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Most professional athletes have traditionally retired before their 40th birthday. In the NFL, for example, running backs are said to start going downhill once they hit age 30, while most quarterbacks usually start to decline around their late 30s.
Many athletes, however, have been refuting the notion that being over 40 means that your career is over. Stars like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and even Brett Favre have played at a high level while being over four decades old.
In years past, that marker was also a point of contention for full-time WWE Superstars. Due to the rigors of the sport and years of wear and tear, many wrestlers weren't able to perform at a high level once they surpassed age 40. With many advancements in health, exercise, supplements, and overall general health, however, many current pro wrestlers have been able to buck that trend.
Stars like R-Truth, Chris Jericho, and Jushin Liger have wrestled at a high level for their entire careers and are all well over 40. With that age no longer being an end point for most wrestlers, several performers on this list have continued to keep things going past age 40.
This list will focus on wrestlers who have performed regularly throughout the year instead of having just a couple matches. Although The Undertaker and Goldberg are over 40, they have only had two matches each and are not included in this slideshow. Performers like Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam, for example, still have multiple matches a month in AEW and Impact Wrestling respectively and found themselves on this list.
#10 Robert Roode - 42
Two things were working against Bobby Roode before he eventually signed with NXT. The first was that he was approaching 40. Historically, WWE usually stayed away from stars hitting that age. The other factor that worked against him was that WWE hadn't traditionally been signing talent from TNA/Impact.
With Triple H taking a more hands on approach with NXT, those practices were greatly altered. Many stars from TNA made it over to WWE including AJ Styles, Eric Young, Samoa Joe, and Roode. Despite being near 40, Roode was still in great shape, was still a great promo, and had a lot to offer.
Changes in wellness, diet, and medical procedures have allowed stars like Roode to keep performing at a competitive level. In WWE, Roode has not had main-event level success, but has won the NXT Championship, the US Championship, and the RAW Tag Team titles.
#9 AJ Styles - 42
AJ Styles is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world today. He was the biggest star in TNA/Impact Wrestling before he departed. Styles increased his star power with a brief run on the independent scene, as well as with a run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. In NJPW, Styles won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, something that not many gaijin manage to do in Japan.
That run finally earned Styles a long overdue deal with WWE. What has Styles done during his time in WWE since 2016? He's continued to add to his legacy as one of the greatest of all time. In WWE, 'The Phenomenal One' has captured both the WWE Championship and the United States Championship twice.
Most of those title wins occurred while he was over the age of 40. Although Styles has already seen his 40th birthday, he still moves around the ropes and the ring like Ali and other high flyers in the business.
He's likely to slow things down in the future due to a desire to spend more time with his family. Until the day he hangs things up, however, 'The Phenomenal One' will be one of the top stars in professional wrestling regardless of age.
#8 Hiroshi Tanahashi - 42
Hiroshi Tanahashi has been described as NJPW's version of John Cena. For the better part of the 2000s and into the 2010s, both men were atop their respective promotions. That might be true, but Tanahashi is at least still wrestling, whereas Cena has transitioned into a successful Hollywood career. 'The Ace' won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in January, but dropped it shortly thereafter to Jay White.
Some stars might slow down once they get up there in age, and Tanahashi has suffered his share of injuries over the last few years, but is still one of the biggest names in NJPW and all of pro wrestling. When Okada isn't holding the top belt in NJPW, it's likely Tanahashi is.
Star power is hard to maintain and create in the business, but Tanahashi certainly still has it. While his time atop the promotion may soon be coming to a close, he remains a top performer that helps out in the mid-card and can still provide a main-event level presence when needed. That's being proven at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January when 'The Ace' will face off against another big name on this list, Chris Jericho.
#7 Rey Mysterio - 44
Rey Mysterio has had quite the roller coaster run over the past five years. He's been a part of the Royal Rumble, wrestled in Lucha Underground, competed in AAA, main-evented All In and returned full time to WWE. That's a lot of travel time, but considering 'The Master of the 619' is on the tail end of his career, it makes sense to make as many meaningful stops as possible.
When Mysterio returned to WWE recently, I was hoping his tenure would be used primarily to put over younger talent and talent newer to the company. The future Hall-of-Famer did do that with the likes of Andrade, but then won the US Championship from Samoa Joe before getting injured.
Mysterio can still go and is going to have an interesting match with WWE Champion 'The Beast' Brock Lesnar, at Survivor Series. Although Lesnar has a high success rate against smaller opponents, Mysterio has a chance to leave the event as a 44 year old WWE Champion. Soon, the legendary luchador will also have the pleasure of seeing his son Dominic join him on the WWE roster.
#6 Jushin Liger (54) and Minoru Suzuki (51)
The main reason why these two NJPW stars are paired together is because they just capped off a feud that actually saw Minoru Suzuki show an opponent a modicum of respect. If you watched wrestling in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then you may or may not remember Jushin Liger facing Brian Pillman in WCW. It was a great showcase of two performers from different countries wrestling a similar style.
Normally, stars that were active during that time period are either "Legends" or retired, but that is not the case with Liger. The Japanese star has been wrestling ever since and is doing some great work in NJPW. He's been a fixture of the Junior Heavyweight Division, but lately Liger has been battling the deranged Minoru Suzuki. Liger's longevity has allowed him to face many of the preeminent junior heavyweight stars of this generation, including one of the best in the world in Will Ospreay.
Suzuki has been terrorizing NJPW as the leader of Suzuki-gun. During Suzkuki's time in NJPW, he has claimed both the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and the Never Openweight Title, winning both in 2018. It's crazy to think that a wrestler who co-created one of the first MMA promotions, Pancrase, is still wrestling at a high level well into his 50s.
#5 R-Truth - 47
R-Truth actually debuted for WWE back in 1999 as an ally of The Road Dogg. He stayed until 2002 before departing for TNA. In TNA, Truth was an upper mid-carder and won both the TNA Tag Team titles and the NWA Heavyweight Championship.
In 2008, he returned to WWE and has primarily been a mid-carder regardless of which show he has been a part of. Truth is still in fantastic shape and despite being closer to 50 than 40, he's still athletic enough to put on entertaining matches with practically anyone. The younger generation has also been able to learn how to be professional, and how to take part in serious matches and comedic storylines from the former United States Champion.
The recent addition of the 24/7 Championship has reinvigorated Truth's career. It's showcased his comedic talents once again while also proving why different people are valuable to the roster in different fashions. Truth is still not likely to become a major champ in WWE. Without him in the 24/7 Title chase, however, that belt would lose some of its luster, due primarily to Truth's ability to make it seem important.
#4 RVD - 48
Rob Van Dam was perhaps the biggest star in ECW history and he's been using that fact lately with his heel turn in Impact Wrestling. Traditionally a fan favorite due to his highly entertaining, athletic martial arts style, 'Mr. Monday Night' turned on Rhino recently at Bound For Glory.
It's been a good way for the ECW Original to reinvent his character. His main claim is that the current generation of stars like Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks have just been ripping off his moves. RVD has also claimed that the business is a lot different now compared to when he first debuted. Most stars today are around 200 pounds, but that wasn't the case in the early 1990s.
Since RVD's style is predicated on flips, jumps, and strikes, it wouldn't have been a shock if he called it quits once he hit his 40s, but over the last decade, he's been a big part of Impact and the independent scene. Being able to choose his own bookings on the independent scene has likely contributed to the extension of his career.
With many high-risk moves under his belt, it's a surprise that RVD hasn't suffered more injuries. It's also amazing that he can still hit the split-leg moonsault and other flips associated with his character. He doesn't wrestle every week on Impact, but has had high-profile matches, including against Moose and for the Impact Tag Team Championships at BFG.
#3 Chris Jericho - 49
Chris Jericho is one of the greatest of all time and has proven that to be true with his recent runs in both NJPW and AEW. A smart choice for the first title holder in the new company, Jericho has the name recognition, character ability, and mainstream appeal to attract eyes to any wrestling promotion. Oh, and he just turned 49 before his big match with Cody at Full Gear.
'Le Champion' is also a podcast host, the lead singer of a metal band (Fozzy), a bestselling author, and a hilarious character when he wants to be. Jericho can also be dead serious, as he has proven during his feuds in NJPW. His runs in both NJPW and AEW occurred while he was over the age of 45. That's just insane considering he started his pro career in the early 1990s.
While Jericho doesn't look the same as he did 10 years ago (none of us do), he's added a new move (the Judas Effect) to his repertoire of signature staples like the Codebreaker, Lionsault, and the Walls of Jericho. The fact that Jericho has been able to adapt with the times, stay relevant, and stay atop the business is testament to his overall ability and genius. If you aren't a fan of his, that's fine because he'll just cut a promo to win you over.
#2 Dustin Rhodes - 50
Dustin Rhodes has been wrestling since the late 1980s with his main heyday taking place during the 1990s and early 2000s. He was underutilized in the late 2010s until he partnered with R-Truth and alongside his brother, Cody. While the Rhodes Brothers did win the tag team belts together by defeating The Shield, both men left the WWE feeling underused and underappreciated. As Goldust, Dustin has been a bizarre heel, a comedic face, and a cagey veteran.
Cody upped his profile in both NJPW, Impact (briefly), and Ring of Honor before creating All Elite Wrestling alongside The Elite and Tony Khan. As Cody was changing the business, Dustin was sparingly used in WWE.
If you have seen any of Dustin Rhodes' work over the last five years, he appears as if he's in the best shape of his career. It's a refreshing thing for the man formerly known as Goldust, as he had his share of battles with personal demons.
Even in AEW, he's proven to be an important part in storylines as both Cody's opponent (at Double or Nothing), brother, ally, and tag team partner. Originally known as 'The Natural,' Rhodes is also a gifted mind due to his years in the business. It was difficult to get out from under the shadow of his famous father, but Dustin has done more than enough to stand out on his own.
#1 PCO - 51
If you watched WWF in the 1990s, then you probably remember the tag team The Quebecers. One of those stars is still actively wrestling at the ripe old age of 51. Pierre Carl Ouellet spent time as both a tag team specialist and and as a singles star while with the WWF. While he did take some time off by retiring in February of 2011, the man known as PCO returned to action in 2016.
PCO's new gimmick is the 'French Canadian Frankenstein.' The former Quebecer had released a series of internet videos that featured him experiencing "incredible" feats that would kill any normal human being. One video saw PCO get electrocuted while in another, he went through some dangerous "surgery" while fully awake.
Those videos got him back into the game and into promotions like Game Changer Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, and Major League Wrestling. In 2018, PCO's popularity in the industry and with fans netted him a deal with Ring of Honor. Even at 51, he still performs many high-flying moves, like a moonsault and a cannonball. The impressive career renaissance has seen PCO become one of the most popular stars on the independent scene. In his time in ROH, he's been both a Tag Team Champion and a Six-Man Tag Team Champ.
Honorable mention
A lot of other stars over 40 are also still actively contributing to the wrestling industry. After primarily making his name in TNA, James Storm (42) is currently a part of the NWA's resurgence. Storm is mainly known for being a multi-time Tag Team Champion and a former TNA Heavyweight Champion. He did have a few appearances in NXT, but went back to TNA before leaving for NWA.
LA Park, or the former La Parka from the days back in WCW, is still active in AAA and MLW. He's 53 and recently challenged Jacob Fatu for the MLW Heavyweight Championship at the promotion's first PPV, Superfight.
Another big man, Rhino (44), was still a part of WWE until this past summer. He joined Impact Wrestling after his deal expired and is involved with storylines featuring RVD and Michael Elgin.
Frankie Kazarian (42) and Christopher Daniels (49) were mainstays in TNA before leaving for ROH. In both companies, they were mid-card staples who won tag team titles. Alongside Scorpio Sky, the veterans formed SCU and are the first-ever AEW Tag Team Champs. Daniels even resurrected his singles gimmick, 'The Fallen Angel,' at Full Gear.
Ken Shamrock (55) was semi-retired from pro wrestling for 10 years until a return to action in February against Tom Lawlor. The UFC Hall-of-Famer has also faced Moose and Joey Ryan in recent weeks and will continue to wrestle for the company.
'The Innovator of Violence' Tommy Dreamer, has appeared throughout many promotions over the last decade. At 48, he runs his own House of Hardcore promotion when he isn't taking part in Impact Wrestling, MLW, or other promotions. Dreamer has been an ally of Tessa Blanchard during her feuds with OVE.
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