Wrestling is an art form. Wrestlers are both artists and athletes. Besides expressing themselves in the ring with their wrestling and their ring gear, some wrestlers decide to further express themselves with tattoos. Some of these are simple “tribal” tats, while others are complex and beautiful works of art.
Here are 23 of the best tattoos in wrestling. Some wrestlers will appear on this list more than once, including probably the wrestler most known for his tattoos, CM Punk.
CM Punk’s Tribute To Chris Candido
The Straightedge Superstar is as well-known for his tattoos as he is for his sour attitude and amazing interviews. One of Punk’s lesser-seen tattoos is his tribute to Chris Candido, a former ECW and independent wrestler who passed away in 2005. Candido was well-known for his “No Gimmicks Needed” persona. He was who he was and didn’t need a character to define or make him. Punk pays tribute to Candido’s slogan on his left hand. Click on the next slide to see Punk’s most visible and intricate ink work.
CM Punk’s “Flaming Skull” Chestpiece
CM Punk came to WWE with tattoos covering his arms and his stomach, but during his time in WWE Punk acquired his most extensive and visible piece yet. A sprawling skull and flames that take up his entire chest. Skulls are pretty common on wrestlers, as we will see in the next few slides.
Randy Orton’s Sleeve of Skulls And Other Stuff
Skulls are associated with death and living a hard, rebellious, and dangerous life. Also, they just look cool! One Superstar took his love of skulls to the extreme. Randy Orton’s arms are covered in piles of skulls. But as you can tell, Randy has more than skulls. There are wings and a few “tribal” pieces that remind us of a famous wrestler who single-handedly made the “Tribal” barb wire tattoos famous.
Goldberg’s Tribal Armband
The tattoo that launched a thousand copycats. Golberg’s simple barb wire/tribal tat stretched over his massive deltoid became an icon itself. The tattoo became so famous that it was even featured on Goldberg’s merchandise. I’ll say this, Goldberg is the only person cool enough to pull this off. The countless bad tattoos it inspired is the worst part of Goldberg’s otherwise incredible legacy. Now, let’s move from fake tribal tats to intricate cultural tattoos that are packed with history and meaning.
Roman Reigns ACTUAL Tribal Tattoo
Love or hate Roman Reigns; you have to acknowledge that the man has an AWESOME tattoo. Paying tribute to his Samoan heritage with a chest and sleeve of warrior ink. Here’s Roman describing what his ink means.
From one Samoan monster to another. Let’s take a look at a Samoan wrestler whose love for his homeland was a bit more explicit.
Umaga’s “SAMOA” Bamboo Tattoo
Roman’s cousin Umaga also showed some Samoan pride. No, we aren’t talking about his face paint, we’re talking about the surprisingly detailed work on his stomach. Umaga also had a tribal piece on his right arm. While Roman was subtle, Umaga let you know that he was Samoan and proud. Nuance and artistic expression be damned!
The Rock’s Tribal Work
Another Samoan wrestler with some impressive ink is the Rock. This is Dwayne’s lesser known tattoo, however. He acquired it later in his WWE career, and it has grown in size along with his arms as he’s becoming (quite literally) one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. But let’s not forget the iconic tattoo that became the image for The Rock’s brand…
The Rock’s OLD Brahama Bull
The original Brahama Bull tattoo. The Rock got this tattoo when he was but a tiny pebble. It became a signature part of his look. It even graced his merchandise in WWE and a partnership with UnderArmour.
But as the next slide shows us…he had to go and mess it up…
The Rock’s New Bull
Recently, Dwayne decided his classic tattoo needed a change. Why? Because he’s a driven and motivated superstar, who is never satisfied. The Rock decided his tattoo needed an “update.” This isn’t as much an upgrade as a up-razing. The original tattoo is completely obscured by the old bull skull that has smoke and or fire coming out of it. But don’t worry, The Brahma Bull’s legacy is alive and well.
Kevin Owens’ Bull
Kevin Owen took the WWE by storm with his brash mic skills, distaste for authority, and unconventional promos. Remind you of someone? He idolizes the Rock, which is why he has a knock-off of the Brahma Bull tattoo himself. Though he claims he got it because he is a “Taurus.”
Kevin Owens Knuckles
One of KO’s tattoos is a bit more personal, Owens has the initials of his deceased grandfathers tattooed on his left knuckles. And as we’ll see, KO isn’t the only wrestler with knuckle ink.
He goes into more detail in the video below.
CM Punk’s Knuckles
This may come as a shock to you, but CM Punk prides himself on his “Straightedge” lifestyle. Being straightedge means abstaining from drugs and alcohol, and being as annoying about it as possible. To hammer, or I guess PUNCH, the point home, Punk had the words “DRUG FREE” tattooed across his knuckles. Even though Punk is gone, there is still a WWE employee known for having whole phrases on their knuckles.
Cory Graves’ Knuckles
Former NXT tag champion and current Raw commentator Cory Graves is covered in tattoos. While he was wrestling, the most prominent of them was “Stay Down” tattooed across his knuckles. Corey was a former tattoo and piercing artists and now hosts the show Superstar Ink that showcases WWE superstars’ tattoos and the stories behind them.
Whatever The Heck Jeff Hardy Has Going On Here
The Charismatic Enigma has some weird tattoos, mainly his branch-tree-snake-roots thing going on the right side of his body. He goes into the detail of that, plus the two demons he has on his neck.
Luke Gallows’ Biker Tats
Luke Gallows has some gnarly looking biker tats; he even owns a tattoo shop! He talks about his tattoos and how one, in particular, is meant to honor his time in the Bullet Club.
The Craziest Wrestling Fan Tattoo
This isn’t a wrestler. This just an insanely dedicated wrestling fan with an insane tattoo. There are a lot of tattoos out there that showcase a fan’s dedication to wrestling, but this might be the most extreme.
Scott Steiner’s Mid-Life Crisis
Scott Steiner decided that 50 was a great time to start covering himself in tattoos. And not just a few images here and there. Big Poppa Pump went ALL THE WAY. Wings, Crosses, skeletons, random black swishes. HE GOT IT ALL. The tattoos on his chest were originally meant to cover-up a nasty scar he got after almost dying in the ring in Puerto Rico.
The Undertaker’s Biker Tats
The next few slides are dedicated to the Deadman and his collection of tattoos. Some of them are questionable. Some tell a great story. Let’s start with this basic overview of Taker’s menacing tattoos that drench his arms. This is a man who you do not mess with. And, according to the next tattoo, you don’t want to mess with his Krew either.
Undertaker’s “BSK” Stomach
During the 90s, The Undertaker was the locker room leader in WWF. He was the judge and jury of any backstage drama. If people had a problem or needed help, they went to him. But he also liked to have a good time. While Shawn, Triple H, Razor, and Diesel had the “Klique,” Taker and a few others had the Bone Street Krew. Other BSK members included Yokozuna, Savio Vega, Mideon, and The Godfather. He displayed his pride for his compatriots with a big stomach tattoo.
Undertaker’s Sara On His Neck
Undertaker broke a cardinal rule of tattooing; he got a partner’s name inked in a prominent place on his body. It was for his then wife, Sara Frank.
But his marriage ended, and he covered up the neck piece.
By 2015 though, that tattoo and its coverup were gone.
Brock Lesnar’s Chest Sword
Now’s let’s focus on the Beast. Brock Lesnar has a few tattoos. Each one has a single message: “Mess me with, and I will destroy you.” Perhaps Brock’s most prominent piece is the knuckle knife that splits his chest. This is a symbol of a man who is ready to fight and isn’t going just to stab you once; he’s willing to take it to the next level. Let’s move from Brock’s chest to his back.
Brock’s Monster Back
The beast on Brock’s back is featured on his merch and even on his gear. It is a gnarly looking one, and the severed hands with hooks only add to the mystique and fear. This is what makes him THE BEAST. There’s no official word that the tattoo has magical powers, but it wouldn’t surprise me. But do you notice those three words on the bottom?
Finally: The Scariest Tramp Stamp of All Time
We will leave you with this one. Brock Lesnar is the only human who can have a lower-back tattoo and not receive an ounce of grief for it. Also, if you’re gonna get a back tattoo, “Kill ‘Em All” is probably the only acceptable design. I would love to have heard the conversation that led to it though.
Did we leave any tattoos out? Let us know in the comments!