Oldest WCW Wrestlers Ever, Ranked By Age

Among the many beliefs fans have on WCW is that by the end of it, it was dominated by older guys. The thing is that “old” has a different connotation in wrestling, a business where hitting 40 is considered ancient. Some guys like Diamond Dallas Page started late in the business while others were actually younger than they looked, like Arn Anderson.

Still, WCW did have a few guys on the payroll ready for AARP – American Association of Retired Persons. Some were just brief appearances at special events while others were regular stars still getting into a ring long past their prime. It’s trickier than it seems but these rank as the ten oldest wrestlers to step into a WCW ring and prove that yes, the company did have an over-reliance on older stars despite all their younger talent.

Mil Mascaras Had A Tough Time In WCW

His Run There Isn’t Well Regarded

“The Man of a Million Masks” has a complicated standing in wrestling. On the one hand, he was a groundbreaker for luchadors and masked wrestlers and a great high flier. On the other hand, Mascaras was often accused of being selfish and refusing to make himself look bad for opponents.

In 1990, at almost 48, Mascaras did a stint in WCW. That included a Clash of the Champions match against Cactus Jack, with Mick Foley’s book complaining about Mascaras refusing to sell for him. He was a bit ahead of his time in the Cruiserweight department, yet Mascaras in WCW didn’t add much to his overall legacy.

Ole Anderson’s Last Run Was Shorter Than Expected

The Veteran Vanished Fast

A classic grizzled veteran, Ole Anderson has had his share of detractors complaining about his booking style. Yet Ole was a good worker, a top star with the Four Horsemen, and could deliver some great promos. He had a falling out with WCW in 1991 after his disastrous booking style but was drawn back in 1993.

The idea was a reunion of the Four Horsemen with Ole, Arn, and Flair, but then the baffling decision to add Paul Roma as the fourth guy. As it happened, Ole barely did any actual wrestling or even appeared after their initial outing and was fired the following year, making this a shorter run than even he anticipated.

Ric Flair Was WCW To Its Dying Day

No One But The Nature Boy Could Close The Company Out

No one was as synonymous with WCW as Ric Flair. To count his classic matches, accolades, titles, and more would be futile, as Flair’s presence made him the heart of the company. Even in the bad times, Flair was a master of firing up fans, delivering top bouts and a fantastic champion.

While the last years of WCW put Flair through stupid stuff (even making him into a crazy guy), he kept going and added a few more World titles to his resume. It was only fitting the final Nitro had Flair, at 52, wrestling Sting in the main event to send off WCW. He’s still out there and showcasing how amazing a worker he was and how vital Flair’s presence was to keep WCW going.

Baron Von Raschke Managed A Legends Appearance

The “Claw Master” Made A WCW Stop

Before the von Erichs, Baron von Raschke was known as the “Clawmaster.” He had a great act and could cut fantastic promos, becoming a star in the AWA with numerous titles. The Baron was a master at firing up a crowd, stomping around the ring before slapping the claw onto an opponent.

In 1993, at 53 years old, von Raschke took part in WCW’s Slamboree event, teaming with Ivan Koloff in a loss to Thunderbolt Patterson and Brad Armstrong. Von Raschke retired a couple of years later to make this the last huge showcase for the Claw in his career.

Dusty Rhodes Kept With WCW To The End

The American Dream Was Always Tied To The Company

Few guys were as tied to WCW’s history as Dusty Rhodes. Even with a brief run in WWE, Dusty still had his deep ties to WCW and would spend time there from wrestling to commentating and more. He just couldn’t stay away as in late 2000, he and Ric Flair reignited their seemingly never-ending feud.

That included some crazy matches involving a donkey (don’t ask), a bad Dusty impression by Flair (seriously, don’t ask) and more. The final WCW PPV, Greed, had Dusty and Dustin beating Flair and Jeff Jarrett so it seems oddly fitting the American Dream had one of his final bouts in a WCW ring.

Dory Funk Jr Had As Good A Career As His Brother

Dory May Have Been The Better Worker

Terry Funk might have gotten more fame, but his brother Dory was just as huge a star. He, too, reigned as NWA World Heavyweight Champion and was regarded as one of the best technical workers of his time. He and Terry teamed up in WWE and elsewhere, always tearing it up anywhere they went.

Dory made a return to the ring at WCW’s Slamboree 1993 as he and Nick Bockwinkel wrestled to a draw. In 1997, he took part in a special WCW event, teaming with Greg Valentine against Tony Parisi and Gino Brito. Finally retiring in 2017, Dory’s legacy may not be as strong as his brother’s but still regarded as a master of wrestling.

Terry Funk Couldn’t Stop

WCW Was Yet Another Stop In Funk’s Unending Retirement Tour

Terry Funk, a man who felt quitting wrestling was akin to quitting breathing. From his time as NWA Champion to his war with Ric Flair in 1989, Funk had a good connection to WCW that carried even as he did stints in ECW to become a hardcore icon.

Funk returned to WCW in 2000, at 56 years of age but as nuts as ever. His tenure included wild brawls, briefly becoming “Commissioner,” and the infamous bout where he got kicked by a horse. He even got bits as Hardcore and United States Champion to add to his legacy as one of the most astounding careers in wrestling history.

Wahoo McDaniel Was A Master

The Legendary Native American Worker Did A WCW Stint

A longtime favorite in the Mid-Atlantic territory, Wahoo McDaniel was one of the best Native American wrestlers ever. A multiple time champion, McDaniel did some long stints for Jim Crockett Promotions and always had a soft spot for the area that made him famous. He was mostly retired in the early 1990s after a leg injury but just couldn’t give up on the sport.

For Slamboree 1993, McDaniel returned to WCW to team with Blackjack Mulligan and Jim Brunzell against Dick Murdoch, Don Muraco and Jimmy Snuka. Two years later, McDaniel defeated Murdoch at Slamboree 1995, one of his final matches before retiring his storied career.

Jimmy Snuka Messed Up A WCW PPV

The Superfly’s Appearance Caused Huge Headaches For WCW

Jimmy Snuka’s legacy is forever marred by his involvement in a woman’s death, but the Superfly is still well-regarded as a pioneer for high-flying daredevils. Most of his time in wrestling was in WWE, but he also worked in other companies – even winning the ECW World Championship in the early 1990s.

In 2000, Snuka showed up in WCW as part of a feud with Jeff Jarrett. That included hitting his patented Superfly Splash onto Jarrett off the top of the cage on Nitro. That looked impressive but ended up being bad for WCW as Jarrett suffered a concussion, taking him out of a PPV event so it’s little wonder they didn’t have Snuka wrestle for them again.

Nick Bockwinkel Had His Final Match In WCW

The Veteran Was Also Commisioner

For many WCW fans, Nick Bockwinkel was a bigger presence as the on-screen commissioner in the mid-1990s. Before that, Bockwinkel had been one of the biggest stars for Verne Gagne’s AWA, holding its World title multiple times.

While semi-retired as the ‘90s began, Bockwinkel could still get into the ring now and then. In 1993, he had his final match at Slamboree as he and Dory Funk Jr. wrestled to a time-limit draw. Bockwinkel then moved into his commissioner role, yet WCW can boast of being the final in-ring appearance of this legendary worker.