WWE Reveals Its List of The Top 50 Superstars of All-Time

[Marshall_magic]

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that WWE is set to release a "Top 50 Superstars of All-Time" DVD and the following list of names has been revealed for the disc:
1. Shawn Michaels
2. The Undertaker
3. Steve Austin
4. Bret Hart
5. The Rock
6. Harley Race
7. Ricky Steamboat
8. Andre the Giant
9. Rey Mysterio
10. Roddy Piper
11. Eddie Guerrero
12. Triple H
13. Gorgeous George
14. Randy Savage
15. Curt Hennig
16. John Cena
17. Ric Flair
18. Dusty Rhodes
19. Edge
20. Jerry Lawler
21. Lou Thesz
22. Terry Funk
23. Hulk Hogan
24. Bruno Sammartino
25. Chris Jericho
26. Ted DiBiase
27. Fabulous Moolah
28. Freddie Blassie
29. Randy Orton
30. Pat Patterson
31. The Iron Sheik
32. Jimmy Snuka
33. Mick Foley
34. Kurt Angle
35. Buddy Rogers
36. Gorilla Monsoon
37. Junkyard Dog
38. Billy Graham
39. Jake Roberts
40. Big Show
41. Jack Brisco
42. Sgt. Slaughter
43. Kane
44. Nick Bockwinkel
45. Jeff Hardy
46. Dory Funk Jr.
47. Bob Backlund
48. Rick Rude
49. Batista
50. Killer Kowalski


Thoughts?


A few shocks to me
-Rey at 9, he shouldn't be in the top 20.
-Hogan and Flair are both 15-20 slots too low, should both be in the top 5 (top 10 at worst).
-Savage should be in the top 10.
-Kane, Big Show and Batista shouldn't be on that list, Jeff Hardy is contentious (he did some great things in ladder/tlc matches, but a top 50er I am not too sure about).
-Ultimate Warrior should be on that list somewhere.
-Michaels at #1 is another contentious one, without doubt an absolute great of the industry (would be in my top 5 for sure), but I believe Vince has always had a huge man crush on him, and this further proves this.

 

[Meth]

Agree- Rey at 9 is a joke

Hogan at 23 is a joke

Rick Rude at 48? Get lost WWE

 

[Big Pete]

It's way too political that list.

I agree with most of your points MM, most of that list is defined by who is/isn't apart of the company at this point in time. The only point I disagree with is Show, for mine, he'd definitely come close to at least scraping 50th place, for a big man, Show was definitely one of the best.

Couple of 'surprising' positions for mine...

7. Steamboat - I find WWE's backflip on Steamboat to be rather humerous in how contrived it is. For years, maybe even decades the WWE were notorious for forgetting Steamboat in it's history and mis using him, yet ever since his work with Jericho he's suddenly become a top ten superstar of all time...incredible.

Personally, Steamboat would be somewhere between 15-25 for me. A real pioneer back in the 80's who mixed both the heavyweight and high flying styles with ease and really inspired a legion of wrestlers into following suit.

15. Curt Henning - Overated. Another wrestler who the WWE have decided to rewrite history and turn into a great despite his limited success.

19. Edge - :lol: F**k off.

22. Terry Funk - Wow, I'm really surprised the WWE are actually going to give Terry some recognition. This was another guy who was terribly underused by Vince and even at one point had he coming out with panty hose on his head. He'd definitely make my top 50, but wouldn't be placed over some of the other stars.

 

[Marshall_magic]

The most shocking thing to me is Cena is 1 spot over Flair. Cena, whilst he is a very good showman (and cops a lot of unwarranted flack imo), is not in the same league as Flair, let alone better than him.

Edge in the top 20 I guess isn't that bad, going right back to his tag team stuff, Ladder matches, etc, and going on to be a credible main eventer. Probably wouldn't break my top 20, but would be in the top 50 somewhere (probably around 35).

 

[DB]

-Hogan and Flair are both 15-20 slots too low, should both be in the top 5 (top 10 at worst).

Hogan at 23 is a joke

Three words....

TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION

 

[Big Pete]

The most shocking thing to me is Cena is 1 spot over Flair. Cena, whilst he is a very good showman (and cops a lot of unwarranted flack imo), is not in the same league as Flair, let alone better than him.

Edge in the top 20 I guess isn't that bad, going right back to his tag team stuff, Ladder matches, etc, and going on to be a credible main eventer. Probably wouldn't break my top 20, but would be in the top 50 somewhere (probably around 35).

Flair should be in the Top 5 if not Top 3, it's an insult so many stars are infront of him and it's obviously because of his move to TNA. Cena would probably make make it into the late 20's early 30's for mine.

Edge would be lucky to make the Top 50.

I wonder how the WWE justified this list? Was it for crowd response? PPV Buys? Merch? TV Ratings? For me such a list would always come down to those factors and how the wrestlers attracted them.

 

[AusKnightRKO]

1. I gotta ask whats wrong with rey at #9
2. its actually good to see cena at 16 and not like 5 - 6 which i was expecting when i first read it

3. HBK at #1 is perfectly fine

 

[Tommy Smith]

Hogan at no.23?

He's been past his peak for a good 20 years and yet he's still one of the most recognisable names and faces in the world. Period.

So given he was at the centre of the WWFs explosion into the mainstream he'd have to be no.1, surely.

The other guys in the top 5 are all at the very worst top 6-7 material. Flair and Ultimate Warrior should be up there as well.

 

[Ridders]

sigh

Angle at #33.

sh*t list. I guess that's the point though. Get people talking and all

 

[Ridders]

Haha just noticed Batista on the list. Wtf?

Is this a pisstake?

 

[Marshall_magic]

1. I gotta ask whats wrong with rey at #9

No way is he one of the top 10 superstars ever in the WWE, just look at some of the guys they've ranked him ahead of. Heck, he wouldn't be in the top 10 from the last 10 years.

2. its actually good to see cena at 16 and not like 5 - 6 which i was expecting when i first read it

Again, look who they put him ahead of, Flair, Hogan.

3. HBK at #1 is perfectly fine

He's good, but ahead of Hogan and Austin is a bit much.

 

[Big Pete]

Heck, he wouldn't be in the top 10 from the last 10 years.

I think that's pushing it a bit, he'd definitely be around that 7-10 area in terms of his work in the last 10 years.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

For the WWE, Hogan should be number 1. Without Hogan, there is no WWF going national, and therefore no modern WWE. Both Austin and The Rock should be above Shawn Michaels too, since they were the reason for the WWF's 2nd coming after WCW's dominance with the nWo. It seems to be a list based on tenure, fixing up the past, or current stars getting a leg up to be compared to past hero's

 

[Big Pete]

Wait MM quick question.

Is this list 'Superstars of all time', or 'WWE Superstars of all time'?

 

[Moffo]

Gorgeous George at 13? Bwahaha

Hogan is top 3 at worst, despite being a mega douche bag

I don't mind hbk at one, you could argue for undertaker or
Hogan though

Mr perfect deserves his spot, overrated my arse

Eddie Guerrero is way too high. Great wrestler but how could you rank what he did in the wwe above chris Benoit?

Big boss man probably unlucky not to jag a spot. Same goes for Scott hall, one of the instigators of the wildly successful 'attitude' era

 

[Chanandalar]

Jericho is way to low down the list, #25, please. THe man is easily top 10
Micheals, would be top 5, just look at his past 5 mania matches, they are all top quality. I just don't like him because of his bitch attitude and the way other wrestlers talk about him in books and interviews and what not, seems like a real little sh*t.
Taker up the top is a good call.
I would have Angle, Flair, Hogan higher.
Cena should be a bit lower down the list, but still in the top 50 somewhere, the man has carried the company close to the same way Hart did when he was champ.

Edge should be lower and so should Andre.
Happy with Big show and Kane to be in there at the back end of the list. Both move really well for Big guys, and Show seems to be so much better than he was at WCW

 

[pennywisealfie]

As much as I hate him, in wrestlings 2 boom periods Hogan was the main attraction at first, the guy who made it popular. First with Hulkamania and then nWo. However Austin was the most popular during any of these eras. Michaels was on top when wwe was almost out of business, although no doubt a great performer. Its a tough one. but I would have:

1. Austin
2. Hogan
3. Rock
4. Michaels
5. Hart
6. Flair
7. Undertaker
8. Savage
9. Piper
10. Angle

 

[Marshall_magic]

Wait MM quick question.

Is this list 'Superstars of all time', or 'WWE Superstars of all time'?

It's a WWE DVD titled "Top 50 superstars of all time," I'd say it's the latter, judging by the list.

 

[Big Pete]

I would too, although guys like Nick Bockwinkel and Jerry Lawler have thrown me off.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

It's not like those guys are high on the list, and it also omits Japanese wrestlers like Antonio Inoki and The Great Muta, or Mexicans such as Santo, Blue Demon and Mils Mascaras