The WWE of 2017 is a very different one compared to the WWE of 10 years ago. There have been significant changes to the roster as some fresh new talent has come in and we have waved goodbye to many an old name, most recently to The Undertaker.
One of the primary reasons for the influx of fresh talent is NXT and what Triple H has managed to do with the WWE’s developmental brand. It has given rise to some of the top superstars on the roster and today we take a look at the history of these top superstars.
What exactly were these top guys doing a decade ago? Were they wrestling back on the indy scene back in 2007? Or had they not even ventured into the world of sports entertainment? So without any further ado, here are 10 top WWE Superstars and where they were 10 years ago:
Note: For the purpose of this list, we haven’t included longtime WWE employees such as John Cena, Triple H, and Randy Orton who were all with the company in 2007.
#10 Bray Wyatt
We start off with the youngest person on this list, Bray Wyatt. Currently 29 years old, Bray would have been 19 back in 2007 and was still attending college at Troy University where he was a star American Football player.
His forays into the world of professional wrestling did not come until two years later when he dropped out of college – just 27 credits short of graduating – to join up with the WWE’s developmental program.
#9 Brock Lesnar
From the youngest person on the list to the second oldest. Now 39 years old, Brock Lesnar was in the prime of his career back in 2007 but at this point, he was already three years removed from his first run with the WWE.
2007 was a busy year for Brock as he wrapped up his commitments with New Japan Pro Wrestling and then made the jump over to MMA. He dropped the IWGP title to Kurt Angle in his final match for NJPW before pursuing his MMA dream.
While he may not have started with UFC until the next year, Lesnar made his MMA debut at K1 where he picked up his victory.
#8 Finn Balor
Finn Balor has taken the WWE by storm since his arrival in the United States. The greatest NXT Champion in the history of the brand as well as the first ever WWE Universal Champion. But, things were very different back in 2007.
At the tender age of 25, he would make his way over to New Japan Pro Wrestling and embark on a journey that embarked on a journey that made him one of the most beloved gaijin to ever wrestle in the Far East.
#7 Shinsuke Nakamura
Speaking of New Japan Pro Wrestling, we now shift our focus to Shinsuke Nakamura – one of the most popular wrestlers to ever call NJPW their home. Having started with the promotion in 2002, it was around 2007 that Nakamura started turning into the megastar we love today.
An injury during the semifinals of the 2007 G1 Climax tournament kept him out of action for a short period but other than that this is the year that catapulted Nakamura permanently into the upper echelons of wrestling in Japan.
#6 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is one of the most popular superstars on the WWE roster today but the 32-year-old was leading a very different life 10 years ago. As a fresh-faced 22-year-old, Zayn was tearing it up on the indy scene under the El Generico gimmick which brought him so much success.
2007 was the time he started establishing himself as a true star in Ring of Honor and this is also the time that one of the greatest friendships/rivalries in the history of professional wrestling blossomed with one Mr. Kevin Owens. Which brings us nicely to our next entry...
#5 Kevin Owens
Just like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens was making waves on the indy scene back in 2007 as a 23-year-old phenomenon operating under the name of Kevin Steen. 2007 was the start of his teaming with Zayn and eventual betrayal to start one of the greatest rivalries of modern professional wrestling.
Today, of course, Owens has gone to achieve more success than Zayn has on the main roster of the WWE but back then, both men were always on the same level and trying desperately to one-up each other to the delight of indy audiences.
#4 Dean Ambrose
Now we come to the first Shield member on this list – Dean Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe maybe the least successful member of the dominant faction since they split, but even that involves a huge amount of success.
Back in 2007, though, Ambrose – wrestling under the moniker, John Moxley – was showing everyone exactly how far his lunacy extended. Wrestling at an indy promotion called Insanity Pro Wrestling, the then 21-year-old Ambrose was already the IPW World Heavyweight Champion.
#3 Roman Reigns
He might be The Big Dog and the most pushed man in the WWE today but back in 2007, professional wrestling wasn’t even a thought in the mind of a 21-year-old Roman Reigns. 2007 was the year that his dreams of making the NFL as an American Football player were dashed.
He was undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft, and then signed and released by both the Minnesota Vikings as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars. In fact, Reigns did not start training to be a professional wrestler till 2010 when he joined WWE’s developmental program.
#2 Seth Rollins
Rounding off the Shield trio is Seth Rollins – the most popular member of the faction these days as well as one of the biggest names in the WWE. 10 years ago in 2007, though, Seth Rollins was attempting to make it as a 20-year-old professional wrestler on the indy circuit.
He was wrestling under the name of Tyler Black and impressing indy audiences with his potential as he tore the house down in Ring of Honor on a regular basis. It wouldn’t be until three years later, though, that he would move over to WWE’s developmental program.
#1 AJ Styles
If someone would have told you back in 2007 that AJ Styles would be the top wrestler in the WWE in 10 years time, you would have been laughed out of the building. After all, this was a period where AJ was very much Mr TNA.
It wouldn’t be until six years later that he would leave TNA for good and kickstart a journey that would eventual lead him to the summit of the WWE.
