Steve Austin is another former wrestler that decided to immerse himself in the world of acting when his time in the ring was up. Austin didn’t so much retire from the WWE as completely walk away from it. In 2002, he started missing shows, claiming that he was extremely tired. Finally, he missed one too many and his character was removed from the roster.
These days, Austin can be seen working alongside major actors, like Adam Sandler, in movies such as The Longest Yard and Grown Ups 2. He has even starred in a couple of his own movies, like 2009’s Damage, and The Stranger from the following year.
Mick Foley: A Man with Many Masks
Mick Foley went through a lot of transformations during his time in the world of wrestling. When he hit the ring in the WWE, he was first known as Mankind, a character he would end up coming back to in the end. Foley did pretty well for himself in the league, teaming up with other big names, like Kane, for group matches.
Foley wound up retiring from the sport in 2000, and appearing as the WWF “Commissioner,” for a couple of storylines before he decided to move on. Now, Foley’s made quite a name for himself in the literary world, both for adults and children. He’s published numerous books in different genres, and he’s even snagged a place on the NY Times list of best sellers.
Edge Goes into Acting
Edge, born Adam Joseph Copeland, stunned fans when he left the company. In 2012, a year after his retirement, he was inducted into the WWE’s Hall of Fame. And it was more than deservingly so, as, over his years in the ring, he racked up over 30 championships. But in 2011, Edge announced his impending departure to a teary-eyed audience on Raw.
But that wouldn’t be the last fans would see of Edge, as these days his face can be seen on the TV screen in your living room. He’s discovered his love of acting through appearing on shows like Haven, Mind of Mencia and Weakest Link. In 2004, he released a tell-all autobiography that he dubbed Adam Copeland on Edge.
Kaitlyn’s Clothes Shop
“Kaitlyn,” whose real name is actually Celeste, began her career as a fitness model, hitting the scene when she was 19. Soon after, she was signed by the WWE and began her new career, developing her in-ring persona. Kaitlyn ended up becoming a Diva’s Champion, once in 2012 and again the following year.
In 2014, Kaitlyn cut ties with the WWE and retired for a few years, before returning for few matches in 2018. The same year she left the company, she started up one of her own when she launched her clothing store, Celestial Bodiez. The year after the opening, she and her ex-husband also launched their own smoothie bar. Unfortunately, the pair split, which caused some ripples in their business ventures.
Santino Marella Opens a Gym
Santino Marella met with his career in the WWE in a pretty unusual way. He was chosen from his seat as a fan in the audience by Vince McMahon, to fight Umaga. Marella ended up doing pretty well and was on the map ever since. But in 2014, Marella got out of the ring and focused his efforts elsewhere in the health and wellness industry.
These days, Marella works at the gym that he opened in Canada. His gym is unique in the sense that he created it with the intention of training fellow athletes. If you don’t find him at home at The Battle Arts Academy, you may see him on Sportsnet 360, appearing on shows like Behind the Lights.