Florida is the epicenter of World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE. The company’s Performance Center aka PC is located in Orlando, Florida, where the pool of the next generation of professional wrestlers are nurtured and grown, with NXT shows taking place there. Hence, many well-known wrestlers have emerged from the Southeastern state of the United States, dominating the pro wrestling world.
Apart from WWE, several other promotions are prevailing there. Even before the creation of the WWE Performance Center, the state produced a plethora of fantastic wrestling talents who have excelled in business. Through this article, we take a closer look at some distinguished WWE wrestlers from Florida.
1) Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is this generation’s greatest talent and the major headliner of WWE. The Original Tribal Chief is a Floridian. He was born in Pensacola. Belonging to the legendary Anoa’i family, Roman Reigns’ Father Sika Anoa’i was a professional wrestler, performing for WWE in the 1980s.
Growing up there, he completed schooling in Florida before moving to Georgia for a college education, studying at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and playing football before pursuing his football career. He is still a resident of Florida, living in a mansion with his family in Tampa.
Roman concluded his historical 1316-day WWE Championship reign at WrestleMania 40, making it the modern Era’s longest world title tenure. In addition to that, he is a six-time world champion and a multi-time main-eventer of the Grandest Stage of Them All.
2) Lita
Lita was a trailblazer in the WWE women’s division in the Attitude Era and the Ruthless Aggression Era. She played a pivotal role in breaking barriers to women’s wrestling in the early 2000s, bringing in mainstream focus on the ladies of WWE.
Her supreme talent and her unmatched aura helped her cement her place as one of the greatest of all time, winning four Women’s Championships and receiving the Hall of Famer status.
The legendary female Superstar was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which is approximately 30 miles away from Miami. Spending her childhood and early teenage years there, she went to different schools before moving to Georgia for high school. During her wrestling years, she lived in several places. Now, she is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
3) Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan wasn’t a Florida-born wrestler like Roman Reigns and Lita. Even though he was born in Augusta, Georgia, he and his family relocated to Port Tampa, Florida at only one and a half years old, making him a Florida native as a child.
Backed by his storied career in WWE and WCW, Hulk Hogan became the most celebrated name in professional wrestling, attaining monumental success over the years. The 70-year-old legendary Superstar is a six-time WWE Champion, two-time Royal Rumble winner, and two-time WWE Hall of Famer.
Today, The Hulkster is still a Florida resident. He currently resides in Clearwater, Florida with his wife Sky Daily.
4) Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt was a creative wizard and one of the gifted individuals of the squared circle. His run in the Stamford-based promotion lasted fourteen years until his unexpected demise in 2023. His sinister persona captivated the audience on TV, and his promo skill was one of the best in his era.
A third-generation wrestler, The Eater of the World was the son of Mike Rotunda, who enjoyed a brief WWE tenure in the 1980s. Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, was born and brought up in Florida. While he finished high school in Brooksville, Florida, he moved out of the state to pursue higher studies.
Playing the Eater of the World and as well as the monster The Fiend, he became a three-time world champion. In the final chapter of his life, he resided in Clermont, Florida with his wife JoJo and daughter.
5) Billy Gunn
Billy Gunn is an Attitude Era legend and a former member of the legendary stable DX. Even in his 60s, he has maintained an impressive fitness level as part of the All Elite Wrestling roster. He predominantly works as a manager, yet occasionally steps into in-ring actions when required.
Billy Gunn is a Florida native, born in Orlando. After finishing studies at Oviedo High School, he took a keen interest in professional wrestling, eventually starting training in his state to embark on a career in the ring.
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The former DX member was one of the biggest assets of the WWE tag team division as part of the New Age Outlaws. Besides he captured the Intercontinental Championship twice alongside the King of the Ring crown.
6) Jade Cargill
Jade Cargill is one of the highly-rated talents of women’s professional wrestling today. Following her three-year successful tenure in AEW, where she remained the TBS Champion for 508 days, she signed for WWE in 2023.
Even though the 32-year-old athletic star is yet to reach her peak in the Stamford-based promotion, she has already made a big impact, winning the Women’s Tag Team Championship twice with Bianca Belair. With the right booking direction, she is a future headliner of the big shows.
Jade Cargill is among the notable WWE wrestlers from Florida. She grew up and completed her schooling in the state. Even with a college degree, she didn’t move out of Florida, becoming an alumnus of Jacksonville University.
7) Big E
Big E, the powerhouse of faction New Day, might have been on a hiatus for nearly three years due to a cervical spine injury, but he has already carved out a perennial legacy both in his tag team and singles careers. In his thirteen years of active career, he has collected numerous belts.
Thriving as tag team specialist with the New Day, he wore the twin titles a record eight times. Besides, he is a Money in the Bank winner, Intercontinental Champion, and most importantly a former WWE Champion. If he hadn’t sustained an injury, Big E’s title collection would have grown further.
Meanwhile, the former WWE was born in Tampa, Florida. He spent his whole life in the state and it is still his home.
8) Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool dominated the Divas Era, remaining part of the WWE roster for seven years. She etched her name in history, becoming the inaugural Divas Champion and ending her career as a four-time Women’s Champion.
Due to commitment to her personal life, McCool prematurely left the business at 31. Michelle’s hometown and birthplace is Palatka, Florida.
However, once she got married to The Undertaker, there was a change in her residency. Now, she resides in The Undertaker’s home state Texas with her daughter, and they have been a married couple for 14 years.
Avik Das is an English Literature graduate with an experience of over six years as a professional writer. He has written for renowned publications such as The Sportster, Sportskeeda, Pinkvilla, and The Things
