10 Wrestlers Who Looked Better Over 40 Than In Their Prime
4. Stan Hansen
One of the most important gaijin invaders in Japanese wrestling history, WWE formally acknowledge Stan Hansen's contributions to the sport with a Hall of Fame induction in 2016.
It was richly deserved. Few American wrestlers have ever wowed, captivated, and terrified puroresu crowds like Hansen, who became a staple of All Japan Pro Wrestling's success in the '80s and '90s. A wild, unruly cowboy, he worked with unparalleled stiffness. His poor eyesight meant he had to legitimately beat the s*** out of his opponents to make his work look convincing, and his Lariat remains the stuff of nightmares.
Stan turned 40 in August 1989, and while he was already having great matches prior to this, his most acclaimed work came afterwards. His 1993 singles bout with Kenta Kobashi is a stone cold classic, and similar matches with the likes of Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa were instrumental in establishing a legacy destined to be pilfered by burly American brawlers for all eternity.
It's impossible to create wrestlers like Hansen in today's sterile, manufactured environment. As influential as he is, his style has largely become a relic, though his post-30s work stands up to anything in wrestling history.