5 Modern Day Equivalents of Past WWE Superstars

No matter how original a gimmick is, there will always be comparisons to the past. The current crop of WWE roster is no different. The PG era has drawn a lot of criticisms due to the lack of innovative and rooted characters and this might be one of the prime reasons for never ending comparisons.On the bigger picture, a handful of current superstars do give us a blast from the past. One way or the other, they might be inspired to be like their childhood heroes or it might just be another coincidence in the wrestling business. Either way, here is a look at the modern day WWE superstars who remind us about one or two faces from the past.

#6 Honorable Mention: Rusev All those foreign monster heels

This is actually a no brainer. WWE has produced a plethora of Anti-American heels and it is hard to distinguish one from another and Rusev belongs to that list as well.

#5 Bray Wyatt Jake Roberts/ Undertaker

Why was Bray Wyatt handpicked to face Undertaker at WrestleMania 31? Well, because there are some striking similarities between the two when it comes to their gimmicks.

Bray is nowhere near the achievements of Taker in comparison of their career graph but he still has time in his favor. The in-ring psychology and dark characterization are the common denominators between the two. Speaking of which, it would be unfair to leave Jake Roberts from the discussion.

He also had similar traits but due to one reason or other, Jake remained as a cult superstar rather than becoming a main event star. Bray on the other hand looks set to travel a different path.

#4 Dean Ambrose Brian Pillman

The loose cannon gimmick was probably made mainstream by Brian Pillman. His pistol angle with Steve Austin is a tale sang through the company’s history and it wouldn’t be a wonder if Ambrose someday points out Pillman as his inspiration.

Brian and Dean played twisted characters in between the ring while being able to deliver some classy promos. It was not about the win for these two most of the time as it was their madness that ran wild ahead of match results.

What blurred the line between both these superstars are their real lives. Apart from being known as lunatic gimmicks they had a portion of their character in real life as well.

#3 Daniel Bryan Chris Benoit

Before the suicide - murder tragedy, Benoit almost had a career which mirrored that of the flying goat. Daniel Bryan and Benoit were well travelled superstars who decided to learn the craft properly before trying to make it in the big leagues.

Unlike the other superstars who are given a silver spoon by Vince McMahon, these guys worked their way into the WWE and earned respect everywhere they went thanks to their love for the business.

The WrestleMania XX and WrestleMania XXX main events also make this comparison relevant. Despite all these, WWE’s idea of treating Bryan like a comedy figure a few years before is not something that Benoit went through.

#2 Seth Rollins Shawn Michaels

What is common between Seth Rollins and a young Shawn Michaels? Almost everything. While Michaels redefined the word cockiness during his younger days, Rollins has managed to do the same during his current run in the WWE.

And the cockiness in show is aided by some good old wrestling skills. They know how to put on a good match while being in half sleep. Both superstars are great sellers in between the ropes as well and not to forget their versatility when it comes to being a babyface or a bad guy.

If all these weren’t enough to stamp Rollins as the new age Shawn Michaels, add ‘being controversial’ to that list of similarities and it will be easier.

#1 John Cena Hulk Hogan

This is comparatively the easiest one to figure out. Both Cena and Hogan enjoyed a long run on top of the mountain and at the same time had some immense amount of success in the mainstream arena.

Though some people might argue otherwise, Cena and Hogan are capable of pulling off some good match every now and then on storyline aspects even though we are not going to see a technical marvel.

Along with this, they had trouble leaving the baby face image due to the sheer popularity that they gained. Hogan however did the unthinkable with the NWo angle and hopefully Cena would do something in the near future and repeat history.