10 Best WWE Bodyguards

June 6 marks the WWE debut of Kevin 'Diesel' Nash, who powered his way into the company on this day in 1993.

Now, the first time most WWE fans saw him was actually June 7, when he strode out alongside Shawn Michaels on an episode of Raw, but he actually made his first appearance the night before at a non-televised house show, just days after working his final WCW match.

The arrogant, loudmouth Heartbreak Kid made good use of Big Daddy Cool over the ensuing months and years, as Nash played the role of protector about as well as anyone before or since.

Eventually, Nash began to grow in popularity, to the point where he was getting stronger reactions than the man he was supposed to be supporting, leading to a split and feud.

For Nash, his rise to the top of the card and the WWE Title was completely unexpected, but well deserved for the way in which he managed to both improve as an act and get over with the audience.

The bodyguard role is often an unheralded one, but there have been many very effective bodyguards throughout WWE history and hired guns can on occasion go on to become world champs.

To mark the debut of Big Sexy, I'm going to look back at ten of the best (besides Diesel).

And if you don't like what I write, I'm more than happy to introduce you to my new seven-foot, leather-wearing pal 'Steel'...

10. Batista

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When Batista was learning the ropes down in WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, OVW booker Jim Cornette boldly predicted that the man who wrestled as Leviathan would, sooner than later, headline a WrestleMania.

Big Dave got there, of course, but his introduction on WWE television didn't exactly suggest that the company had such grand plans or hopes for him.

Enlisted as the muscle of the crooked Reverend D-Von, Deacon Batista basically had to stand there and guard the rev's collection box, which was secured around his neck by a large chain.

It wasn't a great gig, by any means, but it was a start and Batista did well in the role. He looked imposing (even if they did cover up his impressive physique with a suit) and, even though he only had a few things to do on any given show, he typically did them well.

D-Von and Batista weren't pushed too strongly as an act and it didn't take long for Dave to start arguing with his boss, eventually leading to a breakup and match, which Batista won.

Following that, he was traded to Raw and soon joined up with Evolution.

He wasn't a bodyguard anymore, per se, but definitely an enforcer type that acted as the group's muscle, before he began to catch on and outgrow leader Triple H, much in the same way that Diesel had with Shawn Michaels years earlier.

9. Southern Justice

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After the Godwinns began to flounder, WWE decided to act by repackaging them as Southern Justice.

No longer were they happy-go-lucky hog farmers, but suited-up hired guns competing under their given names.

It was a total 180 from what they had done before and the duo had a lot of potential as an act. Their look and new moniker worked well, and an alliance with Jeff Jarrett and Tennessee Lee made sense, enhancing their presentation.

Before too long, Southern Justice were feuding with the red-hot D-Generation X, wrestling X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws at the Breakdown pay-per-view.

Dennis Knight and Mark Cantebury helped Double J a lot over the summer and added to his aura. They also helped him cut the hair of Sergeant Slaughter and Howard Finkel in the run up to his Hair versus Hair match with X-Pac at SummerSlam '98, showing what they were willing to do for the man who kept them in snakeskin vests.

Unfortunately, just as the act seemed to gather momentum, things ground to a screeching halt due an injury to Cantebury, which eventually led to him retiring from the business altogether.

The silver lining of course is that, in a roundabout way, their breakup resulted in Naked Mideon.

Sorry, not 'silver lining'. I meant 'terrible consequence'. Always get those two mixed up.

8. Tyson Tomko

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Tyson Tomko was another man, like Batista, who came off the Ruthless Aggression musclehead conveyor belt in the early-to-mid 2000's.

Tall, jacked and sporting an intimidating disposition, he was exactly the type of performer that Vince McMahon favoured at the time. He wasn't a world beater in the ring or anything, but his look alone guaranteed that he would be given a shot.

Pairing him up with Christian and Trish Stratus as the Canadian couple's 'problem solver' was probably the best use of him, as he got to do their dirty work while also observing close up the work of two of the best in the business at that time.

Tomko mainly stuck to being the silent observer, running interference with power moves like crushing clotheslines and big boots when the time called for it, but he also got to display some of his more comedic talents by playing off the wound-up Captain Charisma.

For the year he was partnered with Christian, the highlight was probably their blunt exchange in a backstage segment at the 2005 Royal Rumble.

The Problem Solver was obviously a tad green back then, but he was by no means terrible and genuinely added to Christian's act. Once the two split, however, he found it hard to regain momentum and struggled to claim his spot before inevitably being released.

7. J&J Security

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While most wrestling bodyguards tend to be a fair bit larger than the body they are guarding, there are exceptions to the rule.

Former WWE stars who were then working as backstage personnel, Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury got an on-screen role as J&J Security, punching bags for the Authority's Seth Rollins.

The unit worked because they could both use strength in numbers and justifiably get their behinds handed to them, which happened on several occasions.

Noted workers in their own right, Mercury and Noble competed in multi-man matches as part of the gig, too, teaming up with the Architect in what were often TV main events.

J&J were at their best when they were being thrown around, however, which was perfectly demonstrated when they got on the wrong side of Brock Lesnar, who proceeded to take not just them, but their new Cadillac, apart.

The bodyguard function eventually ran its course and J&J were written out of the storylines, but they left an impression in the time that they were around.

6. Sid

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Possessor of one of the most incredible looks in wrestling history, Sid was practically tailor-made for the bodyguard role.

Never one of the 'great' workers (though much better than people tend to give him credit for), and flakey at the best of times, Sid was never positioned as the top guy for long and invariably found his way out of WWE (or WCW) after relatively short spells.

Sid's 1995 run as the bodyguard for Shawn Michaels was a masterstroke, as he backed up The Heartbreak Kid in his pursuit of the WWE Title, which belonged to his old running buddy Diesel.

The Master and Ruler of the World was a menacing presence at ringside and most figured he would aide HBK in the big title showdown at WrestleMania 11.

It wasn't to be, however, as Sid accidentally cost his employer the bout, their relationship ending the next night on Raw when Sid powerbombed Michaels over and over again.

He soon accepted another payday from the Million Dollar Corporation, before he himself went into battle with Big Daddy Cool. Following a loss to Michaels, Sid disappeared again for a while, and when he came back it was to act alone and go for the WWE Title.

Sid as the burly backup was a textbook case of hiding weakness and highlighting positives.

5. Big Boss Man

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Ray Traylor first made his name in the professional wrestling industry in Jim Crockett Promotions as silent bodyguard Big Bubba Rogers, protecting Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express.

He would go on to establish himself as a singles star in his own right, gaining a reputation as one of the best bumping big men in the business for his work in WWE and WCW.

When he returned to WWE in 1998 (with a lot more miles on his body), he did so by going back to his roots as the bodyguard for Vince McMahon and the Corporation.

It was a high profile role for the man from Cobb County, Georgia, and he looked more than credible in it. It helped that he changed up his look to SWAT-style gear (as opposed to his old prison uniform) and that the top stars were all willing to sell for him.

He captured the Tag Team and Hardcore titles and was on such a roll that he met The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania XV.

Starting with his hanging at the end of the contest, things got crazier and crazier in Boss Man's WWE career, as he engaged in some truly bizarre feuds with Al Snow and Big Show, before sliding down the card and settling into a spot as a tag teamer.

But for those first few months when he was riding high with the Chairman and his entourage, he proved his worth as a pivotal part of the show and a damn fine bodyguard.

4. Bob Orton Jr.

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A lot of times, heels will need bodyguards because they are too cowardly to fight their own battles.

That wasn't the case with Roddy Piper, who enlisted the services of Bob Orton Jr. because he had so much heat that he oftentimes needed a little insurance policy in case things boiled over and the fans became as rowdy as he was.

Orton was an accomplished, second-generation star with a perennially broken arm who could more than take care of himself in ugly situations.

The Cowboy had the good fortune of being paired up with Piper around the time of the very first WrestleMania, meaning that he was involved in the main event of the inaugural Showcase of the Immortals, rubbing shoulders with Hulk Hogan and Mr T.

Piper and Orton's partnership worked really well, no doubt helped by the fact that they were genuinely close as friends away from the ring, too. The chemistry was on display for all to see.

When Roddy left the company, Orton began working as the bodyguard of Adrian Adonis, leading to a bitter feud with Piper when Hot Rod eventually returned.

Underrated then and now, Bob Orton Jr. was both a hell of a worker and an excellent heavy for the wild Scotsman.

3. Virgil

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Though often referred to as Ted DiBiase's 'servant', Virgil was initially brought in as The Million Dollar Man's bodyguard.

Virgil - an inside rib on the competition's Virgil 'Dusty Rhodes' Runnels - carried around Ted's big, fat wads of cash and would be on hand to punk out those who would do demeaning tasks in order to get their hands on some of the green stuff.

He was also typically around to take a hiding from a fired-up babyface, whenever DiBiase would flee the scene. Virgil would often be sent in to battle to 'soften up' a Jake Roberts or Randy Savage, though it never went as planned for the heels.

After a long time playing the lackey and increasingly fed up with his frequent humiliations, Virgil finally stood up for himself and turned on his employer, which led to a babyface run and series of matches between the two.

Sadly for Virgil, the emancipation didn't lead to any sort of prolonged singles success, and he was so well defined in his previous role that he found it hard to shake the stigma.

He showed up as Head of Security 'Vincent' (another inside rib) for the New World Order in WCW, before eventually coming back to WWE for a brief storyline with Ted DiBiase's namesake offspring.

2. The APA

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There have been countless instances of WWE taking two talented performers who are doing nothing, teaming them up and hoping for the best.

It doesn't always work, but when it does it can be magical.

Fortunately for Ron Simmons and Bradshaw, they swam instead of sinking, first as the Acolytes (as members of The Undertaker's nefarious Ministry of Darkness), and then as the Acolyte Protection Agency.

Though while they were aligned with the Deadman they were good value, winning a couple of Tag Team Championships and having a series of decent brawls with teams such as the Hardys and the Dudleys, it was when they transitioned into hired muscle and, crucially, were allowed to replicate their backstage personas on camera, that the two really took off.

The APA were formed in early 2000 and didn't care whether they were protecting a babyface or a heel, so long as they got paid and were allowed to drink beer and play cards in their makeshift office.

When their pounding music hit, you knew sh*t was on and that somebody was more than likely going to get their head kicked in.

The APA managed to last in various forms until the Spring of 2004, when they finally parted ways, allowing JBL to emerge as a main eventer.

1. Chyna

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Before Joanie Laurer came along, if a female performer accompanied a male to ringside, it was almost exclusively to act as their valet.

While Sensational Sherri Martel was unafraid to get physical with the guys and took some outrageous bumps for her clients, Chyna took things to another level when she burst on the scene in 1997, displaying an unmatched physicality and possessing a physique that matches many of the men.

The Ninth Wonder of the World debuted on pay-per-view, as a planted 'fan' in the crowd choking Marlena while Goldust was in the ring with Triple H. Soon enough, she was properly established as the bodyguard of D-Generation X.

This was something that some members of the roster had a hard time coming to terms with, as they were not used to selling offense from a woman. Chyna made it easy, though, because she had the size and the presence to make it beleivable, and she acted well as the stoic counter to Hunter and Shawn's frat boy theatrics.

Laurer's popularity grew and grew over the next months and years, to the point that she became a two-time Intercontinental Champion and was once considered for a run with the WWE Title.

Not too bad for an initially limited Killer Kowalski graduate with an undeniably unique look.

Chyna was a trailblazer in the industry, and it all started with her time as a bodyguard, a job she did as well as anyone with balls.