Michael David Droese was known as “The Garbage Man” when he first appeared in the mid-’90s. When he signed with the WWF in 1994, his gimmick was jumping into the ring with a trash can that he would use to beat his opponents over the head with.
He worked with the organization for a couple of years before his final match in ’96. Afterward, he continued wrestling on the independent circuit, which he still does today. His most recent performance was in May of 2019, at Chikara’s Infinite Gauntlet. After his retirement, Droese started working in an elementary school as a special education teacher.
The Snake Has a Way With Words
Jake “The Snake” Roberts popped up on the WWE scene in the mid-1980s. He was best known for using dark psychological antics in the ring, hence his slithering nickname. Roberts also used to bring actual snakes into the ring with him, usually a python named Damien. The former wrestler was part of a group who became the subject of 'Beyond the Mat', a documentary film released in 1999.
Roberts has been with the WWE ever since he first signed with them in 1986. In 2014, he appeared in an episode of 'Raw', with his python in tow. Later that same year, he was inducted into the WWE’s Hall of Fame. The former wrestler has dealt with a number of personal issues, including substance abuse, for which he has completed several rehab programs. In 2014, it was reported that he was suffering from muscular cancer. In 2018, he started a series of spoken word shows called 'Tales From the Pit'.
Brutus Beefcake Is Maintaining a Legacy
Brutus Beefcake, born Edward Harrison Leslie, is a 9-time champion and pay-per-view headliner that began his pro-wrestling career in the 1970s. He debuted with the WWE in 1984 and became a part of The Dream Team, along with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. Beefcake stuck around the industry for decades, and most recently wrestled for Big Time Wrestling in 2010.
In 2013, Leslie received some odd press when he showed up to City Hall in Toronto, toting a sub sandwich and scissors, claiming that Rob Ford, the mayor, needed an “intervention.” The mayor was in the midst of a substance abuse scandal, but security still was not having any of it and they removed him from the premises. Beefcake himself had been in rehab years earlier. Leslie still makes an appearance here and there, but he’s largely retired. In 2007, he opened a wrestling school and started passing his knowledge on to younger generations.
Tito Santana Is a Master Educator
Tito Santana maybe in his 60s, but lest we not forget what a beast he was in the ring during his days in the WWF. The fan-favorite has been wrestling professionally since the late ’70s. He has won a number of championships, including the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship. Before beginning his career in wrestling, he was actually signed to the Kansas Chiefs, but was he cut in the middle of training camp.
These days, Santana still makes his rounds in the world of wrestling. In 2004, he was inducted into the WWE’s Hall of Fame, and in 2012, he was entered into the Modern Category at the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Nowadays, Tito teaches Spanish at a middle school in New Jersey, where he lives with his family. He also occasionally teaches wrestling at the Independent Wrestling Federation. The former pro has also taken part in a charity match with the IWF that was held to benefit the Semper Fi Fund, a charity for wounded veterans.
Billy Kidman Went Behind the Scenes
Billy Kidman, or Peter Alan Grunter, started with the WWE in 2001 and has been working with them on-and-off ever since. Kidman gained worldwide fame during his time with the WCW, in which he wrestled as a member of several influential stables, including Raven’s Flock and The New Blood. The WWE bought his contract after his impressive participation in The Filthy Animals.
In February of 2008, Grunter wrestled in his last official match as a pro, but that doesn’t mean the WWE had seen the end of him. In fact, he’s currently working with them as a producer. Like many other former pro wrestlers, he released an autobiography in 2014 that was called 'Billy Kidman: Shooting Star'. He was married to WWE diva, Torrie Wilson, for a few years in the early 2000s, but the two got divorced in 2008 and he has not since remarried. His net worth has grown exponentially over the past few years and is an estimated $50 million today.