5 Wrestlers who got better with age

Wrestling like any other combat sports is physically demanding. A wrestler has a travel almost every day, perform for 3-5 days at a stretch and stay from their home and family for the major part of the year and it's no easy task especially when you reach a certain age and have a family who needs you to be at home.

Being a physically demanding sport where your look is put under great scrutiny means that the wrestlers have to go through vigorous training every day to look the part inside the squared circle.

But as they grow older it becomes increasingly difficult for them to perform at that elite level for a long period of time as they have to go through numerous injuries during the course of their careers. The younger wrestlers are more athletic and agile in the ring than the older lot.

With that being said, there have been some wrestlers who stride in the later parts of their careers. These superstars continued to perform at an elite level despite their growing age and have proved the pre-conceived notion of wrestling being a young man's sports wrong in more ways than one.

Here are 5 such wrestlers:

#5 AJ Styles

Hailed as the greatest performer of this generation, AJ Styles has been the MVP of WWE ever since he debuted in the company at Royal Rumble 2016. Since then, he has won the US Title thrice and the WWE championship twice with his current reign being the longest WWE championship reign in over five years.

Styles has the match of the night almost every night and his meteoric rose in the world's largest wrestling can be attributed to his tremendous in-ring abilities and unshakable work ethic which he has been able to maintain over the years.

People were skeptical when Styles signed with WWE in 2016 as he was 39 years old and wrestlers usually wind up their careers by that age. But to say that the Georgia native has proved his doubters wrong would be an understatement, not only has Styles had great matches with virtually every superstar he has faced but also he has become a cornerstone and go-to guy for the company and this is something which was unfathomable even five years ago.

#4 John Cena

John Cena is one of the greatest to have ever laced up a pair of boots. He is considered to be the Hulk Hogan of the modern era as he has carried the company on his back for more than a decade. He is the most marketable face in the entire roster and this loyalty towards the company is unparalleled as despite being a bright upstart in the movie industry, the Cenation leader returns to the company for short spells.

Early on in his career, Cena was criticised heavily by fans and critics for his limited move set. Chants of "You Can't Wrestle" and " Same old s***" were a common occurrence during his matches during the mid to late 200's. Cena's move set was so awful that it go dubbed as the 'Five moves of doom' as he had only had five moves in his arsenal.

But, the story now is completely different. Cena still has his 'Five moves of doom' but in the recent years have become one of the most reliable performers in the entire company. His matches against AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins have been unanimously praised by fans and critics alike. Cena has improved by leaps and bounds both in the ring and on the microphone and it doesn't look like the 41-year-old will be retiring anytime soon.

#3 Shawn Michaels

Widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, Shawn Michaels has had an illustrious career in the WWE winning world championships and heading multiple WrestleMania.In the year 1998, Michaels was plagued with injuries in addition to his problem with addiction which forced him to semi-retire at WrestleMania 14 after losing the WWE Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Even though Michaels continued to make on-screen appearances on WWE TV occasionally and would even go on to do commentary on Raw, it wasn't until SummerSlam 2002 that he would have his first wrestling match. He defeated Triple H in an unsanctioned match at SummerSlam 2002 and would go on to have the best run of his career winning the World Heavyweight Championship once, Tag team Championship multiple time and having the two of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history with The Undertaker.

The most special thing about this run was the fact that Michaels was already 37 when he returned to the ring in 2002, an age when many wrestlers bid adieu to the business. But age was hardly a deterrent for Michaels who put on Match of the night with every other member of the WWE roster that he wrestled at that time with the exception of Hulk Hogan maybe. Michaels career came to end when lost to the Undertaker in a Carrer Vs Streak Match at WrestleMania 26 thereby ending one of the greatest runs in the history of the WWE.

#2 The Undertaker

In the last three decades, the only constant in the ever-changing world of the WWE has been The Undertaker. Having debuted at Survivor Series 1990, The Undertaker is without a doubt the greatest character in the history of professional wrestling. That the person behind the character, Mark Callaway is able to perform this character even 28 years after the character debuted is truly remarkable.

In spite of being one of the greatest characters in the business, The Undertaker is also highly underrated as a performer. He has had a wide array of move sets in his arsenal and is one of the few superstars who have debating finishers and submission moves on the form of the tombstone piledriver and the Hell's gate. The most interesting part of his career is the fact that he rarely breaks kayfabe which is a trait hard to find in today's time.

The primary reason for the Deadman not being able to prove himself as a great performer was the fact that he was put in matches with the likes of King Kong Bundy, Psycho Sid and Giant Gonzalez who couldn't even wrestle to save their lives. But in the later part of his career, The Phenom faced off against Edge, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H all of whom brought the best of him. If you take a closer look at the Carrer of the Undertaker, you will see that didn't accomplish anything substantial till he was in his mid 30's and only got better in the ring as he grew older.

#1 Chris Jericho

They say wine tastes better as it ages, meaning the older the wine, the better it's taste and this adage fits the career of Chris Jericho better than anyone else. The reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion has been reinvented himself time and te again with great with great success. From having one of the best debuts in wrestling in the year 1999 to winning the IWGP Intercontinental Champion just a month ago, Y2J has truly proven that age is just a number.

Equally effective as both a heel and a babyface, Jericho is a pioneer of changing with times and offering something new to the fans everytime he steps back in the ring. His multiple incarnations within the WWE is a testament to the immense talent and passion that the Canadian has. He has such a grip over his audience that he got the words like 'It', 'Stupid Idiot' and even a ridiculous thing like a list over.

While other superstars ride off into the sunset when they turn 40, Jericho seems more hungry than ever and is having some of the best matches of his career in his late 40's. The Gift of Jericho just keeps on giving and we hope that Y2J continues to entertain and enthrall audiences all across the globe in days to come.