The age of a wrestler can often be important to how hard they are pushed by WWE. It is always changing, but most eras will see the top stars in their 30s. Wrestling is different than most other sporting events out there. Even though the athletic aspect is important, the scripted element allows older wrestlers that fans still pay to see continue to have a high demand, which has them returning for big paydays.
The other end features the younger wrestlers trying to make an impact early in their careers. WWE’s roster features wrestlers of all demographics with age being one of the things that varies. There are young wrestlers just now starting their careers to great success and older wrestlers that have an age most would not assume for someone still wrestling. We will look at five surprising wrestlers that were over 40 along with another five that are under 30.
10 Over 40: Sheamus (41)
Sheamus has been a fixture in WWE for some time now, but it doesn’t feel like he’s among the oldest performers on the roster. Aside from the part-time wrestlers, Sheamus is towards the top of the old list at 41 years old.
WWE started pushing Sheamus about a decade ago in his early 30s. The hope was for him to become a top superstar on the same tier as John Cena, Randy Orton and Triple H. Sheamus could never break the glass ceiling and found his best role as part of The Bar tag team with partner Cesaro.
9 Under 30: Bo Dallas (29)
Bo Dallas is a surprising wrestler just under 30 years old given that he’s been on the main roster for over five years now. WWE signed Dallas at the young age of 18 due to his potential as Mike Rotunda’s son. Bo would win the NXT Championship and had a strong NXT run before the main roster debut.
Fans view him as a veteran since he’s done nothing of note during his long run on Raw and Smackdown. There is still time for Dallas to become a bigger star, but it remains unlikely with how things have gone for him so far.
8 Over 40: R-Truth (47)
R-Truth is one of the veterans on the WWE roster that does not look his age. WWE has seen him become a big part of the product on both Raw and Smackdown as the champion and face of the new 24/7 Championship division.
The comedic work of R-Truth allows him to maintain his spot on the WWE roster despite inching closer to 50. WWE has shown him respect and loyalty which means he’ll likely be a part of the company as long as he wants to be there, especially since he looks way younger than his age.
7 Under 30: Peyton Royce (26)
Peyton Royce is not only one of the youngest people on the WWE main roster, but she also made history at WrestleMania 35 with her age. The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship win of the Iiconics made Royce the first wrestler born in the 90s to win a title at WrestleMania.
Royce clearly has a bright future given the young age and already having a secure spot on the main roster. The tag team of her and Billie Kay are the most consistent duo in the women’s division which makes sense since they are best friends outside of the ring.
6 Over 40: Bobby Roode (42)
Bobby Roode has been around the wrestling world for almost two decades now. The relatively new addition to the WWE roster is a bit older than the average WWE fan will assume given the fact he’s in tremendous shape.
Roode is actually 42 years old and finds himself as one of the oldest full-time wrestlers on the roster in 2019. The long run in Impact Wrestling would see Roode spend the prime years of his career there. Roode’s run in NXT was impressive, but the older age makes his chances at main roster success less realistic.
5 Under 30: Heavy Machinery (Otis 28 and Tucker 27)
The tag team of Heavy Machinery will likely be receiving a relevant push at some point. Both wrestlers are among the younger talents on the main roster after their call-up from NXT earlier this year. The comedic team of Otis and Tucker certainly provide the entertainment value WWE loves from performers.
Otis is only 27 years old and Tucker is right there with him one year older at 28. The hope would be for Heavy Machinery to have a long run in the tag team division with their strength and comedic elements providing a promising future.
4 Over 40: AJ Styles (42)
AJ Styles signing with WWE later in his career is bittersweet knowing how most of his best years took place in Impact Wrestling. The current age of 42 has Styles in a position as one of the oldest wrestlers on the active main roster today.
WWE did not see anything special in Styles during his younger years and it wasn’t until his New Japan run that they were impressed. Styles joined the company in 2016 at the age of 39, but he still found a way to rise to the top as WWE Champion. It is a mystery how strong WWE uses AJ as he gets older.
3 Under 30: Andrade (29)
The career of Andrade has been going for over a decade since he was 18. Many fans believe Andrade is a bit older than 29 since he’s had runs in New Japan, CMLL and NXT before getting called up to the main roster in 2018.
Andrade remains one of the few wrestlers with star potential under 30. There is a great chance for him to move into the main event picture and become a world champion. WWE is reportedly high on Andrade partially due to youth being on his side.
2 Over 40: Bobby Lashley (42)
Bobby Lashley does not physically appear to age at the same rate as the rest of us. The look of Lashley is similar today to his early WWE run in the mid-2000s. Most fans assumed he was in his early 20s back then and in his mid-30s now.
Lashley, however, was born in 1976 and is an older member of the roster today. Luckily, he still moves as young as ever and does not have the aging process slow him down the way it does for most. Lashley is arguably the most surprising wrestler in WWE over the age of 40 at 42 years old.
1 Under 30: Paige (26)
Paige is not even near the age of 30 yet as one of the biggest surprises of the WWE wrestlers’ ages. The start of Paige’s career coming as a teenager and her WWE contract coming at the age of 18 gave her a lot of experience in her young life.
An injury forcing Paige to retire also adds the perception that she’s a little older since she had a run and retired from the ring. Paige, however, finds her age at 26 among the youngest on-screen performers on WWE’s roster. It adds some sadness to her retirement when realizing how many years of wrestling she’ll miss out on.