Like most professional wrestlers in the industry, the WWE Superstars also have an immense passion for the sport, with most of them developing a taste for professional wrestling at a young age.
While some wrestlers had easy access to early education and in-ring training, some had to fight for everything and sacrifice their education to fulfill their dreams of becoming professional wrestlers.
Similarly, many wrestlers have dropped out of high school and college for personal reasons and to pursue a full-time professional wrestling career, and with that being said, let’s take a look at ten WWE wrestlers who have dropped out of school for various reasons.
10 R-true
Former WWE United States Champion and 24/7 R-Truth had a difficult upbringing during his early years. He attended Harding University High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he competed in soccer and track and received multiple college scholarships.
However, he turned them down to pursue his passion for music and even had to sell drugs to financially support his music career. He was even arrested multiple times and once spent 13 months in jail.
It was after this incident that he met the NWA’s Jackie Crockett, who helped R-Truth break into the world of professional wrestling.
9 roddy piper
The late WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is the next entrant on the list. Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Piper attended Windsor Park Collegiate, where he was expelled for having a knife in school.
After the incident, Piper had a fight with her father and ran away from home when she was around 13 years old. He stayed on the streets and in various youth hostels before beginning to run errands for various professional wrestlers during that time, which opened the doors for him to begin his wrestling training and make his in-ring debut in 1969.
8 aj lee
Former multi-time WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee made a name for herself among fans for her twisted character. Fans of hers were intrigued with her work and cheered her on throughout her WWE career.
He had a difficult childhood as his family battled poverty, drug addiction, and mental illness. She graduated from high school in 2005 and joined New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she majored in film and television production, but had to drop out within six months due to family issues and financial.
Her brother’s interest in WWE led her to become a professional wrestler in 2007, and the rest is history.
7 lita
WWE Hall of Famer Lita attended several different schools growing up before finishing high school at Lassiter High School near Atlanta.
She enrolled at Georgia State University majoring in education, but dropped out in 1993 because she felt it was too similar to high school. She developed an interest in wrestling after seeing Rey Mysterio perform at a WCW event.
She traveled to Mexico to begin her professional wrestling training and supported herself financially by working as a club dancer under the pseudonym Misty. She made her in-ring debut in 1999 and soon found her way to WWE that same year.
6 Mystery King
WWE Hall of Famer and former multiple-time World Champion Rey Mysterio is the next entrant on the list. Coming from a family of traditional wrestlers, Rey Mysterio began acting at a very young age and trained with his uncle Rey Mysterio Sr.
However, his passion for professional wrestling led him to convince his parents, with Konnan’s help, to drop out of school and become a full-time performer at the age of 17.
He was around 21 years old when he made his WCW debut, eventually becoming a legendary performer over the years, coming to WWE in 2002.
5 becky lynch
Becky Lynch is the biggest name in the current women’s division of WWE, having made an everlasting name for herself when she became one of the first three women in the main event of WrestleMania.
He attended University College Dublin to study philosophy, history and politics, but dropped out because he felt it was too boring. He joined Finn Balor’s wrestling school in 2002 along with his brother and made his official in-ring debut in November 2002.
He worked throughout the independent circuit until 2013 before signing with WWE, and the rest is history.
4 ric style
After going through a difficult childhood, Ric Flair was adopted by Kathleen and Richard Fliehr and lived in Edina, Minnesota for the rest of his childhood.
After graduating from high school, Ric Flair attended the University of Minnesota for a brief time on a football scholarship. But he dropped out to pursue a professional wrestling career and began training with Verne Gagne at The American Wrestling Association in 1972.
He quickly moved on to the NWA in 1974 and made a name for himself, beginning his path to stardom.
3 AJ Styles
The phenomenal AJ Styles experienced a difficult childhood as his family lived in extreme poverty, and he also had to deal with an abusive and alcoholic father.
He developed a passion for professional wrestling at a very young age and took up amateur wrestling while in high school. He attended Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina, on a wrestling and physical education scholarship.
However, he dropped out after some of his friends convinced him to enter a wrestling school, and Styles chose to pursue a full-time career in wrestling, eventually becoming one of the greats of the business.
2 hulk hogan
The Immortal Hulk Hogan was the face of WWE during the company’s early years and helped bring the company’s product to a global audience.
However, when Hulk Hogan decided to drop out of college in 1976, he aspired to be a musician and even formed a band called Ruckus with two local musicians, which became very popular in the Tampa Bay region.
He used to work out at Hector’s Gym in his spare time, and it was there that he saw Jack and Gerald Brisco, who persuaded Hogan to consider a career in professional wrestling.
1 stone cold steve austin
After graduating from high school, Stone Cold Steve Austin joined Wharton County Junior College on a football scholarship before moving on to the University of North Texas on a full scholarship.
He played linebacker during that time, but an injury forced him to switch to play defensive end. However, he dropped out of college short of a few credits because he was having trouble with math and accounting classes.
He shifted his focus to professional wrestling and made his in-ring debut in 1989 and soon became one of the faces of WWE during the Attitude Era.