Today is Bayley‘s 28th birthday. Since arriving on the main roster, the one thing we’ve learned about Bayley is that she’s a long time WWE Superfan who is getting to live out her childhood dream.
As wrestling fans, it’s a story we can all relate to. I don’t know a single kid who didn’t want wrestling and fantasize about growing up and getting their shot at the Championship.
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Bayley’s fandom was the central storyline of her angle with Charlotte leading up to their Championship matches earlier this year. Charlotte used Bayley’s childhood photos to portray her as a delusional wrestling fan who didn’t deserve to be in the same ring as the daughter of the Nature Boy.
But Bayley isn’t the only long time fan who is living out there dream as a WWE Superstar.
A Reddit user gathered together a group of images featuring WWE Superstars slumming it in the crowd just like a regular joe and the results are amazing.
Scroll down to see stars like CM Punk, Sasha Banks, Edge and Mick Foley falling in love with wrestling in the same way you did when you begged your mom to take you to a WWE house show as a kid.
And if you’re an aspiring star, save your fan photos. They could one day be used in an angle leading up to your own WrestleMania debut.
CM Punk
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? CM Punk was clearly a fan of Stone Cold Steve Austin as he is seen here in two different images with the Texas Rattlesnake. Seeing a young Punk with the Toughest SOB in the WWE makes it even cooler to remember that Punk was wearing a Stone Cold shirt when he dropped his famous pipebomb on the WWE Universe.
Heath Slater
Before Heath Slater Got Kids, he was just a kid. Here is a photo of young Slater at a wrestling event sporting the long red locks that be his signature look as the one man band. He signed with the WWE in 2006 and would debut on the main roster in 2010 as part of The Nexus and then, The Corre, becoming a three-time WWE Tag Team Champion with Justin Gabriel.
Maryse
Yes, that’s Maryse in the crowd as just any other gorgeous blonde fan, but who is the guy standing beside her? Was that an old boyfriend who now has to buy a ticket to get this close to Maryse? Poor bastard. Actually, the Reddit user says this was taken in August of 2005, so she was only kind of a fan at the time. After spending years modeling, including winning Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada in 2003, Maryse was hired by the WWE in August 2006, after she participated in the WWE Diva Search competition.
Don’t worry, old boyfriend. Maryse may be married to The Miz, but her favorite band is Nickelback. You’re better off without her.
Sasha Banks
Not exactly sure when this one was taken, but even in civilian clothes, Sasha Banks is still totally The Boss. In a rather sad story, Banks revealed that she went to the first RAW Supershow following her favorite wrestler, Eddie Guerrero’s untimely death. According to Banks story on the Chris Jericho podcast, she won tickets to be in the front row the day before the event. She had no idea Guerrero passed away prior to the show. Banks, who brought her own “I Love Eddie” sign to the event, assumed “R.I.P. Eddie” signs in the crowd had to do with Guerrero facing off against the Undertaker that night. Sasha called missing the opportunity to see Guerrero live and in person “one of the most heartbreaking things ever.”
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Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
We believe this is a 2006 pick of young Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn taken 10 years before each of them would make their WrestleMania debuts. All three were already wrestlers at the time, but it would have seemed unfathomable in 06 to think they would eventually make it to the WWE.
Mick Foley
It’s a little hard to tell here but Mick Foley was in attendance the infamous night that Jimmy Snuka leapt from the top of the cage to land on Don Muraco. The event would spawn an entire generation of WWE fans. Foley commented on the night when he paid tribute to Snuka after his death earlier this year.
“I remember vividly standing in all at MSG that night, hoping that one day I could do something that might make others feel the type of emotion I felt at that very moment. He was a true artist who inspired others to create moments that might stand the test of time – moments that might be remembered for years, decades even a lifetime. Thank you Jimmy Snuka for inspiring me.”
Edge
WrestleMania 6 was the first ‘Mania to take place in Canada. The Ultimate Challenge featured Hulk Hogan defending his WWE Championship against Intercontinental Champion, The Ultimate Warrior. In attendance that night was superfan, Adam Copeland.
Edge revealed that his night in the crowd cemented his desire to one day become a pro wrestler. The Rated R Superstar would go on to be one of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all-time, having won 31 championships in WWE overall, including the WWE Championship four times, the World Heavyweight Championship a record seven times, the Intercontinental Championship five times.
