WWE News: CM Punk, the Rock and the 22 Coolest Tattoos in Wrestling

Tattoos and pro wrestling go together like Sammi and Ron from Jersey Shore.  In fact, tattoos on athletes in most mainstream sports have become quite commonplace compared to the negatively marginalized view of body art that has origins linked to the prison system. 

Pro wrestlers with no tattoos has actually become the exception to the rule, with many of the more prominent stars covered in colorful variations of tattoo sleeves.  The days of the clear canvas bodies of Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart are over, with even Hogan recently joining in on the fun by getting an "Immortal" tattoo on his back. 

Many stars incorporate their tattoos into marketing efforts to establish a brand name, further immortalizing both themselves and their brand.

There are many varying opinions of tattoos and those who have them, but one cannot deny that they continue to grow in popularity in both the sports and entertainment industry. 

22. Christian

Christian doesn't have nearly as many tattoos as his childhood friend Edge, let alone the average wrestler; however, his lone tattoo is very original in all its diminutive glory. 

Christian's tattoo from afar looks like a big blob, but upon closer examination one will find an angry looking bulldog inscribed on the Canadian star. 

21. Kizarny

Kizarny spent a cup of coffee in the WWE and is currently prominent on the independent scene as Sinn Bodhi in Chikara. 

While his WWE career was far from memorable, his unique combination of tattoos certainly was as the indy star boasts an eye-catching puree of tats on his right arm among other places.

20. Big Show

Lord knows how long it took Big Show's tattoo artist to cover that massive right shoulder in a tattoo of a tiger.  But this detailed depiction of one of nature's fiercest felines sure looks cool. 

It's pretty surprising that Show went with a tiger as his animal of choice as a bear would have likely been more fitting to match his recent t-shirt line. 

19. Bill Goldberg

Bill Goldberg's legendary tribal tattoo helped cement the the last great run for a WCW superstar in the late 90s.  The tribal tattoo, while simplistic, was very popular in the 90s into the 2000s, and Bill Goldberg had one of the most prominent tribal tattoos as WCW's undefeated top star. 

18. MVP

MVP has an assortment of gang-related tattoos stemming back to his near 10-year prison stint from his teen years.  While he may not be too proud of these tattoos, his "Monte Cristo" tattoo and "Malcom X" tattoo sure are interesting. 

MVP's original WWE outfit was designed to cover up his tattoos, however, he has recently altered these outfits to make his body art appear more visible as he continues to compete in Japan. 

17. Shannon Moore

One would be hard-pressed to find areas of Shannon Moore's body that aren't covered by tattoos.  Moore has so many tattoos that they helped lead to his current nickname as the Prince of Punk. 

16. Batista

Batista sure does have some funky tattoo art, including a questionable belly button tattoo that will forever compromise his perceived image as a tough guy.

Batista's large dragon tattoo on his back, however, is the antithesis of anything a belly button tattoo would superficially imply about one's manhood.

15. Umaga

Tattoos are very prominent in the Samoan culture, and the late Eddie "Umaga" Fatu was no exception.  The Samoan superstar had a collection of Samoan tattoos that were as much a part of his ring attire as his tights and taped ankles.  

14. Steve Austin

Steve Austin wasn't known for his tattoos, but his leg tattoo, which served as an ode to his home state of Texas, was a nice touch for the Texas Rattlesnake. 

Austin's history of leg problems meant his leg had to be subject to many surgeries and operations; however, the tattoo, thankfully, has endured through it all. 

13. Randy Orton

Randy Orton is one of many wrestling superstars to boast the popular arm tattoo sleeves.

These sleeves seem to be an indicator of success for tattoo aficionados, as like many of his arm tattoo sleeve cohorts, Orton started out with a small handful of tattoos before extending his body art once he started making the big WWE dollars. 

12. Edge

Edge's tattoos have expanded throughout his career, with the Rated R Superstar covering up many of his earlier tattoos with a copious newer tattoos he received soon after becoming world championship material. 

Edge's skull tattoos have to be considered his coolest as they directly coincide with his rock n' roll persona. 

11. Undertaker

The Undertaker is almost synonymous with the arm tattoo sleeves he wears, and he was one of the first WWE Superstars to adopt such an aggressive tattoo compilation. 

During his marriage to wife Sara, Taker infamously wore a "Sara" tattoo on his neck before having the tattoo removed upon divorce. 

10. Brie Bella

One of the few ways to tell the Bella twins apart is that Brie has an extremely hot tattoo just above her waistline, which has got to be a male tattoo artists' dream come true. 

9. A.J. Styles

A.J. Styles' recent tattoo of his initials along with the birth dates of all his children looks like it had to hurt. 

Styles spent much of his career with no visible tattoos, and Styles didn't exactly stick his toe in the water when he was finally bitten by the tattoo bug.  Dude just dove right in. 

8. Santino Marella

Santino Marella comes from a mixed martial arts background, which means the likelihood of the comedic WWE star having tattoos is very high. 

Among many cool tattoos, Santino's most prominent tattoo is of a lion, with his entire back serving as the canvas.  I'll bet this lion kicks the crap out of Big Show's tiger, which would probably be an otherwise even matchup in terms of size. 

7. This Idiot

Some people take their love of professional wrestling a bit too seriously.  Dirk Meltzer of the wrestling obnoxious newsletter may think wrestling is real, but even he didn't go and tattoo a makeshift belt on his belly. 

This questionable tattoo received copious coverage and ridicule in the blogosphere world; however, none of it could have been worth the fifteen minutes of fame for such a silly permanent decision. 

Luckily for the idiot in question, his face isn't shown.

6. Scott Steiner

Scott Steiner's tattoo on his chest is interesting, to say the least.  The TNA star who has long since laid claim to having the largest arms in the world, also has one of the more unique tattoos in the world.

The body builder's physique was once clear of any visible tattoos, but Steiner and his chest tattoo have since become one in the same.

5. Rey Mysteiro Jr.

Rey Mysterio has multiple tattoos, however, the coolest story behind any of them would be the story accompanying the literature inscribed on his side. 

Mysterio received a prayer from a fan while recovering from injury, and the Lucha legend was so moved by the prayer that he turned it into a tattoo and carried it around with him for the rest of his life. 

4. Bam Bam Bigelow

How do you set yourself apart from a sea of enlarged athletes in the colorful 90s wrestling scene? 

You get a tattoo on your head. 

This was the trademark of the late Bam Bam Bigelow, who was probably one of the more underrated wrestlers that the business has ever seen.  Bigelow took his signature bald headed tattoo to WrestleMania XI where he and NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor had a memorable main event match.

3. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar has transcended his famed back tattoo into a brand name as the warrior themed tattoo has become the icon of the WWE turned UFC stars' "Death Clutch" brand of fighting apparel. 

The tattoo first became famous in the WWE as the Fed used its uniqueness to market into various t-shirts and graphics, and when the former WWE Champion took his talents and marketing savvy to MMA, he picked up right where he left off in monetizing his familiar body art. 

2. CM Punk

CM Punk's hardcore straight edge lifestyle is showered in tattoos.  While the straight edge WWE superstar prides himself on having no addiction to drugs and alcohol, tattoos are certainly his cocaine. 

CM Punk wears arm sleeve tattoos with tats of everything from his "luck is for losers" mantra, to the words "drug free" on his knuckles, and his famed Pepsi symbol that embodies his straight edge lifestyle.

1. The Rock

Rocky Maivia entered the WWE with an iconic "Brahma Bull" tattoo that would serve as the lucrative and marketable symbol of the People's Champion once he became "the Rock."

As the Rock evolved, so did his ink as the Rock paid homage to his Samoan heritage with Samoan-themed tattoos that seemed to spread throughout his left shoulder and chest exponentially.

Rock's tattoos, while bountiful, seem to come together like a seamless work of art as opposed to the more commonplace sleeve tattoos that are often a combination of different concepts, portraits and ideas.