WWE is continually searching for new talent. While the company develops its own via NXT and WWE Performance Center, they're constantly signing and using talent from other promotions. Some of which have spent decades in the squared circle. But the way the company uses these veterans is pivotal, given how much time they have left in the ring.
I looked for talent that were somewhere in their mid to late 30s and ended up finding guys that had a minimum age of 35. All wrestlers included in this group either made a return to WWE or came to the company for the first time from another promotion (TNA, ROH, New Japan, etc.). I found five wrestlers on the Main Roster and six wrestlers in NXT that met my criteria for this group. Of the 11 wrestlers in this group, 3 are currently champion (Nakamura, Styles and Rhyno). Two are former champions in their current run with WWE or NXT (Balor and Samoa Joe). So 5 of 11 talents signed within the previously set criteria have won a championship.
Main Roster
- Rhyno (SDL): age 40, returned 2015 (SmackDown Live Tag Team Champion)
- AJ Styles (SDL): age 39, signed 2016 (World Champion)
- Brian Kendrick (RAW): age 37, returned 2016
- Karl Anderson (RAW): age 36, signed 2016
- Finn Balor (RAW): age 35, signed 2014 (former Universal and NXT Champion)
NXT
- Bobby Roode: age 39, returned 2016
- Austin Aries: age 38, signed 2016
- Samoa Joe: age 37: signed 2015 (former NXT Champion)
- Shinsuke Nakamura: age 36, signed 2016 (NXT Champion)
- Hideo Itami: age 35, signed 2014
- Tye Dillinger: age 35, returned 2013
Big leagues
Veteran superstars on Raw or SmackDown Live seem to have it better than the guys in NXT. That’s very much an obvious statement, but if you look at the talent on the main roster, 2 of 5 wrestlers are current champions and 3 of 5 have held a title in WWE in the past three years. Clash of Champions, the first Raw specific pay per view after the current brand split, was held last night. With all Raw championships being defended, it could have spelled success for experienced talent. But both Anderson and Kendrick lost their matches, with Gallows and Anderson losing to The New Day with the Raw Tag Team titles on the line and Kendrick losing to T.J. Perkins, in Perkins first Cruiserweight title defense. It seemed more likely for Anderson to walk away champion, with the Cruiserweight division debuting on Raw Sept. 19. It did not seem likely for a title change to occur less than a week after the WWE Universe was introduced to the competitors (assuming not every fan watched the Cruiserweight Classic).
In-house indies
With less titles and less time per week, NXT talent seem to already have the deck stacked against them. Given the nature of NXT, taping episodes sometimes months in advance, it's not hard to see where a storyline or feud is going. On that note, it's not likely for Nakamura to lose the NXT Championship before the end of the year. Obviously, spoilers for NXT exist and feel free to read them here. But it is more plausible right now for Dash and Dawson to lose the NXT Tag Team Championships before 2017. With WWE building up Nakamura, being undefeated on NXT episodes and pay per views, it does not seem like he will lose his title. If he does, it will be to Samoa Joe in a rematch, but that doesn’t change my point on utilizing veteran talent. To me, it seems more likely for Joe to win a title on the main roster after his call up. He would be a great challenger for the U.S. or Intercontinental title, and should be in the Universal or World title picture by mid to late 2017, depending on brand situation.
Not meant to be
A lot of what I’ve said here is based on the fact that every wrestler, regardless of promotion, wants to be champion. But maybe some of the elder statesmen WWE has acquired are okay with a Chris Jericho like role, where they’re situated in the mid to top of the card and will be used to put developing talent over. I understand not everyone can be champion. But when you look at the skill and pedigree of guys like Roode and Aries, how do they not challenge for a title? They very well could challenge for a Raw or SmackDown Live title. And they absolutely should challenge for the NXT title. It seems that whether it be in front of 300-400 at Full Sail (NXT) or in a 10,000+ arena (main roster), time will eventually win and at best one will be champion. Not both.
When they're right...
While fans are quick to jump on WWE for making "wrong" booking decisions (I am one of them at times, too), they have made the right decisions with some talent. AJ Styles skipped NXT and debuted at this year's Royal Rumble. Now, 9 months later, he is World Champion and one of the focal points of SmackDown Live. Finn Balor spent perhaps too much time in NXT, before making his main roster debut. But at SummerSlam, he beat Seth Rollins to become the first Universal Champion, although he was unfortunately injured in that match. Samoa Joe has done great things in NXT, in his 16 plus months with WWE, including an NXT title reign and great feud with Balor.
WWE can and has made good decisions with talent. Only time will tell if they do the right thing with those mentioned here. Going forward, it will be interesting to see what they do with Roode, Aries, Itami and Dillinger, NXT superstars who have not won a title and are not in a current title picture. I'm also curious as to when, if at all, Anderson and or Kendrick win the titles of which they are currently in pursuit.
