WWE: 55 Greatest Superstars Of The 21st Century

By David Noriega /

41. Christian

One of the more under appreciated superstars of the 21st Century, Captain Charisma has been doing this for a long time and doing it well. As one half of one of the better tag teams in WWE history, Edge and Christian made for some great TV. After their split in 2001, Christian found himself as singles wrestler trying to make a name for himself. He had little trouble in doing so, quickly becoming The European Champion by defeating Bradshaw. He then became the Hardcore Champion and eventually the Tag Team Champions again by forming a team with Lance Storm. All of this happened in a 2 year span until Captain Charisma was born. Christian didn't gain much title success during his persona changed but it was definitely his coming out party as a star. Turning face and gaining the respect of 'The Peeps' Captain Charisma had something good going. Of course the WWE dropped the ball as his contract expired and Captain Charisma refused to sign a new deal on the spot. Entire TNA. Changing his name to Christian Cage, Captain Charisma made an immediate impact in TNA feuding with Jeff Jarrett and the World Championship. Eventually claiming the prestige title twice while in TNA, Christian's run in TNA only last a few years as he eventually made his way back home into the WWE. Christian recently just made a comeback as a babyface, lets just hope the WWE pays him the respect he deserves and puts another belt around his waste soon. Stats: 1 time WWE World Heavyweight Champion 2 time ECW Heavyweight Champion 4 time WWE Intercontinental Champion 1 time WWF European Champion 1 time WWF Hardcore Champion 1 time WWF Light Heavyweight Champion 9 time WWF/E Tag Team Champion

40. AJ Styles

Starting his career in ROH, Styles reached limited success by becoming a tag team champion with Amazing Red and becoming a one time ROH Pure Champion but that didn't matter because TNA took notice. One of only 3 wrestlers to be with TNA since day one (Jeff Jarrett and James Storm being the other 2) AJ Styles has made a real name for himself in the world of professional wrestling. The Phenomenal One is one of the best athletes TNA has to offer. The first ever X Division Champion, AJ has claimed several titles while in TNA, making him one of their most reliable and successful superstars. AJ is one of the few TNA wrestlers who could be successful in an promotion he decided to be a part of. Stats: 5 time TNA World Heavyweight Champion 6 time TNA Tag Team Champion 2 time TNA Television Champion 6 time TNA X Division Champion 4 time TNA Triple Crown Champion 2 time TNA Grand Slam Champion

39. Lita

The most athletic diva of all time, Lita was fun to watch. Her high flying, thong showing, charismatic self set her apart from the rest of the divas at the time. Her most memorable feuds came against Trish Stratus, Stephanie McMahon, Molly Holly and Jacqueline. She's probably best know for her behind the scenes relationship with Matt Hardy and Edge which caused a riff in the locker room amongst the group. She might be remembered for the wrong reasons but there's no doubt that Lita was one of the best in ring female performers the WWE has ever had. She was doing moves way ahead of her and it was definitely impressive and just fun to watch. Stats: 4 time WWF/E Women's Diva Champion

38. Jeff Jarrett

"Hey, slap nuts!" Jeff Jarrett has certainly left his mark on the business. As a co founder of TNA in 2002, Jarrett has put himself front and center of the company since the beginning. Jarret was not only the face of TNA but at the time he was also the World Champion. He was inspirational in the signing their biggest free agent in company history in Kurt Angle. Eventually The King of the Mountain stepped aside from in ring action in TNA but not until after he was one of TNA's most decorated title holders. Time will tell if we've seen the last of Jarrett in the ring but if I had to venture a guess, I'd think not. Stats: 6 time TNA World Heavyweight Champion 2 time King of the Mountain winner

37. Jeff Hardy

The charismatic enigma Jeff Hardy is loved by most fans. Winning people over with his high flying moves and his reckless attitude. He'll always be remembered for his high flying latter matches against the Dudley Boys and Edge and Christian but he really didn't come into his own until 2002 when he fought The Undertaker for the US Title. He didn't win the match but he came out of it as a star. Unable to claim gold before leaving, Hardy joined TNA from 2004-2006. He didn't make much noise in the 2 years he was there and decided to go back home, the WWE. From 2006-2009 Hardy became a champion in the WWE. Claiming the World Heavyweight Championship as well as the Intercontinental Championship. Hardy's most notable feuds at the time were against C.M. Punk, Umaga and Mr. Kennedy. Unfortunately Hardy's reckless style cost him in the long run as left the WWE in order to heal some nagging injuries. Joining TNA in 2010 rejuvenated his career as the lighter schedule proved useful in having Hardy relive his glory high flying days. Hardy began their World Champion in 2010 and hasn't looked back sense. As TNA's biggest face, Hardy will continue to add more gold to his resume for as long as he's able to. Stats: 4 time WWE World Heavyweight Champion 4 time WWE Intercontinental Champion 7 time WWE Tag Team Champion 3 time WWE Hardcore Champion 1 time WWE European Champion 2 time Slammy Award Winner for Most Extreme Moment 3 time TNA World Heavyweight Champion

36. Scott Hall

In 2002 Scott Hall made his return to the WWE with Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan in an attempt to revival the NWO. Nash started feuding with Stone Cold which lead the their match at Wrestlemania 18. During this time The NWO had some hilarious backstage segments with The Rock and other superstars. The NWO's demise came later in the night as The Rock beat Hulk Hogan in a Mania match for the ages. Both Hall and Nash decided to turn on Hogan for losing thus ending the NWO for good. Then from 2005-2010 Scott made occasional appearances in TNA with his running makes Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman. The bad guy of professional wrestling will go down as one of the best of all time, regardless of his subpar performances in the latter part of his career. Stats: 1 time TNA Tag Team Champion