Your Top 5 Since the mid 80s in the US

[Gina Minehart]

This builds a little on the hart thread. So let me have them - your top five. I've tried to include who I would say are in play, but by all means use this thread to vote outside. I think it should be judged on the following criteria:

- in ring ability (incl. ability to sell and depth of move set)
- ability to cut a promo
- how much of a draw he was generally accepted to be
- longevity
- ability to be a good heal and face (less of a factor but I think shows versatility)

This will be tough, as you probably should end up with a list that doesn't necessarily match your favourite 5

Good luck

Cheers,
Gina

 

[Gina Minehart]

To simplify it a little - I've gone for mid 80s onwards and only focused on American wrestlers. Too hard to line up Japanese wrestlers

Guys like Luger, Hennig, Nash, Edge, Slaughter, DDP, Booker, Lesnar, Scott Steiner and Hall were on the cusp but couldn't throw out anyone from the above list to include them

 

[HayneKloppter]

um...from parts unknown......one warrior nation ?! also needs more goldberg

and surely b brian blair and jumping jim bronzel deserve a run!

 

[Gina Minehart]

Mmmmm I excluded both of them for lack of longevity (compared to the other guys on the list). Definitely not far off the pace though

 

[Gina Minehart]

Angle, Rude and Taz probably have claims as well. So hard to narrow this down to 17!

 

[Parra Pride]

Needs more Kizarny.

 

[Gina Minehart]

Ok so Top 5 so far are:

Stone Cold
The Rock
Savage

And then Hogan, Undertaker and Michaels fighting it out for 5th

I personally think Hogan has to be there, which leaves Undertaker and Michaels for 5th. Personally I think Hart and Flair should be fighting it out for fifth with the dead man. Michaels is just that small rung below in my mind

 

[mozza91]

Abe 'Knuckleball' Schwartz
Mordecai
Virgil
Jimmy Wang Yang
Gillberg.

 

[Evil_Mush]

Stone Cold, Rock & Hogan are by far and away the top 3 most iconic wrestlers from the biggest boom periods in wrestling, so they are there straight away.

I have a bias towards WWF due to being most exposed to them growing up, so Hart & Savage were my first instinct for rounding out the list.

Even though Hart "never drew a dime" (I felt honoured to hear Jake The Snake spout that line at the recent Armageddon in Auckland about both him and Michaels hah!), he's one of those wrestlers that everyone seems to remember (even those who wouldn't identify themselves as wrestling fans).

 

[HayneKloppter]

Stone Cold, Rock & Hogan are by far and away the top 3 most iconic wrestlers from the biggest boom periods in wrestling, so they are there straight away.

I have a bias towards WWF due to being most exposed to them growing up, so Hart & Savage were my first instinct for rounding out the list.

Even though Hart "never drew a dime" (I felt honoured to hear Jake The Snake spout that line at the recent Armageddon in Auckland about both him and Michaels hah!), he's one of those wrestlers that everyone seems to remember (even those who wouldn't identify themselves as wrestling fans).

as does 99% here clearly going by results eg stinger = legend

 

[Evil_Mush]

Yeah I don't disagree that Sting & Flair are legends, but when I was at my most impressionable, I only knew about them from magazines and the small handful of WCW videos that my local video store in Wanganui actually had in the early 90s (Halloween Havoc 89 & Chi-Town Rumble stick most in my mind). So they just will never be above the WWF guys for me, due to not experiencing their awesomeness till after the fact (until WCW came to NZ TV in mid-late 90s).

 

[pennywisealfie]

The right guy is leading. Stone Cold is clear cut number 1.

 

[Big Pete]

Ric Flair
Bret Hart
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Eddie Guerrero
Mick Foley

Savage, Cena & HBK unlucky.

 

[Hoggmaster]

Think Angle should definitely be up there as well as Jericho.

 

[Eelementary]

I went

Guerrero
HBK
Flair
Taker
Rock

 

[Eelementary]

It was bloody hard to choose, though.

 

[lafai]

Hogan
Austin
Rock

Cena
HBK

 

[abpanther]

Does anyone else feel like Eddie Guerrero's status has become a little overrated since his passing?

I mean I liked him but I don't see how he's in the same stratosphere as some of these other guys

 

[Big Pete]

From a box office stand-point he doesn't belong in the same conversation but as far as working a match, there's very few that's better.

It wasn't like he just became a great worker from 2002-05, Eddie was regarded as one of the best as early as 93 and remained that way until 97. He didn't get much of an opportunity in 98 and it took him awhile to find his mojo after the car crash in early 99 but those final few years really cemented Eddie as one of the best.

I think Eddie is right up there with the very best as far as ring-work goes. Unlike say Angle and HBK who would often struggle with putting together a match (don't sell a body part like death just to completely blow it off for the finish) Eddie had it all.

He also pulled a great match out of JBL. If that doesn't earn you a place in the Hall of Fame, nothing does.

 

[lafai]

Viva La Raza!!!