Jordan
04-05-2008, 01:49 PM
Well with Flair's retirement recently all kinds of people have been talking about him being in the top three of all time, or the greatest ever. It's made me think really who are the greatest wrestlers so far in the history of the business. How do you judge that? Well seeing as entertainment is subjective it's impossible. But you can take into account drawing power, money made, charisma, wrestling ability, longevity, and resilience. So with that in mind here is my list of the top 10 greatest wrestlers of all time.
Number 10 of all time:
http://ca.c.yimg.jp/sports/1183122654/img.sports.yahoo.co.jp/spnavi/photo/fight/200706/29/20070629196.jpg
Yeah he's crazy as hell now, but has there ever been a guy to rise to the top so quickly? He became a Rock, or Steve Austin in about a year, something nobody has done. You also can't deny his charisma and mic skills, one of the funniest guys ever to touch the mic. But his matches are what stick out, in the short time he was in WWE he has some of the best matches ever seen.
Number 9 of all time:
http://sportsmedia.ign.com/sports/image/article/753/753003/rowdy-roddy-piper-interview-20070103015702914-000.jpg
One of the best love to hate wrestlers ever. He was a wildman on the mic and even crazier in the ring. Unforgettable. Also on of the top heel draws of all time.
Number 8 of all time:
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/andrenomi/andrejake3.jpg
Andre was special to every fan he had. He was a huge draw all over the world for a long time. It's a shame the disease that killed him was what made him great. The 8th Wonder of the World.
Number 7 of all time:
http://www.criticsrant.com/Images/criticsrant_com/News%20Rants/The_Rock.jpg
What can you say about the Rock that everybody doesn't know? The most electrifying man in WWE history, an HUGE draw, it's just too bad for us that he cut his career in wrestling short to be in movies.
Number 6 of all time:
http://www.s9.com/images/portraits/1433_Austin-Steve.jpg
Steve Austin was the shit. He was obviously misused in WCW, even though his talent shone threw and allowed him to have many great matches. Of course is WWE that made him what his is and allowed him to shine. Austin in his short run possibly drew more than anybody ever, and the matches he was in were always exciting and his promos are some of the best ever. I think his career was cut way to short, and if it weren't for injuries he would still be on top today.
Number 5 of all time:
http://www.derok.net/derek3/images/classics/wwf%20bret%20hart.jpg
You may think the Hitman deserves a higher spot on the list, but I disagree. I consider Bret Hart to be the greatest pure wrestler ever. His matches were always realistic and fun. The only reason Hart isn't higher on the list is that he wasn't on top for a long time. He was a powerful draw for the WWE, but it wasn't for a long period of time. And when he showed up in WCW he prooved that without the proper backing even a wrestler that is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be, won't stay on top if he isn't able to keep up with the times. But is run in the WWE is without a doubt one of the best ever, even if it isn't as long as the next person.
Number 4 of all time:
http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/The-Undertaker-Photograph-C12171444.jpeg
The Undertaker came into the WWE at the top and has stayed there ever since. He is one of the most popular wrestlers of all time! He also happens to have the coolest gimmick of all time, which if done by anybody else wouldn't have been nearly as successful. You can't deny a character who goes 16-0 at Wrestlemania a spot this high on the list. What make his spot even more special is that he is a bigger draw today than ever before. You also can't deny his skills, sure maybe every match isn't a classic, but the big ones, the ones that are meant to matter, they matter. And they are always memorable.
Number 3 of all time:
http://www.derok.net/derek3/images/classics/wwf%20shawn%20michaels.jpg
He was always my favorite wrestler when I was a kid, he was ALWAYS the match of the night. And guess what? 10 years later he still is. HBK has always been at the top of the ladder, and while some may think it's because of his backstage pull, and that may be true... the way he got that pull was by consistently proving himself to be the most consistently good worker in the company. Everybody knows about HBK's talent, it's obvious. He also has been a top draw in the WWE for over 13 years, and is always exciting.
Number 2 of all time:
http://velochimp.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/967c.jpg
Hogan is a controversial choice, because everybody knows he deserves a spot this high, but nobody wants him to have it. He is a dick, a selfish egomaniac. But all of that aside drew huge money consistently in his career. On top of that he has always had the biggest character on the show, be it The Immortal Hulk Hogan, or Hollywood he always made you stand on your feet. My favorite Hogan run would be in WCW when he turned heel, he was absolutely on fire and had an amazing character. The complete 180 opposite of what he had been for nearly 13 years before. Hulk Hogan was the face of wrestling for nearly 20 years.
Number 1 of all time:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/God_Optimus_Prime/WWE/Ric%20Flair/Ric_Flair_02.jpg
What can anyone say that hasn't already been said? He truly is the greatest ever, with a career spanning over thirty years and and most of those years being in the main event. He was on fire, his skills cannot be matched, both in the ring and on the microphone he was always the best part of the show. Even in his latter years he was often more motivated and talented than the younger performers on the card. If you went to a WWE house show in the last five years and saw Ric Flair, I bet you he either stole the show or came in as runner up. That's saying something for a guy his age.
So that's my top ten of all time, you can post your own if you would like or comment on mine.
Number 10 of all time:
http://ca.c.yimg.jp/sports/1183122654/img.sports.yahoo.co.jp/spnavi/photo/fight/200706/29/20070629196.jpg
Yeah he's crazy as hell now, but has there ever been a guy to rise to the top so quickly? He became a Rock, or Steve Austin in about a year, something nobody has done. You also can't deny his charisma and mic skills, one of the funniest guys ever to touch the mic. But his matches are what stick out, in the short time he was in WWE he has some of the best matches ever seen.
Number 9 of all time:
http://sportsmedia.ign.com/sports/image/article/753/753003/rowdy-roddy-piper-interview-20070103015702914-000.jpg
One of the best love to hate wrestlers ever. He was a wildman on the mic and even crazier in the ring. Unforgettable. Also on of the top heel draws of all time.
Number 8 of all time:
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/andrenomi/andrejake3.jpg
Andre was special to every fan he had. He was a huge draw all over the world for a long time. It's a shame the disease that killed him was what made him great. The 8th Wonder of the World.
Number 7 of all time:
http://www.criticsrant.com/Images/criticsrant_com/News%20Rants/The_Rock.jpg
What can you say about the Rock that everybody doesn't know? The most electrifying man in WWE history, an HUGE draw, it's just too bad for us that he cut his career in wrestling short to be in movies.
Number 6 of all time:
http://www.s9.com/images/portraits/1433_Austin-Steve.jpg
Steve Austin was the shit. He was obviously misused in WCW, even though his talent shone threw and allowed him to have many great matches. Of course is WWE that made him what his is and allowed him to shine. Austin in his short run possibly drew more than anybody ever, and the matches he was in were always exciting and his promos are some of the best ever. I think his career was cut way to short, and if it weren't for injuries he would still be on top today.
Number 5 of all time:
http://www.derok.net/derek3/images/classics/wwf%20bret%20hart.jpg
You may think the Hitman deserves a higher spot on the list, but I disagree. I consider Bret Hart to be the greatest pure wrestler ever. His matches were always realistic and fun. The only reason Hart isn't higher on the list is that he wasn't on top for a long time. He was a powerful draw for the WWE, but it wasn't for a long period of time. And when he showed up in WCW he prooved that without the proper backing even a wrestler that is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be, won't stay on top if he isn't able to keep up with the times. But is run in the WWE is without a doubt one of the best ever, even if it isn't as long as the next person.
Number 4 of all time:
http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/The-Undertaker-Photograph-C12171444.jpeg
The Undertaker came into the WWE at the top and has stayed there ever since. He is one of the most popular wrestlers of all time! He also happens to have the coolest gimmick of all time, which if done by anybody else wouldn't have been nearly as successful. You can't deny a character who goes 16-0 at Wrestlemania a spot this high on the list. What make his spot even more special is that he is a bigger draw today than ever before. You also can't deny his skills, sure maybe every match isn't a classic, but the big ones, the ones that are meant to matter, they matter. And they are always memorable.
Number 3 of all time:
http://www.derok.net/derek3/images/classics/wwf%20shawn%20michaels.jpg
He was always my favorite wrestler when I was a kid, he was ALWAYS the match of the night. And guess what? 10 years later he still is. HBK has always been at the top of the ladder, and while some may think it's because of his backstage pull, and that may be true... the way he got that pull was by consistently proving himself to be the most consistently good worker in the company. Everybody knows about HBK's talent, it's obvious. He also has been a top draw in the WWE for over 13 years, and is always exciting.
Number 2 of all time:
http://velochimp.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/967c.jpg
Hogan is a controversial choice, because everybody knows he deserves a spot this high, but nobody wants him to have it. He is a dick, a selfish egomaniac. But all of that aside drew huge money consistently in his career. On top of that he has always had the biggest character on the show, be it The Immortal Hulk Hogan, or Hollywood he always made you stand on your feet. My favorite Hogan run would be in WCW when he turned heel, he was absolutely on fire and had an amazing character. The complete 180 opposite of what he had been for nearly 13 years before. Hulk Hogan was the face of wrestling for nearly 20 years.
Number 1 of all time:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/God_Optimus_Prime/WWE/Ric%20Flair/Ric_Flair_02.jpg
What can anyone say that hasn't already been said? He truly is the greatest ever, with a career spanning over thirty years and and most of those years being in the main event. He was on fire, his skills cannot be matched, both in the ring and on the microphone he was always the best part of the show. Even in his latter years he was often more motivated and talented than the younger performers on the card. If you went to a WWE house show in the last five years and saw Ric Flair, I bet you he either stole the show or came in as runner up. That's saying something for a guy his age.
So that's my top ten of all time, you can post your own if you would like or comment on mine.