3 current, full-time WWE Superstars who appeared in WCW

WCW may seem like it ended an absolute eternity ago to some wrestling fans, and it kind of did.

Having been founded by Ted Turner in 1988 after Turner Broadcasting System purchased and rebranded the Jim Crockett Promotions, the promotion was slowly built up steam for five years before Eric Bischoff was appointed as executive producer of television in 1993 - and then things really got interesting.

Two years later, WCW Monday Nitro debuted and started a war with WWE RAW!

Just one year later, WCW would surpass their rival program in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks, winning the weekly battles and look like the favorites to win the war.

The promotion, though, would then show some inexperience creatively and endured significant losses in ratings and revenue, before the merger of Turner Broadcasting with Time Warner and AOL sent the promotion into a downward spiral from which it never recovered - and WWE, then known as WWF, would pick up the pieces, purchasing selected assets.

While that was just under 20 years ago, three currently active WWE Superstars all appeared on WCW television. Now, I know what you're thinking.

"Easy! Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan."

Wrong, wrong and wrong again! Goldberg doesn't wrestle regularly, Hulk Hogan no longer wrestles despite appearing slightly more often, and Chris Jericho is contracted with AEW.

Any more guesses? If not, let's get underway...

#3 AJ Styles

AJ Styles wrestled in WCW

AJ Styles may still be at the very top of his game in WWE, currently holding the WWE United States Championship and currently running roughshod over the roster with The OC by his side.

The 42-year-old, though, is a long way from where he started. Having been born in North Carolina, Styles soon moved to Gainesville, Georgia, and would wrestle for the Atlanta-based WCW in 2001.

WCW had observed Styles program with Air Paris in NWA Wildside, offering both men a contract and pairing both up, with Styles being renamed Air Styles and naming the team Air Raid.

Air Raid appearing on Thunder three times, and would appear on Nitro, competing in a tournament for the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship.

Air Raid were eliminated in the first round by eventual winners Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo.

#2 Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio was a WCW mainstay!

To anyone who watched WCW during its heyday, of this list, Rey Mysterio would be the only name you'd almost definitely remember and name as one of the stars of the promotion - but the Greatest Mask of All Time does look a bit different now.

For instance, he wears a mask... Now, Mysterio did wear a mask for a lengthy spell in WCW, too, but then controversially Rey would wrestle unmasked for a long time, too, after he and tag partner Konnan lost a Hair vs Mask Match against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Mysterio has since said he was completely against the decision.

I was strongly against it! I don't think WCW understood what the mask meant to me, to my fans and to my family. It was a very bad move on their behalf. The fans wanted Rey Mysterio with the mask and losing it hurt me a lot. It was also frustrating that it didn't come as the climax to a feud with another masked wrestler, but in a throwaway match.

I think the fans understand that I was in a position where I had no option. I either had to lose my mask or lose my job.

The 44-year-old spent five years of his career in WCW, and enjoyed a lot of success as a five-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion, as well as holding the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships with Billy Kidman, and the World Tag Team Championships with Kidman, Konnan, and Juventud Guerrera.

#1 Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair appeared in WCW"

Charlotte Flair is currently one of the best, if not the best women's wrestler on the planet, and an argument could be made to put her atop the category for all-time female wrestlers, too.

While Charlotte is undoubtedly a product of WWE, having paved her way to greatness via the Performance Center and NXT, Flair has previously appeared in another promotion, World Championship Wrestling.

Yes, really! I know what you're thinking - "Charlotte Flair is only 33 years old, how could she have ever possibly appeared in WCW? She'd have been a kid when it was on television."

Well, she was!

Back in 2000, a 14-year-old Charlotte Flair appeared on WCW as Ashley Flair during his feud with Vince Russo and her half-brother David - appearing in a vignette on Nitro where Russo, David, and Daffney invaded the Flair family home.

Charlotte Flair also appeared ringside for a retirement match between Ric and David where she and her brother Reid attacked David him and handcuffed him, enabling their father to go on to win the match.