Lanny Poffo & 9 Other Wrestlers Who Got A Job Due To Nepotism

Nepotism is the unfair use of power in order to get jobs or other benefits for your family or friends. It does come with a negative connotation to it as well. But as the only saying goes, “it’s not what you know, but who.” Think to yourself right now about the job you have or jobs you have had over the years - did someone help you get it, or at the very least, did knowing someone help get your resume to the top of the stack?

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There can be nepotism sometimes, but in wrestling, a lot more than not, knowing someone helps get your foot in the door, but superstars works hard to stay there. Other times, it’s true nepotism in the negative sense of the word, the equivalent of a Union “no-show” job, but in major companies like WWE or WCW.

10 Eric Bischoff

After years of being an executive and an on-screen character, Eric Bischoff had been enjoying more and more time away from wrestling and producing Reality TV shows with his partner, Jason Hervey.

But when TNA came calling for Hulk Hogan, the Hulkster wanted to come in with someone he could trust. Bischoff likes to joke that he got “Jimmy Hart-ed” into the deal, as he had no interest in going to TNA and was initially simply hired as a favor to Hulk to go over his creative.

9 David Flair

One wonders if David Flair had gotten some more training under his belt, would he have developed the same love of the business his father, sister, and departed brother had. David lives the quiet life now, but in the late nineties was brought into WCW, seemingly based on name alone.

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He had some training, but it was clear that he wasn’t ready for the ring. He still managed to have a fun partnership with Crowbar and Daffney as well as both feud with and team with Naitch on a few occasions.

8 Erik Watts

Speaking of not ready for the business at all, Erik Watts is the screaming definition of nepotism gone completely wrong and the short-sightedness of his father, The Cowboy Bill Watts. The Cowboy found himself as head booker for WCW and instead of breaking his son in the right way, he pushed him through the roof.

It was obvious that Erik wasn’t nearly the competitor his father was, and the fact he had less than ten matches a year certainly wasn’t going to help his progression in the ring.

7 Jim The Anvil Neidhart

When your father-in-law and brothers-in-law are held in high regard as some of the best wrestlers in the world, it’s easy to hitch a wagon to the pink & black star.

After Jim The Anvil Neidhart’s initial epic run, as the story goes, Stu Hart would occasionally ring up Vince McMahon. In his iconic, easy to mimic voice he’d ask “do you have anything for the big rhino (meaning Neidhart)?” More often than not, the former chairman would oblige the Hart family patriarch.

6 Davey Boy Smith

Similar to Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith also benefited greatly from the family he married into. Both powerhouses were certainly deserving. But sometimes during both of their careers, especially the Bulldog, they needed a wake-up call.

Bulldog, along with Dynamite and the Harts were grandfathered into WWE contracts when Stampede was sold. He also was given the main event of SummerSlam 1992 despite being very inebriated. He also was granted a WCW contract when Bret left for that company as well.

5 The Anoa’i Family

The Samoan wrestling family has been incredibly successful over the years, any wrestling company would be a fool to not at least give any member of the tribe a trial run. Over the last fifty years or so, they have proven to be some of the hardest working and innovative sports entertainers of their era.

Except only maybe one of two members, the nepotism is well deserved and men like The Bloodline and MLW’s Jacob Fatu have more than earned their spots.

4 Brutus The Barber Beefcake

Since the day Hulk Hogan started in the business, he and Brutus The Barber Beefcake were attached at the hip. First they were a kayfabe brother tag team. Then Beefcake got signed by WWE and later WCW as favors to Hulk.

While he might have been able to get over as The Barber character, he wouldn’t have been able to get nearly as over had it not been for Hulk’s blessing. Sadly, by the time he got to WCW, Beefcake’s skills in the ring were greatly diminished, and it was painfully obvious that he was only there as a favor to Hogan.

3 Stephanie And Shane McMahon

It doesn’t matter than both Shane and Stephanie McMahon had to learn the family business from the ground up. It doesn’t matter that more often than not, Vince McMahon was harder on his children when they made a mistake than he would be on other wrestlers.

All that matters is that they were both born with their last name and born into a true wrestling empire. Sadly some naysayers and critics won’t see them for anything more than that fact.

2 Lanny Poffo

As the younger brother of The Macho Man, Lanny Poffo was always protected by The Macho Man throughout his career. But at least in the WWE, he made a go out of two different characters - Leaping Lanny Poffo and The Genius.

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But when The Macho Man went to WCW, Lanny essentially wound up with the equivalent of a “no-show” gig. He had a pretty decent contract, despite never wrestling a match for WCW.

1 The Kat

Stacy Carter came to the WWE on the arm of Jerry "The King" Lawler as his girlfriend. The couple would marry during her brief but infamous run.

Supposedly, she was difficult to deal with and writers convinced McMahon to let her go. The King decided to stand by his woman and he left too.