10 Wrestling Veterans Who Remained Relevant Long After Their Prime




Whenever a wrestler reaches their prime it can become difficult for them to remain relevant and continue to entertain people. That's because the wrestling business is constantly changing and evolving and when one wrestler comes toward the end of their time there is always somebody new ready to take that spot.






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However, certain wrestlers have managed to cling to their relevancy, regardless of whether their prime was in the rearview mirror. This can be done by focusing on their strengths, or putting together a few great moments outside of the ring too as they look to remain connected with an audience.





10 The Undertaker



undertaker-fighting-roman-reigns



The Undertaker is someone who competed for many years past his prime, simply because he was searching for the perfect retirement match. While fans appreciated his care and commitment, the fact was that his match quality did dip because his body couldn't do it anymore.


The Deadman did stay relevant throughout that period though, largely because of his legacy. He'd earned the respect of fans who were never going to turn on him, and the fact he only appeared sporadically certainly helped as he brought an element of mystery and star power.



9 Bully Ray



Bully Ray returns to Impact



When Bully Ray returned to WWE for the final Dudley Boyz run he was coming toward the end of his prime, but he was able to remain relevant after that due to his hard work. Ray knew how to get fans talking about him as a heel which is why he turned up at Ring Of Honor.


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He competed for them and got the internet buzzing about his work, and he has continued that act on social media. Being part of Busted Open Radio also helps him as he can give his opinions on the current product which often gets picked up online and by other news outlets.



8 Hulk Hogan



Hulk Hogan WWE Hall of Fame 2005 Cropped



Hulk Hogan has always been smart at remaining relevant no matter what stage in life he's at, particularly since he reached the end of his prime as a wrestler. Heading to TNA was a wise move for him as it got everybody talking about him again, despite the fact he was past his best.


Hogan tapped into the reality television world just as it was starting to boom, which helped him rise outside of wrestling as well. He now has a biopic with Chris Hemsworth playing him coming up shortly which is another example of how he will be staying relevant.



7 The Iron Sheik



The Iron Sheik Vs Hull Hogan At Madison Square Garden



The Iron Sheik was someone who was always going to be loved and respected by wrestling fans due to the career he had in the industry. However, he stayed relevant up until his death because he got to grips with social media quickly and continued his character on that platform.


His comments toward real-life circumstances always got people laughing while he kept up his rivalry with Hulk Hogan throughout his entire life, all of which kept him relevant with fans.



6 DDP



DDP at Bash At The Beach Cropped



DDP's full-time run in professional wrestling came to a rather forgettable end, but that never stopped him remaining relevant in the eyes of the fanbase. A big reason for that was down to the DDPY program that he created, with the transformations that he has helped people go through helping him go viral.


On top of that, DDP attached himself to Cody Rhodes when he was pushing his own Nightmare Family due to DDP's connection with Dusty Rhodes. That's something that helped him due to how popular that group was.



5 Sting



Sting Darby Allin



Sting was past his best in terms of wrestling by the time he joined WWE, so the fact he is still competing to this day showcases that he is far past his prime. However, the WCW icon has remained as relevant as ever due to how he has worked for AEW, linking himself with good young talent while creating viral moments.


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Taking big bumps in tag team matches and still competing at the highest level s always going to keep him relevant. It's a credit to Sting's hard work and the fact he is happy to push himself to the extremes to stay relevant in the business.



4 RVD



RVD and katie forbes in the ring



RVD is still able to hang inside the ring, but there's no doubt that has been past his prime for a while. While excitement and talk calmed down surrounding RVD, but he managed to stay relevant by bringing Katie Forbes into his on-screen presentation, which instantly got a lot of reaction.


The two of them created some viral videos which helped to get a lot of buzz and attention on the ECW legend once again, and that ended up being a great revival moment. RVD even showed up in AEW and challenged Jack Perry for the FTW Championship.



3 Kevin Nash



Kevin Nash's physique-1



Kevin Nash is long since retired, but that hasn't stopped him from being relevant in the business. People are still interested in hearing from Nash and seeing what he has to say, and that's because he kept himself busy by dipping into the movie business, taking on interesting projects.


Nash didn't just go for the stereotypical roles and that allowed him to remain interesting to people. On top of that, he created his own podcast which has meant fans have a reason to still hear from him.



2 Jeff Jarrett



Jeff Jarrett in AEW



Jeff Jarrett is the ultimate veteran when it comes to reinventing himself, staying relevant, and tapping into different wrestling promotions to keep his name out there. He moved to WWE at the right time when he was past his best, popping up in the Royal Rumble and taking on a backstage role.


RELATED: 10 Things Jeff Jarrett Never Accomplished In Wrestling


He then kept himself relevant by joining AEW, becoming a big part of the product while also helping the company behind the scenes. He might not be able to perform at the same level, but Jarrett has certainly remained a popular figure.



1 Ric Flair



Ric Flair Last Match



Ric Flair remains as relevant today in the world of pop culture as he ever has, even though he is long since past his prime. The Nature Boy hasn't been a full-time wrestler for over a decade, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing to grow his brand and remaining relevant.


This is something he has achieved due to his work outside the wrestling business. Connecting with different fans by linking up with those in the rap world which has led to his name consistently being mentioned.



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