WWE is a complex organization. Wrestling as a whole is a mixture of athleticism and theater. There is the booking fans see, but then the complex and, at times, difficult personalities to deal with backstage.
With these complex and frequently difficult personalities in the locker room, it isn’t just up to management to handle things. Oftentimes, performers step up and become locker room leaders of sorts. This list will take a look at some of those who have filled that role over the years.
It should be noted that although Cody Rhodes is not part of this list, he is almost certainly a locker room leader himself. He always passes the credit off to other performers, and as such, he won’t be included. Still, he almost certainly serves the role, too, given his status as the face of the company.
So, who are the locker room leaders past and present? This article will take a look at established leaders of the backstage area over the past several decades. Below are various generations of locker room leaders in WWE.
#5. The Undertaker was a long-tenured locker room leader
The Undertaker is not only a legend of the industry, but he is, in many fans’ eyes, the definition of an icon. He spent around 30 years as an active or semi-active star in WWE.
The veteran star is likely the single performer most associated with being a locker room leader. From the 1990s all the way until he retired, if he was backstage, people listened to what he had to say. WWE stars over the years have discussed the influence and oftentimes, intimidation that The Deadman would impart onto those backstage. He made sure nobody got out of hand.
The Phenom hasn’t denied his role either. He has openly discussed his approach to handling things backstage. Plus, there are many infamous stories about this subject. For example, the legend was once seen taping his fists backstage to make sure Shawn Michaels was open to and willing to doing the job, aka to lose at WrestleMania 14.
#4. John Cena took over for The Deadman
John Cena is a legend. He joined WWE’s main roster in 2002 and was a top star by 2005. From there, he spent around a decade or more as a full-time main eventer. However, towards the latter half of the 2010s, he became less active and transitioned into Hollywood.
While The Undertaker was the locker room leader throughout his active years, he did begin to slow down considerably towards the end of the 2000’s and especially the 2010’s. In his place was John Cena, who was not only the top star of the company, but one open to imparting his wisdom onto others.
Cody Rhodes discussed what Cena was like as a locker room leader in the past. He said that The Last Real Champion was the ultimate role model who both led by example, but also would help performers individually. Rhodes also made it clear that if he ever fills a similar role, he’ll hope to lead by example himself.
#3. Roman Reigns stepped up as John Cena became less active in WWE
Roman Reigns is a massive star. He has headlined WrestleMania more than anybody in WWE history and set records with various titles. He is a once-in-a-lifetime performer.
Just as Cena eventually replaced The Undertaker as locker room leader, Roman Reigns eventually took the spot from John Cena. This was thanks to Roman not only becoming the top star of the company, but also a consistent presence who was full-time.
For Roman, it isn’t just performers who recognize his status as a locker room leader. Fans have pointed towards his backstage role, too. Reigns himself has acknowledged it in the past, including on After The Bell with Corey Graves. The OTC is clearly not shy of his spot.
#2. Seth Rollins and Randy Orton lead the locker room these days
Seth Rollins and Randy Orton are two modern-day legends. The Viper has been part of WWE’s main roster for over two decades now, and The Visionary has been there for over 10 years. Both are multi-time World Champions and WrestleMania headliners.
Just like The Undertaker and John Cena before him, Roman Reigns’ schedule has impacted his role as locker room leader. He only wrestles a handful of matches per year and attends only slightly more television dates. As such, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins have taken his spot.
Cody Rhodes has gone as far as to say Orton was the modern-day Undertaker. He also noted that if anybody had a real problem, going to either The Visionary or The Viper was the way to go. With both men still being active performers, this might not change for a while.
#1. There is also a trio of female locker room leaders
While this article has primarily focused on male locker room leaders, it is worth paying attention to the rise of women’s wrestling. For a long time, WWE and most companies simply didn’t have much of a women’s division. There were times when the division had eight or fewer women. In the Attitude Era, there were times when just one or two women made it on a main roster show.
Nowadays, it is a different story. There are multiple divisions within the women’s division as a whole across RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. Add in female performers from Evolve, LFG, and AAA, and it is natural for there to be locker room leaders.
In the recent past, both Becky Lynch and Bayley have been called locker room leaders, including by Sonya Deville. Natalya also serves as one and even helps train up-and-coming stars at The Dungeon 2.0. Needless to say, names like Bayley, Becky, and Natalya keep things in check.
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