WWE: Comparing Today's Superstars With Those From Years Past
The WWE superstars of today are constantly being compared to those of the past. Whether it's about look, style, ring ability, mic skills or overall gimmick, people cannot help but draw parallels between old and young superstars.
In the past, I have compared one superstar to another plenty of times, but recently I have started to see certain trends. Some of today's top WWE stars seem to have not only similar styles to superstars of yesteryear, but similar career paths as well.
In this slideshow I will be comparing some of today's top WWE stars with some past WWE stars I feel whose careers they almost mirror.
Some of these comparisons may make sense right away while some may take some explaining. So strap in and enjoy the ride.
John Cena
1 of 10
John Cena is the face of WWE both in and out of the ring. Some people question Cena's ability to lead the company, but I see the reasoning perfectly.
Cena works hard to stay in shape, improve his in ring skills and put on a great show night after night. Despite his appeal to young kids, there is no reason why adults cannot get behind Cena.
He has plenty of trademarks to remember him by—including catchphrases, signature moves, a look that hasn't changed in ten years and an entrance song he sang himself. He is also a multi-time champion, having won several different titles in his career
Who else do you know of with all these accolades?
The Rock
2 of 10
This was probably pretty obvious to most of you. The comparisons between the Rock and Cena have been around for years.
Cena's over-the-top, in-your-face style is very close to that of The Rock's, but they still have their own vastly different identities. While The Rock was playing a character to perfection, Cena is playing himself, and there is a big difference.
Sure, Rock and Cena have their many, many differences, but no one can deny that these two seem to have gone down the same path in the WWE.
Rock Bottom—Attitude Adjustment
People's Elbow—Five Knuckle Shuffle
The millions and millions—Cenation
Know your role and shut your mouth—Hustle Loyalty Respect
Elvis impressions—Rapper
"The Rock Says"—"My time is now"
The parallels would could draw are almost endless. These two are a perfect fit for a highly publicized match at WrestleMania 28.
Randy Orton
3 of 10
The WWE's Apex predator has proven that you can be successful all on your own without having to rely on a pedigree.
By pedigree, I don't mean HHH's finisher. I mean his family history. Being a third generation superstar may have opened a door for Randy, but it did not win him the accolades he has.
Orton is conniving, intelligent, vicious and, most of all, he is talented.
Being the son of a WWE superstar doesn't always mean success. DH Smith has yet to really break out despite coming from one of the most prestigious families in wrestling.
Orton can be compared to so many in terms of success, but only one man shares many of the same qualities in and out of the ring.
Steve Austin
4 of 10
Anyone who has read my past articles knows I have written about the similarities between Orton and Austin for awhile. I can't help but see Stone Cold in the eyes of Orton.
They have taken vastly different roads to get to the WWE. Austin fought through many organizations before being the WWE powerhouse for ratings, and Orton had very little time between starting his training and being brought into WWE.
They have some thing that are not quite the same: Austin has his standard black trunks and clean skin while Orton is covered with tattoos and wears trunks bearing his name and designs.
Here is where the comparisons get going.
Rattlesnake—Viper (Both men have that snakelike quality.)
Stunner—RKO (Similar moves with both men grabbing the head of an opponent while facing away from them.)
Plain trunks—flashy trunks
Shaved head—almost shaved head
Went on to movies—Started acting recently
Went from Heel to face because the fans wanted it—Went from heel to face because the fans wanted it
Multi-time WWE champion—Multi-time WWE champion
These two are like two peas from a really strange pod. They have so many similarities that it's hard to think that they are actually vastly different in the ring and on the mic. Orton is the slow-talking, serious type while Austin the the in-your-face, loud-as-hell type.
These two could have had an amazing feud in a different world.
The Miz
5 of 10
What can you say about the most outspoken WWE champion of the last few years? The Miz clawed and fought his way from being a joke on a reality show to being the main event in the land of wrestling.
Miz is not the biggest, fastest or even the smartest guy out there. He is, however, intelligent, brash and just a little crazy.
When he first started out, I had the impression that he was there for his celebrity status and nothing more. But as time went on, it became clear that not only was he here to stay, but he wanted to be a legend.
Miz's love for WWE is well documented, going all the way back to The Real World. He used to run around the house with a foam belt he bought, and the season he was on even ended with him alone in the house hoisting the belt up high. Can anyone say foreshadowing?
There is one thing that I still cannot deny, and that is how annoying Miz is. That is kind of the point though; he is supposed to get under your skin and make you hate him.
When thinking of who I could compare him to for this slideshow, I said to myself, "Who can I compare this annoying little nugget to?" Aand then it hit me.
Owen Hart
6 of 10
The youngest of the Hart family was the only person I think has a similar enough story to compare to the Miz.
I am not saying their history is the same; far from it. Owen worked his whole life to be a wrestler with his family and his friends. Miz, on the other hand, trained at a gym and had to prove himself to everyone.
These two do have many similarities though. Owen was a cocky, arrogant, selfish heel almost his whole career. He was part of a championship-winning tag team with The British Bulldog, and he was an accomplished singles wrestler.
Lets take a look at some of the similarities between Miz and Owen:
Teamed with Bulldog to win gold—Teamed with Morrison to win gold
Cocky heel—Cocky heel
Loved WWE—Loves WWE
Fought his brother Bret—Fought Bret years later
Hated former tag partner—hates former tag partner
Short blond hair—Short blond hair
I know this comparison is not as strong as the first two, but bear with me here.
The loss of Owen Hart was a terrible tragedy, and I truly believe he would have become a World Champion had the accident not occurred. His legacy will live on forever, and The Miz is helping to carry it on by portraying some of the same mannerisms and garnering the same kind of heel heat Owen once did.
John Morrison
7 of 10
Why beat around the bush when you already know who he is going to be compared to?
Shawn Michaels
8 of 10
Obviously, this comparison have been made by everyone and their mother. But there is a good reason for the comparisons to be made. They followed a very similar path, and Morrison is still going down that path right now.
Lets take a look at what makes these two guy so similar.
Started in WWE as a tag team wrestler—started in WWE as a tag team wrestler
Turned on his partner—Turned on his partner
Escorted by Sherri to the ring—Escorted by Melina to the ring
First single title was IC—First singles title was IC
High flyer—High flyer
Long blonde to long brown hair—Long blonde to long brown hair
Put on great ladder matches—Puts on great ladder matches
Had a second partner with Diesel—Had a second partner with Miz
Beat Bret Hart with the superkick—Beat Shawn Michaels with the superkick
Held the defunct European title—Held the defunct ECW title
Lost many time before winning the title—Lost a couple times, still has yet to win the title.
Morrison is still fighting to win his first major World Title, but when he does he will complete the list of parallels made between the two. I know Morrison has it in him to make that jump to being a main eventer; it is just still right around the corner.
With some more time and work, Morrison could be one of the top guys for WWE.
Alberto Del Rio
9 of 10
This man has made more of an impression in his first year with the company than some have done in 10 years. He has natural charisma and the kind of attitude you love to hate.
Del Rio is one of the few Mexican wrestlers to get a push in WWE without being a high-flyer so to speak. He can jump off the ropes too, but he prefers a mat game.
His trademark entrance was compared to JBL because he arrives in a car like JBL did. But no one cared when Eddie Guerrero did it, so why shouldn't Del Rio be able to do it too?
His style both in and out of the ring leads me to one "natural" comparison.
Ric Flair
10 of 10
Doesn't make sense? Keep reading.
These two are more similar than a lot of people may realize. Flair and Del Rio may be at opposite ends of the spectrum in many ways, but in the ring they have a lot of the same qualities.
Lets go through some of the things these two share.
Flashy Robes—Flashy Cars
Mat wrestler—Mat wrestler
Submission finisher—Submission finisher
Plays a rich guy—Plays a rich guy
Plain trunks with his initials—Plain trunks with his initials and small design
Fought Edge in a ladder match—Fought Christian in a ladder match
I could keep going, but I think you see where I am heading. These two have a lot in common in terms of style and character, but Del Rio is not a record breaking World Champion yet. So, until Alberto starts bringing home the bacon, Ric Flair is still top dog.
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