WCW is a cherished brand that live on in the WWE Network, the spin-off promotion IMPACT Wrestling and its second son in AEWb but what about the active stars?
It’s been nearly twenty years since WCW ceased operations, and in that time the one thing that hasn’t changed is the love that the promotion still gets from fans. From fans who make WCW-themed video game models, to fan sites that cover exclusively WCW merchandise and shows.
WCW made an impact on the wrestling business and fighters being paid with a paystub sample are still able to enjoy the company to some degree as wrestlers from that era still compete to this day.
No matter how old they are or how often they go, these wrestlers are keeping that WCW spirit alive. These are the first nine names, and a second list is going to happen. So don’t be too upset if the one you expect to see isn’t on here. What’s better than a sequel?
[nextpage title=”Diamond Dallas Page”]
Diamond Dallas Page won the WCW world championship three times during his time with the promotion. He was a late starter to his in-ring career but was able to find life as a main eventer during his time with WCW despite being older than just about every wrestler not named ‘Funk’, ‘Flair’ or ‘Hogan’.
He went to the WWE for a year or so, before having to retire due to a back injury. After finding and practicing yoga for some time, Page returned to wrestling with IMPACT Wrestling (then called TNA) and had a run of about eight months with the brand before walking away again.
He spent a few years making sporadic appearances before ultimately focusing on his DDP Yoga brand. He returned to the ring in 2020 at the AEW event Bash at the Beach at 63 years old.
[nextpage title=”Goldberg”]
Goldberg was a huge addition to the WCW roster in 1997, and in less than a year’s time, he was already the companies top star and their world champion. His short and brutal matches became an instant fan favorite spot on every card he was on. Despite being so over, Goldberg only won one world championship during his WCW tenure.
He ended up in the WWE two years later and would win his second championship at Unforgiven 2003 and would have a lackluster title run, but that’s mostly on WWE’s booking.
He would leave the brand in 2004 but would return in 2016, having a huge return bout with Brock Lesnar that lasted barely 90 seconds, and had fans losing their minds. Since then he’s won two more world championships and has proven that at 53-years-old, he’s far from done.
[nextpage title=”L.A. Park”]
L.A. Park might be a name you’re kinda familiar with. During his time in WCW he was named LA Parka, but due to legal issues with AAA, he had to change his name slightly. For a time there were two men who dressed up in skeleton outfits, one was known as La Parka, and the other became L.A. Park.
L.A. Park had a fun time in WCW, becoming a huge fan favorite. He competed in the cruiserweight division despite being over the 225 lbs weight limit, but it was more of a tongue-in-cheek involvement. After WCW closed, Park would spend time in Mexico working for AAA, CMLL and other Mexican indies while splitting time with American based squads.
Park can now be found as one of Major League Wrestling’s top stars, despite being 54. His son, El Hijo de LA Park, is also with MLW and wrestles in similar garb to his father. The two of them have become big stars for the brand, and El Hijo de LA Park looks to be every bit as good as his father.
[nextpage title=”Scott Steiner”]
Holla if you hear him because Scott Steiner is still going strong at 57-years-old. Over the course of 365 days, Steiner has wrestled nearly 20 times across IMPACT Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and Chikara among others.
In WCW he became one of the most decorated wrestlers, winning the companies grand slam title, which is done by winning the Television, United States, Tag Team and World Championships. He came up with his brother Rick and the two became huge stars for the brand.
Steiner would end up in the WWE for a year, but wouldn’t get much to do during his year run with the brand but he’d rejuvenate his career with IMPACT Wrestling (TNA). He spent nearly eight years with the brand, winning the tag team titles once with Booker T. He’d return to IMPACT in 2018 to win the tag team titles once again, this time with Eli Drake, and would wrestle one more time with the brand in 2019.
[nextpage title=”Jeff Jarrett”]
Jeff Jarrett is someone that is either beloved or maligned by fans depending on where their allegiance lies. Jarrett had some success in the WWE while bouncing in between them and the WCW. It was WCW however where he found his most successful of the two. Jarrett won a bunch of united states and world championships during his time in WCW but it was the time after that really defined him.
After the close of WCW, Jarrett came up with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling alongside his father Jerry and Bob Ryder. Then came the partnership with the NWA, and the eventual sale to the Carter Family of Panda Energy. During that time Jarrett lead the front office, and the ring, being their biggest name for the first three and a half years of the brand. He’d step back after October 2006 and would never again really be in the main event scene.
Eventually, all good things end and after Jarrett started dating Kurt Angle’s ex-wife, Jarrett lost his power in TNA. Eventually, Jarrett would leave the promotion in 2014, before returning in 2015 and again in 2017 to lead the brand once again. Jarrett would be ousted from power due to his behavior and would end up signing with the WWE as an agent and returning to the WWE ring at Royal Rumble 2019.
[nextpage title=”Chris Jericho”]
Chris Jericho spent barely any time in the WCW compared to most still going, as his name was solidified in the WWE. Despite that, Jericho did win the cruiserweight and television championships during his time in WCW and even had a fun feud with Goldberg, that Goldberg wasn’t even involved in.
He went to the WWE in 1999, and would go on to win every major championship within the brand and would work himself up to the level of a genuine legend. He vowed he’d never work for anyone but Vince McMahon.
Yet, that wouldn’t be the case as Jericho would arrive in NJPW for the first time in nearly 20 years to feud with Kenny Omega. From there, all bets were off and Jericho became the focal point of All Elite Wrestling’s launch in 2019. As of this writing, Jericho is still the AEW World Champion.
[nextpage title=”The Great Muta”]
The Great Muta made his name in Japan with NJWP, AJPW and W-1 but he spent a lot of time with WCW. Even going as far as winning their world championship at the time. Muta would fluctuate between Japan and the U.S. and would eventually see himself return to WCW in 2000, where he’d win the tag team titles.
After WCW closed, Muta would focus primarily on Japan, working for and leading NJPW and AJPW at different points, and even got a working relationship going with then-TNA. Soon after it was time to start his own brand.
Wrestle-1 was established in 2013 with Muta as the principal figure running the brand. He began a partnership with TNA at the time, and would watch as the two promotions traded title wins. Soon, however, Muta would resign from his post with W-1 . Since then, Muta has been touring the world, wrestling for the NWA, IMPACT Wrestling, ROH and NJPW.
Booker T might be on the Mount Rushmore of WCW alongside Ric Flair, Sting and DDP. Booker T was a tag team wrestler steeped in bad gimmick throughout his first few years with the promotion but by 1995 became pro wrestling’s best tag team with his brother Stevie Ray. The two would become tag team champs off and on throughout the ’90s until 1999. Then Booker would ascend to main event status and become a ‘five-time’ world champion for the brand.
After the closing of the company, Booker T would go to the WWE and would finally capture another world title in 2006, five years after joining the company. He’d then leave in 2007 and would have a two-year run in TNA. Going from November of 2007 to November of 2009. His time there was marred by him slacking off and arguably treating it as a vacation that he got paid for.
After his departure, he’d end up back in the WWE and would go on to start his own promotion, Reality of Wrestling out of Houston, Texas. The brand is still active today with working relationships with W-1 and IMPACT Wrestling.
[nextpage title=”A.J. Styles”]
Some of you may not know this but AJ Styles was actually a WCW wrestler for some time. He’d join in 2001 and pair up with fellow NWA Wildside roster mate Air Paris. The two were feuding and had such great chemistry that WCW offered them both deals. After that the two would have a run in the WCW Cruiserweight title tournament.
He was offered a minor deal with the WWE to work in the developmental territory but he declined, not wanting to affect his wife’s education at the time. Soon after, Styles would start working for ROH and TNA before ultimately just moving to TNA. He became the face of TNA from 2004 to about 2014.
He’d leave TNA, then go to NJPW and won the heavyweight championship. After a short run in NJPW, Styles was then off to the WWE where he joined up in 2016. He’s been with them since then, and has won numerous titles and became the face of SmackDown during the new brand split.