Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

Greatest Wrestler Ever: THE LIST!


Grimmas

Recommended Posts


100 - Daisuke Ikeda



A1FAA1FAA5D0A5C14A5DDA5B9A5BFA1BCCDD1200



2006 Ranking: honourable mention (245)




Points: 2251

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 45

Average Vote: 50.98


High Vote: 11 (Microstatistics)

Low Vote: 99



daisukeikeda.jpg



Discussion Thread



"The guy's longevity is quite incredible. We're not talking about a guy here who has a long career where he is looking really solid till the end. But rather a guy who has really great matches and MOTYCs in almost every year where he makes tape, up until the very end. The guys versatility is underrated. Sure he is a beast and that's his selling point, but especially during the early BattlARTS months where other guys were still adjusting he was clearly leading and holding things together, along with Ishikawa. He has the epic big matches, the blood feud with Ishikawa aswell as very good sub 10 minute matches to pad out his resume." Jetleg



Recommended Matches:


Daisuke Ikeda vs Yuki Ishikawa (BattlARTS, 8/29/1998)


Daisuke Ikeda vs Tamon Honda (NAOH, 1/9/2001)


Daisuke Ikeda vs Yuki Ishikawa (Futen, 4/24/2005)


Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 99
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Grimmas

    100


99 - Virus



62581-virus.jpg




2006 Ranking: honourable mention (364)




Points: 2255

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 1


# of Ballots: 44

Average Vote: 49.75


High Vote: 10 (Matt D)

Low Vote: 100



caera-una-cabellera.jpg



Discussuion Thread



"This is the first vote I feel like I have to justify. The simple answer is versatility underpinned by footage. It's not necessarily that I'm sure Virus is more talented or greater than lucha candidates beneath him on my list, but he's much more bulletproof than any of them. We have so much footage of him, relatively late into his career, over the last seven years or so and he performs on such a high level in so many different roles (title matches, maestro matches, lightning matches, trios matches, as a focus to a match, as background or a guiding force). When you factor in his early minis work, and wrap your head around the differences and difficulties in performing in that style and then as a full-weight wrestler with such aesthetic success in both, I just couldn't find a reason for him not to be in this spot. " Matt D



"His last several years are enough to get him a solid place on the list. The undisputed king of contemporary juniors-style lucha. No one even comes close to working the modern style as well, for me. That said I've seen very little of his work before the latter half of the 2000s. Other than those two incredible 1997 matches he had, the trios and vs. Cicloncito Ramirez. " tim



"I want to say he's the best lucha worker of this century, but he's really only been given long singles match opportunities since the business down turn. I think he's been the best guy in Mexico for the past few years at least since we stopped getting so much IWRG stuff. What really needs to happen is an evaluation of the first decade of this century even if it's just a bunch of lightning matches." ohtani's jacket



Recommended Matches:


Damiancito el Guerrero vs Ciclonicot Ramirez (CMLL, 1/7/1997)


Virus vs Guerrero Maya Jr. (CMLL, 6/7/2011)


Virus vs Guerrero Maya Jr. (CMLL, 10/6/2013)


Link to comment
Share on other sites

98 - Kerry Von Erich

Kerry-Von-Erich-with-Belt.jpg

2006 Ranking: honourable mention (233)

Points: 2274
#1 Votes: 0
#2 Votes: 0
#3 Votes: 0
Top 10 Votes: 0
# of Ballots: 69
Average Vote: 68.04
High Vote: 21 (Chris Powell)

Low Vote: 99

6tWk6cfnhJq5X92.jpg

Discussion Thread

"This seems too high now. I don't even like Kerry." djhaigh


"There has been lots of talk about great matches and Kerry was absolutely a big match worker. He had the benefit of working with greats like Flair, Jumbo and Lawler but he also worked with guys like Hayes, OMG, Kamala, Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez to positive results. His WWF run absolutely hurts him but he had an amazing run of big matches. This is a list of singles matches that made (not nominated but made) the DVDVR lists so far. I didn't include any tag matches including the amazing run of matches with the Freebirds or the Dynamic Duo. Add in the pride he had in introducing Gorky park and Kerry will be on my list again. " goodhelmet

Recommended Matches:

Kerry Von Erich vs Terry Gordy (WCCW, 5/7/1984)

Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, 5/22/1984)

Kerry Von Erich vs Jerry Lawler (Cage Match, WCCW, 11/25/1988)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


97 - The Destroyer



destroyer.jpg




2006 Ranking: 25




Points: 2276

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 45

Average Vote: 50.42


High Vote: 20 (Yo-Yo's Roomie & Tim Cooke)

Low Vote: 90



christmas.jpg




Discussion Thread



"Great masked wrestler with a combination of high quality mat skills and the ability to do comedy without undermining the match." Moonsault Marvin



"Lack of footage keeps him from being a top 10 contender from the looks of it. Maybe the smartest wrestler ever based on a very small sampling" Elliott



"An all-time great main event wrestler. Meeting him was probably one of the coolest wrestler meetings I've had." Dave Musgrave



"Probably the guy I'm ranking highest on the fewest matches. But boy is he awesome in those." djhaigh



"To watch a good Dick Beyer match is to experience joy. He oozes wrestling in every regard, and his status in Japan is well-earned." Jon Burr



Recommended Matches:


The Destroyer vs Toyonobori (JWA, 2/26/1969)


The Destroyer vs Giant Baba (JWA, 3/5/1969)


The Destroyer vs Mil Mascaras (AJPW, 7/25/1974)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


96 - L.A. Park




CNVoutRUEAAprUV.jpg



2006 Ranking: honourable mention (125)




Points: 2358

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 1


# of Ballots: 72

Average Vote: 68.36


High Vote: 4 (Dean Rasmussen)

Low Vote: 99




a7.jpg



Discussion Thread



"La Parka stood out as a comedic midcarder in WCW. He also had some good brawls in Mexico with luchadores such as El Hijo del Santo." Moonsault Marvin



"One of the best brawlers in Mexican wrestling history." stunning_grover



"A much better worker in 1993-95 than I ever would have ever expected held back only by the shittiness of the booking. His aggressive, stiff, shoot style matwork was a sight to behold, and in a promotion where work was more important he might have had a nice resume from that period. He also has the Ultimo Guerrero match from 2004, which I'm yet to review but is one of the best title matches of this century and hands down the best thing Ultimo Guerrero has ever been in. But his forte is really brawling. He may be one of the best lucha brawlers of all-time. I can't say I like the garbagy crap in a lot of his matches, but the visuals he creates are outstanding. Definitely a guy who needs to be looked at." Ohtani's Jacket



"How many brawlers in history are better than Park? Yes he can absolutely stink it up, or ruin a match with over reliance on comedy, but when it comes to the essence of lucha brawls - wild, out of control spectacles, with blood, mask ripping, crazy dives, near fights with fans, guys taking lunatic bumps into chairs, et. - I don't know if anyone in history has been better. I watched a bunch of stuff this week, including the Santo brawl from Monterrey and that is right there with the Wagner, Mesias, phony Parka fights as an all time classic fight. What's amazing is that Park was also one of the most exciting/fun guys to watch in WCW (where he actually got over to a degree), was better than I expected in early AAA, and has matches like the Dandy, Ultimo Guerrero and Lizmark ones that are also absolutely excellent matches, without being brawls at all. His inconsistency will hurt him, but his versatility, dynamism, and peak performances have now moved him into the "lock" category for my top 100." Dylan Waco



Recommended Matches:


L.A. Park vs El Hijo del Santo (Juster Promotions, 4/28/2004)


L.A. Park vs El Mesias (AAA, 12/11/2010)


L.A. Park vs Dr. Wagner Jr. (TXT, 5/11/2013)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


95 - Sangre Chicana



tumblr_nj23c11nnN1u792ado1_400.jpg




2006 Ranking: honourable mention (194)




Points: 2400

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 1


# of Ballots: 46

Average Vote: 48.83


High Vote: 9 (stunning_grover)

Low Vote: 98



sangre1.jpg



Discussion Thread



"His matches are amazing to watch. Arguably the greatest brawler in Mexican wrestling history." stunning_grover



"Chicana is gonna be one of the big cases on how much stock you put into a guy who has relatively little footage but often looks like a total all time great. Personally, I lean toward peak over longevitiy, how good you were at your best over consistency, how good the footage is over how much of it there is. Chicana on the 80s set was out of control great. Some of the best punches in wrestling, awesome seller, super charismatic and really knew how to milk big moments. And somehow, just about the best I've ever seen at taking a beating. I think I could watch Sangre Chicana get his ass kicked around Arena Mexico all day. I could never leave him out of a top 50." tim



Recommended Matches:


Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 (EMLL, 9/23/1983)


Sangre Chicana vs El Satanico (EMLL, 9/24/1983)


Sangre Chicana vs Perro Aguayo (EMLL, 2/28/1986)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


94 - Shinsuke Nakamura




Nakamura-King-599x370.png



2006 Ranking: unranked




Points: 2424

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 64

Average Vote: 63.13


High Vote: 14 (BackToBionic)

Low Vote: 99



untitled-1.jpg




Discussion Thread



"Nakamura has the best shot at my list of the current NJ guys. He might not do the 30-minute epics as often (or as well) as Tanahashi, but he has been compelling in a wide range of contexts over the years. The guy is just interesting to watch, with the unusual way he moves around the ring and his offbeat intensity. The Sakuraba and Ibushi matches were two of my favorites from last year, and I've enjoyed him in what I've seen of the 2014 G-1. His ultimate placement will depend on how much I like his early career stuff and how many more great performances he reels off off over the next 18 months." Childs



Recommended Matches:


Shinsuke Nakamura vs Yoshihiro Takayama (NJPW, 1/4/2004)


Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi (NJPW, 1/4/2015)


Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn (NXT, 4/1/2016)


Link to comment
Share on other sites

93 - Bob Backlund

maxresdefault.jpg

2006 Ranking: 76

Points: 2495
#1 Votes: 0
#2 Votes: 0
#3 Votes: 0
Top 10 Votes: 4
# of Ballots: 57
Average Vote: 57.40
High Vote: 5 (Scott Bernard)

Low Vote: 99

backlund-sweatshirt.jpg

Discussion Thread

"He succeeds in putting across a wrestling version of the winning athlete." Moonsault Marvin

"He has a resume of some of the best WWF matches ever. Honestly he's up there with Bret, Mysterio, Cena, Benoit, Valentine, Tito, Cesaro as having the most impressive WWF list of matches to watch from a singles worker. But unlike those guys, he often seems to have that list due to his great, diverse set of opponents moreso than due to what he's achieving. To call him carried would be overstating it, but he's too weird a worker in some ways to make the cut. On paper he's a strong candidate, yet he doesn't feel like a good choice for this list. The Takada and Funaki matches are great, but they aren't enough to put him over the top." Parties

Recommended Matches:

Bob Backlund vs Ken Patera (WWF 5/19/1980)

Bob Backlund vs Adrian Adonis (WWF, 1/18/1982)
Bob Backlund & Owen Hart vs Bret Hart & Davey Boy Smith (WWF Action Zone, 2/26/1995)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

92 - "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes

dusty-rhodes-1-139593.png

2006 Ranking: honourable mention (110)

Points: 2503
#1 Votes: 0
#2 Votes: 0
#3 Votes: 0
Top 10 Votes: 1
# of Ballots: 62
Average Vote: 60.66
High Vote: 7 (Kelly Nelson)

Low Vote: 100

061115-sports-dusty-rhodes.jpg

Discussion Thread

"Dusty Rhodes got more response from rolling his hands and doing an elbow than guys killing themselves with headdrops." Moonsault Marvin

"He is known for his charisma but his in-ring work was great as well." Dave Musgrave

"Underrated worker who could get any angle over and, without a doubt, one of the greatest characters ever. " Jon Burr

"Not sure I could point to many Dusty classics, but do think the Flair match at Starrcade and perhaps a couple others are in that range. But I also enjoy just about every Dusty match I come across. His charisma kicks just about everything he touches north of watchable and is an underrated part of a slew of multi-man matches and brawls in Crockett and Midsouth. Absolute lock on my list. One of the few wrestlers, fair or unfair, where its near impossible to separate the in-ring from the out of ring because of sheer force of personality." WingedEagle

Recommended Matches:

Dusty Rhodes vs Billy Graham (WWF, 10/24/1977)

Dusty Rhodes vs Ric Flair (Cage, NWA, 7/26/1986)

Dusty Rhodes vs Steve Corino (ECW, 3/12/2000)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


91 - Too Cold Scorpio




too-cold-scorpio.jpg



2006 Ranking: honourable mention (145)




Points: 2521

#1 Votes: 1

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 74

Average Vote: 67.27


High Vote: 1 (Mando>Eddie)

Low Vote: 100



Flash_WWE-Encyclopedia-1200-3669428099.j




Discussion Thread



"To be honest I think he was one of the only guys in ECW who tried to work logic into matches and often times had to cover the for sloppiness of grossly inferior opponents. He was Sabu's best opponent ever, the only guy in ECW to get really inspired performance of Doug Furnas, had great stuff with RVD of all people in 98 when RVD was already trending into Carrot Top territory at a rapid rate, had a legitimately great match with a green as grass Bubba Dudley at a house show, and generally had good-to-great matches in pretty much any situation Heyman put him in. On top of that he was very good any time he got a chance in WCW (Windham, Benoit matches, some tag matches teaming with Bagwell v. Blondes, Eaton/Arn, et.), his NOAH stuff that I've seen is good and the few times he's shown up on tape in recent years he's delivered high end matches v. guys like Low Ki, Mike Cruz and others on the indies. He's also my favorite high flyer of all time because his big spots not only look pretty but also brutal as fuck, which is something very few people can say. He will easily make my ballot." Dylan Waco



Recommended Matches:


Too Cold Scorpio vs Barry Windham (WCW, 1/23/1993)


Too Cold Scorpio vs Shane Douglas (ECW, 5/11/1996)


Too Cold Scorpio vs Claudio Castognali (IWA-MS, 5/3/2008)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


90 - Ron Garvin



garvin.jpg




2006 Ranking: honourable mention (237)




Points: 2541

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 73

Average Vote: 66.19


High Vote: 28 (El Boricua)

Low Vote: 99




bb4ae6031664d69c96c87524a2fd4353.jpg



Discussion Thread



"I've been watching a ton of Garvin matches for no particular reason, and man does his work hold up well. You might not think of him as a mat guy, and he certainly didn't do anything intricate in that realm. But the working holds portions of his matches were effective because he always, always conveyed aggression. He was probably an underappreciated athlete as well--strong despite a modest physique, able to go hard throughout long matches and coordinated enough to nail difficult timing spots." Childs



Recommended Matches:


Ron Garvin & Jimmy Garvin vs Rougeau Brothers (Montreal, 1985)


Ron Garvin vs Ric Flair (Cage, NWA, 3/30/1986)


Ron Garvin vs Greg Valentine (I Quit, WWF, 1/21/1990)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


89 - Atsushi Onita




maxresdefault.jpg



2006 Ranking: honourable mention (129)




Points: 2551

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 1


# of Ballots: 65

Average Vote: 61.78


High Vote: 7

Low Vote: 95




zkm7_onita.jpg



Discussion Thread



"He created tension by teasing the violence instead of just indulging in it like followers in the style." Moonsault Marvin



"The biggest star in FMW. Influential garbage wrestler. He made garbage style matches more interesting than most people working that style. That makes him a great worker, in my opinion." stunning_grover



"Onita was definitely one of the most charismatic wrestlers of his generation Japan or anywhere and was smart enough to helped create a style in Japan that they rarely had seen before that in taking the elements of Memphis & WWC to start up FMW. Onita was great at what he did in the ring and when it came to business you can't deny he was a tremendous draw.



Onita also became a cult hero to the fans over here and I remember a lot of fans in the mid 90's trying their best to find whatever FMW tapes they could find from whomever they could get it from." Kris Zellner



Recommended Matches:


Atsushi Onita & Masa Fuchi vs Ricky Morton & Eddie Gilbert (Memphis, 9/4/1981)


Atsushi Onita vs Tarzan Goto (FMW, 2/26/1991)


Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk (FMW, 5/5/1993)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


88 - Sami Zayn




209_RAW_03282016rf_1789-8832ee050649e92c


2006 Ranking: unranked




Points: 2600

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 2


# of Ballots: 66

Average Vote: 61.62


High Vote: 8 (Mrzfn)

Low Vote: 100



el-generico-url-1357837819.jpg




Discussion Thread



"One of the all-time great babyface workers. He was super over as El Generico, and really so expressive and able to sell so well under the mask. Laundry list of great indy matches. Great tag worker. Great at indy spotfests as well as traditional face/heel stuff. And is now just as good unmasked as the everyman Zayn." Jimmy Redman



"A relic from a bygone era. Amazing babyface whose focus on storytelling is second to none, these days. Has traveled to every corner of the globe, doing what he loves. Bigger things on the horizon." Jon Burr



"Had a run of fantastic performances running from at least 2007 until now, and in a variety of environments, in front of a variety of crowds, and performing a variety of styles. On top of all that, before making the change from Generico to Zayn, he became the most sympathetic babyface in wrestling without ever saying a word. I think the physical ability it takes to reach that point without ever cutting a promo would be impressive in ANY era, but when you consider the emphasis on talking out a story rather than wrestling out one over the past 25 years, it's all the more impressive." Shining Wiz



Recommended Matches:


El Generico vs Daisuke Sekimoto (wXw, 3/13/2011)


El Generico vs Dick Togo (PWG, 12/10/2011)


Sami Zayn vs Cesaro (NXT, 2/24/2014)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


87 - Cesaro



17.jpg




2006 Ranking: unranked




Points: 2603

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 69

Average Vote: 63.28


High Vote: 14 (Mrzfn)

Low Vote: 97




cesaro1-700x352.jpg



Discussion Thread



"Does something to amaze me in nearly every match he has." Steven White



"So here is the thing with Cesaro. You can certainly make the argument that his indy run, when you consider his overall talents, was underwhelming to some extent. But he was as good of a base for your typical blah indy high flyers could ever hope to work with. Go back to 2006 and watch Claudio take a green as grass "I have the Double Moonsault and nothing else" Ricochet and have some thing really fun with him. The E stretch has just pushed forward what he could do when given the ball (or, in some cases, not given a ball)." El Dragon



Recommended Matches:


Claudio Castagnoli vs El Generico (ROH, 7/28/2007)


Cesaro vs Kofi Kingston (WWE Main Event, 5/1/2013)


Cesaro vs William Regal (NXT, 12/25/2013)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


86 - Hiroshi Tanahashi




85003bd3c0370edeca6d8774ea0f76c9ec45d8eb



2006 Ranking: honourable mention (370)




Points: 2637

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 3


# of Ballots: 51

Average Vote: 49.53


High Vote: 5 (ShittyLittleBoots & Lauren McKell)

Low Vote: 98



3-126.jpg




Discussion Thread



"I've been told his inclusion is a clerical error. I like him. Live with it." Dave Musgrave



"Tanahashi's long string of high quality matches in the modern style is impressive even if it is not one of my favorite styles." Moonsault Marvin



"Incredible "big match" wrestler. Almost never lets you down in a title match or in a big G1 match. He's had a silly amount of MOTYCs since 2007 just churning them out year after year. Only detraction for him (and honestly it's probably been a smart move on his behalf) is that in your regular run of the mill tour shows he generally just does his trademark stuff (especially in tags) and it's rarely anything worth seeing. The live crowd enjoy it though as he's so charismatic. " Alan4L



"Maybe the best "big match" wrestler of all time. In the conversation at minimum. His match structure and ability to peak his matches at just the right time are elite level. A big Tanahashi match never runs long or feels like it never ends.



When was the last time he had a big title match or main event or major G1 bout that wasn't great? The guy just delivers time after time, like a machine. I can't even think of the last bad big match he's had. He's probably never had one. " W2BTD



Recommended Matches:


Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuyuki Fujita (NJPW, 6/5/2004)


Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki (NJPW, 10/8/2012)


Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (NJPW, 1/4/2016)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


85 - Manami Toyota



sam_9470.jpg




2006 Ranking: 29




Points: 2684

#1 Votes: 1

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 1

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 52

Average Vote: 50.10


High Vote: 1 (The Great Puma)

Low Vote: 99




100801350212607.jpg



Discussion Thread



"A vote that will be seen as controversial by many, especially considering she's one spot ahead of Kong on my list, but in terms of post 2000s work I continue to be relatively impressed by the little of Toyota I've seen, and after seeing Aja as Erica the aura isn't quite the same. For a tiebreaker it made the difference as in the 90s Toyota had so many great performances both in singles and in tags her annoyances were successfully overcome for me. 10 years ago she might have been in my top 10, but just as a wrestler she offers so much I can't deny the Flying Angel her spot. " Dylan Harris



Recommended Matches:


Manami Toyota vs Toshiyo Yamada (AJW, 12/9/1989)


Manami Toyota vs Aja Kong (AJW, 11/20/1994)


Manami Toyota vs Yumiko Hotta (AJW, 9/3/1995)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


84 - The Undertaker




undertakerwwe.jpg



2006 Ranking: honourable mention (132)




Points: 2776

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 59

Average Vote: 53.95


High Vote: 14 (Trent Williams)

Low Vote: 99



undertaker4.jpg




Discussion Thread



"A lesser wrestler would have never been able to convey a character like the Undertaker that would have been silly in another's hands." Moonsault Marvin



"I wish he'd retired a while ago but it is hard to argue how great he has been and there has been times where he was among my favorites." Dave Musgrave



" I think he is far better at things like selling than he's usually given credit for. I remember back in 2010 during the "Vegetative State/Kane stole my powers via urn" thing, and he had a match on SD where he looked off his game, tired and old. People were talking about how he was too old and he should retire already. Then weeks later, he got his powers back in the storyline, had a rematch with this guy and worked out his skin looking like his usual self, and I realised that all of that weak looking stuff we saw...people thought he was legit too old to work, but it was just him selling the shit out of the angle. I loved that and I came away super impressed with his ability to sell even with such a no-selling character. " Jimmy Redman



Recommended Matches:


The Undertaker vs Bret Hart (WWF One Night Only, 9/20/1997)


The Undertaker vs Jeff Hardy (WWE, 7/1/2002)


The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (WWE Wrestlemania XXV, 4/5/2009)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


83 - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper



vince-mcmahon-roddy-piper.jpg




2006 Ranking: honourable mention (153)




Points: 2786

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 1

Top 10 Votes: 5


# of Ballots: 67

Average Vote: 59.84


High Vote: 3 (John Steffy)

Low Vote: 100




Piper_panther.jpg



Discussion Thread



"Great charismatic wrestler who added a lot of energy and intensity to his matches and who also delivered great promos. One of the best heels of the 1980s." stunning_grover



"I like Piper a lot. I think like Michael Hayes he's a guy who's rep as being a bad/poor worker is complete bullshit. He had some matches in the 80's v. Valentine, Bruno, Orndorff and Savage that I really loved. My perception of him went up a ton when I was watching random 80's house shows from the WWF and he was consistently one of the most engaging people on those shows. Not sure if he'll make my list or not but I'll seriously consider him." Dylan Waco



Recommended Matches:


Roddy Piper vs Buddy Rose (Portland, 9/13/1980)


Roddy Piper vs Greg Valentine (Dog Collar, NWA Starrcade, 11/23/1983)


Roddy Piper vs Bret Hart (WWF WrestleMania VIII, 4/5/1992)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


82 - "Dr. Death" Steve Williams




Dr_Death_Steve_Williams_bio.png



2006 Ranking: 52




Points: 2807

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 79

Average Vote: 65.47


High Vote: 17 (The Great Puma)

Low Vote: 100



drdeath.jpg




Discussion Thread



"It's Steve Williams, come on. A throw-back who defines gaijin monster. I actually really liked his Starrcade 1987 match against Barry Windham, and I will probably be the only person to recommend it." Dave Musgrave



"He was great during his peak periods of his career and he had several great matches throughout his career. Mostly in Mid-South and All Japan." stunning_grover



"Doc will make my list, but more as a personal favorite than someone whose body of work lines up against the all-time greats. He had a tremendous run in 94 and had some really neat tags earlier in the decade for AJPW, but his US stuff leaves a lot to be desired, sadly. He did have some good stuff in UWF, I'll give him that. He'll be in the bottom part of my list." Tim Livingston



Recommended Matches:


Steve Williams vs Barry Windham (NWA Starrcade, 11/26/1987)


Steve Williams vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 4/16/1994)


Steve Williams vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 7/28/1994)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


81 - Yoshihiro Tajiri



tumblr_mrq15l6Q0F1scglxgo1_400.jpg




2006 Ranking: honourable mention (294)




Points: 2813

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 80

Average Vote: 65.84


High Vote: 15 (El Dragon)

Low Vote: 100




tajirigreenmist.jpg



Discussion Thread



"Everyone knows Tajiri had that couple years stretch were he had a very legitimate case as best in the world, but I feel like the rest of his career gets undervalued greatly. I think he had a legitimate case as being one of the very best guys in North America all the way until around 2005 or so, just rarely was put in a position to show it, sadly (which means most people will think this reasoning is silly, and that's fine). Possibly the wrestler who best carried himself in North America while never speaking English just due to overwhelming in ring charisma, which I value greatly." El Dragon



"He gets in for me for two reasons - 1. He was at least arguably the best worker in the world for two consecutive years (99 and 00). I might feel differently if I watch lucha and BatBat from that period, but no one else from anywhere in the world I would have ahead of him. On top of it during this period he was unbelievably consistent, never having bad matches even on ECW house shows where plenty of other guys took the night off and/or he was booked against guys who weren't easy to work with. 2. Despite not getting a ton of chances, I think his non-ECW career is both consistent and interesting in ways you might not think. Even in recent years he's had some incredible matches both against vets and against half trained rookies. I do wish he had a bigger number of clear classics, but he has plenty of random matches that I love" Dylan Waco



Recommended Matches:


Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Steve Corino (ECW Hardcore Heaven, 5/14/2000)


Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Osamu Nishimura (WNC, 8/8/2003)


Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Fit Finlay (SMASH, 2/19/2012)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


80 - Tito Santana




51b8f12563d5b.image.jpg



2006 Ranking: honourable mention (208)




Points: 2945

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 0


# of Ballots: 74

Average Vote: 61.20


High Vote: 14 (Coffey)

Low Vote: 97



tito-santana.jpg




Discussion Thread



"Santana was a great wrestler in a supporting role. His fired up brawling makes him a sentimental favorite." Moonsault Marvin



"Tito Santana is on my list. I might be the high man for Tito, actually. I think Tito Santana might be my favorite babyface of all-time. I just love the way he dies. His comesbacks & fire are great too, but he's just so good at dying. He made everyone he wrestled look like a god. Even when he was squashed in a nothing match at Wrestlemania by The Barbarian. His selling of the top rope Clothesline just made it seem so much more brutal & impactful. Tito was good at what he did." Coffey



Recommended Matches:


Tito Santana vs Greg Valentine (Cage, WWF, 7/23/1985)


Tito Santana vs Randy Savage (WWF, 4/22/1986)


Tito Santana vs Mr. Perfect (WWF Saturday Night's Main Event, 7/16/1990)


Link to comment
Share on other sites


79 - Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy



GordyEyes.jpg




2006 Ranking: 47




Points: 2945

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 1


# of Ballots: 66

Average Vote: 56.14


High Vote: 8 (Lisa Lewis)

Low Vote: 99




o_nwa-wrestling-freebird-terry-gordy-bes



Discussion Thread



"Even if he wasn't the same for the last years of his career, he wrestled like few others during his prime, especially for his size. His Texas Death Match with Killer Khan is one of my favorites. " Dave Musgrave



"The recklessness of youth, embodied in the man child that was Terry Gordy. Such a fantastic worker, especially for his size. A true natural. Don't be touchin' his van. " Jon Burr



" He's been in a lot of great matches (mostly 80s tags) and he has a lot of great tools but I always end up feeling underwhelmed. He's great on paper. Good size, great punch, great bumping, knew how to sell and put guys over. But there's just something missing and I can't put my finger on what it is. He should have been a top 20 worker but the pieces never really came together like I would have hoped." Elliot



Recommended Matches:


Terry Gordy vs Killer Khan (WCCW, 11/22/1984)


Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts vs Kerry & Kevin Von Erich (Badstreet Match, WCCW, 2/12/1988)


Terry Gordy & Stan Hansen vs Genichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/16/1988)


Link to comment
Share on other sites

78 - Dynamite Kid

dynamite.jpg

2006 Ranking: 14

Points: 3037
#1 Votes: 0
#2 Votes: 1
#3 Votes: 2
Top 10 Votes: 3
# of Ballots: 64
Average Vote: 54.19
High Vote: 2 (ChuckScumm)

Low Vote: 99

tumblr_inline_mzp7n1GiW91s6pcmf.jpg

Discussion Thread

"The aggressive Dynamite Kid was an exciting wrestler with great bumping ability." Moonsault Marvin

"People say his stuff hasn't aged much but I think opinions will come around, especially on his work with Tiger Mask" Dave Musgrave

 

"Greatest British wrestler ever. Great intensity. One of the most amazing performers in the world during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Even after his peak he continued to give interesting performances." stunning_grover

 

"He's also one of the rare performers whose stuff never looks dated. You could plop 1983 Dynamite on a state of the art PWG card tomorrow and he'd fit right in and get over immediately. Stick him in modern New Japan with the best roster in the world, and he'd look just fine slapping around juniors and stepping up to Shibata." W2BTD

Recommended Matches:

Dynamite Kid vs Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW, 2/5/1980)

Dynamite Kid vs Tiger Mask (NJPW, 4/21/1983)

British Bulldogs vs Dream Team (WWF, 4/7/1986)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

77 - "Ravishing" Rick Rude

ravishing-rick-rude.jpg

2006 Ranking: 85

Points: 3072
#1 Votes: 0
#2 Votes: 0
#3 Votes: 0
Top 10 Votes: 2
# of Ballots: 83
Average Vote: 64
High Vote: 8 (Andrew Lacelle)

Low Vote: 100

ZRoodpic.jpg

Discussion Thread

"I had always had it in my head that Rude had a great look and was a good promo, but wasn't anything special in the ring, but going back and watching his peak stuff, it's really amazing how athletic he is, how well he moves and bumps, and how clear an idea of who he is in the ring." JRGoldman

Recommended Matches:

Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior (WWF SummerSlam, 8/28/1989)

Rick Rude vs Roddy Piper (Cage, WWF 12/28/1989)
Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat (Iron Man, WCW Beach Blast, 6/20/1992)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


76 - Hiroshi Hase




03.jpg



2006 Ranking: 33




Points: 3109

#1 Votes: 0

#2 Votes: 0

#3 Votes: 0

Top 10 Votes: 1


# of Ballots: 73

Average Vote: 58.41


High Vote: 10 (anarchistxx)

Low Vote: 99



hqdefault.jpg




Discussion Thread



"His holds, spots and transitions are all crisp without theatrics and he's as awesome at selling as he is tearing into an open wound and trying to drain every last ounce of blood from his opponent. That's before we get to his fire and charisma. He could play the fiery NJ babyface vs. WAR on one night or a bloodthirsty and vicious heel the next. Easily someone I want to go back and watch what he was doing in the 80s as well as what was there when he moved to AJ, as on the New Japan side the only one at his level is Hashimoto." WingedEagle



"Hase is one of those guys where if you are voting partially on skill level and flash I could see rating him fairly high. He was extremely gifted in the ring. Had a ton of tools, applied them in interesting ways, and certainly had an "ahead of his time" vibe in a way without being someone you think of as innovative or a high flyer. I also think he had a cool and unique look which fit his work and there is a sense in which that kind of matters to me when I'm looking at tiebreakers for something like the GWE. " Dylan Waco



Recommended Matches:


Hiroshi Hase vs Jushin Liger (NJPW, 5/6/1991)


Hiroshi Hase vs Shinya Hashimoto (NJPW, 8/3/1993)


Hiroshi Hase & Keiji Mutoh vs Shinya Hashimoto & Masahiro Chono (NJPW, 11/4/1993)


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...