CM Punk became the latest of a long list of WWE Superstars and personalities to leave the squared circle for another venture when he announced this past Saturday that he is joining UFC.
Punk revealed at UFC 181 this past weekend in Las Vegas that he will be joining the promotion and likely making his debut in six or seven months while who he fights first remains up in the air.
Sports World News will take a look back at eight other wrestlers and personalities that took their talents outside of the ring to pursue other careers.
Honorable Mention: Chyna- "The Ninth Wonder of the World" infamously left the WWE and eventually popped up in the adult film industry. Since this list is about success, this gets an honorable mention instead of making the actual list. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion found herself in such memorable titles as "Backdoor to Chyna" and "One Night in Chyna."
8) "Macho Man" Randy Savage: We use the term "successful" loosely here. While there is no doubt that Savage deserves a place in the WWE Hall of Fame -- which he'll hopefully get this year -- his outside venture into rap with his Be a Man album in 2003 was both gusty and comical. The album was highlighted by a rap diss directed at former tag team partner Hulk Hogan.
7) John "Bradshaw" Layfield: Between his in-ring career and current stint as commentator, JBL had a very successful venture as a FOX News analyst and became the senior vice president of a securities firm. JBL also penned a best-selling book entitled The Cost of Freedom.
6) Diamond Dallas Page: DDP had a very successful career in WCW and jumped over to the WWE when the Atlanta-based company went under, but one of his most successful ventures outside of the ring has been his DDP Yoga initiative. Page has plenty of people that subscribe to his regimen while it is most notable for helping Jake "The Snake" Roberts turn his life around en route to becoming a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
5) Chris Nowinski: Nowinski is a Harvard graduate, but his WWE career was cut short in 2003 due to an unfortunate concussion and bout with post-concussion symptoms. Nowinski then then founded the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI) to conduct important research about brain trauma and the effect it has on athletes and sports. Nowinski is the director of the institute and is also a writer in his post-WWE career.
4) Brock Lesnar: Punk is trying to do what Lesnar did by turning a great wrestling career into success inside the octagon. At 6-foot-3, 286 pounds, Lesnar is a different type of physical specimen than Punk, so his success may not carry over to the "Best in the World." After the four-time (and current) WWE World Heavyweight Champion failed in a tryout for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, he surfaced in UFC and eventually won the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
3) Mick Foley: Mrs. Foley's baby boy is not only a three-time WWE Champion, a hardcore legend and WWE Hall of Famer, but he is also a New York Times best-selling author. Foley has delved into several different genres including non-fiction, children's books and comics and has managed to continue his legacy outside of the wrestling ring where he spent years tearing up his body.
2) Jesse "The Body" Ventura: Ventura traded in his wrestling boots for politics and eventually became the governor of Minnesota. Ventura started out as a wrestler in the WWE before shifting over to color commentary to close out his wrestling career. Post-WWE, "The Body" got involved in acting and eventually politics, working his way up to the ladder and eventually becoming Jesse "The Governor" Ventura.
1) Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: Arguably the most successful person to venture outside of the wrestling business is "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment." "The People's Champion" is a mega movie star and has become a big name in Hollywood, starring in many blockbuster films including Hercules. While The Rock occasionally returns to the WWE to kick some people's candy a--es, his success in Hollywood continues to pile up.
It remains to be seen if Punk's venture into UFC is a success, but several past WWE Superstars have found some rewarding careers outside of the WWE.
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