Pro-Wrestling is like theatre, and whilst fans may be dazzled by those they seen on-screen
there’s plenty more people working backstage.
Gone are the days of Vince McMahon writing an entire show at a motel
the WWE (and other promotions) now requirehuge teams to keep their shows going,
with scripts often being written just hours before going live.
With so many people working in the industry, fans can get lost about who’s who and where’s where,
with many former wrestlers who have since retired, hoping to shape the future of professional wrestling.
Here are 16 ex WWE wrestlers you probably didn’t know now work backstage.
16. Billy Gunn -AEW Producer
One of the most decorated tag wrestlers of all time,
Billy Gunn is best known for his work in WWE,
as a part of the New Age Outlaws
and DX.
After being released following a Wellness violation in 2015,
the King of the Ring winner recently made waves
when he was announced as a producer
for the upcoming AEW promotion.
As a promoter, Gunn will be responsible for putting matches together,
and using his decades of knowledge
to help the talent of today and tomorrow.
Gunn has even said he would be willing to compete,
though we’ll only know for sure when the promotion starts.
15. Joey Mercury -ROH Producer
Another former tag team champion,
Joey Mercury’s departure from WWE was a shock.
Mercury had entertained fans on-screen as part of J&J security,
and was recently revealed as the mastermind behind the Shield,
one of WWE’s most popular stables.
Whilst he has competed on the indies on occasion,
Mercury has become a backstage figure at Ring of Honor, working as a producer,
where he has become a valuable asset to the promotion
given his WWE experience.
14. Jimmy Jacobs – Impact Writer and Producer
When Jimmy Jacobs spent a few seconds to take a selfie with some old friends,
the former WWE writer probably wasn’t
wasn’t expecting to be fired from the company.
Snapping the pic with Bullet Club members,
Jacobs was canned by the company,
but has since found a new home in Impact,
where he works as a writer and a producer.
In fact, Jacobs has been cited as
as one of the reasons behind Impact’s recent turnaround,
after years of uncertainty.
Whilst it’s unclear whether Jacobs will re-join his friends
once AEW launches,
for now, he is providing a great service to Impact Wrestling \ and their fans.
13. Tyson Kidd – Agent
All it took was one botched Muscle Buster to end the career of Tyson Kidd,
who’s in-ring career was cut short in 2015.
But despite this being the worst of injuries,
Kidd was extremely lucky to have survived,
and has since transitioned to a role as an agent.
Working closely with on-screen talent,
the former Tag Champion
is certainly kept busy backstage,
and regular appears alongside wife Natalya on Total Divas.
A confidante of top stars such as Seth Rollins,
Kid is currently considered WWE’s top agent,
a high accolade for the last graduate
of the Hart family Dungeon.
12. Serena Deeb – Performance Center Trainer
After being released from WWE
due to actions off-screen,
Serena Deeb could’ve called it a career.
Instead, the former Straight Edge Society
member kept wrestling, all around the world,
and eventually returned to the company
as part of the inaugural Mae Young Classic.
Despite being eliminated in the first round,
Deeb certainly impressed officials,
and was signed as a trainer at the
WWE performance center in February 2018.
One of the most gifted women to enter a WWE ring,
it’s fitting that Serena now helps the next generation ofSuperstars carry on her legacy,
as the company continues forward with their Women’s Revolution.
11. Tommy Dreamer – House of Hardcore Chairman
In the original ECW,
Tommy Dreamer was already an influential force backstage,
working alongside Paul Heyman.
And in 2019, Dreamer still works backstage,
though now as the Chairman of his House of Hardcore promotion.
Having a star such as the former ECW Champion
attached certainly helps bring in crowds,
with Dreamer also being able to bring former WWE talent
in like Big Cass and Jack Swagger.
The show also streams on Twitch,
which has allowed the promotion to gain a huge fanbase,
many of whom are ecstatic to see Dreamer enter the ring
as a competitor from time to time.
10. Ranjin Singh – Assignment Editor/Lead Writer
Who would’ve thought that the manager of the Great Khali
would one day be one of the most influential men in WWE?
Now operating under real name David Kapoor,
Singh has done just that,
working as a lead writer for the company,
coming up with many current storylines.
Whilst some fans may not like all of his work,
he’s clearly doing something right
as he’s been writing for the WWE for several years,
and with his new job backstage meaning he doesn’t have to worry
about being attacked by Kane, again,
don’t expect Singh to be returning as a manager anytime soon.
9. Gail Kim – Impact Producer
Arguably the biggest ball dropped by WWE,
Gail Kim went on to become a huge star in Impact Wrestling.
The company’s first-ever Knockouts Champion,
Kim has since retired from competition,
though hasn’t left the company.
Nowadays, she continues to make an impact (no pun intended)
as a producer and trainer,
and like Jacobs,
has been touted as one of the main influencers backstage.
Now in a backstage role,
Kim has the chance to shape women’s wrestling in Impact
for years to come,
8. Jason Jordan – Agent
Whilst the future of Jason Jordan may remain uncertain,
many have sadly concluded that the
Superstar’s time in the ring is over.
After being pulled from all matches in February 2018,
Jordan has now transitioned into a backstage role as an agent,
helping several Superstars he once competed alongside.
As the first ever man to hold the RAW,
SmackDown
and NXT Tag Titles,
Jordan’s experience in multi-man matches
is invaluable behind the scenes.
Though Jordan no doubt hopes to one day step back in the ring himself,
his new role as an agent has allowed him to remain
a part of the WWE family.
7. D-Von Dudley - Producer
When the Dudley Boyz announced their retirement on WWE TV,
only D-Von stayed true to his word.
And whilst Bubba Ray has done well competing in promotions such as ROH,
D-Von has instead taken a backstage role as a producer,
putting together matches with today’s Superstars.
Thriving in his new role alongside Vince McMahon,
D-Von now sits calmly at tables,
instead of throwing opponents into them.
As one half of the most decorated tag team of all time,
D-Von’s decades of experience In the ring
must have helped plenty of tag teams from Monday Night RAW.
6. Vampiro – Lucha Underground Producer.
With one of the most unique looks and characters of all time,
it’s a real shame that Vampiro never made it much bigger
than losing to Sting in WCW.
But despite this loss to the WWE Hall of Famer
Vampiro is still competing today,
though has now taken a much larger role as a Lucha Underground producer.
Working backstage at the promotion,
Vampiro has helped the company thrive to be
one of the hottest acts in wrestling today,
with plenty of fans considering it to
most underrated promotion in wrestling today.
5. Jerry Lynn – ROH Producer
Jerry Lynn has often compared himself
to Mickey Rourke’s portrayal of Randy the Ram in ‘The Wrestler’,
and it’s easy to see why.
Even at 55, Lynn has said he is unable to walk away from wrestling,
and whilst he may wrestle sporadically,
he now spends most of his time as a producer for Ring of Honor.
Before this, Lynn served as a guest trainer
at the WWE performance center last year,
though seems to have found his calling in ROH.
And given his decades in the business,
as well as Lynn being a former ROH World Champion,
his expertise is truly invaluable.
4. Arn Anderson – Agent
A true legend of the industry, Arn Anderson is perhaps best remembered
for his time as part of the legendary four horseman.
But outside of the ring, Anderson has used his decades of experience
to help the WWE backstage as an agent, working with current stars.
Nowadays, Anderson is one of the most consistent presences backstage,
helping in all manner of roles, from helping to put together matches, to making sure talent arrive on time.
That’s not to mean he isn’t afraid to tussle with today’s talent,
with fans rejoicing when he hit his patented Spinebuster on Dolph Ziggler at Starrcade 2017.
Unfortunately, as we were producing this video, Anderson was released from his WWE Contract
We wish him the best in his future endeavors
3. The Jackal – Vice President of Impact Wrestling
Whether fans know him as the Jackal in the WWF, Cyrus the Virus in the original ECW,
or just plain old Don Callis, this man has done plenty for wrestling.
Most recently, Callis has worked as the VP of Impact Wrestling,
and is considered by many as the driving force behind the company’s upturn, after years of uncertainty.
His strong leadership at Impact even made Chris Jericho consider
joining the promotion, something Y2J revealed on his podcast.
Despite a great offer and Callis’ vision for the company, Jericho would instead sign with AEW
but even having a huge WWE star consider joining Impact is a huge feather in Callis’ cap.
2. Josh Matthews (Impact Senior Director of Digital Media)
When fans first saw Josh Matthews appear on Tough Enough,
the young man wasn’t much to look at.
With his small size, Matthews never made it in WWE as a wrestler,
though did get an interview role with the company.
After being released from WWE, Matthews quickly burned his bridges,
bad-mouthing the company publicly, though has found a new home with Impact Wrestling.
Working as a heel commentator and part-time wrestler,
Matthews also contains a lesser role off-screen as the Senior Director of Digital Media.
Whilst fans may not agree with Matthew’s claim of being
the best play-by-play commentator ever, it’s hard to deny his success since leaving WWE.
1. Billy Kidman – Producer
Whilst he may have been a main-level star in WCW,
even beating Hulk Hogan on multiple occasions, Billy Kidman’s career in WWE was not as successful.
Despite this, Kidman still enjoyed a stint as Cruiserweight Champion
and Tag Team Champion with Paul London, before retiring from the ring.
Now working backstage though, Kidman has one of the most stressful tasks,
as he is responsible that everything runs on time during live events.
No matter what, RAW has to end at 11pm on the dot,
and Kidman is the first to be blamed if this doesn’t happen.
With so much responsibility on his shoulders, fans have to wonder
whether Kidman would feel more relaxed hitting one of his iconic Shooting Star presses.
Well guys that's our list, can you think of any other wrestler we might not know are working backstage ?
if so, drop us a comment below and let us know
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