Last Monday, Antonio Cesaro continued his roaring rampage of revenge by Neutralizing Zack Ryder into a splatter and proclaiming that he was the kind of competitor who puts the “W” in WWE. As in, “Wrestling.” Old-school, down-and-dirty, carny-rumblin’ wrestling (though, to be fair, since he does speak five languages, Cesaro probably qualifies for the “World” W as well). Easy as it is to nitpick at the egotistical ramblings of recently dethroned champions, it’s honestly tough in this case to disagree with The Swiss Superman’s sermon.

Ten titanic NWA/WCW TV Champions | Relive Cesaro’s mighty reign

With his brutal strength and technical precision, Cesaro is nothing if not a throwback to a bygone era of technical grappling and he’s certainly not alone in this characterization. While WWE has become known these days for the superhuman statue of its competitors, there are a few like Cesaro who go about their business in a decidedly old-fashioned way. These are ten of the throwback Superstars (and one Diva) from the WWE locker room, a unique blend of seasoned competitors and newcomers, seeking to bring the roots of amateur wrestling and sports-entertainment into the future. Try lacing up their boots … if you dare.

#2 CM Punk

He did say he was the best wrestler in the world, and CM Punk has gone a long way over his one-of-a-kind career to engrain that as an indisputable fact. The vicious Straight Edge Savior decided at a young age he wanted to wrestle and never looked back, competing in some of the dingier corners of the planet to build himself up into the kind of competitor spoken of in hushed whispers. By the time he got to WWE, Punk’s abilities were already legend, and it made sense that he’d be taken under the wing of Paul Heyman, who prides himself on scouting out old-school talent such as Punk.

In the near-decade he’s spent under the WWE banner, Punk’s abilities have only grown along with the (very vocal) chip on his shoulder, and he continues to incorporate exotic, rarely seen maneuvers such as the Koji Clutch into his already brutal arsenal, while he defies WWE conventions by taking larger, stronger Superstars such as John Cena and The Rock to the breaking point. It’s a testament to Punk’s skills that he held the WWE Championship for an old-school 434 consecutive days; so, while his actions may not always command respect, his abilities certainly do.