5 WWE Superstars you might not realize have been with the company for more than 10 years
A decade is a long time for any individual to stay in a single role. For a WWE Superstar, though, it is a particularly impressive feat.
The sheer amount of television and live events that WWE produces during a typical year means that their performers are faced with a considerable workload - particularly when you take into account commitments outside the ring - such as promotional appearances and interviews.
It is unsurprising, therefore, that Superstars have been known to get burned out, with some opting to leave the company to pursue outside interests over the years.
The likes of Jeff Hardy and Chris Jericho have left WWE in the past to work on musical projects, while current SmackDown Superstar John Morrison recently confirmed that he chose to depart the promotion in 2011 to focus on producing a movie.
Releases are also a fact of life in WWE. Whether a Superstar is released for budgetary reasons or to clear space on the roster for new talent, it is very rare that a WWE performer clocks up ten years of service on the company's main roster.
By way of illustration, both Drew McIntyre and MVP are prominently featured on the RAW brand at present. Both were also under WWE contract this time ten years ago. However, the pair were let go by WWE and returned as stronger performers, having benefitted from the chance to gain new experiences elsewhere.
There are a select few, though, who have remained a part of the WWE main roster for more than a decade and we will look at a number of them here.
Now, this article will not deal with the likes of Randy Orton, The Miz, or Kofi Kingston. Although all of the above have been with WWE for a considerable time, they have all also challenged for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania - meaning that they are not really suitable candidates for this list.
With that said, here are five WWE Superstars that you might not realize have been with the company for ten years.
#5 Sheamus
Sheamus made his official WWE debut in 2009 as part of the ECW brand. It took him less than six months, however, to defeat John Cena for the WWE Championship.
The Irishman's victory in a Tables Match at TLC 2009 came as quite a shock at the time - and indicated that WWE had plans for Sheamus as a major player going forward.
Sheamus' impressive WWE resume
In the almost 11 years that have followed, Sheamus has certainly accomplished plenty. A further three world title reigns followed his upset win over Cena, as well as two United States Championship runs. Sheamus' link-up with Cesaro as The Bar also saw him win no less than five Tag Team Championships. In fact, the only title that Sheamus has not won at the time of writing is the Intercontinental Championship.
The 42-year-old's achievements do not end with his haul of championships either. Sheamus won the King of the Ring tournament in 2010, the Royal Rumble match in 2012, and the Money in the Bank Ladder match in 2015.
Despite these accolades, though, Sheamus has never truly felt like a marquee Superstar throughout his time with WWE. Injuries, together with some questionable creative at times (The League of Nations, anyone?), have kept Sheamus from regular headline act status.
Currently a solid heel member of the upper-midcard on SmackDown, Sheamus continues to be a valuable presence on WWE television.