education and qualifications for WWE wrestlers

Question
Hi, I am a fifth grade teacher.  I have a student, Brandon, who wants to be a WWE wrestler.  He does not think school is important to reach his goal.  Could you please tell me, and him, how important education is for getting into the WWE?  thank you, C. Mikie

Answer
Hi Carole, and Brandon.

Education is very important and I have not met one wrestler who has not told a young person or an aspiring wrestler to just forget education. There are several girls and guys in WWE for example, that have degrees from college.

John Cena, probably one of the more famous wrestlers at the time, went to college at Springfield College and graduated with a degree in Exercise Physiology. He went on scholarship after performing well at football and in school to reach this scholarship of course.  

Here is a run down of people who are in WWE right now with a degree from college:

Wade Barrett- has a degree in Marine Biology from University of Liverpool

Kofi Kingston- Went to Boston College, believed to have a business degree of some sort.

Jack Swagger- Oklahoma Finance graduate

Evan Bourne- Marketing degree from Missouri

Dolph Ziggler- Former Kent State wrestling record holder, has a degree from there

David Otunga- Has a law degree from Harvard

Ted Dibiase, Jr.- Went to Mississipi College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Business Administration degree

Matt Striker- former teacher, has a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology

Kane- Has a degree in English Literature at Truman State University (known then as Northeast Missouri State University)he actually taught 3rd Grade at one point.

The Rock- Went to The University of Miami and graduated with Bachelor of General Studies degree in criminology and physiology.

Eve Torres- Has a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from USC

Chris Jericho- Has an Associates Degree in Journalism



These are just some of the guys and girls I know that have a college degree. You'll see top names in the business like John Cena, The Rock, and Chris Jericho on that list.

The Rock and Cena are probably the most successful professional wrestlers of all time. So what does that tell you about education? Awfully important eh?

You know, people also forget you actually have to do to school to become a wrestler too. They call it wrestling school, there are some in every state, but they take people in and train them on how to wrestle. Costs money just like college does, but significantly less. However, you have to understand a variety of things and be pretty well educated to know how it all works.

Wrestling deals with Psychology, Fitness, Math, English, Anatomy, Biology, sometimes Chemistry and pretty much everything you learn in school growing up. I know wrestlers personally, and one told me he remembered his move set for a match because his 8th Grade teacher told him how to deal with a lot of numbers and words at one time as well as ordering itself. So, teachers like yourself should be commended for all you do for the kids of today for such little pay. You're worth far more in the development of young kids. Because what they are taught now is huge in the future for them.

5th Grade is one of the most important grades these days to learn things, because this is the time you learn the basics for all the things you have to learn in middle school and high school. When you know the basics you're able to do and understand so much more.

WWE actually has been said to favor people with college degrees because the people who typically come in with a degree seem to be far better at the job than that of people who do not have a degree of any kind.

Notable names who have never gone to college currently in WWE, CM Punk. He's famous, but even he has said in numerous interviews to GO TO SCHOOL FIRST! He has said this in probably one hundred interviews I've seen or heard from him in my time. He got lucky in that he just was able to get to his ultimate goal. But he took close to a decade to get there and struggled for a long time on the Independent scene. He once fractured his skull wrestling and thought his career was over, and with no back up plan he questioned his life. He actually had to wrestle like that because he had no other job he could really do with no back up.

I cannot tell you how important education is in this world today. I could put it up there with breathing and eating as far as importance.

Hope this helped Carole, let me know how it goes with Brandon. If you need my help with anything else, let me know!