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The 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania is this weekend. And so we thought it fitting a time to do a brief restrospective of the sport/show that we are now embarassed of having been fans of, when we were young. Have you ever wondered where the wrestlers of our youth were, or what happens to famous wrestlers after they start to get up there in years? The following are thirteen examples of what some of them are up to these days.

“The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase 

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Growing up, Ted Dibiase lived the drama of wrestling in and outside of the ring. Ted’s dad “Iron Mike” Dibiase was a professional wrestler who tragically died in the ring when Ted was 15. Dibiase eventually followed in his footsteps to become one of the most popular wrestling stars of the 80’s. His involvement and fame in wrestling faded in the 90’s, and WCW eventually let his contract expire in 1999. After his forced retirement from wrestling, Dibiase became the national spokesman for the Sunshine Foundation, which grants the wishes of terminally ill kids. More recently, Dibiase started a Christian-speaking ministry – Heart of David - that primarily focuses on youth and men of all ages.

“Diamond” Dallas Page 

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Known for his signature “Diamond Cutter” move, and being part of several tag team championships, “Diamond” Dallas Page was heralded as one of the hardest working wrestlers in the 1990’s. Today, you can find Page staring in low budget films, and using his celebrity status in a new career as a motivational speaker and yoga guru. In 2005 Page published a book and DVD called “Yoga For Regular Guys: The Best Damn Workout on the Planet."

“Macho Man” Randy Savage 

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For non-wrestling fans, Randy Savage is the spokesperson for Slim Jim beef sticks. For those fortunate enough to see him wrestle in the 80’s and 90’s, he is a legend. Known for always fighting to protect his manager and real-life wife Miss Elizabeth, “Macho man” became a chivalrous hero to both boys and girls. After finally retiring from wrestling due to health concerns in the early 00’s, “Macho Man” released a hip-hop record in 2003, and made a cameo appearance in Spiderman. He continues to lend his vocal talents to animated series such as 'Family Guy' and 'King of the Hill'.

"Ravishing" Rick Rude 

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As a character fans loved to hate, Ravishing Rick Rude was known for his arrogance and disrespect for Jake “The Snake” Robert’s real-life wife Cheryl. In one of the most memorable WWF TV moments ever, Rude came into the ring with a picture of Cheryl stenciled on the front of his tights. A furious Roberts charged the ring and stripped Rude naked in front of the whole world. Throughout the 90’s Rude was not under contract with wrestling anymore, but would make cameo’s here and there to earn extra cash. Unfortunately by late 1999, Rude was found dead of heart failure. The autopsy showed he died of an overdose of mixed medications. At the time of his death, Rude was planning on opening a wrestling school in his hometown of Rome, Georgia.

Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart 

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Best known for his signature long goatee, and as Brett Hart’s teammate in “The Heart Foundation,” Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart experienced fame and fortune in the late 80’s and early 90’s. After retiring from the WWE in the late 90’s, Neidhart settled down with his family in Canada. Currently Neidhart is supporting his daughter to follow in his footsteps; Natalie Neidhart has signed a development contract with the WWE and is currently training to become a femail professional wrestler. Neidhart was quoted to say he wouldn’t shoot down the idea of a tag-team partnership with his daughter, because he is still able to bench 425 pounds and feels like he is in the best shape of his life.

Honky Tonk Man 

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For close to 10 years the Honky Tonk Man was one of the most hated villains in the WWF, and one of the WWF’s biggest draws in the 80’s. Honky Tonk Man still remains the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, holding the title for more than 14 months while defeating challenger after challenger. HTM now resides in Phoenix with his family and wife of 22 years. He continues to travel and wrestle in exhibitions all over the world. Though this is the case, he says what brings him the most joy is being a stay at home dad with his kids.

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake 

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As one of the most iconic wrestlers of the 1980’s, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake helped the WWF sell out arenas all over the world. Then in 1990 tragedy struck when Brutus was involved in a near fatal parasailing accident. His closest friend, Hulk Hogan helped him through rehabilitation and Brutus made his triumphal return to wrestling in an emotional match in Wrestlemania IX. After several more years of prominence in the WWE, Brutus retired and moved back to his hometown in Massachusetts. Today he manages one of New England’s largest gyms, Planet Fitness, and enjoys the simple pleasures in life, like spending time with his wife and daughter.

Paul Bearer 

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Paul Bearer is probably the most recognizable manager the WWF/WWE has ever employed as well as the ”nails on a chalkboard” voice for the infamous Undertaker. After he left the WWE in 2002, his health deteriorated rapidly and his weight ballooned to over 525 pounds. In 2003 Bearer, was contacted by the WWE to return, but unfortunately he was unable to fulfill the physical activity the job required him to do. In order to get Bearer back, the WWE paid for gastric bypass surgery, after which he lost nearly 300 pounds. Today, Paul Bearer is the managing funeral director at his own funeral home in Mobile Alabama. There, he oversees all the operations within the crematory, cemetery and mausoleum. He also is an embalmer, and he offers grief counseling. He said he is proud to handle families from the time the person dies, until he puts them in the ground.

Jake “the Snake” Roberts 

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In the late 80’s, Jake “The Snake” Roberts was known for parading around the ring with his pet boa constrictor and using it as an embarrassing final blow on his defeated opponents. He left wrestling in 1992 only to return in 1996 when he was out of money. Roberts is still involved with professional wrestling today, in both teaching wrestling psychology or training young wrestlers. However, his long bout with alcoholism and drug abuse has caused him some troubles over the years. In December 2007, the WWE put him in rehab for his substance addictions and abuse. To this day he continues to be in and out of rehab.

Brett “The Hitman” Hart 

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From 1985 to 2000, Brett “The Hitman” Hart was a staple of professional wrestling. From his days as a tag team champion in “The Hart Foundation” to his seven world championships, “The Hitman” was beloved by millions of fans around the world. After retiring in 2000, Hart suffered a debilitating stroke that left his entire left side paralyzed. He has since recovered much of his mobility and is in good health. In fall 2007, Brett Hart published his brutally honest autobiography to much fanfare. The book was titled, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, which went on to reach number one on the Globe Mail bestseller list.

Hulk Hogan 

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This twelve-time world champion is the wrestler best known for transforming the industry into a primetime sports entertainment spectacle for all ages. Most recently Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea is known for his VH1 celeb-reality show “Hogan Knows Best. ” He has since gone on to host the recently resurrected TV game show American Gladiators. Hogan is currently having constant run-ins with the paparazzi after his wife left him for his son’s friend - who is a teenager.

The Ultimate Warrior 

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The Ultimate Warrior is best known for his intense entrances and his animal like behavior in the ring. His most famous match was when he defeated Hulk Hogan in Wrestle Mania VI to become world champion. Though he became one of the biggest wrestling stars in the late 80’s and early 90’s, his constant feuding with WWF owner Vince McMahon caused his wrestling career to be inconsistent throughout the rest of the 90’s. In 1993, Jim Hellwig legally changed his name to Warrior in order to retain the legal rights to use the name outside of the WWF. To this day, his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname. After retiring in 1999, Warrior became a conservative radio commentator and itinerate speaker.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan 

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Hacksaw Jim Dugan was best known for his patriotic entrances and his weapon of choice, the 2 x 4. Throughout the 1980’s he wrestled in the WWF, and became the first man to win the Royal Rumble. In the mid 1990’s Duggan left wrestling and had a very public battle with kidney cancer. He made a triumphal return to the WWE and is still known to be wrestling though he is now in his late 50’s.

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