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Between 1995 and 2001, WWE and WCW competed for ratings in what became known as the Monday Night Wars. That era saw many WWE Superstars jumping ship to join Ted Turner's promotion, including Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and Kevin Nash.
Meanwhile, a few former WCW talents also moved to the competition in the 1990s. Many others joined the Stamford-based company after Vince McMahon bought Ted Turner's promotion in 2001.
Although over two decades have passed since the end of the Monday Night Wars, the current WWE roster still has a few superstars who have previously competed in WCW.
Here are five current WWE Superstars who once wrestled in WCW.
#5. WWE Hall of Famer Edge
In the mid-1990s, Edge was a young talent trying to make a name for himself in the professional wrestling world. The Rated R Superstar then received an opportunity to wrestle in WCW.
In January 1996, Edge appeared as Damon Striker on WCW Pro. He went head-to-head against The Taskmaster in a match that lasted only about a minute before Edge suffered his first defeat on WCW television.
About a month later, Edge (Damon Striker) competed in his second and last bout on WCW. The Rated-R Superstar faced Meng in a match that ended in nearly two minutes and a half with Edge's second defeat.
Later that same year, the 48-year-old started wrestling in WWE. In 1997, he signed his first developmental contract with the Stamford-based company. Edge is now a legend and a Hall of Famer. The 11-time World Champion is currently active on Monday Night RAW.
#4. AJ Styles
Nearly a decade and a half before he officially signed with WWE, AJ Styles made a few appearances on WCW television. In his debut match, The Phenomenal One teamed up with Air Paris to face Evan Karagias and Jamie Knoble on Thunder. However, Styles' team lost the bout.
Styles and Air Paris returned a week later to WCW Thunder to face The Boogie Knights. The Phenomenal One and his partner defeated their opponents, scoring their first victory in Ted Turner's promotion.
Paris and Styles then competed in the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Title Tournament. However, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo on Monday Night Nitro in March 2001.
The 45-year-old's final match in WCW came later that same month. He and his tag team partner suffered another defeat against The Jung Dragons on Thunder.
After competing in several other promotions, including IMPACT Wrestling and ROH, Styles signed with WWE in 2016. He has since become one of the top superstars on the current roster. The two-time WWE Champion is currently active on Monday Night RAW.
#3. Meiko Satomura
In 1995, Meiko Satomura kicked off her professional wrestling career at Gaea Japan Wrestling. The following year, she started appearing on WCW through Gaea Japan's working relationship with the promotion.
The 42-year-old made her WCW debut in November 1996, teaming up with Madusa to face Akira Hokuto & KAORU. However, Satomura and her partner lost the bout.
Between 1996 and 1997, the Japanese wrestling legend had four more matches in Ted Turner's promotion, scoring a single victory. Over the next 23 years, Satomura competed in several Japanese promotions before signing with WWE in 2020.
In June 2021, Satomura captured the NXT UK Women's Championship after defeating Alba Fyre (fka Kay Lee Ray). After holding it for 451 days, the current NXT star recently lost the title to Mandy Rose at Worlds Collide.
#2. Rey Mysterio
After kicking off his professional wrestling career in Mexico, Rey Mysterio joined WCW in 1996. He made his debut at The Great American Bash in June of that same year. In his debut match, The Master of 619 challenged Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship but came up short.
Mysterio spent nearly five years in Ted Turner's promotion, during which he held the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, and the WCW World Tag Team Titles.
After WWE purchased WCW, Mysterio returned to Mexico. However, he signed with the Stamford-based company in June 2002. He has since become a legend in WWE.
The 47-year-old is currently active on Monday Night RAW. Last Monday, he teamed up with Matt Riddle to face The Judgment Day. However, he and his partner lost the match.
#1. WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H
After competing in a few independent promotions, Triple H signed a one-year contract with WCW in 1994. He made his debut as Terra Ryzing on WCW Saturday Night in February of that same year. In his debut match, The Game defeated Keith Cole.
During his time in WCW, the 53-year-old had a few shots at the WCW World Television Title. However, he failed to capture the title. Triple H, as Jean-Paul Levesque, challenged Johnny B. Badd for the championship in his final WCW match in January 1995 but came up short.
That same year, The Game left WCW to join the competition. He has been with the Stamford-based company ever since.
Triple H has had an impressive career as an in-ring competitor in WWE, winning 14 world championships, among several other titles. The Game also married Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie.
While his wife is now the company's Chairwoman and Co-CEO, Triple H is the Chief Content Officer.
