What were/are the best 50+ year old age run in wrestling?

[The Rick Jericho]

Which wrestlers had the best run when they were 50+ in age?

Seeing as how there quite a few WWE superstars almost pushing this age in a few years, looking back, which superstars today or in the past had great runs past the age of 50?

[HMARK Center]

Easy answer for the moment: Minoru Suzuki. Dude's well into his 50s and can still put on absolute bangers; his matches with Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson might still be my two favorites in AEW/Khan-owned ROH history, or at least near the top. His longevity is aided by a couple of factors: for one, he stepped away from full time pro wrestling to do some shoot fighting (and worked shoot fighting) for awhile, thus keeping his bump card a good deal fresher than, say, Hiroshi Tanahashi's, while also then focusing on a very mat and strike-based offense and using his standing as a real life tough guy to play up not having to bump like normal for every bit of offense thrown his way; if Suzuki gives an opponent a full flat-back bump, that's a pretty solid compliment from him.

Credit to Tim Storm, back when I was watching pre-pandemic NWA Power; dude's also into his 50s, but knew how to work within his physical limitations and focus on telling a strong underdog story of a guy working to keep up with younger competitors and remain relevant despite his body betraying him more and more. NWA's style at that point was more old school southern style, and it absolutely worked to keep him looking legit.

[agent817]

I would say Ric Flair's run in the 2000s was good and had the perfect send-off at Wrestlemania XXIV. Unfortunately, he didn't want to hang it up there. He still had good matches in his 50s, though.

[Bo Rida]

I'll cheat and say attitude era Vince.

[An Dog On An Skateboard]

Sept 1, 2023 19:03:02 GMT -5 HMARK Center said:

Easy answer for the moment: Minoru Suzuki. Dude's well into his 50s and can still put on absolute bangers; his matches with Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson might still be my two favorites in AEW/Khan-owned ROH history, or at least near the top. His longevity is aided by a couple of factors: for one, he stepped away from full time pro wrestling to do some shoot fighting (and worked shoot fighting) for awhile, thus keeping his bump card a good deal fresher than, say, Hiroshi Tanahashi's, while also then focusing on a very mat and strike-based offense and using his standing as a real life tough guy to play up not having to bump like normal for every bit of offense thrown his way; if Suzuki gives an opponent a full flat-back bump, that's a pretty solid compliment from him.

The genius of Suzuki - and every other wrestler who's managed to stay relevant into their late forties/fifties - is that he's not carried on trying to be the same wrestler he was twenty, or even fifteen years ago. He knows he's aged and that he can't do the same things he did then, and he's evolved his character and his style so he can work with his limitations rather than trying to work against them. I remember the match he had at Royal Quest in 2019 when he had the whole building gripped by a ten minute sleeper hold, it was brilliant.

[jimmyjames]

PCO in MLW and his current run in Impact. I can't believe the moves he's able to do and his character work is great.

[TOK Is the Target Demo]

Sting. Since turning 50, he had the Main Event Mafia run which was the only good heel run that he's ever had, Joker Sting, his WWE run which sucked for reasons that had nothing to do with him besides not having a massive ego, and now his past few years in AEW.

[The Warthog]

Sting in AEW is high up there. I honestly feel that it rivals his late WCW output and I honestly didn't see much of his work in TNA, though MarkyD's videos have helped me to catch up somewhat.

[koreycaskets]

For being over 80 Mae Young took some great bumps.

[Citizen Snips]

Steamboat’s little run against Jericho around Wrestlemania 25

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Nick Bockwinkel retired at 52, but those 2 years and Slamboree match with Dory Funk Jr. we’re pretty great.

[Balesirion]

Genichiro Tenryu in early-2000s All Japan. (With honorable mentions of his work in NJPW and NOAH for the next several years afterward.) The match where he lost the Triple Crown to Mutoh in June of '01 is particularly wonderful.

[XIII]

Terry Funk obviously.

And while I hate to give him much credit, Vince McMahon went full madman and did some seriously insane shit at 50+ and while being a rich mofo.

[eudypfohl]

Fit Finlay had a nice WWE run after he turned 50 (2008)

Dory Funk Jr. turned 50 in 1991 and was still pretty active in the ring for many years later. Like with the Howe's in hockey...sometimes longevity in such physically demanding sports seems to be in the genes

[Ultimo Gallos]

Sept 2, 2023 0:51:19 GMT -5 booty2shoes said:

I don't know about it being his "best run," but it's a very impressive run for "Action" Mike Jackson the past couple years, in his 70s. Appearing on several high profile indies around the country, plus Impact.

Yep,saw Mike on a Wrestle Birmingham show 7 years ago,vs Alabama Ultimo/Ultimate Dragon. Good match and Mike was doing stuff you dont see people half his age do on shows of that level.

Gave him a 4 hour comp dvd of late 70s Memphis "AM I on it?" Told him I doubted he was. "OK then I dont have a copy" he is another I have had tell me they have "Tapes of all my matches"

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Sept 2, 2023 8:10:12 GMT -5 Citizen Snips said:

Steamboat’s little run against Jericho around Wrestlemania 25

Even late last year in a six man tag, he still was quite good in the match.

[Joker]

Dustin Rhodes has been having quite the late career run in AEW and is 54.

[Viking Hall]

We're living in a Golden Era for veterans right now. I mean look at the likes of Jericho, Suzuki, Billy Gunn all doing some of the best work of their careers in their fifties. Think back to the nineties when everyone was talking about how insane it was that Terry Funk was still going in his late forties/early fifties and now we've got Billy Gunn out here as one of the most over characters in wrestling having barely lost a step on the eve of turning 60. And that's before we even start on Sting and his career since turning 50.

Scarily, we're only a matter of months away from people like Christian, Matt Hardy and Rey Mysterio joining the club too.

[ace]

Sept 2, 2023 5:21:11 GMT -5 jimmyjames said:

PCO in MLW and his current run in Impact. I can't believe the moves he's able to do and his character work is great.

This dude had some matches with Jonah and Maclin in his mid50s that would have been wild for someone in their 20s.  He is legit insane.

[kidkamikaze10]

Sting, Suzuki, Tenryu.

Out of those three, I'd put Suzuki at the top.