3 current, full-time WWE Superstars who appeared in WCW
WCW may seem like it ended an absolute eternity ago to some wrestling fans, and it kind of did.
Having been founded by Ted Turner in 1988 after Turner Broadcasting System purchased and rebranded the Jim Crockett Promotions, the promotion was slowly built up steam for five years before Eric Bischoff was appointed as executive producer of television in 1993 - and then things really got interesting.
Two years later, WCW Monday Nitro debuted and started a war with WWE RAW!
Just one year later, WCW would surpass their rival program in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks, winning the weekly battles and look like the favorites to win the war.
The promotion, though, would then show some inexperience creatively and endured significant losses in ratings and revenue, before the merger of Turner Broadcasting with Time Warner and AOL sent the promotion into a downward spiral from which it never recovered - and WWE, then known as WWF, would pick up the pieces, purchasing selected assets.
While that was just under 20 years ago, three currently active WWE Superstars all appeared on WCW television. Now, I know what you're thinking.
"Easy! Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan."
Wrong, wrong and wrong again! Goldberg doesn't wrestle regularly, Hulk Hogan no longer wrestles despite appearing slightly more often, and Chris Jericho is contracted with AEW.
Any more guesses? If not, let's get underway...
#3 AJ Styles
AJ Styles may still be at the very top of his game in WWE, currently holding the WWE United States Championship and currently running roughshod over the roster with The OC by his side.
The 42-year-old, though, is a long way from where he started. Having been born in North Carolina, Styles soon moved to Gainesville, Georgia, and would wrestle for the Atlanta-based WCW in 2001.
WCW had observed Styles program with Air Paris in NWA Wildside, offering both men a contract and pairing both up, with Styles being renamed Air Styles and naming the team Air Raid.
Air Raid appearing on Thunder three times, and would appear on Nitro, competing in a tournament for the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship.
Air Raid were eliminated in the first round by eventual winners Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo.