WWE is always on a cycle, and we’re not talking the one that starts with WrestleMania and ends at the following year's show of shows. Wrestlers obviously age, and new talent is always needed to replace those whose bodies are starting to break down. It’s like any sports league in the world. New stars are always being scouted, while the older ones try and hang on to their spot for as long as they can.

The WWE, however, is at an interesting crossroads, as many older wrestlers are at the top of their game, holding some of the highest championships in the company. Right now, 40-year-old wrestlers currently hold the WWE Championship, United States Championship and the Tag Team Championship. When you consider how long some of them have been performing in the ring, it’s amazing to think they still have the ability to do what they do at the highest level. But night in and night out, these older wrestlers are the ones being the main draws in the organization and putting fans in the seats.

That’s not to say the young stars are not making noise as well, as the current crop of young talent should make the WWE sigh in relief knowing that the future of their organization looks incredibly bright. With plenty of talent in their early to mid 20s ready to take the spotlight, it’s an interesting time to be a pro-wrestling fan. The shift is happening and these young stars are being given the reins and told to run with it. Here are eight older wrestlers who you would be surprised are this good at their age, and eight younger ones ready for the spotlight.

16 Old: Asuka

Asuka has never lost in WWE, has been the longest reigning NXT Women’s champion in history, holding the title for nearly two years, and is ready to take control of the women’s division on RAW after winning the Royal Rumble in 2018. Thing is, Asuka is one of the oldest female wrestlers in the company, as, at 36-years-old, only Tamina and Mickie James are older. But as the saying goes, no one is ready for Asuka, and so far, the experience she has gained over her years as a professional wrestler has proven to make her one of the most dominant women in all of professional wrestling. Considering she out-performs 20-year-olds on the roster, the women’s division can very much use the experience that Asuka brings to the table.

15 Young: Paige

Paige became the youngest women’s champion in WWE at 21-years-old, which was nine years into her career. She started wrestling when she was just 13 years old. She is the only woman to hold the NXT and WWE women’s champion at the same time and was one of the women to start the women’s revolution and make it a mainstream part of the program. She has had her slip-ups, mostly due to making some poor decisions in her early 20s, and at 25-years-old, she is having to deal with the fact that she may never wrestle again due to a neck injury. But with her charisma, there is definitely a place for her as the women’s revolution continues.

14 Old: Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura was another latecomer to the WWE, first starting in NEXT in 2016 before making the jump last year to the main roster. At 38-years-old, Nakamura has already had a long and successful career that many would be proud of, having earned the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at 23-years-old, the youngest in history, while also being one of the best wrestlers ever in Japan. But even at his advanced age, the WWE doesn’t seem to be souring on him at all, as Nakamura, WWE’s Rockstar, just won the Royal Rumble match and will compete in the main event of WrestleMania for the first time in his career. He will be one of only a handful of wrestlers to headline both WrestleMania and Wrestle Kingdom.

13 Young: Alexa Bliss

At just 26-years-old, Alexa Bliss has made plenty of history in her short career, becoming the first woman to win both the Smackdown and Raw women’s championships, while also competing in the first women’s match with Sasha Banks in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and winning the first-ever women’s Elimination Chamber match. Considering Little Miss Bliss has only been with WWE since 2013, she has accomplished more than most, and has become one of the best in-ring and on the mic performers in the company. She hasn’t yet reached her prime and is one of the only true heels in the women’s division, capable of controlling the crowd when she talks. The sky is the limit for the five feet of fury superstar, who may be the one to finally take down Asuka’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania.

12 Old: Sheamus

Currently part of the RAW Tag Team Champions with Cesaro, known as The Bar, Sheamus is definitely setting the bar for the younger generation of tag team wrestlers, as the 40-year-old looks like he is in his prime still, despite reaching the big 4-0. Maybe it’s his mohawk hair helping him stay young. Whatever it is, the former WWE Champion and Royal Rumble winner looks as if he could wrestler well into his 40s, and a lot of that has to do with his style of wrestling that is more brawling than high flying spots, which should keep his body in good shape. Considering he is still in a great run with the tag team titles, it’s also a good way to stay healthy, as night after night, you’re only really doing half the work you normally would do as a singles competitor.

11 Young: Sonya Deville

The former MMA fighter turned professional wrestler would has been pretty outstanding in her transformation, and it may be more shocking to some that she is only 24-years-old. Sonya Deville first started her MMA career back in 2014, and won her first two fights before dropping her third and final bout, then she made the jump the WWE, entering the 2015 Tough Enough competition where she was the third competitor eliminated. But she stuck around with a WWE development deal and was called up to the main roster as part of the Absolution faction with Paige. She competed in the first-ever women’s elimination chamber, and with the handful of former MMA stars joining the WWE, Deville is in a perfect position to be seen as a legitimately tough competitor in the ring.

10 Old: Bobby Roode

The Glorious Bobby Roode came to the WWE later in his career, stepping into the WWE ring in NXT in 2016. He went on to become NXT champion before making the jump the main roster on Smackdown Live, and now he is the United States Champion, all at the age of 40-years-old. When many superstars are seeing their career wind down by the time they reach their 40s, Roode is looking for a second wind after making the jump to the biggest promotion in the world after spending the majority of his career with TNA. He wrestles a safe style and can still put on great matches, so the potential is there for him to have a good run with the WWE, well into his 40s.

9 Young: Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne is considered one of the best wrestlers in the WWE today and he is only 24-years-old. The Bruiserweight is the current WWE United Kingdom Champion, having defeated Tyler Bate in the 2017 NXT Match of the Year at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. While he may be in his early 20s and a newcomer to the WWE, Dunne actually has plenty of experience under his belt, having started training as a wrestler when he was just 12-years-old. He made his debut at 14-years-old for United Kingdom-based promotions before making his first major appearance in the WWE in the UK tournament, finishing second. With stints also in Japan, Dunne is well traveled for such a young star with plenty of potential left in him to grow into a mainstay with the WWE.

8 Old: AJ Styles

AJ Styles is considered the best professional wrestler in the world and for good reason. But what may actually be the most phenomenal thing about him is that he is doing all this while at the age of 40, and it doesn’t seem like he will slow down one bit, as he is currently in the WWE champion and about to headline WrestleMania. When you consider other 40-year-olds in the WWE are thinking of hanging them up, AJ Styles is leaps and bounds above the rest who are 10 years younger than him. He has built Smackdown Live on his own back and is the main attraction every Tuesday night. With how good he is, it’s possible to think that we could see AJ Styles in the ring well into his 50s.

7 Young: Liv Morgan

Former competitive cheerleader Liv Morgan is just 23-years-old, and has only been with the WWE since 2014. She is making an impact on Smackdown Live as part of the Riott Squad. She still has plenty to learn and many think she was rushed to the main roster ahead of others in NXT who are clearly ahead of her in terms of in-ring talent and ability, but the WWE sees something in Morgan that has made them put her in the three-woman faction. While most women on the roster have an extensive background in wrestling, Morgan has only known the world of WWE. She still has plenty to learn before she becomes a serious competitor for the WWE women’s championship on either brand.

6 Old: Chris Jericho

You wouldn’t tell from his latest work, but Chris Jericho is 47 years old. Despite his "old age" he still has the ability to hang with guys half his age. While not with WWE, his match with Kenny Omega in NJPW is considered one of the best of his career and could be a match of the year candidate, and he did that well past what would be the prime for many in the sports entertainment industry. But even dating back to his WWE matches with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania last year, you couldn’t tell Jericho had lost a step at all, especially on the mic, where he may still be the best in the company. Considering he was brought in to save the WWE in 1999 as the millennium man, Jericho has aced the test of time.

5 Young: Tyler Bate

The youngest wrestler on this list is Tyler Bate, who at just 20-years-old is already a former WWE UK Champion, winning the first United Kingdom tournament when he was just 19-years-old. He would quickly, however, lose the championship to another youngster in Pete Dunn in what was the match of the year last year in WWE. So just think about that, at 19-years-old, he already won a WWE tournament, held a championship, and wrestled in a match of the year match. Not bad for a guy who can’t even legally buy a drink in the United States. WWE kept Bate away from the road until he turned 20, but now he seems poised to pop up in NXT more often, and should be a staple of the WWE’s future roster.

4 Old: Mickie James

Mickie James is the most decorated women’s wrestlers on the WWE roster today, having been a six-time WWE women’s champion. At 38-years-old, she is getting her second wind with the WWE, although more in an enhancement talent role these days, though she did have a brief shot at Alexa Bliss and her Raw Women’s Championship last year, and competed in both the first women’s Elimination Chamber match and the Women’s Royal Rumble, where she squared off against her old rival Trish Stratus in a memorable moment. James isn’t someone they would build the division around, as she has been wrestling for nearly 20 years. She does however add experience to the roster and has been in plenty of big matches over her long career.

3 Young: Noam Dar

Noam Dar has had a pretty steady career so far, working since 2008, which would make him just 14-years-old at the time. Considering he is only 24-years-old, it’s impressive to think he has been in the business for 10 years already. He has traveled around the world, competing in Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and originally comes from Israel. While he hasn’t had the greatest success so far in the WWE, he did reach the quarterfinals of the Cruiserweight Classic, and eventually began an on-screen relationship with Alicia Fox. He has had some injury troubles, but at 24-years-old, there is plenty of time to bounce back and become a star on 205 Live!

2 Old: John Cena

John Cena has been the face of the WWE for over a decade now, and is one world championship away from breaking Ric Flair’s record of most world title reigns with 17. He is currently tied with the Nature Boy, and all signs point to Cena becoming the greatest world champion of all time. But at 40-years-old, Cena is starting to show signs of the wear and tear on his body and the grind of being the face that runs the place. His schedule has slowed down, and he hasn’t main evented WrestleMania in five years, giving way to other up and coming superstars. It won’t be long until Cena finally hangs it up, as he is already one-foot out the door and into Hollywood, but you have to respect the hustle of the biggest name in the WWE.

1 Young: The Velveteen Dream

The man who just wants everyone to say his name, Velveteen Dream should almost start asking everyone to ‘Say his age”. At just 22-years-old, the Velveteen Dream is one of the best draws currently in NXT, and while he hasn’t won any championships just yet, he already has Rivalry of the Year (with Aleister Black) under his belt, and is considered one of the best upcoming stars. Velveteen Dream, however, hasn’t been wrestling long. He was first on the 2015 edition of Tough Enough, where he finished ninth. He did get a WWE contract out of the experience, and after just three years, Dream is ready for the main roster. Considering he had no experience as a wrestler beforehand, the sky is the limit for Dream, and will be having people say his name for years to come.