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.
Santino Marella Opens a Gym
Santino Marella met with his career in the WWE in a pretty unusual way. He was chosen from his seat as a fan in the audience by Vince McMahon, to fight Umaga. Marella ended up doing pretty well and was on the map ever since. But in 2014, Marella got out of the ring and focused his efforts elsewhere in the health and wellness industry.
These days, Marella works at the gym that he opened in Canada. His gym is unique in the sense that he created it with the intention of training fellow athletes. If you don’t find him at home at The Battle Arts Academy, you may see him on Sportsnet 360, appearing on shows like Behind the Lights.
Rosa Mendes: Entrepreneur
In 2006, Mendes found herself in the top eight of the WWE Diva Search. She was ultimately eliminated from the competition but found herself signed to a developmental contract with the company, anyways. She went on to take over the scene for an incredible decade of in-ring excitement but announced her departure (due to pregnancy,) in 2016.
In 2018, Mendes made public that she would be returning to the ring to partner up with Adam Rose to take on Joe Keys and Gia Scott. She’s also launched her very own health and wellness blog, where she shares her tips and tricks. The website allows her to spend time with her daughter, Jordan Elizabeth.
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.
Virgil Seems Confused
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.