There has been a lot of speculation since the July 31, 2020 episode of WWE SmackDown that Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose could compete in a Hair vs. Hair match at this year’s WWE SummerSlam event.
It looked as though the rivalry between the former tag team partners had come to an end earlier this summer, but the storyline was revived on the latest episode of SmackDown when Deville cut chunks out of Rose’s hair in a backstage segment.
With so many bearded Superstars on the WWE roster, we recently counted down 10 Superstars with long beards to find out what they look like without their famous facial hair.
Now, after Deville’s vicious attack on Rose, let’s take an alternative look at WWE Superstars’ appearance changes by finding out how 10 long-haired Superstars look with short hair.
#10 Braun Strowman (WWE SmackDown)
While some WWE Superstars use social media to further storylines with their on-screen rivals, Braun Strowman (real name Adam Scherr) uses his Instagram account to give WWE fans an insight into the real-life personality behind his “Monster Among Men” character.
As you can see above, Strowman often posts throwback pictures from his pre-WWE days.
The image on the right was taken in 2010 or 2011, a couple of years before the former Wyatt Family member signed a developmental deal with WWE. He joked in the caption that he thought he was “the most jacked dude on the planet” at the time.
#9 Dolph Ziggler (WWE RAW)
Dolph Ziggler told talkSPORT’s Alex McCarthy in June 2020 that he was once told by WWE’s higher-ups that he needed to change his hairstyle to become a serious WWE World Championship contender.
“One time a long time ago, I was told the reason I’m not credible for World Championships – this is 10 years ago, maybe longer, whatever – the reason I’m not credible enough to be winning World Championships is because of my hair.”The two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion said the appearance change was “the dumbest thing I’ve ever done” and he never wanted to go through with it.
#8 Kofi Kingston (WWE SmackDown)
Kofi Kingston has had dreadlocks for almost his entire WWE career, but he had a very different look when he performed on the independent scene before signing a developmental deal with WWE in 2006.
The picture above is from a promo that a villainous Kingston cut during his time working for Massachusetts promotion Chaotic Wrestling.
The full video, which you can check out here, shows that the New Day member had a completely different character compared to the babyface persona that fans are used to seeing in WWE.
#7 Matt Riddle (WWE SmackDown)
Unlike some of the other Superstars’ pictures in this list, Matt Riddle’s short-haired look should be well known to anybody who has been a long-term follower of “The Original Bro”.
Riddle has had the same look in WWE since he made his debut with the NXT brand in 2018, but he had short hair earlier in his career when he competed in UFC.
The picture above, posted on Riddle’s Instagram page, is from a wedding that he attended with his wife in March 2012.
#6 Otis (WWE SmackDown)
Otis has become one of the most charismatic Superstars on the WWE roster since he moved to SmackDown with his fellow Heavy Machinery member, Tucker, in 2019.
Back in 2016, the former NXT Superstar posted a throwback picture from his days as an amateur wrestler, describing himself as “Brother Thicken” and “A Superior Spartan”.
Whenever this picture circulates on social media (which it frequently does), some people doubt whether it really is the same person.
Well, we can guarantee, courtesy of Otis himself, that this definitely is an old picture of the 2020 Money in the Bank winner.
#5 Mustafa Ali (WWE RAW)
Dolph Ziggler may have been told to cut his hair short by WWE management, but plenty of Superstars over the years have grown their hair out after making it to Vince McMahon’s company.
Mustafa Ali had relatively short hair when he made his first WWE appearance in the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic. Nowadays, he is one of many male Superstars on the WWE roster with long hair.
#4 Triple H (WWE NXT Founder)
Triple H had long hair for his whole WWE career until he opted for a short-haired look in September 2012. Since then, the WWE NXT founder has gone one step further by switching to a shaven-headed look, even though he is still capable of growing a full head of hair.
He explained on WHEB-FM's The Morning Buzz in 2013 that he got rid of his famous locks because, as he was no longer a full-time WWE in-ring talent, he did not need to walk around a corporate environment with long hair.
“It just got to be such a pain that for the last year and a half I've been dying to cut it off. It just started to become the bane of my existence, my hair every day, and I never wore it down; I just couldn't wait for the time when I could finally get rid of it.” [H/T Wrestling Inc.]#3 AJ Styles (WWE SmackDown)
Although AJ Styles has grown long hair during his time in WWE, “The Phenomenal One” had short hair for many of his years in IMPACT Wrestling.
After joining WWE, Styles explained to Rolling Stone that he changed to a long-haired, dry look because nobody else in wrestling looked like that at the time.
“This is 100 percent the reason why: because everyone else does it [has short hair or long, wet hair]. A lot of times when someone else is doing something I'll stay as far away possible from that. Everything I do I want to be AJ Styles. When you see a guy come out with dry, long hair, I want you to be like, ‘Hey, that reminds me of AJ Styles.’ That's what I want.”The picture on the right, courtesy of IMPACT Wrestling's YouTube channel, is from Styles’ match at TNA Sacrifice against Samoa Joe in 2007.
#2 Daniel Bryan (WWE SmackDown)
Daniel Bryan is the most famous example of a Superstar who has achieved huge success in WWE with short-haired and long-haired appearances.
In the early 2010s, “The Leader of the Yes Movement” won the Money in the Bank contract with his short-haired look, while he also became WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
After sporting long hair and a beard for most of the decade, Bryan reverted back to his old look in late 2019 when “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt pulled out clumps of his hair underneath the ring on an episode of WWE SmackDown.
#1 Roman Reigns (WWE SmackDown)
Roman Reigns told future WWE colleague Ronda Rousey in a 2015 interview with Sports Illustrated that he would be willing to put his hair on the line in a Hair vs. Hair match one day in WWE.
“Oh, absolutely. My whole life, I’ve grown my hair out and cut it off, grown it out and cut it off. The only stipulation I would have is we do something good with the hair, especially if it’s mine.”Reigns added that he would want to donate the hair to a charity if he is ever involved in the unique match type.
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