Hall-of-Famers; Multi-time tag team Champion - 4 former WWE stars you wouldn't believe are still wrestling
It's not unheard of, but some WWE stars have careers of more than 20 years. Randy Orton hit the milestone this year as he debuted in 2002. Others, like the Undertaker and Triple H, recently retired from the ring after several decades in the business.
With advancements in nutrition, healing, and medicine, current WWE performers like AJ Styles, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode are all aged over 40 and are still active.
What a match between @AJStylesOrg & @SamiZayn!
#WWERaw https://t.co/qfNlHGpCs1
While the company has a roster of over 120 Superstars, some were released or left to pursue other ventures. The likes of Lana and Nia Jax haven't wrestled since leaving the ring.
There are, however, many former WWE stars who still wrestle outside of the biggest promotion in the world. Some of those names may even be surprising. Here are four former WWE stars who you wouldn't believe are still wrestling.
#4 Gangrel led the Brood while with WWE
Most older fans probably remember Gangrel as the leader of the Brood, a faction that also included Edge and Christian.
Believe it or not, Gangrel still wrestles on the independent scene. He's made appearances for Major League Wrestling as well as many other smaller wrestling promotions.
He still uses his vampire gimmick and is a part of the faction Strange Sangre in MLW. Gangrel also uses the Vampire Warrior name in other companies. The man with fangs is 53 years old and is still going strong.
#3 Brodus Clay goes by Tyrus in NWA
When Brodus Clay was signed to WWE, fans thought they would be getting a no-nonsense, enforcer-type star. Instead, they got a dancing big man flanked by two women.
He was more of a novelty act rather than a serious performer. After leaving, the man formerly known as the Funkasaurus wrestled as Tyrus for IMPACT Wrestling.
He currently works for NWA and recently won the NWA Heavyweight title at the age of 49. Tyrus has also kept busy outside of the ring. When he isn't wrestling, he's involved in politics.
#2 Bully Ray has an upcoming title shot at the IMPACT Championship
.@TheJasonHotch was in SERIOUS TROUBLE but @Walking_Weapon made the save!
@bullyray5150
#IMPACTonAXSTV https://t.co/TnD0QsKgxW
Most WWE fans remember Bubba Ray as one-half of the Dudley Boys tag team. The duo won numerous Tag Team titles and was a staple of the early 2000s. The team hasn't wrestled a lot lately, but Bubba Ray has.
Known as Bully Ray in other promotions, he's performed for Ring Of Honor, NWA, and IMPACT Wrestling. At 51 years old, he won IMPACT's Gauntlet for the Gold earlier this year. With his win, he will challenge Josh Alexander for the IMPACT World title at Hard To Kill on January 13th.
Bully Ray truly reinvented himself once his tag team disbanded, living up to his moniker. In IMPACT, he's terrorized Alexander and his family as well as his former friend, Tommy Dreamer, who is also still wrestling.
#1 Jeff Jarrett has appeared in both AEW and WWE in 2022
For his entire adult life, Jeff Jarrett has been an active professional wrestler. He performed for WCW and WWF in the 1990s before starting TNA in 2002. He was a huge star for TNA and won the World title on several occasions.
Jarrett returned to WWE in the 2019 Royal Rumble and had a match the next night on RAW. He faded to the background but briefly re-emerged as an on-screen character at this year's SummerSlam. In a match between the Usos and the Street Profits, Jarrett was the Special Guest Referee.
In November, Jarrett turned up in AEW. At 55 years old, he has wrestled alongside Sanjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, and Satnam Singh. With Lethal, he could be challenging for the AEW Tag Team titles in the near future.