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**Nowhere Man** · 12-30-2003, 03:32 AM

It's way too damn hard to pick ten, out of all the countless greats out there, but I'll try. I'll probably end up changing my mind a thousand times after writing this, but for the moment, these are my top ten wrestlers of all-time:

10) Rey Mysterio, Jr: Without a doubt, the best cruiserweight wrestler on the planet, possibly of all-time. The man absolutely defines everything a cruiserweight should be: energetic, blindingly fast, and packs enough style to make just about everything he does look good. True, he doesn't draw the monster crowds like the main event players, but I still think he deserves a spot on here for being the greatest luchadore there ever was.

9) Lou Thesz: same reasons as Loopydate that he's on here, and why he's so low

8) Chris Benoit: in terms of technical wrestling, probably the best wrestler in the world today. His only problem is his lack of "pizzazz" (I won't say "charisma," because he's got it in the same way Arn Anderson did) and his mediocre promo skills, but in the ring, I honestly don't think even Angle or Jericho can touch him (keep in mind we've only seen Angle when he has to wrestle the restrictive "WWE style") In his 18-year career, he's practically done it all, but never really got the accolades he deserves until recently. He may not be the best there was or ever will be, but my money says he's the best there is.

7) Curt Hennig: It's really a shame that he never got a hold of any World Titles, because he had just about everything a heel could ask for: charisma, unparalleled mat skills, and that finesse that just makes a crowd love to hate him (I see that in Chris Jericho, too) His matches with the likes of Bret Hart were among the best WWF had in that day, and he could've easily been one of the biggest names in the business hadVince seized the opportunity. He will definitely be missed.

6) The Rock: He's like Hulk Hogan, except with skill and without the ego. When he stepped up to fill in for Austin, he quickly became one of the most successful names the business has ever seen. The man practically bleeds charisma, and although the predictability of his matches could be annoying for the folks at home, practically nothing would pop a crowd louder than his spots or singing along with his promos. In terms of entertainment value, few if any could match the Rock when he's on top of his game.

5) Stone Cold Steve Austin: Before the Rock catapulted from main events to main stream, WWF's flagship wrestler laid down the foundation on which Rocky was able to stand. The Austin/McMahon feud made some of the defining moments of the Attitude era, and if anyone should doubt Austin's skill in the ring, I emplore you to check out Austin/Bret of Austin/HBK from the two consecutive Manias. Say what you will about his current character, but Austin was definitely the top performer of the late 90's in my opinion.

4) Shawn Michaels: You know who Shawn Michaels is, dammit! I put him lower due to the rather notorious bullshit he pulled in his day. Still, even if he was a scumbag off-screen, he was amazing in the ring and on the mic.

3) Sting: This was the guy Ric Flair decided to pass the torch to, and for good reason: he was incredible. Every bit as good as HBK in the ring in my opinion, and not a complete chode behind the scenes, he was the heart and soul of WCW up to the day they closed their doors forever.

2) Bret Hart: Simply put, the single greatest technical wrestler of the 20th century. I need not continue.

1) Ric Flair: No question about it. Back before Vince brought his promotion to the mainstream, when wrestling was "sports-entertainment," and shows were still more than advertisements for the monthly PPV, there was one name that stood above them all: Flair. You all know why Flair was awesome, so I won't keep going on about it. Just remember, though: he's still an active member of the Raw roster, even though he's about 20 years past his prime, and he can still keep up with the fast-paced style of today. No one, absolutely no one, could tell a story with his matches like the Nature Boy

Other honorable mentions:

Bruno Sammartino
Ted Dibiase
Terry Funk
Ricky Steamboat
Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle
Owen Hart
Big Van Vader
Mick Foley
The Midnight Express

12-30-2003, 03:32 AM	#8
Nowhere Man Now. Here. Man. Posts: 8,370	It's way too damn hard to pick ten, out of all the countless greats out there, but I'll try. I'll probably end up changing my mind a thousand times after writing this, but for the moment, these are my top ten wrestlers of all-time: 10) Rey Mysterio, Jr: Without a doubt, the best cruiserweight wrestler on the planet, possibly of all-time. The man absolutely defines everything a cruiserweight should be: energetic, blindingly fast, and packs enough style to make just about everything he does look good. True, he doesn't draw the monster crowds like the main event players, but I still think he deserves a spot on here for being the greatest luchadore there ever was. 9) Lou Thesz: same reasons as Loopydate that he's on here, and why he's so low 8) Chris Benoit: in terms of technical wrestling, probably the best wrestler in the world today. His only problem is his lack of "pizzazz" (I won't say "charisma," because he's got it in the same way Arn Anderson did) and his mediocre promo skills, but in the ring, I honestly don't think even Angle or Jericho can touch him (keep in mind we've only seen Angle when he has to wrestle the restrictive "WWE style") In his 18-year career, he's practically done it all, but never really got the accolades he deserves until recently. He may not be the best there was or ever will be, but my money says he's the best there is. 7) Curt Hennig: It's really a shame that he never got a hold of any World Titles, because he had just about everything a heel could ask for: charisma, unparalleled mat skills, and that finesse that just makes a crowd love to hate him (I see that in Chris Jericho, too) His matches with the likes of Bret Hart were among the best WWF had in that day, and he could've easily been one of the biggest names in the business hadVince seized the opportunity. He will definitely be missed. 6) The Rock: He's like Hulk Hogan, except with skill and without the ego. When he stepped up to fill in for Austin, he quickly became one of the most successful names the business has ever seen. The man practically bleeds charisma, and although the predictability of his matches could be annoying for the folks at home, practically nothing would pop a crowd louder than his spots or singing along with his promos. In terms of entertainment value, few if any could match the Rock when he's on top of his game. 5) Stone Cold Steve Austin: Before the Rock catapulted from main events to main stream, WWF's flagship wrestler laid down the foundation on which Rocky was able to stand. The Austin/McMahon feud made some of the defining moments of the Attitude era, and if anyone should doubt Austin's skill in the ring, I emplore you to check out Austin/Bret of Austin/HBK from the two consecutive Manias. Say what you will about his current character, but Austin was definitely the top performer of the late 90's in my opinion. 4) Shawn Michaels: You know who Shawn Michaels is, dammit! I put him lower due to the rather notorious bullshit he pulled in his day. Still, even if he was a scumbag off-screen, he was amazing in the ring and on the mic. 3) Sting: This was the guy Ric Flair decided to pass the torch to, and for good reason: he was incredible. Every bit as good as HBK in the ring in my opinion, and not a complete chode behind the scenes, he was the heart and soul of WCW up to the day they closed their doors forever. 2) Bret Hart: Simply put, the single greatest technical wrestler of the 20th century. I need not continue. 1) Ric Flair: No question about it. Back before Vince brought his promotion to the mainstream, when wrestling was "sports-entertainment," and shows were still more than advertisements for the monthly PPV, there was one name that stood above them all: Flair. You all know why Flair was awesome, so I won't keep going on about it. Just remember, though: he's still an active member of the Raw roster, even though he's about 20 years past his prime, and he can still keep up with the fast-paced style of today. No one, absolutely no one, could tell a story with his matches like the Nature Boy Other honorable mentions: Bruno Sammartino Ted Dibiase Terry Funk Ricky Steamboat Chris Jericho Kurt Angle Owen Hart Big Van Vader Mick Foley The Midnight Express