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NXT is the land of opportunity for young talent in WWE. It is a platform where they can showcase their abilities in the hope of getting promoted to the main roster. Names like Pete Dunne and Velveteen Dream, who are in their mid-20s, shine on the black and yellow brand. However, NXT has its fair share of older superstars too.
Although NXT is supposed to be the developmental brand of WWE, many of its superstars are well over 30 years old. Some of the top NXT Superstars are even in their forties, while others are about to cross that line in just a few months.
Superstars like Drake Maverick and LA Knight, who are now 38 years old, do not qualify for this list.
WWE is suffering from an aging problem on the main roster that extends to NXT. According to reports, it has led the company to issue a new doctrine setting an age limit for its new developmental signings at 30.
Despite their age, the five superstars on this list have proven that age is no barrier to success inside the WWE ring.
Here are the 5 oldest NXT Superstars according to The Internet Wrestling Database.
#5. NXT Tag Team Champion Danny Burch (39)
Danny Burch is one half of the current NXT Tag Team Champions. Burch has had two runs in the WWE. He first signed for the company in 2011 and made his debut on NXT in May 2013 at the age of 31. However, WWE did not use him much and he was released almost a year after his debut.
Danny Burch returned to compete in NXT in 2015 at the age of 33, following a short stint with Total Nonstop Action (TNA). In 2017, Burch participated in the 16-man NXT UK Championship Tournament but lost in the first round to Jordan Devlin.
Burch also competed for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship against Lio Rush but was defeated on WWE 205 Live in December 2019.
The turning point in Burch's ongoing career was forming a tag team with Oney Lorcan following a brief feud between the two. The pair have had some setbacks including losing the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and an NXT UK Tag Team Championship Match against Gallus in early 2020.
Last October, Burch & Lorcan finally captured their first NXT Tag Team titles after defeating the team of Breezango. Nearly five months later, they are still leading the tag team division on NXT.
#4. NXT Superstar Arturo Ruas (39)
Arturo Ruas made his debut in the NXT ring during a house show in 2016 at the age of 34. Despite being an established amateur wrestler in Brazil, where he went unbeaten for 17 years, Ruas had nearly no professional wrestling experience. He did, however, have vast experience in both jiu-jitsu and capoeira fighting.
The 39-year-old superstar has shared the ring with names like Matt Riddle, Keith Lee, and Angel Garza before his promotion to RAW to compete on RAW Underground. Ruas, however, would return quickly to NXT.
Ruas competed only three times on RAW Underground. He scored a victory against Mikey Spandex and suffered a defeat against Dolph Ziggler. The third match ended in a no contest against Riddick Moss. Ruas also competed and lost twice on Main Event to Humberto Carrillo and Mustafa Ali.
The Brazilian superstar is now out with an injury that he suffered during a match with Kushida on NXT last November. He underwent a successful surgery in December.
He later sent a message to his fans via Twitter.
It remains unknown when Ruas will return to the ring or on which brand, but he currently remains listed under NXT on the official WWE website.
#3. NXT Champion Finn Bálor (39)
In 2014, a 33-year-old Finn Bálor made his debut on NXT and quickly worked his way to the top. Eight months later, Bálor captured the NXT Championship by defeating Kevin Owens at The Beast in the East in Tokyo.
"The Extraordinary Man Who Can Do Extraordinary Things" held on to the NXT title for 292 days before losing his belt to Samoa Joe. Three months later, Balor was promoted to Monday Night RAW.
Bálor made history on the main roster when he became the first-ever Universal Champion after defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016. Unfortunately, he had to relinquish the title just hours later due to an injury he sustained during the match.
Bálor spent nearly three years on the main roster before returning to NXT. During his run on the main roster, the Irish superstar won the Intercontinental Championship twice, in addition to the Universal Championship.
At the age of 38, Finn Balor returned to NXT to once again chase the NXT Championship. He recaptured the title last September for the second time in his career when he defeated Adam Cole at NXT Super Tuesday II. Balor is now one of the oldest champions in all of WWE at 39.
#2. NXT Superstar Mercedes Martinez (40)
Mercedes Martinez has had two runs on NXT. She first participated in the Mae Young Classic in 2017, aged 36, but was eliminated by Shayna Baszler after reaching the semi-finals. She made a few later appearances on NXT before leaving the company.
After a short stint at AEW in 2019, Martinez made her comeback to NXT in January 2020. She has competed in just eleven matches in the past year, including dark ones, for the black and yellow brand.
Mercedes was promoted to RAW in September as part of the group Retribution under the name Retaliation. However, she was later removed from the group and moved back to NXT. In December, she attacked the NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai to establish a place for herself in the title picture.
Mercedes Martinez competed for the NXT Women's Championship in a Triple-Threat Match against Toni Storm and Champion Io Shirai last February at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance, but suffered defeat as Shirai retained her title.
At 40 years old, Mercedes Martinez is now the second oldest superstar on the NXT roster. Despite this, she is yet to win a single title in her ongoing WWE career.
#1. NXT Superstar Bobby Fish (44)
Bobby Fish made his debut on NXT at the age of (40) in 2017. Fish teamed up with Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly to form The Undisputed Era. They made history in the same year by competing against SAnitY and The Authors of Pain & Rodrick Strong in the first WarGames match in 20 years at the first NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Later in December 2017, Fish and O'Reilly defeated SAnitY to capture their first NXT Tag Team Championships. In March 2018, Fish suffered an injury that took him out for six months. His Undisputed Era partner Adam Cole filled in for him as one-half of the Tag Team Champions.
The now 44-year-old superstar won his second NXT Tag Team title alongside O'Reilly a few months after returning to the ring. It came on the August 15 episode of NXT when they defeated the Street Profits for the titles. Fish and O'Reilly lost their championships last year in February to The BroserWeights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle).
Fish is currently out with an elbow injury that he suffered during NXT TakeOver: WarGames last December.
