Pound for pound most athletic wrestler EVER
 

I think this is an interesting topic to think about.

So I guess here is my criteria, we have to look at mobility, agility, explosiveness and strength in relation to one's size.

As much as I think Daniel Bryan is incredibly nifty, fluid and quick in his matches, and the best performer in the company at this point, I feel the fact that he's a smaller guy makes his quickness a little less impressive, not to say his abilities aren't off the charts.

However, look at a guy like Scott Steiner in the early-mid 90s. He was about 270 pounds and moved like a friggin gazelle. Same goes for maybe even a Kurt Angle... the 240-250 plus wrestlers that can throw guys around but also go at a pace. Brock Lesnar is one of these guys as well. I guess the trend is the amateur wrestlers tend to have that freak like quickness and athleticism for their size. I find having that much weight to carry but also maintaining your conditioning and mobility is just insane.

Who are other examples of very pound for pound athletic guys? I know Barry Windham was considered exceptionally quick for a man his size while also being a big ol' bruiser.

Mike Awesome

John Kronus belongs on this list as well

Doug Furnas

Brock Lesnar hands down. The son of a bitch could go at an insane pace, wrestle anybody, could throw guys around or brawl or do a more technical match. Brock could do a shooting star press FFS.

Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Davey Richards

Antonio Cesaro at least in regards to active guys.

Cesaro has got to be up there, the guy is in amazing shape. I gotta throw Elix Skipper into the list too. The guy was an amazing athlete, just never got the right push he deserved in my opinion

Yeah, this was my first thought.

Bam Bam Bigelow deserves a mention on any list like this....he was so agile for someone so big.

Although he is too big to be considered 'athletic', it was mighty impressive what Yokozuna was capable of when you consider just how big he was...

Lol Davey Richards

Mr Perfect

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Amateur Wrestlers and other athletes like skipper, goldberg, furnas just have so much more practical strength than just body builders that it's amazing.

Charlie haas vs ken patera is a perfect example

Roadkill!

Shelton Benjamin
Lashley
Lance Hoyt
Roman Reigns
Orton
Billy Gunn

Undertaker should be on this list. The things he has done and still does for a guy his size is amazing.

Ricky Steamboat has gotta be on this list

I'd put both him and Kane

Also Bray is pretty athletic for his size

Beat me to it. What this man was able to do with his size in a wrestling ring was astounding.

The Giant in WCW. Dude did drop kicks. Also, Bobby Jaggers.

Shelton Benjamin hands down most athletic dude in wrestling...6'2" 248, built like a brick shithouse and moves like a GD cat. And aside from Angle (6' 237) and Lesnar (6'3" 286) can out wrestle anyone. Just give him the edge over Angle and Lesnar because I never saw Angle or Lesnar pull a springboard bulldog or springboard anything for that matter...the shooting star was impressive as hell...but he did almost kill himself trying.

For guys their size, Kronus hitting 450s and moonsaults, it was amazing to watch. Awesome has to be one of the biggest 'dropped balls' in history.

Saturn was pretty strong and very athletic during his Eliminators run as well

Dr. Death

Wish WCW had brought the Eliminators across as a team.

Kronus is about 6"3 270 and he's doing this:

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Sure Kronus was still hitting it in XPW, beer belly and all.

Always thought Vader, Bam Bam Bigelow and Kane were under rated or under appreciated for their athleticism/size.

Have to go with Taker, Lesnar and Kurt in some form of my top 3 of all time though.

Good call on Kronus! Guy was a freak. Can't believe RVD hasn't been mentioned yet. He's a little smaller than some other guys (6' 237) but the thing that makes him stand out is longevity, dude has the same crazy ass move set at 42 that he had at 24. Van Terminator in a 20' ring at 42 has to put him on this list, the gorilla press/standing moonsault is a perfect example of his strength, agility and athleticism.

Mike Knox was very strong and big, and very quick and agile for a man his size. Absolutely love this match against Rey Mysterio. Really loved his running crossbody.

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For a guy who doesn't look like an athlete, isn't big, chiselled, "crusierweight looking", Too Cold Scorpio could pull off some ridiculous feats and was a heck of an athlete.

I'd have to go with goldberg.

Damned right. In the earlier days of his gimmick when he was supposed to move super slow, it'd be astonishing to see him go from 1-100 mph in a split second when he'd do that flying lariat.

And the ring announcer never got his weight right.

RVD is a great athlete but he's just not the most crisp guy in the ring as far as I'm concerned and that needs to be taken into account in the best pound for pound athlete discussion.

aj styles

I guess should I say pound for pound wrestling functional athlete. Bret Hart at 240 lbs as Juan pointed out was pretty fucking good, probably nowhere near the best, but the man could have matches with anyone and was probably one of the most well rounded guys out there.

Kinda feels like people are going agile big man and not most athletic pound for pound. Kronus, Awesome, Bam Bam, Kane, Undertaker...all fantastic big men, but in terms of PURE athleticism, they could sniff Kurt and Brock's jocks.

I'll totally agree with that.

Lesnar was gigantic in that match with Punk. Probably the biggest we've seen him in A LONG time, close to 315-320 and was no where close to gassing. It was insane. He really is a freak. Never mind the fact he can do a shooting star press (lol minus wrestlemania botch).

Bulldog gassed out a lot but he held guys up in a suplex for like 10mins.

RVD in ECW prime was prol the bendiest and stretchiest guy though.

Bulldog gassed between the years of like 1991-1994. I think between about 1995-1997 he was clean-ish, 1991-1994 he was HEAVY into the drugs. 1995-1997 he was in his best condition to wrestle, and he was quick and strong and athletic, but nowhere close to a Brock Lesnar.

RVD's biggest problem is as acrobatic as he is, he lacks a certain intensity. Acrobatics don't nec= fluidity and I think he lacks the fluidity of a Lesnar or Angle.

Bret Hart was the best rassler ever.

Kurt, Brock, and Goldberg.

Goldberg was an insanely explosive athlete but it didn't translate very much as a wrestler.

Billy Gunn is probably falls into that category of amazingly agile and powerful man that often gets overlooked because he was mostly a tag team wrestler.

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I wanna say he did it again from just a standing position. Where he set the guy up on the table, and he jumps straight up and hits a famasser on a guy bent over on the table.

He sure did. I'd add Billy Gunn and Dolph Ziggler to the list of best all-around athletic wrestlers because that was their gimmick at some point. 5' vertical leaps!

Definitely not big, and definitely not best all time, but I feel Austin Aries deserves a modern-day mention. I may have noticed some point docking on the 'crisp' factor, but I think that's often a result of an inferior opponent. When's he's clean, he's pristine.