10 Wrestlers Who Made Drastic Late Career Changes
The kings of reinvention...
No wrestler on this list made the noted changes less than a decade deep into their pro careers. Think about that for a second, then realise the bravery it takes for a performer to completely change something they're super-comfortable with just because they want to reinvent or stay ahead of the curve.
It cannot be an easy decision to make, especially when the changes are quite so drastic.
New gimmicks that stray off in a bold new direction, total image changes that signify things happening behind the scenes and a willingness to appear like celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay might look if he decided to dress up as Michael Jackson for Halloween are the order of the day here; yeah, we're looking at you, Chris Jericho. That makeup was something else.
Jericho is one of the best examples of a top-tier star who's capable of periodically altering his wardrobe, tweaking his character or overhauling his entire presentation when the time is right. He's locked in a constant battle against staleness, and that dedication to staving off monotony is something keenly felt by other wrestling legends who share the same mindset...
10. Triple H
A full 17 years after making his WWE debut as stuck-up snob Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Triple H decided it was time to kiss goodbye to those long locks of his in 2012. This was way more than a simple haircut though, and it had as much to do with moving parts behind the scenes as the fact Trips was now in his mid-40s.
Gone was the rebellious spirit and denim-clad bad-assery of "The Game", replaced by a suit, well-trimmed beard and a businesslike shaven head. The message was clear: Triple H was now ready to take more control than ever as a WWE executive and give up his life as a full-time pro wrestler.
The change, as you might expect given his prior presentation, was huge at first.
By altering his look and becoming more in step with his office duties, Triple H was bringing down the curtain on a glorious time for WWE. Perhaps more so than his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVIII, it was this change to his look that ended an era.