Not only has the WWE changed dramatically internally, it has also under gone some major reconstruction externally. The life of a pro wrestler isn’t what it used to be. With professionalism at an all time high, Superstars of today are required to act as professional as possible. Today, the new breed of talent basically, eats, trains, travels and sleeps causing as little noise as possible.

Back in the olden days, this was not the case, as wrestlers had no threshold for what was acceptable and this caused many to go off the rails. Thankfully in today’s product, the company is well aware of this and is keeping things as clean as possible, hence the Wellness and Rehab programs.

This article will stay in touch with that old school mind set and look at some of our past favorites and their relationships with younger females (or a case of the women being much older than the man). The list will include the likes of HBK Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, The Rock and Bret Hart just to name a few.

Will start the list however with a rare modern day case which features two wrestlers from the current roster. With that being said let’s dive right in and start the list with a recent, curious case!

16 15. The Rock & Lauren Hashian: 13 Year Age Difference

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We start off the article with a more recent case of a bizarre age gap in the world of pro wrestling. The social media world was sent abuzz when it was made public that The Rock was seeing a 30 year old singer/songwriter. Relationship wise, Dwayne had gone silent for years following his divorce to Dany Garcia. The couple had spent over a decade together and the separation caused The Rock to hit a depression.

Following the divorce, The Rock began to date Hashian. Some believed she caused the divorce as the two had previously met on set of The Game Plan. Nonetheless, the couple is still going strong after years and just recently welcomed their first child to the world. Dwayne also has a daughter from his previous marriage, Simone Alexandra. The two share a special bond with one another despite The Rock’s separation, as he remains a prominent part of her life, despite a crazy and packed schedule which sees him work nearly 24 hours a day at times. Truly great stuff.

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14 14. Matt Hardy & Reby Sky: 12 Year Age Difference

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via skyhardwedding.com

Once again, Matt Hardy has found himself in a serious relationship with a wrestling talent, this time, with TNA’s Reby Sky. As opposed to his previous relationship with Lita, this one has a serious age gap between the two TNA stars. Matt, is currently in his 40s set to turn 42 in September believe it or not. While Reby is still in her 20s set to make the jump into her 30s this upcoming August.

As you might imagine, the two met during their TNA runs. Matt briefly joined the company in 2011, but his run was short lived after Hardy was released following a DUI. After his short stint with the company, Matt met Reby while working the indie scene. The two would later tie the knot in 2013 and ultimately both would sign contracts with TNA in 2014. Recently, TNA started using the two together as a couple with Sky managing Hardy.

13 13. The Undertaker & Michelle McCool: 15 Year Age Difference

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via instagram.com

In the ring, he holds the honor of being one of the most iconic and respected wrestling stars of all time. Out of it, well, let’s just say he’s had his fair share of relationships. Taker first married way back in 1989 to Jodi Lynn and their engagement actually spanned a decade believe it not. The two got divorced in 1999. Following this relationship, The Deadman quickly remarried in 2000 to Sara Frank. He tattooed her name on his neck, so you thought this one was destined for the long run, but over time, things change and the two got an unexpected divorce in 2007 after seven years of marriage. According to rumors, Sara was overly protective of Taker especially backstage with the other female talents.

And finally, this leads us to Takers current status in a relationship with former WWE Diva Michelle McCool. The two seem very happy together and had a child in August of 2012, Kaia Faith Calaway. Age is truly just a number for this wrestling couple.

12 12. Jerry Lawler & Lauryn McBride: 39 Year Age Difference

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via thesun.co.uk

Let’s take a moment and applaud Jerry Lawler for his dating resume which holds glaring comparisons to Ric Flair's. This isn’t the first time Lawler finds himself with a younger partner, as who can forget his previous engagement with former WWE star Stacy Carter, also known as The Kat. The couple shared a 21 year age difference. Ultimately, their marriage was short lived, lasting only three years spanning from 2000 till 2003. This was one out of three marriages Lawler went through since 1971.

It's scary to think that his new partner Lauryn McBride wasn’t even born when Jerry first married. Heck, she wasn’t even born when he got married for a second time. The 27 year old country music singer recently got Lawler into serious hot water with the WWE. The two had an alleged domestic dispute which caused Jerry’s immediate suspension from the company. An unfortunate situation to say the least, but they've already reinstated The King.

11 11. Kelly Kelly & Sheldon Souray: 10 Year Age Difference

It's crazy to think that Kelly Kelly wasn’t even in her 20s when she was signing her first WWE deal. Her career was initially launched as eye candy in the ring and out of it. According to various sources, Kelly hooked up with several Superstars during her WWE stint. Nonetheless, to her credit, she managed to become a serious performer over time and actually managed to capture a Divas Championship which is quite the accomplishment. As we’ve seen more times than not, Kelly sought to leave the wrestling in business at a young age in hopes to blossom in other fields such as acting and modelling. She has found success in both fields since leaving the company and her greatest achievement has been joining the cast of the E! Reality hit show, WAGS.

Asides from some notable career achievements, Kelly became one of the most recent WWE alumni to tie the knot. She married former NHLer Sheldon Souray in Mexico this past February.

10 10. Edge and Beth Phoenix: 7 Year Age Difference

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via wwe.com

This entry is one of which has a lesser known age gap between the two, although it's still worth a mention when you consider Edge is already in his 40s and set to turn 43 this year, and his wife Beth is still in her mid 30s at 35 years young. Believe it or not, this is actually Edge’s third marriage, he tied the knot back in 2001 and then again in 2005. Copeland went through two failed marriages in a matter of four years.

Then came Beth Phoenix, who was signed with the company in 2004. After a three year OVW stint, The Glamazon was finally ready for some main roster action and she never looked back following her debut alongside Trish Stratus. She would wrestle for years, becoming a fixture in the women’s division and later would give the company her notice for family reasons. After leaving, Edge and Beth would marry in 2013. The couple has also welcomed two children into the world and their most recent was born just a couple of days ago on June 4th, a girl named Ruby Ever Copeland.

9 9. Shawn Michaels & Rebecca Curci: 7 Year Age Difference

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via wrestlingnews.net

Before finally meeting Rebecca, Shawn was an absolute mess outside of the ring. Michaels himself claimed that at one point he only found peace inside the squared circle, as it was his happy place. His reckless lifestyle caused his first marriage to end, as Shawn and his ex-wife Theresa Wood ended their relationship in a divorce.

It was actually Kevin Nash that would introduce Shawn to his future wife, as Big Sexy set the two up while Curci was working as a Nitro Girl under her alias of Whisper. The two quickly hit it off and got married in Vegas with an Elvis impersonator taking charge of the proceedings. Following their marriage, the couple never looked back and is still going strong nearly two decades later, Shawn credits his wife for saving his life which was spiralling before they had met. The couple today share two children, a son Cameron Kade born in 2000 and a daughter Cheyenne born in 2004.

8 8. CM Punk & AJ Lee: 8 Year Age Difference

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Similar to the likes of Matt Hardy, CM Punk has a tendancy to date female wrestlers, although he never married till AJ Lee. The two former WWE stars tied the knot back in June of 2014. The wedding was met with a serious degree of controversy when the WWE sent Punk his release papers on the day of his wedding. Punk made the claim that the company did it on purpose as a “slap in the face.” Vince went on the record to address the situation (which he rarely does) claiming it was an unfortunate event which was completely random. He also apologized for it.

At that point, the relationship on both sides was rockier than ever, so it was only a matter time until AJ also departed from the company. Not very surprising, but less than a year after her wedding Lee announced her immediate retirement from the company following WrestleMania 31 ending the controversy between the parties once and for all.

7 7. Macho Man Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth: 8 Year Age Difference

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via wrestlenewz.com

They will forever be remembered as the first couple in pro wrestling. What made this relationship so spectacular back in the 80s was the fact that it was all a kayfabe storyline playing out in front of millions watching at home. In 1984, the couple tied the knot in one of most memorable weddings in pro wrestling history.

Sadly, things would go downhill from there. Stories would begin to surface pertaining to the Macho Man being overly protective of her. According to rumors, her went as far as to closing her in a room while he went out to perform. Issues began to accumulate and two later separated for good in 1992. Elizabeth would remarry five years later only to file for divorce after a two year marriage. Macho Man on the other hand, would find love almost two decades later after he married his high school sweetheart Barbara Payne back in 2010. The couple were together when Macho Man passed away in 2011.

6 6. The Ultimate Warrior & Dana Hellwig: 11 Year Age Difference

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via warriorfactor.files.wordpress.com

Warrior certainly had his ups and downs in the wrestling industry and this has been well documented in the past. Though outside of it, Warrior found happiness when he married Dana Viale in 1999. The couple enjoyed a great relationship and despite the age factor, were able to start a family together. In 2000, Dana gave birth to their first child, a girl by the name of Indiana. Two years later, the couple had another daughter Mattigan.

Thankfully for The Warrior, he was able to find peace just before his passing being inducted into the WWE’s Hall Of Fame. Warrior mended many fences during the weekend, including one with Hulk Hogan. Today, the company celebrates his legacy by presenting The Warrior Award at the WWE Hall of Fame. Dana is responsible for carrying The Warrior’s legacy with this award. Rightfully so, his legacy will live on for decades and decades to come, his impact will never be forgotten and this is a great tribute to his career.

5 5. Hulk Hogan & Jennifer McDaniel: 21 Year Age Difference

PRN / PR Photos
PRN / PR Photos

If you’ve followed his career, it’s safe to say Hogan’s found himself in the eye of controversy one too many times. In one case, Hogan hit rock bottom when his ex-wife Linda file for divorce back in 2007. To make matters worse, Hogan only retained 30% of their liquid assets with everything else going to Linda. Hulk hit a huge rough patch and nearly took his own life during the separation.

Things got worse when his ex announced she was seeing someone fairly younger. But the tables would turn. Hulk would end up marrying Jennifer McDaniel who is fairly younger than Hogan as well, 21 years to be exact. In addition, Hulk went from broke to filthy rich after winning over $100 million in the Gawker case. Linda responded to all of this by recently coming out with a letter discussing how Hulk ruined 25 years of marriage, funny how this comes after Hogan just became filthy rich again...

4 4. Ric Flair & Jackie Beems: 20 Year Age Difference

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via therichest.com

What made Flair’s gimmick so iconic throughout the 70s and 80s was the fact that he actually lived the persona in and out of the ring. He lived a wild, high profile life and loved every minute of it. During his party life Flair actually sustained marriages throughout, as a matter of fact, Ric was married from 1971 all the way till 2012, spanning four different marriages. Now that deserves a massive WOOOOOOOO.

His fourth and final marriage just came to an end a couple of years ago, Ric was married to Jackie Beems. The relationship came to a sudden halt when a domestic disturbance caused the couple to part ways. After years of working on a proper settlement, the two finally agreed and finalized their divorce in 2012. Many believe, if not for all of Flair’s brutal divorces, he’d be one of the wealthiest wrestlers on the planet today.

3 3. Paige & Alberto Del Rio: 16 Year Age Difference

This newfound relationship made headlines, especially considering that the two are both working for the WWE and are prominent stars for the company. One of the more peculiar aspects of this relationship is obviously age, as Alberto Del Rio is set to turn 40 next May, while Paige hasn’t even hit 25 yet, set to turn 24 this upcoming August. To put things into perspective, when Del Rio made his AAA Mexico in-ring debut, Paige was eight...

The story has sent social media abuzz and Paige didn’t do the situation any favors whatsoever when she posted a picture of the couple together claiming she doesn’t care what people think. Nonetheless, it seems like the couple is still going strong, although in the ring both Superstars have struggled as of late, leading some to speculate that this is because of management being displeased with the lack of professionalism regarding their relationship. Remember, the WWE wants no controversy whatsoever. It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for these two in the ring and outside of it.

2 2. Brock Lesnar & Sable: 10 Year Age Difference

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via therichest.com

It’s the only entrant on this list that features a female significantly older than the male and it's also the entry with the most star power. Sable is nearing her 50s while Brock is heading towards his 40s, as the couple are nearly a decade apart but still enjoy a formidable relationship away from the spotlight.

For Brock, this is his first marriage, Sable, on the other hand, was previously involved with former WWE star who she managed Marc Mero. After a decade long marriage, the two filed for divorce in 2004 just as she made her WWE return and many believe this is where she met Brock as the two got married just two years later in 2006. The couple lives a private life far away from the public eye in Saskatchewan. The two also share two sons which were born a year apart in 2009 and 2010. It's worth mentioning Brock also had twins with his former fiancée Nicole McClain.

1 1. Bret Hart & Stephanie Washington: 26 Year Age Difference

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via pinterest.com

Like so many other WWE veterans, Bret has had his fair share of marriages which began all the way back in 1982 when he first married to Julie Smadu. The relationship would span two decades and, in 2002, it would come to an abrupt end as the couple would file for divorce. Hart would then have a quick marriage with Cinzia Rota that spanned just three years from 2004 till 2007.

Which brings us to this curious case. Hart made headlines years ago when it was announced he was marrying a 27 year old by the name of Stephanie Washington. Despite the age difference, according to Bret’s peers, he’s very happy. Hart appeared alongside his wife for the first time on WWE television when the two were together during a Total Divas segment which featured Hart’s niece Natalya. The couple keep a very low profile today.