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Getting into pro-wrestling, especially WWE, is very difficult. More difficult than that is leaving the business. There aren't too many transferable skills from pro-wrestler to other forms of employment, unless you decide to go into movies or television.
This is why we occasionally see old wrestlers from our childhood appear at random independent shows or maybe even as part of big-time returns for the company they used to work for.
Considering WWE has been the biggest promotion in sports entertainment for the past five decades, it's not uncommon to see former Vince McMahon employees pop up in other promotions. Here are six superstars that you might not know are still wrestling today:
#1 Jerry 'The King' Lawler
Even at the age of 72, Jerry 'The King' Lawler is still entertaining the fans by wrestling on the independent circuit. While he has been making sparodic appearances for WWE and has been a commentator for some time, he hasn't wrestled much in the company since he suffered a heart attack in 2012.
The wrestling legend has been an active wrestler on the independent circuit since then, completing 50 years of his wrestling career in 2020. The WWE Hall of Famer recently wrestled Scott Steiner at USA Pro's 29th Anniversary show.
#2 Billy Gunn
While it isn't rare to see wrestlers from the past still making a living from the sport, it's a little more unusual to see somebody still competing in their 50s who doesn't appear to have lost a step.
This is very much the case with former DX and Attitude Era legend Billy Gunn. Anyone familiar with NJPW will no doubt have seen his match against Japanese Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi at the G1 US Special. He still has the ability to move around the ring like it's 1997 all over again.
Upon leaving WWF after what would prove to be his most successful period inside a wrestling ring, Gunn spent a few years in TNA before moving to the Independent scene in 2009. In 2010, Gunn reunited with Road Dogg as the newly formed New Age Outlaws, winning the TWA Powerhouse Tag Team Championship.
The Outlaws would, of course, make a few brief appearances in WWE, once teaming up with CM Punk before betraying him and turning heel. Gunn's last WrestleMania match came at WrestleMania 30, where the duo lost to The Shield.
After a decent run in NJPW, Gunn joined AEW as a wrestler and coach. He currently leads the Gunn Club stable, which consists of his sons Austin and Colten.
#3 WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam
There's no denying that Rob Van Dam is one of the most popular superstars ever to wrestle in WWE/F. The man comes across as quite a humble character, somebody with a legendary career behind him, but not somebody you tend to hear much about outside the ring.
It's perhaps no surprise that RVD is still wrestling even today. Van Dam was last seen in WWE in 2014, where he had a brief run, almost capturing the World Heavyweight Championship from Alberto Del Rio. His wealth of knowledge in the ring has always allowed him to support younger talent, and most people are much better off for having spent some time between the ropes with the former ECW legend.
RVD has never quite been seen as a WWE guy through and through. He first came to the company as part of the Invasion angle of 2001 and has had several stints with TNA in recent times. Fans might remember him best for the night he beat John Cena for the WWE Championship at One Night Stand, where he represented the old spirit of ECW, despite the company now being a part of the WWE conglomerate.
RVD is currently wrestling on the independent scene, having wrestled for Pro Wrestling Noah earlier this year.
#4 Gangrel
If fans of the WWE's Attitude Era raid their memory banks, they might remember Gangrel, the freaky vampire that used to lead the faction known as 'The Brood.' Known personally as David William Heath, Gangrel first got his opportunity with WWE back in 1994, where he wrestled as a masked jobber under the ring name 'The Black Phantom.'
From there, he went on to wrestle for both ECW and WCW until his return to WWE in 1998. Gangrel is responsible for first making Edge and Christian household names. The pair joined Heath, then wrestling as an eerie vampire that covered his opponents in blood, and would eventually team up with The Undertaker as part of his Ministry of Darkness stable. Considering the popularity of the goth movement back in the late 90s, this gimmick managed to get over in a way not many would expect today.
Gangrel is still a mainstay of the US and European independent wrestling scenes. For anyone who enjoyed Gangrel's work back in the 90s, you might have to search long and hard on the net to find out where he will next appear, but the fact that he is still going is a pretty impressive feat, especially considering WWE reportedly had to let him go due to weight concerns back in 2001.
#5 The Honky Tonk Man
Back when WWF embraced the more colorful, cartoonish gimmicks popular in the 80s, it was quite difficult to stand out above the rest. One man who managed this with ease was The Honky Tonk Man. Essentially an Elvis Presley impersonator, Honky Tonk Man used to strut his stuff around the ring and psychologically get into the heads of his opponents by being as annoying as possible.
Similar to Jeff Jarrett and Elias in later years, Honky was a character more interested in his music career than wrestling. He would constantly try to push his latest single on people, and when they refused, he used to smash their heads in with a guitar.
The Honky Tonk Man still holds the record for the longest ever Intercontinental Championship reign in WWE history, a reign that came to an end when he was squashed by The Ultimate Warrior at Summerslam 1988.
He has never been too far removed from the WWE, making returns in 1997, 2008, and 2013. However, he has also been active on the independent scene since 2000. He is a member of the Legends of Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, having been inducted back in 2008.
Since then, he has appeared across the US in promotions such as SWCW in Oklahoma and WPW in California alongside Doink the Clown.
#6 Taka Michinoku
Back when WWF was still trying to win against WCW in the famous Monday Night Wars, Vince introduced a Light Heavyweight division to counter the increasingly popular cruiserweight division over on TNT. The company's very first champion was Taka Michinoku, a young Japanese high flyer that instantly connected with the audience.
Taka won the belt in a tournament, defeating Brian Christopher in the finals. His greatest moment in a WWE ring came at WrestleMania 14, where he successfully defended the belt against Aguila in a match that almost stole the show.
Unfortunately, for the rest of his WWF/E career, Taka was treated more like a comedy jobber than a worthy champion, joining the team Kaientai and partaking in a series of semi-racist backstage skits. He left the company in 2002 and made his return to Japan.
After a period with All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he was constantly struggling with shoulder injuries, he made he way onto the New Japan Pro Wrestling roster in 2007 and still wrestles with that promotion today.
