Chicago has a long and storied history when it comes to professional wrestling. Many of the biggest stars in WWE history have come from the Windy City.
Indeed, whenever you watch an event – or if you are lucky enough to attend one – that hails from the city,
you immediately know that you are about to witness a rather special show, with fans turning out in force
and chanting away as the action unfolds inside the ring.
In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the most famous Chicago-born wrestlers in WWE history.
These men have entertained us for years with their amazing athleticism and charisma. So, without further
ado, let’s get started!
Chicago’s most famous son: CM Punk
Perhaps one of the most famous wrestlers to have ever competed for the WWE to have hailed from
Chicago, Illinois, is CM Punk, with the wrestler having arguably been one of the biggest stars to have
turned out for the company in the modern era.
Of course, Punk had numerous iconic moments during his tenure with the wrestling company, including
the famous ‘Pipebomb’ segment on RAW where he cut a promo that went viral. He also had the storyline
of ‘leaving the WWE’ with the WWE title after defeating John Cena at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in 2011 before making his return a few short weeks later.
It should also be noted that he is one of the Superstars to have held the WWE Championship for the
longest duration of time, as he held it for 434 days between November 2011 to January 2013 before
dropping it to The Rock at The Royal Rumble in 2013.
Punk is also known for his straight-edge lifestyle, something that was rare in the wrestling world at the
time. He has since left WWE after deciding to walk out on the company and has been critical of the
company on multiple occasions as he tried his hand at a career in the UFC. Nevertheless, he is still one of
the most popular wrestlers ever to come from Chicago.
Chicago loves CM Punk
Indeed, all you would have to do is to watch his unveiling as an AEW star, which happened to be in his
hometown of Chicago. ‘The Best In The World’ received an ovation that many would only ever dream of,
thus highlighting his significance and appeal across all forms of professional wrestling and not just in the
WWE.
In fact, he is such a huge draw, CM Punk has continued to attract a number of sports bettors within
Illinois to place a wager on him now that they are able to do so legally.
Whenever he is competing in the ring, sportsbooks like BetMGM Illinois support the Chicago local and
provide fans with the opportunity to place a bet whenever his ‘Cult of Personality’ ring music hits and he
squares off with his latest opponent.
However, he is not the only popular Superstar from Chicago to have achieved a huge following because of what they have been able to do in the ring and on the mic! Indeed, there are a couple of others who also hail from the Windy City that have been able to make a name for themselves throughout the history of the WWE.
Bobby Heenan
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan is one of the most legendary managers and commentators in WWE history. He
was born in Chicago in 1943 and got his start in the business working for Verne Gagne’s American
Wrestling Association (AWA).
He later joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1984, where he managed some of the biggest names in the business, including André the Giant, Rick Rude, and Mr. Perfect. His time in WWE
came to an end in 1993, but he made a brief return to manage Brock Lesnar in 2002.
Bobby Heenan passed away in 2017 at the age of 73, but not before he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 by Blackjack Lanza.
Kalisto
Kalisto is a former WWE Superstar who was born in Chicago in 1986 under the name Emanuel Alejandro
Rodriguez.
He made his professional wrestling debut in 2005 and quickly rose through the ranks of the independent
circuit. In 2013, he signed with WWE and was assigned to their developmental territory, NXT. He would
make his main roster debut the following year as part of the tag team Los Matadores.
In 2016, he would capture the WWE United States Championship, becoming the first Mexican-born
wrestler to hold that title; a championship he held twice in his career. Some may remember him in action
at the 2015 TLC PPV when he performed the ‘Salida Del Sol’ finisher move on Jey Uso from the top of the
ladder for the Tag Team Championships that were on the line.
He is no longer with the company, though, as he performs under the name Samuray Del Sol. He did
appear for AEW back in 2021, too.
Larry Zbyszko
Larry Zbyszko is a WWE Hall of Famer who was born in Chicago in 1951. He began his professional
wrestling career in 1970, working for his father’s promotion, the American Wrestling Association (AWA).
He would join the World Wrestling Federation in 1980 and quickly became one of the top stars in the
company.
Known as the ‘Living Legend’, he feuded with his former mentor, Bruno Sammartino, throughout much of
the 1980s before leaving WWE in 1990. Larry Zbyszko returned to WWE in 1998 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are plenty of professional wrestlers who hail from Chicago. These are just a few of
the most popular ones that have made a name for themselves in WWE history. It could be argued that
some have left a bigger impact on the WWE and the professional wrestling industry than others, but their
importance to Chicago and Illinois should not be undervalued!
