Reese, Rizzuto and Casey served three years in the Navy, from 1943 to '45, and saw combat in the Pacific Theater. Sports Heroes Who Served: Boxers and Patriots Was John Cena Actually In The Army? NXT has recently been graced with the presence of some military alumni. Well, I always thought he was in the Marines! exclaimed the former member of the WWF creative team and talent relations department through laughter. Before making it to the wrestling business, almost every WWE Superstar earned a living by working ordinary jobs. 7 professional athletes who also served in the military 5 Votes 4 Comments. Ventura served in active combat as part of . Top 10 Most Popular WWE Wrestlers Who Served In Military Content Summary Top 10 Most Popular WWE Wrestlers Who Served In Military 1 - Bobby Lashley 2 - Randy Orton 3 - Road Dogg 4 - Konnan 5 - Kevin Nash 6 - Freddie Blassie 7 - Lacey Evans 8 - Zeb Colter 9 - Perry Saturn 10 - Jesse Ventura 1 - Bobby Lashley Discharged after the war in 1946 as a Petty Officer Second Class, the WWE Hall of Famer initially began his wrestling career as Sailor Freddie Blassie before he became The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling. He is best famous for his tenure in the promotion and multiple achievements during his professional career. 14/15 * Corporal Kirchner. A Highly Questionable Cultural History of Richard Geres Ass Gerbil, The Unexpectedly Sweet Story Behind Those Viral Semi-Truck Pregnancy Photos. Be the first one to comment on this story. Part of the issue, too, is that Slaughter is an undisputed legend in pro wrestling. The D.I. But as Sgt. A History of Military Service: Native Americans in the U.S. Military Mr. Kennedy was in line for a major push during his time in WWE but it did not turn out the way he expected. Professional Wrestlers Who Served In The United States Military During that process, he came across not just the Sun article but also Remus more recent claims to have genuinely served. Enlisting at age 17 and serving for four years, Saturn pushed himself to the limit to become an elite U.S. Army Airborne Ranger. Steven Cutler served in the Marine Corps, as did Montez Ford. Howlin' Wolf, circa 1970s. Orton would eventually be discharged, which is why there was so much pushback over him playing a Marine. Former professional wrestler, actor and governor of Minnesota, Jesse "The Body" Ventura served in the Navy from 1969 to 1975 during the Vietnam War. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. These wrestlers served in different branches, including the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Vera is a veteran of the US Air Force and a former UFC fighter. Colter served in Vietnam for a year before he came back home and started his wrestling career. Longtime wrestling reporter, clipping and set off a firestorm of internet discussion and wrestling news website articles. Bryant then put in a Freedom of Information Act request about Remus, quickly resulting in a letter confirming that, indeed, the wrestler never served. Regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Pacquiao has also been involved in Philippine politics throughout his athletic career. Marine Corps wrestler who served on Okinawa will compete in Tokyo Olympics By Seth Robson May 5, 2021 U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Military experience: Graduated from the U.S. In 1999, Orton spent 38 days in a military prison after going AWOL from the Marines. As for what hes said since things have really blown up over the last few weeks? 9. During the the Attitude Era, the groups were popular yet controversial. The youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history, Orton accomplished more before he was 25 than most Superstars do in their entire careers. WWE - Current . William George Bonin was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. As the mouthpiece of The New Age Outlaws, Road DoggJesse James broke out as The Attitude Eras most boisterous degenerate. Lashley is a two-time winner of the 'Extreme Championship Wrestling,' and a one-time winner of the 'WWE United States Championship.'. Individuals formerly apart of any military branch of service. Brandon Figueroa vs Mark Magsayo Purse Payouts | How Much Both Fighters Will Earn from PPV Fight? Jordan is a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, serving . Over the years WWEhas had an excellent relationship with the United States Armed Forces. is not good. WWE has also employed several veterans, many of whom have gone on to have outstanding careers with the organization. Freddie Blassie also achieved success as an in-ring competitor. Top 10 Wrestlers who have served in the military - Amino Stuart Parker. That last link is the most explicit, using his real name and putting him in a Veterans Day 2018 listicle of wrestlers who otherwise legitimately served. Sign up for Peacock to watch. In WWE, he is part of the Street Profits, using catchphrases like "we want the smoke" and bringing out red drink cups when they enter the arena for their matches. Which wrestler served in the military? He had little success during his stint with World Wrestling Entertainment, but went on to make a name for himself in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was an even bigger star in Mexico. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old returned to WWE two years later to compete in the 2018 Mae Young Classic. Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Im a pretty regular guy. She was in the Marines. In 2016, Trish Adora started wrestling in a few promotions like IGNITE Wrestling, American Combat Wrestling, and Go Wrestle. UFC 285 Fighters Salaries | Jones vs Gane Purse Payouts | How Much Fighters Earn from PPV Money Bonuses? Nash had some success during his enlistment and worked his way up to the rank of specialist. He is regarded as the inventor of the . Among them was Lacey Evans. 10 Infamous Killers Who Were Decorated Servants Of Uncle Sam Road Dogg made his wrestling debut in 1986 following the path of his father Bob Armstrong who was also a wrestler. Wrestlers That Served in the Military | Freakin' Awesome Network Forums Stars And Stripes: 15 WWE Wrestlers Who Served In The Military. Vince McMahon has also hired several former U.S. Army members over the years. His conduct eventually led to his premature dismissal. Lacey Evans began her pro wrestling career in 2014 and she went on to sign with WWE in 2016. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Nonetheless, WWE released him from his contract in January 2003. Who woulda thought? He is currently signed to the 'World Wrestling Entertainment,' and performs under their brand, 'Raw.'. Later in his career, as part of a WWE storyline, he became an Iraqi sympathizer who defeated The Ultimate Warrior for the WWE World Championship. Jesse Ventura - Wikipedia He was part of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, famously known as " Buffalo Soldiers ," and part of the Louisiana Maneuvers in 1941 the largest military exercise ever held in the US. (FWIW: Available newspaper records dont shed any light on what Remus really did during his service other than. It did not take him long to find his calling and surpass the legacies of both his father and grandfather in becoming WWEs Apex Predator. Outside the ring, Blassie was a World War II veteran who served in U.S. Navy. Despite being in the industry for a few years, she has already featured in the pay-per-views. Lacey Evans, the Lady of NXT, also served in the Marine Corps. John Cena, Batista & Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton & Jeri-Show: Tribute to the Troops, Dec. 20, 2008. So I thought, Well, thats probably what Ill do. 15/15 * Montez Ford. But to the US Air Force, he was a hero. 8 William Bonin. However, WWE released him from his contract last February. As we noted, the former WWE champion did not serve in the army. Stars And Stripes: 15 WWE Wrestlers Who Served In The Military In other words: Maybe you heard that Slaughter wasnt a genuine Marine at one point, and you heard him giving an out-of-character interview where he claimed real military service. The Viper currently competes on Monday Night RAW as a heel. It was less disorienting than usual, though, because he grounded the tall tales in enough ostensible reality connecting everything to wrestling stories, e.g., getting the Sgt. His best came out in World Wrestling Entertainment. Konnan is a professional wrestler who was born in Santiago de Cuba. Enter America's Drill Instructor: Sgt. The WWE Hall of Famer out of St. Louis, Missouri began his wrestling career all the way back in 1952. As such, in December 1984, Slaughter/Remus gave an interview to Ray Didinger of the Philadelphia Daily News, which would be syndicated nationwide throughout 1985 by Knight-Ridder and the Associated Press. #Troops15 pic.twitter.com/JYqtnADe7c. Superstars who served in the U.S. military | WWE It was brilliant in its simplicity: After the Iron Sheik, the evil (and genuine) Iranian Greco-Roman standout won a match, he and Slaughter met in the aisle and started jawing at each other, instantly turning Sarge face. (Slaughter and his representatives refused to comment at the time.). Did any WWE wrestlers serve in the military? So I went down to my locker box, pulled out my campaign cover and got my swagger stick out, he explained. All of that resulted in the historian expressing discomfort with voting for someone who has brazenly been impersonating a Marine, and sharing the Sun clipping a few weeks ago on the Observers message board for subscribers. That seems to also be the case for many others, at least as far as why this story has, somewhat improbably, not come to a head sooner. An injury he sustained during a game in Germany forced him to end his basketball career in 1981. The powerhouse out of Junction City, Kansas has had plenty of good fortune during his stints with WWE. Thats why, he put his professional career on hold and after getting enlisted in US Navy, entered world war 2 and achieved the rank of Petty Officer. Big Daddy Cool then decided to enlist in the 202nd Military Police Company and was stationed at a secure North Atlantic Treaty Organization facility where he served for two years. Perhaps the most decorated American wrestler was Brooklyn native Paul Boesch, who left wrestling to enlist in the Army, where he earned a Purple Heart, Silver Star and cluster, Bronze Star and cluster, and French Croix de Guerre for actions at the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest while serving with the 121st Infantry Regiment. Read the Rules! Slaughter. 11/15 * Zeb Colter. 12 Best UFC Fighters Who Served in the Military - Way of Martial Arts Stars And Stripes: 15 WWE Wrestlers Who Served In The Military The second reason is the main reason Orton was recast in that role, his Dishonorable Discharge. Was Road Dogg in the military? After his short stint in the military, Orton decided to continue the legacy of his father and grandfather, becoming a professional wrestler in 2000 and debuting for the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling promotion in St. Louis. Blassie was also an accomplished competitor in his own right during the 1950s and 1960s. If there is any change, we will make them available here. In 1980, though, he got his big break, heading to the WWF (now WWE) the biggest money promotion in the country, even then as the villainous Sgt. RULES. However, Zeb Colter has also joined the United States Army after completing his college degree. Although his father and grandfather both worked in the wrestling business, Orton chose to join the U.S. Marine Corps after his graduation. But in 1985, Slaughter was mostly understood to be pretending to be a Marine strictly as a wrestling gimmick. A year later, she made her WWE debut on the September 5 episode of NXT. Government records reveal Slaughter, a.k.a. He finally won the WWE Championship in 2021. Athletes who went into the world of politics | Yardbarker Rocker Ted Nugent evaded the draft in the 1960s by taking drugs and acting crazy. 10 Wrestlers Who Served In The Military | RallyPoint After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. Colter is a Vietnam War veteran.Aug . Venuta would later enter the world of politics and become the governor of his home state, Minnesota. Top MMA Fighters Who Served In The Military - MMA - mmachannel.com During his tour, he even won a gold medal in freestyle (amateur) wrestling at an event hosted by the International Military Sports Council. His first WWE run lasted for nearly a year between 1993 and 1994. School meal programs struggle to serve growing number of students in need as food prices climb This has been true throughout the years, from Sgt. Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.) While competing in Germany, however, an injury ended Nashs basketball career, and he decided to enlist in the U.S. military. Randy Orton. The next man on our list is Randy Orton who is currently active and holding an expensive contract deal with WWE under RAW brand. In NXT, he ended up forming The Forgotten Sons faction, with the gimmick as former military veterans whose country turned its back on them. The 34-year-old joined Impact Wrestling last June. Saturn teamed up in his last match with former WWE Superstar Raven to defeat Brady Pierce and Mad Man Pondo in a Raven's Rules Tag Team Match at RPW Lights Out. But his wrestling career cut short due to the elbow injury he suffered in training. . Sgt. 6 Kevin Nash. That is, to show that Slaughter was even lying to his fellow wrestlers about serving. Zeb Colter worked as a territories star named Dirty Dutch Mantel before he came to WWE and served as a manager for men like Cesaro and Jack Swagger. At 6-foot-10, Detroit, Michigans Kevin Nash was one of wrestling's biggest stars in the 1990s both literally and figuratively. Nash was a big name in World Championship Wrestling and in WWE. UFC Highest PPV Buys | Khabib vs McGregor Breaks All Records Generated $180m+ on PPV event day. After that answer, the topic was mercifully brought back entirely to wrestling. John Stefanowicz, bottom, and Capt. In early 2016, a new class of WWE Performance Center recruits was announced. Slaughter was a character separate from the real person who portrayed him, and that the real person still was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Virginia . He began his run with the company back in 1994, managing Jeff Jarrett. The 43-year-old WWE star comes from a military background. This came up on the WON board, but I'll post here too. WWE Hall of Famer "Classy" Freddie Blassie is one of the greatest managers of all time who guided many legends, including The Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan and even Muhammad Ali. When I leave here, Im Bob Slaughter. Before his wrestling career, Ryker served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a machine gunner during the war in Iraq. After leaving the Army, Saturn decided to become a professional wrestler and trained under the tutelage of the legendary Killer Kowalski. To make things official, he later, saved Eddie Gilbert from the Sheiks antics. NEXT: 5 Wrestling Couples That Were Really Married (And 5 That Werent). And no. pic.twitter.com/2XLPE1YFvl, SoCal UNCENSORED (@socaluncensored) January 9, 2020. Servo fought Jenkins on Feb. 17, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Before his career in WWE, Kirchner enlisted as a paratrooper with the elite 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C. Official response from the Department of the Navy to if Sgt. Government records reveal Slaughter, a.k.a. Still, the 1985 article was explicit and well-reported, and a legitimate veteran-turned-pro-wrestler, Jesse Ventura, would later state the truth about Slaughter in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1991 and, nationally, on Comedy Centrals The Colbert Report in 2008. out of this orbit perry saturn super kick followed by a spin cycle fisherman's buster to crash holly. Blassie joined WWE in 1964 and worked as a manager from the 70s before his official retirement in 1984. From 1999-2003 Jacques performed on the Florida independent pro wrestling circuit. His job included handlingDefense Travel System plans for his battalion. He probably did get the idea from The D.I., it just didnt remind him of his own such superior officer because he never had one. Slaughter name was given to him in the Marines and that the gimmick as presented was inspired by The D.I., Norton asks him if he ever participated in any blanket parties a la the famous scene in Full Metal Jacket. Ill go into the Marine Corps, and Ill go to college when I get out. I got halfway there [and] ended up at a pro wrestling training camp on leave. A follow-up question asking if it was an easy transition for you from being a Marine to becoming a pro wrestler saw Remus avoid going further than the above implication that he may have only gone through basic training. I hope you and your families enjoyed @WWE doing what we do best. Orton had great passion for joining the military and he struggled very hard to get into it. To the prosecutor at his trial, he was "the most arch-evil person who ever existed.". Wrestlers That Served in the Military. Military policies should only be developed for one purpose: fighting and winning our nation's wars. Was He in the Military? 15 Actors Who Did (and DIDN'T) Serve No, John Cena has never been a member of the military, but he does strive in both his personal and professional life to Was John Cena actually in the army? As a veteran, I'd like to give a huge thank you to @_SgtSlaughter for creating an amazing character that inspired millions of Americans, many of whom ended up serving. WWE Hall of Famers Kevin Nash and Freddie Blassie are two examples of wrestlers who have served in the military before becoming pro wrestlers. Aug 31, 2019 259 Dislike Save My Master 1.25M subscribers All 13+ WWE Wrestlers Who Served In The Military [HD] Have you recognized that a lot of our WWE superstar actually started their career. He is probably best remembered as a member of Ravens Flock in WCW and for his storyline in WWE where he fell in love with a mop named Moppy. However, most fans today remember him as a WWE (then WWF) manager in the 1980s representing stars like The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. Lacey Evans. Raven later decided to ditch his dreams of becoming a CIA agent. While its fine that he portrays a character that was a Marine, him doing non-kayfabe interviews claiming to serve 2 tours in Vietnam, that he was a drill instructor, etc. Trish Adora kicked off her wrestling career in 2016 after training at the Team 3D Academy, under WWE Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz. Even while being interviewed by Keller, a veteran insider wrestling reporter, Slaughter stuck with his story, spinning his usual Marine yarns starting at the 24:57 mark of the podcast. Timothy Fred Kennedy (born September 1, 1979) is a retired American mixed martial artist and current soldier. Bobby Lashley. 25 Athletes Who Served in the Military and Sacrificed Their - FanBuzz Montez Ford enrolled in his high school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps and after his graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Policies should never be aimed at reaching a quota or making a press release. He would later sign with WCW and become a founding member of the New World Order (NWO) one of the most successful factions of all time. Kevin Nash during his time with the U.S. Army's 202nd Military Police Company pic.twitter.com/24sOxD8SGL. Despite the differences, these men and women mostly served their countries with honor. Making sure all the, uh, the grunts dont [go] AWOL on us, and keep em all in line.. TO ALL THAT HAVE SERVED THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS,HAPPY VETERANS DAY!#VeteransDay pic.twitter.com/HEzyECYpny. It's no surprise that some wrestlers have had other jobs outside of the ring, and some of them have even enlisted in the United States military. John Cena is without a doubt the best WWE ever had from all the Eras. As for what hes said since things have really blown up over the last few weeks? The wrestling star ran into some legal trouble in his youth and was forced to choose between either the military or prison. 10. Trending pages Montez Ford DT Porter Randy Orton Bobby Lashley Ashante Adonis Sgt. Before embarking on a career in sports-entertainment, Kevin Nash was an accomplished NCAA basketball player and also played in Europe. I just wish I had more time to do that.. Several months after I first spotted the Sun article, wrestling historian J. Steve Hicks he uses the pen name Karl Stern online was researching Slaughters case for induction in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Longtime wrestling performer Jim Cornette, who worked with Slaughter in the WWF, also expressed shock over Remus non-service on his podcast last week when answering a listener question about the controversy. Following that, Mr. Kennedy signed with WWE in 2005 and he went on to capture the US Championship only a year after his debut. The 5-foot-8 WWE star was a military police officer who served for 5 years. Stay tuned for more information! Professional Wrestlers Who Served In The United States Military Not much. {2}{B} Enchantment Aura Curse // Creature Leech Horror Enchant player As this permanent transforms into Curse of Leeches, attach it to a player. There is no question that the 52-year-old Cleveland, Ohio product is a legit tough guy. Longtime wrestling reporter Steve Bryant of SoCalUncensored.com saw the post, tweeted the Sun clipping and set off a firestorm of internet discussion and wrestling news website articles. All 13+ WWE Wrestlers Who Served In The Military [HD] Debuting in December 1973, he was a journeyman throughout the rest of the decade, starting under his real name before switching to other gimmicks like Bob Slaughter and the masked Super Destroyer Mark II. Two tours of Vietnam, yeah. I was, basically, just infantry, you know? The Outlaws would join the legendary stable D-Generation X and capture the WWE World Tag Team Championship 6 times. After his service, Montez Ford embarked on a career in professional wrestling. In the 1990s, Perry Saturn won championships in the three major sports-entertainment organizations WWE, WCW and ECW. Randy Orton has also been a part of a few dominant groups in WWE such as Evolution, The Legacy, The Authority and The Wyatt Family. The 34-year-old served in Afghanistan. Before he became a WWE Superstar, The Body served in the U.S. Navy. WWE Network. Was John Cena In The Military - interview-faqs.com It turns out that a major market newspaper had explicitly reported the fact that Sgt. He served as an Army Airborne Ranger during Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War between 1990 and 1991.