4 Attitude Era and 1 Ruthless Aggression Era WWE Superstars who are still wrestling in AEW

While COVID-19 may be preventing many other sports and television shows from airing as usual, professional wrestling has barely missed a beat, providing entertainment throughout the pandemic. In the case of AEW, its combination of experienced and younger talent on Dynamite each week is striking an ideal balance.

While AEW does boast talents like Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, and Sammy Guevera, they also have established names like Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley. In fact, there are quite a few veterans on the current AEW Roster.

4 Former WWE Superstars in AEW were in their prime during the Attitude Era

There is also one former WWE Superstar on the AEW roster that wrestled during the Ruthless Aggression Era. It's a testament to their abilities that these men have managed to stay relevant throughout careers that have been filled with ups and downs. Each of these men are now upwards of 40-years-old.

In the case of all of these performers, it has been their tenacity, intelligence and creativity that has allowed them to stay fresh and remain forces to be reckoned with in professional wrestling in 2020.

Here are 4 former Attitude Era Superstars and 1 Ruthless Era performer who are wrestling right now in AEW.

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#5 Dustin Rhodes

Dustin Rhodes is still going strong at 51 (Pic Source: Lee South/AEW)

The man formerly known as Goldust is still able to compete at the highest level after more than 30 years in business. While most expected his match with Cody Rhodes to be his final bout last year, he continues to create a body of work that will cement his legacy.

A character like Goldust was symbolic of the Attitude Era. It was a persona that was off the wall, highly ludicrous, but still utterly fascinating as well. Rhodes embraced the androgynous gimmick that strayed far away from his 'tough-as-nails' presentation in WCW. It's also a tribute to "The Bizarre One's" talent that he evolved his character to provide different iterations to suit the times.

Now, an elder statesman and still wrestling, he is passing on his knowledge to a new generation and putting them over as strongly as possible. Rhodes' experience, exuberance, and lasting appeal have allowed him to stay relevant when most stars of his generation have faded into the sunset.

#4 Billy Gunn

Or Billy...as he's now called in AEW (Pic Source: AEW)

Another stalwart of professional wrestling on the AEW roster is tag team veteran Billy Gunn, who only truly started to connect with fans during the Attitude Era. Billy initially debuted in WWE as one half of The Smoking Gunns, before finding himself paired with "Road Dogg" Jesse James to form The New Age Outlaws. The pair became 5-time WWE Tag Team Champions and are considered one of the all-time great tag teams in WWE history. More importantly, they became synonymous with the WWE product at the time through their incorporation as part of D-Generation X, a group which was a staple of the Attitude Era.

Billy's role in AEW is that of a backstage producer as well as on-screen talent. What's even more interesting is that Billy is once again part of a tag team, this time with his son Austin Gunn. "The Gunn Club" also one of the few father-son tag teams in professional wrestling, which is a rare occurrence in itself.

At the age of 56, Billy Gunn is still going strong as both an in-ring performer, as well as acting as a mentor to young wrestlers in the locker room. The fact that Billy was one of the first backstage producers to be signed to the company exemplifies his value to AEW.

#3 Matt Hardy

The man with many faces (Pic Source: AEW)

Matt Hardy is a renaissance man. So far, his time in AEW seems to be touching upon earlier iterations of himself, including his Attitude Era character, as one half of The Hardy Boyz. Matt Hardy got his start alongside Jeff Hardy in WWE and was thankful for his time there. But he was creatively unsatisfied.

In an interview with Chris Jericho, he stated why he left WWE and said:

"They tried very hard to sign me. They have offered very good money, but I know my role would have been minimized. For me, more important than money right now, I like to totally utilize my creativity. And these last 3, 4 years I have to do this, I want to enjoy it."

So far, that seems to be happening. His work in the Stadium Stampede match at AEW Double or Nothing 2020 was entertaining and showcased his creative flair. More importantly, he is now aligned with Private Party in a mentorship/manager role that is a callback to his roots as a tag team star.

Hardy has only been with AEW for a few months now, but he seems to be having the time of his life in the promotion.

#2 Chris Jericho

Making water into wine ..with some oranges for good measure (Pic Source: AEW)

What can be said about Chris Jericho. "Le Champion". The man is almost 50 years old, and he is one of the leading stars in AEW. Becoming the first AEW Champion was a smart move for the promotion as it allowed Jericho to define the title and give credence to it before dropping it to Jon Moxley.

Jericho has been a star who has evolved with the times, much like The Undertaker, always managing to stay relevant. His time as Y2J during the Attitude Era, having come in from WCW is still legendary - and let's not forget the Ayatollah of RocknRolla was also the first Undisputed WWE Champion. Jericho has never been one to miss an opportunity.

With that said, his time in AEW has been entertaining all the way. The company's top heel has rarely seen a dull moment, either individually or as the leader of The Inner Circle. What will Jericho do next? That story is yet to be written, but there is every reason to be excited for what is to come.

#1 Frankie Kazarian

Say what? (Pic Source: AEW)

Fans may be blinking their eyes at seeing Frankie Kazarian at the top of this list, but the current AEW star wrestled for WWE in 2005. Kazarian was introduced on Velocity at the height of the Ruthless Aggression Era as "The Future" Frankie Kazarian. He spent only a couple of months with the company and was 'undefeated.'

Kazarian attributed the briefness of his time in WWE to him not being mentally prepared and said:

"I couldn't do it mentally. I don't think I was mature enough and there's an awful lot you have to take in when you get to the WWE."

Kazarian would eventually become a big part of Impact Wrestling/TNA for several years and then spent some time in ROH. His association with Christopher Daniels and Scorpio Sky as SCU has proved to be a hit across several promotions. He even ended up becoming one half of the very first AEW Tag Team Champions, alongside Sky.

It'll be interesting how his career shapes up in AEW, but considering his past successes, it wouldn't be surprising if he continues to impress fans even more down the line.