Virgil is another former wrestler that got out of the ring to venture into something…different. Virgil went into teaching high-school mathematics in Pennsylvania. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s actually pretty noble to leave a job that pays a ridiculous amount of money to educate children, instead.
However, Virgil wasn’t exactly satisfied by his newfound teaching career, either. Could it be the fact that he missed the fat paychecks? It would seem so, as a few years back he decided to launch a crowdfunding operation because he missed the big money. Cue the mass amount of eye rolls.
Alex Riley Jr. Glows
Alex Riley Jr. is a former wrestler who never really found his footing within the WWE. In fact, word on the street is that no one within the company liked working with him. But despite this, if it’s even true, he still stayed with it for about eight years. Even so, his fanbase was never particularly large. In 2012, he lost fourteen consecutive matches and announced an upcoming major surgery, retiring from full-time wrestling for good.
After his knee surgery, Riley made some appearances as a commentator, on shows like Main Event and Superstars. He also transitioned into acting for major shows like the successful Netflix original, G.L.O.W (the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, as it so happens.) But if you’re looking for his name among the others in the line of credits, look for the one he was given at birth: Kevin Kiley Jr.
Sara Lee: Super Mommy
Sara Lee made her WWE debut in 2015, after winning their competition, Tough Enough. The win secured her a one-year spot with the company, but that’s all she seemed to need! At the end of her contract, she was due to have a child and announced that she would be retiring from the sport altogether.
In late 2016, Sara Lee (Sara Weston,) gave birth to her daughter, Piper. Today, she lives in Florida with her daughter and husband, WWE’s own Wesley Blake. She devotes her time and energy to her family, committing herself to full-time mommy duties.
April Mendez Writes a Bestseller
April Mendez, fondly known as AJ Lee, rose to WWE stardom after her debut in 2009. She even found herself winning the Divas Championship on three separate occasions. But in 2015, Mendez decided it was time to hop out of the ring and focus her efforts elsewhere. So, what did she do? She wrote a tell-all autobiography about her incredible life.
Mendez’ book, that she called Crazy is My Superpower, details the struggles she faced when dealing with poverty when she was young, along with mental illness and her rise to fame and fortune. The book was a hit and earned a spot on the NY Times list of bestsellers. She also operates her own website where she sells her books.
Jesse Ventura: Governor
Jesse “The Body” Ventura made a pretty big stir during his time with the WWE. He debuted back in 1975 and worked in wrestling for a decade. In 1999, he began to dabble in acting, working with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger. And looking at that is pretty funny when you consider that both men ended up in politics.
Yes, Jesse Ventura also went into politics, hitting in the scene in 1991, when he became mayor of a town in Minnesota called Brooklyn Park. Seven years later, he successfully ran for Governor of Minnesota, taking the seat from 1998-2003. According to the rumor mill, you may just see Ventura running for President next year, too.