated To Wrestling

She Wrestled With A Torn Open Knee And Broken Neck

• She wrestled with a broken neck and held her head in place.
• She continued to compete in the match for two more falls.
• Hokuto put a bandage around her torn open knee againt Manami Toyota.

Akira Hokuto is the only woman to make this list and one of the toughest wrestlers of all time. In 1987, Akira Hokuto won AJW’s top tag team belt with Yumiko Hotta. Twelve days later, the duo lost the titles to the Red Typhoons (Kazue Nagahori and Yumi Ogura) in a two out of three falls match. During the finish of the first fall, Hokuto took a tombstone piledriver off the second rope and broke her neck. She wrestled the second and third falls, holding her head in place with her hands.

Then in 1990, during a Grand Prix match against Manami Toyota, Hokuto performed a plancha and crashed her knee into the ringside metal barrier. She tore open her knee, no longer able to walk. She tied a bandage around her leg, pulled herself back into the ring, and attempted to continue the match.

10

Bruiser Brody Protected His Craft

He Was Known As A Hard-Hitting Wrestler

• Brody stood at 6’8″.
• He was a multi-time champion in the NWA.
• His biggest rival was Abdullah the Butcher.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Bruiser Brody was one of the most well-known and renowned professional wrestlers in the world. Throughout his career, Brody became synonymous with his in-ring style. He was hard-hitting and could hang with the very best of them. Throughout his career, Brody took on names such as Abdullah the Butcher, who was his greatest rival. His stature, 6’8″, intimidated anyone who dared to step into the ring with him. He was also well-known for legitimately hitting hard in the ring and taking his craft very seriously.

Brody’s style brought him tremendous success and he became a decorated wrestler. His style still continues to influence many in the professional wrestling world today.

9

Vader Was Highly Successful

He Wrestled Through Injuries

• Vader was portrayed as a monster during his career.
• Stan Hansen broke his nose during a match.
• Vader pushed his own eye back into the socket.

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Before Big Van Vader found success in the United States in both WCW and WWE, he made his name in Japan. In 1990, Vader stepped into the ring to take on Stan Hansen for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. At the beginning of the match, Stan Hansen swung his cowbell around before the match started and bashed Vader in the face by accident, breaking his nose.

This resulted in an extremely stiff match between the two. After exchanging a couple of punches, Hansen accidentally poked Vader’s eye, causing it to pop out of the socket. The superheavyweight showed his true toughness by pushing the eye back into the socket and continuing the match.

8

Harley Race Was Feared By Andre The Giant

He Overcame A Lot

• Race had polio as a child.
• His wife died in a tragic car accident.
• Doctors thought about amputating his leg.

There’s a reason Andre the Giant only feared two men. Harley Race might be the toughest man ever to put on wrestling trunks. On Christmas night in 1961, Race and his wife, Vivian, were driving to visit his parents when their car collided with a tractor-trailer along the highway. His wife died instantly and doctors said Race would never wrestle again. The accident shattered one of his forearms and damaged his right leg so badly that doctors contemplated amputation. Harley Race showed his true strength, determination, and overall toughness by making his triumphant return to the ring two years later. On a side note: Harley Race also overcame polio as a child.

7

Kazushi Sakuraba Defeated A Gracie More Than Once

He Was Known As “The Gracie Killer”

Kazushi Sakuraba is arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and still wrestles fairly often in NJPW. He beat Royler Gracie by technical submission when he broke his arm with a Kimura Lock, the first time a Gracie has lost in decades.

Royce Gracie came out of retirement to face Sakuraba and “avenge” his brother in a fight with special rules. In the actual fight, Sakuraba dominated Royce for 90 minutes until Royce’s corner eventually threw in the towel. He then faced Renzo Gracie, breaking his arm with a kimura and earning his title of “The Gracie Killer”.

6

Kurt Angle Was An Olympic Gold Medalist

He Was A Machine In The Ring

• Angle won at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
• He won with a broken neck.
• He is a multi-time world champion.

Most fans consider Kurt Angle as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He won a Gold Medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics “with a broken freakin’ neck.” He won a Gold Medal with a broken neck.

He dominated the competition in every organization he’s ever competed in and won countless championships in them as well, but he proved his overall toughness back in 1996. Since that time, it’s always been clear, that Kurt Angle is legitimately one of the toughest wrestlers of all time.