5 WWE Superstars who became World Champions in their 40s in this decade

Tonight, LA Knight has the opportunity to prove his last few remaining doubters wrong. He can join the list of decorated WWE performers who won a world championship in their 40s.

It goes without saying that professional wrestling is a physically demanding sport. That explains why most superstars start winding their careers down once they're out of their 30s. However, times are certainly changing for the better, and thanks to numerous safety measures put in place in recent history, superstars are now finding it easy to continue living their dreams as they continue to age.

Therefore, even with LA Knight not exactly being in the 'young prospects' age bracket, he has just entered his prime, and fans are right behind him! At Crown Jewel, he gets a shot at the company's top prize against the company's top name, Roman Reigns.

And if this decade so far, is any indication, WWE won't hesitate to award a world title to a superstar in their 40s. Let's take a look at 5 top examples from the main roster!

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#5 The Miz (Won his 2nd WWE Championship at 40)

The Miz is one of those special performers who can make any program click with the audience, be it against a WrestleMania main eventer, or against someone trying to make a name for himself.

The Awesome One's unrivaled consistency made WWE confident enough to put the company's top prize around his waist, twice! Interestingly, his second World Championship win came just a few months after he turned 40.

It was after the main event of Elimination Chamber 2021 (February) had taken place. Then-WWE champion Drew McIntyre had just defeated five incredible opponents. But before he could call it a night, he was blindsided by Bobby Lashley.

It turned out that Lashley had formed a secret alliance with The Miz to help the latter cash in his Money In The Bank contract on a weakened Scottish Psychopath. The catch was that The Dominator would be the first one to challenge the new champion.

#4 Randy Orton (Won his 14th World Title at 40)

Randy Orton's illustrious wrestling career will be talked about for decades. Over a period of 21 years, he has won two Royal Rumbles and 14 World Championships.

His last WWE championship victory took place while the pandemic restrictions were still in effect. After failing to capture the title from Drew McIntyre on multiple occasions, The Apex Predator decided to test his luck in a Hell in a Cell match.

The bout took place at the namesake event in October 2020, nearly seven months after Orton's 40th birthday. He ended up winning the grueling battle, thus inching closer to tying the record for most world championship reigns.

While his title run lasted only a few weeks, it made the perfect sense for him to win the big one. He had been performing at nothing but the highest level throughout 2020.

#3 Asuka (Won WWE Women's Championship at 41)

If there's one thing about Asuka, it's that she will always find her way back to the top of the card.

After Bianca Belair successfully defended the Raw Women's Championship against Asuka at WrestleMania 39, the Empress of Tomorrow didn't ditch her title pursuit.

Instead, she was back in the fold in just over a month, following her loss at The Grandest Stage of Them All. She got her rematch at Night of Champions 2023. Surprisingly, what many predicted to be another successful defense for The EST of WWE culminated in the end of her historic title run.

Just like that, at the age of 41, Asuka proved once again that nobody is ready for her.

#2 Brock Lesnar (Won the WWE Championship twice at 44)

Brock Lesnar is no stranger to walking around with championship gold over his shoulders. 2022 was nothing different for him.

On January 1, 2022, at WWE's first-ever Day 1 PLE, The Beast Incarnate reigned supreme over four of the finest modern-era performers - Big E, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, and Bobby Lashley - to win his ninth world title in the company.

He was dethroned by Lashley almost a month later at Royal Rumble, following an interference from Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. However, it only took him three weeks to reclaim the WWE Championship. He did it in his first-ever Elimination Chamber Match.

The two-time Royal Rumble winner would then try to merge his newly-won championship with Roman Reigns' Universal Title. Unfortunately for Lesnar, he came up short in the Winner Takes All bout at WrestleMania 38.

#1 Bobby Lashley (Became WWE Champion for the first time at 44)

If it was possible to stop aging, Bobby Lashley would undoubtedly have the formula for it. It's astounding that he still looks the same, and performs even better than when he first arrived on the scene in 2005.

Unlike his first stint, in which he was consistently featured as a key player, The Dominator had to fight a few uphill battles in his second run with the Stamford-based promotion. From questionable programs to strange gimmick changes, his first couple of years back weren't too impressive.

It wasn't until mid-2020 that the company decided to strap a rocket to his back. His involvement with the MVP-managed 'Hurt Business' faction did wonders for his quest to break into the main event picture.

On March 1, 2021, 44-year-old Lashley flattened The Miz to kickstart his first-ever WWE championship reign.