How Liv Morgan, Jey Uso, and 7 Other WWE Stars Completely Reinvented Their Careers!

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In getting ready for WrestleMania 41 and other forthcoming WWE shows, it’s fascinating to consider how much the company has evolved over a decade. Beyond the significant changes in leadership, there are numerous stars, such as Liv Morgan and Jey Uso, who remain with the organization and were involved in entirely distinct roles back in 2015.

Here is the most substantial roster of individuals who have undergone significant transformations from their positions in 2015 to their current ones. Most of these changes are surprising, so let’s delve back into a peculiar era of wrestling and explore how far some of these stars have progressed since then.

Liv Morgan

The Women’s Revolution was taking shape within the WWE, but Liv Morgan wasn’t significantly involved at that point. However, destined to become the Women’s World Champion, Liv was more associated with the NXT brand, often acting as a supporting character who disturbed Tyler Breeze during his entrance and caused a commotion. At that time, she was known by another name, “Marley,” and suffered a defeat against Eva Marie in a match. Yet, today, she stands among the leading women’s wrestlers in the nation.

Jey Uso

In 2015, the twin brothers Jey and Jimmy Uso, who are Samoan, had similar personas. Although great care was taken to make them physically indistinguishable, their personalities were not distinctly different. Despite being a powerful tag team in WWE, few would have predicted that “Main Event” Jey Uso would eventually become the Intercontinental Champion.

Roman Reigns

Despite his triumphant entrance accompanied by loud cheers as the OTC, it’s hard to believe that just a decade ago, WWE fans were furious when Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble. They even booed him during his WrestleMania match against Brock Lesnar and were overjoyed when Seth Rollins cashed in and claimed the title instead. For a brief period in 2015, things seemed to improve for Roman when he finally secured the championship in November, but that joy was short-lived as Sheamus took it away from him just moments later after cashing in his Money In The Bank contract.

Cody Rhodes

If you thought Cody Rhodes would become the main face of the WWE back in 2015, people might have given you the same puzzled looks they gave his eccentric Stardust character. The Stardust persona was a spin-off from his brother Goldust, and despite a high point during a feud with Arrow star Stephen Amell, this persona eventually led Rhodes to leave the WWE. He departed the company in an attempt to prove he could be a main event star, and looking back a decade later, it’s challenging not to agree that he made the right decision given his return to the WWE in 2022.

Becky Lynch

2015 marked Becky Lynch’s debut on WWE’s main roster, during the Women’s Revolution that significantly transformed the women’s division. At first, she was often associated with Paige and Charlotte Flair, primarily as the third member of their group. However, when the faction disbanded, Lynch lost to both her allies. Interestingly enough, those two went on to claim titles in the women’s division, while Lynch’s career trajectory took a surprising turn. Fast forward to a decade later, she now embraces Ric Flair’s “The Man” nickname and stands as one of WWE’s top champions.

The Miz

During Miz’s time as an A-list celebrity, he had a strong bond with Damian Sandow that the WWE audience adored. However, like all good things, this partnership eventually led to a rivalry between them. This conflict ended with Miz emerging victorious over his ex-partner, signaling their split. Although Miz parted ways with his tag-team partner, he still incorporates elements of the Hollywood A-Lister persona in his current character.

Finn Bálor

2015 marked the peak of Finn Bálor’s impressive NXT Championship reign, during which his iconic demon character was at its most ferocious. This memorable stint significantly contributed to WWE crowning him their inaugural Universal Champion upon his move to the main roster in the following year. However, an injury caused him to give up the title. Afterward, Bálor gradually moved away from the Demon persona and faced challenges in replicating his earlier success. Now, as the leader of Judgment Day, he’s showing signs of a comeback.

Seth Rollins

2015 marked a significant shift for Seth Rollins as he clinched the WWE championship in an electrifying manner at WrestleMania, defeating both Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar after using his Money In The Bank Briefcase. It was during this time that I believe his transformation from a McMahon representative to “The Architect” began. This change evolved over time, manifesting in more intricate costumes and a more distinct character.

Wade Barrett

Apologies for any confusion, fellow wrestling enthusiast! You might have expected this list to focus solely on WWE wrestlers who stayed in the ring throughout the entire decade, but let me tell you about a surprising exception: Wade Barrett. Despite his current role as a commentator, he was a force to be reckoned with when he wrestled for the company. Many of us believed he was destined for main-event stardom.

Thankfully, Barrett has been an absolute gem on SmackDown, NXT, Raw, and any other platform where the company needs him to call matches. He’s a testament to the versatility of wrestling talent and continues to add depth to our favorite shows.

Many individuals haven’t undergone such dramatic transformations as the WWE personalities did over the past ten years, and that’s perfectly okay. In some instances, maintaining the identities of Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio remains evergreen, not succumbing to the passage of time in any given era. They are legends precisely because of this, and I believe it’s accurate to say that many of these individuals hadn’t fully discovered their potential within professional wrestling. It’s heartening to witness them finding their paths, whatever those may be, and we can anticipate seeing a significant number of them at WrestleMania.

Tune into Netflix every Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET for Monday Night Raw, and catch SmackDown on USA every Friday, also at 8:00 p.m. ET. If it’s been a while since you last watched, you’re missing out on some top-notch wrestling action! Don’t miss out as we journey through WrestleMania season and lead up to the exciting two-night event.

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2025-01-30 01:07