Throughout the past five years, WWE has built themselves a deep roster and an extensive list of main event talent, but fans are often surprised to learn that some of the company’s top performers are inching closer towards the age of 40, especially in the men’s division. Superstars such as Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes and GUNTHER are considered to be in the prime of their careers, and are expected to still wrestle for years to come, with all of them being in their late thirties. However, in the women’s division, the narrative is different, where top female talent in WWE are often questioned about retiring or shifting to a part-time role once they’ve reached the age of 35. Former WWE Champion Big E has now provided his thoughts on ageism in professional wrestling, explaining on the Backlash Post-Show that female talent deserve to be shown the same respect as the men.
“For a lot of women who are in their thirties it’s ‘Oh are you winding down? When are you ready to get out?’ But look, it feels like 75% of the male side is 38, 39, 40, 45 … so let’s give the women the same honor and the same grace as well.”
Big E’s comments also come after Becky Lynch’s outstanding Women’s Intercontinental Championship match with Lyra Valkyria this past weekend, with “The Man” proving she can still perform at a high level at age 38. The title bout against Valkyria was also Lynch’s first singles match in almost a year, after taking a hiatus from the company in May 2024.