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- Wrestling skills are certainly the priority in sports entertainment, but admittedly appearance is still an important aspect, especially in women's wrestling. The flashier or more original the character, the better. This helps a lot in terms of popularity.
Over the course of a wrestler’s career, they could go through so many physical changes and costume changes to fit their gimmick. Most recently, fans have marveled and saluted The Ring General’s transformation from neon-colored butterball to chiseled champion to fear in the ring. Gunther certainly isn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last.
Related: 10 WWE Ruthless Aggression Era Wrestlers Who Changed Their Look Completely From Their Debut
For some reason, those changes are more pronounced and noticeable with the women’s end of the roster. Perhaps it’s because a lot of their careers are shorter, so changes come faster than with the men. A lot of work can go into crafting the best version of yourself, which is something that should be celebrated.
UPDATE: 2023/11/06 14:30 EST BY ROBERTH PEREZ
Wrestling skills are certainly the priority in sports entertainment, but admittedly appearance is still an important aspect, especially in women's wrestling. The flashier or more original the character, the better. This helps a lot in terms of popularity.
With that said, it's no wonder that over the years women change their physical appearance, perhaps several times, to keep the fans entertained. They change their hair, their ring attire, train in the gym to tone their bodies, and even undergo cosmetic surgery.
12 Shotzi
As you can see in the picture, Shotzi underwent a huge physical transformation. She used to have long, green hair, which made her stand out wherever she went, her hair was pretty much her mark. But she decided to shave her hair off in support of her sister, who is currently battling cancer and is going through chemotherapy. It was an admirable move by Shotzi, and she could not have had a bigger physical transformation than this one.
11 Mandy Rose
Remember when Mandy Rose appeared on WWE Tough Enough? She was thin, blonde, and didn't have outstanding muscles. But over the years, she spent many hours in the gym and toned her body, underwent a couple of plastic surgeries and, in her last NXT run, painted her hair black. Rose came into WWE as one person, and left as another, at least in terms of appearance. She has reverted back to her blonde look in her post-WWE career, where she has a highly successful OnlyFans account.
10 Dakota Kai
Dakota Kai came to WWE in 2017 and has since changed her look several times. She loves to paint her hair and change her hairstyle as in her WWE career alone she's sported several different looks. But that's not all, she has also changed her ring gear on a frequent basis, and also her physique has gotten more muscular and toned as her WWE career rolled on. Kai has gone through several physical changes since she came to the company, and she will surely continue to change her look in the future. She is currently on the shelf with a knee injury, but fans are dying to see her return.
9 Trish Stratus
When she got her start in WWE, former fitness model turned wannabe Diva Trish Stratus had the coveted “Quadruple-B” Buff Buxom Beautiful Blond look that Vince McMahon has always yearned for - and she used it to her advantage throughout her career.
However, in the ring she always kept her figure covered, so the focus would be on her in ring work. After her career as a full time superstar was done, Trish toned big time, trading in her in-ring physique for a yogi physique and dyed her hair to a brunette look.
8 Eva Marie
Known far more for her fiery red locks than any attempt she made at having a decent match in the ring, Eva Marie gets a bad rap in that regard.
Related: 10 Things Fans Don't Know About Eva Marie's Life Outside WWE
When she left WWE in late 2016, she ditched the fire engine red for dark raven colored locks for a movie she was working on - Inconceivable. When she returned in 2021, she looked slightly differ but did return to her trademark red hair.
7 Kaitlyn
There was a brief moment in time when Kaitlyn was poised for a much bigger and brighter future in the wrestling business. She was seemingly being groomed to be the top bombshell. Instead, the former bodybuilder left the WWE in 2014, shortly after her feud with AJ Lee.
In the years since, she has changed the way she sculpted her body and recently added dreadlocks to her half-shaven head. Her followers know it’s her, but she really doesn’t look anything like she did during her run.
6 Jillian Hall
Getting her start in the business at just 18 years old, Jillian Hall got her start training under Fit Finlay. Her physical changes were actually worked into a storyline during her time in OVW where the hair dye and implants drove her completely insane, which was a unique way to explain the new look.
Lest we forget the massive and grotesque mole that looked like something out of the old alien invasion show, V - before the Boogeyman ate it.
5 Rhea Ripley
From looking like an innocent girl next door you’d want to bring home to mommy to becoming The Nightmare that plenty of folks lament Ex-Con Dom for being his Mami, it’s been nearly a decade of change for The Eradicator of The Judgment Day.
Related: 10 Dream Feuds For Rhea Ripley We'd Love To See
During the first Mae Young Classic, she looked very similar to fellow New Zealander Toni Storm, and was told as much. She returned one year later with a badass musclebound female look and has gotten progressively darker, punkier, and more muscular ever since.
4 Natalya
The BOAT isn’t just a stalwart of the Women’s Locker Room, Natalya too has changed her look over the years. She has always incorporated her family’s pink and black and love for cats.
Lately, she’s been rocking incredibly high heels and a beret that sort of looks like one The Anvil used to wear. She also looks slightly like Janice from Electric Mayhem, which, if that’s what she was going for, then more power to her.
3 Charlotte Flair
Maybe it’s the heels she wears when she’s bot wrestling, but it does seem that The Queen has gotten taller since debuting on the main roster seven years ago? Or perhaps it’s the transition to a Peggy Bundy hairstyle? In either event Charlotte has gone through a metamorphosis over the past half a decade both physically and artificially.
Related: 5 Reasons Why WWE Fans Love Charlotte Flair (& 4 Reasons Why Fans Dislike Her)
But when you grow up Naitch’s daughter is there any other way that physical and artificial? The former Fitness Trainer-turned WWE Superstar has packed on the muscle over the years in some area and tightened up others. More so than anyone on this list, the divisive champion has gone to all sorts of lengths to put herself together the way she sees fit.
2 Asuka
Having returned at The Royal Rumble to a huge ovation that got even wilder when she revealed the new face paint, it was clear Asuka was done singing and dancing and playing a caricature of herself.
Her new look for WWE fans is a riff on her old KANA look from Japan. But that’s not the only change The Empress Of Tomorrow has gone through over the years. She came back leaner and meaner too, to show the world that no one is indeed ready for Asuka.
1 Chyna
Whether it be physical or artificial, every change Chyna made during her career only helped to enhance her look and help make her the trailblazer that she is finally credited with being.
She spent years sculpting her body as a bodybuilder. But as she got better in the ring, she slimmed down to have more of a feminine and look of a professional wrestler. She not only had breast augmentation surgery, but she also got a nose job which helped her fit the "Diva" look WWE strived for in that era.
