Top 10 most influential wrestlers from 1995-2000

[AdrianM]

So just wrestlers, not including McMahon, Heyman, Bischoff etc...

10. Mick Foley
9. Undertaker
8. HHH
7. The Rock
6. Paul Wight
5. Sean Waltman
4. Scott Hall
3. Kevin Nash
2. Hulk Hogan
1. Steve Austin

[RP]

I'll have to think about this.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Yeah, I'm probably just going to ban ya for the night if ya do it again.

I have to admit though, spoilers in the sig was pretty hilarious.

[RP]

RP 2 WWKD 1

[Bad Company]

Shawn Michaels
Chris Jericho
Kevin Nash
Hulk Hogan
Steve Austin
Sting
Undertaker
Bill Goldberg
Rey Mysterio Jr
Mick Foley

That's a quick draft, subject to change.

[hb2k]

How the fuck can anyone in their right mind place Sean Waltman and Big Show ahead of the Rock.

[Jeritron]

The answer is just that, their not in their right mind.

[Jeritron]

He also didn't put Shawn Michaels or Bret (screwjob/top names 95-98), or Bill Goldberg, the second biggest year and draw of 98.

[Mercury Bullet]

10. Sting
9. Bill Goldberg
8. Kevin Nash
7. Chris Jericho
6. Triple H
5. Mick Foley
4. Hulk Hogan
3. The Rock
2. Shawn Michaels
1. Steve Austin

[ttetf]

1. Steve Austin
2. The Rock
3. Hulk Hogan
4. Bill Goldberg
5. Shawn Michaels
6. Bret Hart
7. Kevin Nash
8. The Undertaker
9. Mick Foley
10. Triple H

[ClockShot]

#1. Steve Austin
#2. The Undertaker
#3. The Rock
#4. Bret Hart
#5. Shawn Michaels
#6. Hunter Hearst-Helmsley/Triple H
#7. Mick Foley
#8. Hulk Hogan
#9. Kevin Nash
#10. Bill Goldberg

[Dorkchop]

1. Steve Austin
2. The Rock
3. Hulk Hogan
4. Bill Goldberg
5. Shawn Michaels
6. Bret Hart
7. Kevin Nash
8. The Undertaker
9. Mick Foley
10. Triple H

#1. Steve Austin
#2. The Undertaker
#3. The Rock
#4. Bret Hart
#5. Shawn Michaels
#6. Hunter Hearst-Helmsley/Triple H
#7. Mick Foley
#8. Hulk Hogan
#9. Kevin Nash
#10. Bill Goldberg

Crazy

[Dorkchop]

This isn't really in order:

01. Steve Austin
02. Shawn Michaels
03. Bret Hart
04. The Rock
05. Sting
06. Goldberg
07. Mick Foley
08. Triple H
09.
10.

I can't think of two more, really.

[The One]

#10 Bret Hart
He was popular with WWE fans, and was McMahon's go to guy after the steroid scandel.

#9 Sting
Crow Sting was the savior against the evil nWo. The man had the company history and the overness combined with the right character turn at the right time to create the one man image who could topple the nWo. The fact that when that time came it got butched was sad, but it doesn't change the fact that his show down with Hogan was so incredibly built up, it probably in my opinion was Hogan's biggest match of all time. Plus it was really the first time that someone took their character, and TOTALLY repackaged it, paving the way or guys like The Undertaker to become far more cultish.

#8 'The Game' Triple H
He was a heel's heel. A man you loved to hate. He played the character so perfectly, and inside the ring the man was so smooth, it was like watching some beautiful ballet of carnage. He was an incredible bad guy, so bad that when he began his feud with Mr. McMahon in late 2000, he made McMahon a face ater years of Austin/McMahon hatred already built up. I would argue the single greatest heel of all time. I don't know what else to say about him other than people paid to see Rock and Austin, but once they were in the gate, all they wanted after that was for Hunter to get his ass kicked.

#7 The Rock
There were times when I was convinced whoever walked out first between The Rock and Austin would get the loudest pop simply because after the first one came out, the crowd would have blown out there voices and had nothing left for the second guy. Seriously, his character was so perectly fit to be the biggest supporting character ever to Austin's lead. When Austin had to get surgery, Rocky did a damn fine job of running with the ball. Popular, of course.

#6 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan
If it wern't for him going bad, the nWo wouldn't have been as popular.

#5 'Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels
Between his role in front of the camera, and maybe even more because of his role behind it, Shawn Michaels is one of the most influential wrestlers of all time. On a personal level, his performances was the ONLY thing that got me to watch WWE after Flair and Tully left. On a business level, he was one of the most over stars of all time. Behind the scenes, his attitude and actions lead to the birth of DX (a MAJOR factor in the ultimate victory WWE enjoyed) and had it not been or HBK/Hart, we wouldn't have gotten Montreal, which in tern gave us the Mr. McMahon character. Also, he get's the legacy of passing the New Generation torch to Steve Austin's waiting Attitude hands.

#4 Bill Goldberg
The streak, the chants, the spear. Thrown together, he was like WCW's second comming of Christ. Undoubtfully one of the most charismatic superstars ever. While he wasn't single handedly enough to keep WCW in the spot of supremecy, he did always carry with him a leagon of die hard fans.

#3 'Mankind' Mick Foley
Was voted to be People's Magazine's Man of the Year. Man of the fucking Year! An incredibly underrated talent in the ring, but if he truly is nothing more than a glorified stunt man (which I disagree with, but whatever) than he is the best stunt performer of all time. Realsed a book which pre-released was scoffed at and laughed, post release it was a #1 New York Times Best Seller, and a damn fine peice of work. When ever anybody covered a story on pro wrestling, Foley was always featured, and that fall rom the cage (which I think got a lot of people to tune in) was always shown. Plus he made Hardcore Wrestling popular.

#2 'The Ousiders' Kevin Nash & Scott Hall
The basis for the nWo. Without the Outsiders, Hogan would have gone his entire WCW run with the red and yellow. They're jumping to WCW paved the way for WCW to rise to their position of power. Also, they arrival in WCW sparked one of the (debatably, the single) biggest angle in professional wrestling history. Not only that, but their friendship on air was one of the most interesting on screne relationships in that everyone knew they were real life friends so when they were buddy buddy you truly felt it, and when they had their short little rivalries in 1998 or so, it was something truly interesting. But unquestionably the biggest contribution was being the birth and driving force of the nWo.

#1: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
Brought forth the Attitude Era. If there was one single person who not only changed the Monday Night Wars forever, but also brought professional wrestling to a new level of popularity nurivaled by even the Hogan era of the 80's, it was Austin. Basically, the single biggest force in professional wrestling from 1997 clear through to his ultimate injury departure in late 2000.

[Loose Cannon]

Bret
Sting
Austin
HBK
Rock
HHH
Hogan
Goldberg
Nash
Foley

[AdrianM]

oh yeah, prolly should have put in goldberg.

I'd forgotten about him, prolly due to my huge dislike of him

[Funky Fly]

#10 Bret Hart
He was popular with WWE fans, and was McMahon's go to guy after the steroid scandel.

#9 Sting
Crow Sting was the savior against the evil nWo. The man had the company history and the overness combined with the right character turn at the right time to create the one man image who could topple the nWo. The fact that when that time came it got butched was sad, but it doesn't change the fact that his show down with Hogan was so incredibly built up, it probably in my opinion was Hogan's biggest match of all time. Plus it was really the first time that someone took their character, and TOTALLY repackaged it, paving the way or guys like The Undertaker to become far more cultish.

#8 'The Game' Triple H
He was a heel's heel. A man you loved to hate. He played the character so perfectly, and inside the ring the man was so smooth, it was like watching some beautiful ballet of carnage. He was an incredible bad guy, so bad that when he began his feud with Mr. McMahon in late 2000, he made McMahon a face ater years of Austin/McMahon hatred already built up. I would argue the single greatest heel of all time. I don't know what else to say about him other than people paid to see Rock and Austin, but once they were in the gate, all they wanted after that was for Hunter to get his ass kicked.

#7 The Rock
There were times when I was convinced whoever walked out first between The Rock and Austin would get the loudest pop simply because after the first one came out, the crowd would have blown out there voices and had nothing left for the second guy. Seriously, his character was so perectly fit to be the biggest supporting character ever to Austin's lead. When Austin had to get surgery, Rocky did a damn fine job of running with the ball. Popular, of course.

#6 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan
If it wern't for him going bad, the nWo wouldn't have been as popular.

#5 'Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels
Between his role in front of the camera, and maybe even more because of his role behind it, Shawn Michaels is one of the most influential wrestlers of all time. On a personal level, his performances was the ONLY thing that got me to watch WWE after Flair and Tully left. On a business level, he was one of the most over stars of all time. Behind the scenes, his attitude and actions lead to the birth of DX (a MAJOR factor in the ultimate victory WWE enjoyed) and had it not been or HBK/Hart, we wouldn't have gotten Montreal, which in tern gave us the Mr. McMahon character. Also, he get's the legacy of passing the New Generation torch to Steve Austin's waiting Attitude hands.

#4 Bill Goldberg
The streak, the chants, the spear. Thrown together, he was like WCW's second comming of Christ. Undoubtfully one of the most charismatic superstars ever. While he wasn't single handedly enough to keep WCW in the spot of supremecy, he did always carry with him a leagon of die hard fans.

#3 'Mankind' Mick Foley
Was voted to be People's Magazine's Man of the Year. Man of the fucking Year! An incredibly underrated talent in the ring, but if he truly is nothing more than a glorified stunt man (which I disagree with, but whatever) than he is the best stunt performer of all time. Realsed a book which pre-released was scoffed at and laughed, post release it was a #1 New York Times Best Seller, and a damn fine peice of work. When ever anybody covered a story on pro wrestling, Foley was always featured, and that fall rom the cage (which I think got a lot of people to tune in) was always shown. Plus he made Hardcore Wrestling popular.

#2 'The Ousiders' Kevin Nash & Scott Hall
The basis for the nWo. Without the Outsiders, Hogan would have gone his entire WCW run with the red and yellow. They're jumping to WCW paved the way for WCW to rise to their position of power. Also, they arrival in WCW sparked one of the (debatably, the single) biggest angle in professional wrestling history. Not only that, but their friendship on air was one of the most interesting on screne relationships in that everyone knew they were real life friends so when they were buddy buddy you truly felt it, and when they had their short little rivalries in 1998 or so, it was something truly interesting. But unquestionably the biggest contribution was being the birth and driving force of the nWo.

#1: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
Brought forth the Attitude Era. If there was one single person who not only changed the Monday Night Wars forever, but also brought professional wrestling to a new level of popularity nurivaled by even the Hogan era of the 80's, it was Austin. Basically, the single biggest force in professional wrestling from 1997 clear through to his ultimate injury departure in late 2000.
Kinda agree with this., only I'd put Goldberg at the 10 spot and move Rock and HHH up 2 or 3 spots.

[weather vane]

Rock
Austin
Hogan
Sting
Goldberg
Foley
Michaels
Hart
Undertaker
Nash

honorable mentions to DDP, HHH, Hall, Savage

[hb2k]

Kinda tough to actually do this...it's supposed to be influencial, but it's tough to construct without it looking more like people's importance.

[James Steele]

Agree with The One and Funky.

[BigDaddyCool]

Um:
10. Kevin Nash
9. Stone cold
8. The Rock
7. X-Pac
6. Taz
5. Scott Hall
4. HHH
3. Shawn Micheals
2. Deisel
1. Kevin Nash

[The One]

Um:
10. Kevin Nash
9. Stone cold
8. The Rock
7. X-Pac
6. Taz
5. Scott Hall
4. HHH
3. Shawn Micheals
2. Deisel
1. Kevin Nash

That's a damn fine list.:yes:

[El Fangel]

10) Kane
9) Foley
8) Dreamer
7) Micheals
6) Undertaker
5) Jericho
4) Angle
3) HHH
2) The Rock
1) Austin

[BigDaddyCool]

That's a damn fine list.:yes:

Yeah...but it isn't honest, I through in Rock and Stone Cold because otherwise it would Nash, Nash, Nash, HHH, Nash, HBK, Scott Hall, Nash, Nash, Nash.

[Ricky Steamboat]

I don't see a Ricky Steamboat anywhere? :?:

[KayfabeMan]

From 1995 to 2000 time period only, and in no particular order:

Bret Hart
Shawn Michaels
Steve Austin
The Undertaker
The Rock
HHH
Hulk Hogan
The Outsiders
Sting
Bill Goldberg

[hitman23]

What about Raven?

[Vastardikai]

No particular order

Austin
Rock
Hollywood Hogan
Taz(z)
Triple H
Outsiders
Foley
Jericho
Goldberg
Taker

Honorable Mention to Bret, Shawn, Raven, and Sting

[darkpower]

In no particular order:

Austin: C'mon, he's the guy that got the attitude shit going.

Bret: If Bret didn't pitch a bitch about Montreal, maybe the Mr. McMahon stuff would've never happened.

Goldberg: Horrible "pure-wrestler", but WCW's "next big thing" when he showed up.

Billy Gunn: Wondering why HE'S in here? Most WWE Tag Title reigns, as well as being able to play to a large crowd for how many characters he had played over the years. And....NEW AGE OUTLAWS, one of the best tag teams IN the Attitude era.

Rock, Shawn, & Hogan: Another obvious group.

Farroq: Before "DAMN", he was a Nerfboy, the leader of the NOD, who JUMPSTARTED The Rock in the NOD (at least I think that).

Owen Hart: While in a way we would've rather not seen it happened, he woke alot of us up about who pro-wrestlers are first: human beings that are not invincible.

Rey Mysterio: The unintentional face of WCW's Cruiserweight division and made people pay attention to that division.

[Reavant]

Kinda agree with this., only I'd put Goldberg at the 10 spot and move Rock and HHH up 2 or 3 spots.
I dunno... he almost single handedly kept wcw over wwf in the rating wars when he still had his streak going and he forced wwf to make their product better.