5 Wrestlers who are nice in real life, and 5 who aren't always nice

Professional wrestlers have a hard life in many ways. They are constantly on the road, rarely getting to spend much time at home with loved ones, and of course, their job is physically demanding.

Worse, now that many people carry around an internet connected camera in their pockets, they have to be very careful not to say or do anything that could reflect badly on their company or their brand name. One out of context comment could leave you with dwindling merchandise sales or even bereft of a job.

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That all being said, there's really no excuse to be rude or mean to fans. Wrestlers are performers, and the most important people in a performer's career are their fans. Period. Without the support of the people, the Rock would never have become the highest paid movie star in the world, and Sting would be bouncing in some dive bar in California.

Some wrestlers are simply rude to their fans and peers. Then, there are those wrestlers who seem the epitome of niceness, which is particularly confusing when they play a heel on TV!

Here are five wrestlers are known to be an unpleasant company in real life, and five who are renowned for their kindness.

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Not always nice: Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is one of the best athletes in wrestling today. His blend of hard strikes, technical wrestling, and superb conditioning have rightfully earned him a place at the top of the card, including reigns as the WWE champion.

However, one aspect of the sport where Seth doesn't perform so well is in how he responds to fans in public places...such as the airport. He even compared fans seeking autographs to stalkers.

It's hard to separate myth and legend from truth. While Seth's tweet is a matter of public record, there are rumours of him blowing off fans in public and behaving like a 1990s era Shawn Michaels. What is know is that his rants about'stalkers wanting to take their picture with him seem ungrateful to many. Seth Rollins is one of the best wrestlers in the world, but he needs to learn how to win friends and influence people.

Nice: Kane

He wears a terrifying mask. He sets people, including his own brother, on fire. He once hooked up Shane McMahon's, uh, family jewels to a car battery and turned on the juice.

He's also one of the nicest men in the wrestling business. You don't have to go far to hear stories of his gracious encounters with fans, his dedication to charitable work, or how he has stood up for his fellow wrestlers when they were feeling down.

Kane the wrestler is a brutal, possible murderous goon. Kane in real life is exactly the kind of person you'd like to meet.

Not always nice: CM Punk

It's surprising that a man who has enjoyed two six-figure UFC paydays PURELY on the strength of his fan base would be a jerk in real life. Well, unfortunately, it's all true.

Punk has been rude and condescending to fans who have approached him during his time outside the ring. He is a very private person and considers his 'off hours' to be off limits to fans. This doesn't always go over well with a fandom raised on the reality television escapades in which celebrities seem to crave the spotlight twenty-four hours a day.

His attitude doesn't just apply to fans, it applies to other wrestlers as well. Athletes like Ryback and Triple H have reported that Punk acts as if he is infallible and beyond reproach when it comes to the subject of wrestling. Never mind what creative or management wants to do; Punk knows best. Always.

Punk is a tremendous wrestler, and one cannot help but respect his stepping into the MMA cage not once but twice. However, he may need to work on being nicer if he wants to return to wrestling.

Nice: Triple H

The Game has spent the vast majority of his career playing the heel. Whether as the leader of Evolution running roughshod over the WWE or as the COO running roughshod over the talent, he instils a sense of villainy in everything he does.

However, the real-life Triple H is known to be quite different from his wrestling persona. Not only is he gracious with fans, speaking with them at great length even when he's on the verge of exhaustion, he always makes an effort to make children feel welcome.

Once, he even broke kayfabe--a cardinal sin in wrestling--when his verbal, in character outburst caused a young fan at ringside to cry. Triple H knelt down next to the fan and apologized, reassuring the young man that it was all for show. For his compassion and friendliness to the fans, Triple H earns a spot on our nice list.

Not always nice: Brock Lesnar

According to Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar is an introvert who genuinely doesn't like to be around people. This extends from fans to peers to management, who have all described Brock as being icy and distant at best and downright threatening at worst.

Brock doesn't have the time or make time, to speak with fans or sign autographs. Unless it is a deliberate, staged fan meet and greet you probably won't even get close to Lesnar. And if you're in the media and attempting to interview or photograph Brock, good luck, because he is famously rude and uncooperative. The video below highlights what started as a light-hearted humour sketch that grew uncomfortable.

Perhaps the best bet is to respect Mr. Lesnar's privacy!.

Nice: Bobby Eaton

A 1980s wrestling icon, Bobby Eaton is one of the most skilled, polished, and flawless wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. No less than Ric Flair once said that Eaton was one of his favourite opponents because it was impossible to have a bad match with him.

Eaton is also one of the nicest, most approachable guys in the business, even if he rarely gets in the ring anymore. A true Southern gentleman through and through, he always makes time to make fans feel special and welcome at the events he attends.

His good nature extended to the backstage area, where his peers always adored him due to his lack of ego and willingness to perform any role to make the show a success. Bill Goldberg even campaigned heavily to have Bobby Eaton be the man who ended his undefeated streak! Many people call Eaton the 'nicest guy in wrestling,' and it's hard to dispute that given his golden reputation.

Not always nice: JBL

For the most part, JBL is actually nice enough to fans. He's not the font of good nature that Bobby Eaton is, but there aren't any embarrassing stories about him being mean to fans, either.

JBL gets on our jerk list because of the way he treats his peers, or should we say treated, since his antics have cost him his job.

From giving Ultimo Dragon a 'swirly' in the toilet backstage at Smackdown to picking a fight with a young, rookie Edge, to bullying broadcast partner Mauro Ranallo, John Layfield has gone out of his way to being a jerk. Dozens, if not hundreds, of stories about him hazing and brutalizing talent backstage, are on record.

Once, JBL picked a fight with the wrong man--Martial arts master Steve Blackman. JBL admits that Blackman beat him badly, delivering five punches before JBL even realized he was in a fight. You'd think such a lesson would have taught JBL something, but he continued his antics until WWE finally released him after the Ranallo scandal.

Nice: Sting

Sting is one of the last of the old school grapplers who paid his dues and came up the ranks the hard way; by earning his spot. His mix of brute strength and polished skill led him to multiple title reigns and legendary status.

He's also one of the nicest people in wrestling, particularly after WCW folded. Fans have spoken about him standing in the rain waiting to greet each and every person entering the Impact Zone during his stint with Impact wrestling/TNA. A born-again Christian, Sting has gone out of his way to set a good example for his young fans and avoids scandal in the public eye.

Not always nice: Randy Orton

We reach the end of the not-so-friendly portion of our list with probably the biggest jerk of all; Randy Orton.

Orton has engaged in some less than stellar behaviour during his career. Perhaps you've heard of him spitting his gum at a fifteen-year-old who wanted an autograph. Or that time he grew angry at a fan who took his picture at the gym and went on a twitter rant.

Then there are reports of his unsavoury hazings. Randy Orton is obviously a complicated man, and perhaps your best bet is to allow him his privacy.

Nice: Bayley

Bayley seems like a perpetual ray of sunshine, a good-natured and kind-hearted spirit who just loves to interact with her fans, especially children.

But she can't be that good a person in real life, right? Wrong. Bayley is just as nice as she seems!

Initially, the NXT management were concerned that Bayley wouldn't be able to get over because she's so nice. There's an unwritten rule in wrestling that anyone who gets in the ring must have a certain 'meanness' about them, that even if they are the hero they are prone to violence and hurting people. However, Bayley won over legions of fans by just being her true, nice self.

When grown men cosplay as a female wrestler, you know they've had a profound impact. Bayley's niceness extends beyond the fans to her peers, management, and the media, who all describe her as an absolute joy to work with. The only reason she hasn't appeared on Total Divas is that she wants to focus on her wrestling career exclusively. That and she's so nice there wouldn't be any drama to film!

There you have it; Five unfriendly wrestlers in the wrestling business, and five wrestlers who are nice. Have you had memorable encounter with one of these wrestlers? Please comment and tell us about it.

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