# 16 (Ric Flair)
What better way to start the top 16 than with the 16 time world champion? Some people would probably scratch their head at him only being number 16, but I don't give a shit. That's the way it goes and I made it a top 16 just to fit him on here. *laughs* Flair had some really great moments and lots of very average ones along the way. When I think about WCW and world champion of course his name is first to come to mind. But I don't really think being the 16 time world champion is all that special. He won it 16 times and... LOST it 16 times. I'd take being a 5 time world champion with longer title runs over that any day. Believe it or not I don't think much of his time in NWA/WCW. To me his greatest stint was during his WWF run back in 1991 till around 1993. It's one of my favorite time periods now (not then) when I look back and relive all of the past. His combination with Mr Perfect and Bobby Heenan is the BEST group EVER! You have a commentator, the WWF champion and an injured wrestler as your mangager and it's the best ever? Funny how things work out, but they had it all and when it comes to comedy in wrestling there has never been anything that comes close. Lots of people consider him the greatest of all time and I just don't agree with that. He inspired tons of kids to become wrestlers and I give him lots of credit for that. But directional wise, I don't think he did as much as some of the others to come after him. I think his worst quote of all time is when he said that he didn't think Bret Hart was that good of a wrestler. Right... This sounds a little on the negative side for someone I'm putting on my favorite list though. Ric Flair is a mixed bag. I honestly think some of his better moments was during his return to the WWE and THANK GOD he finally decided to retire. I thought for sure he was going to die in the ring. WOOOOOOOOOOO *Elbow drops his jacket* One thing is for sure, he had the best send off of all time.
# 15 (Kurt Angle)
Intensity, integrity and intelligence. Angle was a natural from day one and impressed the hell out with his ability both in the ring and on the mic. He had all the personality in the world to be one of the best of all time. His work with Steve Austin was some of the funniest shit I'd ever seen in wrestling before. Trying to win over Vince McMahon, competing over hugs, cowboy hats, badges, playing the ol' guitar and repeating everything Vince would say line for line. It really doesn't get much better. I loved all the stuff when he was trying to steal Stephanie away from Triple H. They had some really great chemistry and were doing things fans (at least myself) wanted to see. But after a while they went away from what made him great in the first place. The milk drinking Olympic gold medalist was written in as an angry, blood thirsty bald man (well... his hair was thinning to begin with) who wanted to just break your ankle. This has carried over to this very day in TNA and I feel he's become very limited. He also never got the type of title run in the WWF that you'd consider memorable. He was more of a stop gap champion than anything. *Superkicks Edge for starting that "you suck" chant* No... YOU suck! Kurt Angle was one of my favorites during a specific time period which is better than nothing. Yet I'll always feel that he could have been so much more. Btw, being there live for his match against Shane McMahon was awesome.
# 14 (Chris Benoit)
Chris was one of the most consistent in ring performers that I've seen to date and I was thrilled when he got his big break as a world champion. Before it was too late... Chris practically copied the wrestling style that of the Dynamite Kid. It's almost freaky how similar they look in every aspect. The walk, their body sizes and of course almost every single move. But it goes beyond that. Put them side by side and it's a mirror image. They sell the same way, they take bumps the same way and execute with the same type of velocity. Some might consider this "stealing" but it's a really wise idea. Just like how Shawn Michaels took certain things from Ric Flair. IT WORKS! I often wonder why more guys don't mold themselves off of specific wrestlers of the past or mix and match. If it worked once it probably will again. Anyway, you can go all the way back to the Pegasus Kid days and you know you're going to have a good match whenever Benoit stepped in the ring. He was the definition of a pro and had come a long way. His work in WCW was good. They pushed him by letting him join the prestigious Four Horsemen and people really started to take notice during his best of seven series with Booker T which was really great. There was something about the two of them wrestling that I could watch over and over. His WCW title run was a joke though. In fact, he threw the title in a garbage can and jumped ship to the WWF which turned out to be a really good idea. It just seemed like this guy was going to be a mid carder for life and all of that changed once he developed better mic skills. After all those years he became a world champion when it actually mattered. My favorite match of his against Bret Hart in WCW that was dedicated in the memory of Owen Hart. It was a fantastic match and class act. I also think getting SLAPPED by Stephanie McMahon was one of the most intense moments in wrestling history lol. With every good there is a bad and his is as ugly as they come. I try my best to separate the wrestler that I loved watching from the man he left this world as but it's rather difficult. You hear the name Benoit and that stuff instantly comes to mind. But this list is about the wrestler and not so much the person so I'll just leave it at that. I wish things could have been different is all and have a hard time believing it even now.
# 13 (Sid)
Sid was the type who could do no wrong. It didn't matter if he was a heel or face, he was going to get over and put on one hell of a show. Lord Humongous, Sid Vicious, Sid Justice, Psycho Sid or just plain Sid. Call him whatever you like, the guy has a knack for pleasing the crowd and he would feed off that energy. I have nothing but fond memories of every point of his career. I even quote some of his most famous lines on a every day basis. "Jack Tunney... what you did was BOGUS... The most bogus thing you've ever done in your life." while clenching his teeth or how about telling Brutus that "I'm going to rearrange... your FACE!" with powder all over his face as he trashes the barber shop. So many big men have taken the foundation of the big boot, choke slam into the power bomb from him. It's a simple formula and everything about the guy is simple. His ring attire was always one solid color. Boots, two knee pads, trunks and the elbow pad on the left arm with that really weird gold thing in the back. *shrugs* Never known what the hell that was. I gotta say that his mic skills are a bit underrated. I thought he was damn good at changing tones and making everyone feel uncomfortable. There is lots of talk that he might return to the WWE by the end of the year or early next year. It's taken him close to seven years to get back into form and in March he made his return for the National Wrestling Alliance. He's said to be in fantastic shape so I hope the rumors come true. He really deserves to end his career on a good note and I wish the Master and Ruler of the World the best of luck.
# 12 (Jake the Snake)
"Trust me" when I tell you this guys is one crazy son of a bitch. An awesome crazy son of a bitch none the less. If there was ever an appropriate ring name it's this one. The guy is a human form of a snake, slithering around and can't be trusted under any circumstances. What I love most about Jake is that he's a straight shooter. If an angle sucked he'd be the first to let Vince know and he didn't beat around the bush either. I actually wish he were still on the creative team because he had a great mind for the business and is one of the only reasons Steve Austin got a push in the first place. I guess he knew something others didn't, huh? Jake had so many great feuds during his career. His most notable is probably against Randy Savage where his snake literally attached itself to Randy's arm and wouldn't let go. It became personal, sick and twisted since both guys have serious issues haha. Jake the Snake Roberts. That has a damn good ring to it. He made the DDT famous and would put on good matches regardless of if he were drunk, stoned and what not. He handled himself well and always had me interested. Think about it!
# 11 (Ted DiBiase)
Everybody has a price for the Million Dollar Man. HA HA HA HA HA! I can hear his amazing laugh that sounded exactly the same every time in my head. Here is a guy who spent his whole career as a heel milking every ounce of the gimmick that he possibly could. He was never in the best of shape nor did he wow me with his wrestling ability. But he had what it took and just enough to always be important and a favorite of mine. His promos were great and his outfit was something to be seen. The million dollar belt was a thing of beauty and I can hear Roddy Piper barking out "HIT HIM" to Virgil to beat Ted over the head with it. "Do I need to remind you about your family... about your MOTHER?!" That feud that was a long time coming. The type wrestling no longer has to offer because of the massive amount of PPVs. You always wondered when Virgil would reach his breaking point and when he finally did it was worth it. Ted knew which buttons to push to get major heat and had to do very little besides flaunt his money and express how superior he was to everyone else to get a rise. But more than anything else, he had the image. A smug look, defined way about himself and a theme song that said it all. Money, Money, Money. I hope his son becomes half a cool as he is.
# 10 (Chris Jericho)
Back in the day I thought of him as the next Shawn Michaels. Funny enough... the both of them are in a very heated and enjoyable feud as we speak. I've seen his entire career, some parts better than others. His matches in Japan were very good even though he was on the losing end of most of them. Lots of action packed 4 on 4 man matches that were all over the place and seemingly have very little rules. His high flying tag team with Lance Storm "The Thrill Seekers" is a gem that lots of people never got a chance to see. He became one of my favorites during the Monday Night Jericho time period. He was putting on great matches week after week, had hilarious mic skills and plenty of charisma. He was the perfect heel that made most of the main eventers looks like garbage in comparison. By the time Ralphus became his manager I was already sucked in and would tune in just to see Jericho's match. The only problem was that he was limited to the Cruiser weight division which might not have been a bad thing considering some of the best workers were in that division. But career wise he was being held back and took a great opportunity to became a big deal in the WWF. That was evident by his dramatic countdown entrance to open up the new millennium . I tell ya, I was so excited to see Jericho get the exposure that he deserved well before then. At first a mirror image of his WCW character just on a bigger stage. They were letting him be himself with the crazy hair styles and wacky facial hair. But most importantly they were letting him wrestle his type of match. He basically became a baby face version of what he was in WCW which was fine by me. Then just like Kurt Angle the fun and games ended. Close friends to Jericho said the success got to him and he just sorta lost sight of how he got there in the first place. I can't say I was too fond of him during the Undisputed champion phase. Yes, he was being pushed big time, yet that wasn't the Jericho I was so fond of in the past and his wrestling ability began to suffer (might not have been up to him). I mean, the once amazing lion tamer became nothing more than reject looking boston crab. Eventually he just started DOING the boston crab which was better than whatever the hell you want to call the alternative. The guy became stale and took a much needed break from pro wrestling. His return so far has been pretty good and lately, although it's very different (a good thing) I've really liked the direction of his character. He's wrestling well, showing people how it's done on the mic and is very believable. I'm starting to warm up to Jericho again and overall the good completely outweighs the bad.
# 9 (Razor Ramon)
Hey Big Kev, move over because this guy beats you in all areas. If not for his alcohol addiction he probably would have been pushed to the very top. Even so, he's one of the best IC champs we've ever had. I liked him from the very beginning since he had the total package (heh, he's not making the list). He didn't even need to try hard. Hell, in WCW he could say "hey yo" and call it a night. He had the it factor, the look, the voice and a somewhat original move set for the times. Most notably, his matches with Shawn Michaels tore the house down. Both ladder matches were off the hook and both of them let it all hang out. Sometimes you need two to tango and they fit like a glove. Overall, I give Razor the edge over Scott Hall. There is barely a difference. Razor just oozed more machismo. *shrugs* He was one of the three original nWo members and talk about being in the right place at the right time. *Throws a toothpick*
# 8 (Lance Storm)
Lance is one of the most underrated wrestlers I can think of. A lot of that has to do with people never getting a chance to see his work in ECW which is the most note worthy. Outside of Rob Van Dam, he was the best performer to ever land on their roster. His biggest problem throughout his whole career was that he was dull on the mic which was then covered up nicely when he turned heel, joined up with Justin Credible and had his own personal bitch in Dawn Marie. The Impact Players again... one of the most underrated tag teams I can think of. They had all the tools and put on a show. Lance had speed, power and was as technically sound as wrestlers come. He never missed a beat and showed off a ton of athleticism. His drop kick is unrivaled and that rolling single leg crab is one of the best moves out there. Someone should seriously add that to their move set... He had the goods and knew how to get on fans nerves. "If I can be serious for a minute" was brilliant considering he was always serious heh. When ECW went under it was an easy enough decision to jump to WCW where (can't believe I'm about to say this) they used him to the utmost of his abilities. He quickly became the US (changed to Canadian via a sticker) champion, the hardcore champion and I believe a tag champion all at the same time. He was getting a steady push and was given a group of his own. Basically a rip off Bret Hart style Team Canada, but it worked. He had lots of good matches there, but again... not much luck as WCW was bought out. In the WWE he never really got a good chance to succeed. His theme song sucked, his gimmick was just rehashed and eventually got treated as a mere jobber. But I bet he made pretty damn good money for his troubles and decided to retire shortly after. He put on a hell of a match against Jericho at the ECW reunion PPV a few years back and was a good way to go out.
# 7 (The Rock)
He had the right idea. Go out on top and have people wanting more forever and ever. Having already accomplished so much at such an early age there really wasn't a whole lot left for him to prove. When he first came into the WWF with a floppy haircut and bizarre ring attire I thought he'd last a year at the most like a lot of the guys coming in at that time. He was billed as a third generation superstar and the blue chip was decent I suppose. After turning heel and having a long time feud with Ken Shamrock, he developed a style that was his and his alone. A power struggle between he and Farooq was under way and there was little wondering involved as to who would take over. The Nation along with all the other stables started to rapidly increase in numbers. Everyone who was anyone had a stable and it was a great way to build someone up while it lasted. He started talking in the third person, wearing $500 shirts, raising his eyebrow and wearing sunglasses which quickly became his image. But he certainly came a long way in every aspect of the game. His mic skills weren't good, his wrestling body and technique weren't up to par yet. I remember him saying "If you smell what the Rock is cooking" as his voice cracked and cringed at how awful it sounded. I don't know how he got so much better in such a short time span but he was dedicated to his craft and would soon turn the wrestling world upside down. Everything was coming together and while he still wasn't the greatest of wrestlers, he did his own thing to perfection. I'll tell you what, I sure miss the guy and seeing him at the Hall of Fame put a big smile on my face. He put his stamp on the business and will never be forgotten.
# 6 (Rob Van Dam)
Wow, I feel bad for those who never got to see him at his best. His days in ECW were epic and s
ome of the most "OH MY GOD" like to quote Joey Styles that I've ever seen. Wrestling was really good when he was on the top of his game. ECW... how I miss thee. After taking close to five minutes to finally step in the ring he would always steal the show with a match that was close to 40 minute long and put everything he had into it every single night. He was amazing and had god like ability and somehow was able to change directions in air with ease. He'll always be remembered most for his legendary matches with Jerry Lynn which are by far some of my favorites of all time. I remember this one spot where Lynn gave Rob a tornado DDT and the table didn't even budge. He got up like it was nothing almost as if he was Gumby. Jumping from the top rope into the crowd was just another day for him. It didn't need to be a special event or a PPV for him to give it his all. That's what Rob Van Dam was all about. He identified with the fans and gave us what we wanted each and every night. I remember watching him take on both of the Dudley Boys in a handicap match and still finding a way to perform as good as always. The death of ECW was the death of RVD as well in my opinion. I'm glad he got a chance to make major money and retire very comfortably. I'm also glad people who never watched ECW at least got to know who he was. But they still don't know the half of it. It doesn't matter what tape you put in with this guy. He always delivered in the biggest way.# 5 (Hulk Hogan)
Where do I even begin? The guy put more asses in the seats than anyone and it makes you think. Where would pro wrestling be without the Hulkster? Like every wrestling fan growing up in the mid 80s, I loved this man. He won damn near every single match he was in and we didn't care! That's what we came to see. Not that many of his matches were any good when you look back on them. But it was more of the build up that got us so pumped up. He had such a simple pop worthy style and knew how to work the crowd better than anyone. His interviews with Mean Gene were incredible. I have no idea how a guy could go on and on and on for so long while consistently making sense. He could do a promo in his sleep and is probably the best ever along with Macho Man and The Rock. I laugh looking back at Wrestle Mania 8 when he's saying that it might be his last match. Uh... It's almost WM 28 and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the ring one last time. He was that character for so many years and when it looked like there was nothing left for him to possibly do in the business, he pulled off the most shocking moment in story line history. HE was the third man of the soon to be legendary nWo and turned heel for the first time since early on in his career. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes, nobody could which was evident by all the garbage that was being thrown into the ring. Wrestling was BACK! He found a way to redefine his whole character with the Hollywood gimmick that was pure gold. Strutting out to Voodoo Child, strumming the world title like a guitar and had a brand new look. His career was amazing and others could only hope to have 25% the one he did. His return to WWE left much to be desired though. It was great hearing the theme song of old, but in general Hulk was far too stiff to put on anything of worth. I give the return a C+ and honestly I'm very down on him as of late. I think his reality show and personal life being exposed so much has him on the downfall. I look at him a pathetic dude who STILL wants all the attention. Which was proven when he refused to let Shawn Michaels win their match at Summer Slam that one year. The guy's ego is bigger than both 24 inch pythons put together and let's face it... he's an asshole who held people back for years to save himself.
# 4 (Macho Man)
Does he kick ass or what? Eat your heart out hooooogaaaan, Macho Man is ranked higher than you... DIG IT?! *Weird hand gesture* This guy is an incredibly odd package. I still don't know what in the world his gimmick is. He's insane, wears outrageous outfits, makes the weirdest gestures, doesn't move around like a human being and is the master at changing voice pitches. "You're in the danger zone... YEAH!" *flaps his right arm and sticks out his tongue* I've seen lots of footage well before he joined the WWF and I gotta say... he improved a lot! I doubt there has ever been another wrestler who practiced in front of a mirror more than him because he had something that nobody else could dream of having. What am I referring to? You know what I'm talking about if you just watch the man. I wouldn't even know how to begin explaining it. "There is a plane in the sky and I'm not on it!" Even as a kid, it didn't matter if he was a heel or face. I just loved everything about him. *Elbow drops the Ultimate Warrior SEVEN TIMES!* Macho Man had a specific way of doing everything and was the reason most of his matches turned out great. He was a perfectionist and even made stiff wrestlers like Warrior look good every once and a while. I really respect the fact that he decided to retire quietly and never returned making himself look like an idiot like... well I won't mention names. He went out on his terms and because of that he gets cooler as the years go by. Well it's time for me to bend my knees, grab my side and twirl my finger around because that's how things are done in space and space is the place OOOOOOOOOOOOOH YEEEEEAH!
# 3 (Mr Perfect)
He can walk, chew gum and catch a towel behind his back at the same time. Now that's impressive. Mr Perfect lived up to the name every single night. He was indeed perfect and made wearing a singlet cool again. It's a shame he never got to the top of the mountain, somewhat due to nagging injuries over the years. But I seriously think he could have carried it and done as good a job as anyone. Mr Perfect was the greatest IC champion of all time. As far as I'm concerned, that's his belt and it looked... PERFECT on him. His matches with Bret Hart are probably the highlight of his career and maybe Bret's as well. Each match was a little different and it's rare when two guys compliment one another as so. Although Bret won nearly all of them, I don't think he would have gotten over as well without the series of matches with Mr Perfect. What made him so interesting to watch is that he was a big dude who wrestled like a little guy. He was quick, took some of the best bumps and had a great wrestling background. He knew when to pick his spots and when to make the other guy look great which is an ability so few wrestlers posses. He was one of the few cross over wrestlers that WCW used properly. Quickly became the US champion which was the equivalent of the IC title down in the south. Even his rap is crap angle exploded on to the scene and I hear the song was even played on the radio lol. Lots of pro wrestlers have passed away in recent years. None a bigger shock to me than when I found out the Curt had died at the age of 44. That killed a piece of me inside and I let out a big NOOOOOO! I guess he never stopped living the rock and roll type life style of the 80s and paid the price. Everyone in the business loved him, he was a true great in every sense of the word and I was happy to see him inducted into the hall of fame. In a few days the WWE is releasing a 2 disc DVD set in honor of one of the all time best. I can't wait to get my hands on that and relive all the amazing moments he provided us with. "That was unbelievable. No, no, no... that was perfect." I really miss him. :(
# 2 (Bret Hart)
The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. You know, when he first started saying that I was like 'Well, he's the best right now and better than those who came before him. But will he really hold up and keep that title for ages and ages?' Well the answer is YES! There hasn't been, isn't now and probably will never again be another with the ring smarts of Bret Hart. He owned that ring, the square circle was his office and he was the most consistent at it. Bret never took a day off and a good example of that is when he broke his sternum in a match against Dino Bravo. They suggested he get counted out only to refuse and carry on with the match. He defended the world title more often than anyone ever before. Defending at house shows, defending on Superstars and had long illustrious title runs. But it didn't happen over night. He was a hard worker and came up the ranks in the most classic of ways. Starting in the tag team division and forming the Hart Foundation which is arguably the greatest tag team we've ever seen. I would agree with that statement because they knew each other inside and out and became the mold for the smaller guy with the ox like big guy who comes in and clears house. Once they switched over to the pink and black the rest was history. The story about how that came to be is actually really funny. Anvil kept calling this lady about new ring attire and she was persistent about this HOT PINK outfit. Both of them were like "uh..." and refused. They called back a few times and again the women was dead set on them wearing the hot pink. So eventually they agreed to do so and Vince stopped them in the back. Looked them up and down and said "That's the look! That's what you've been missing! Wear these from now on." Honestly, that women apparently knew what she was talking about. It's very possible they would never have gotten over as well without pink ring attire that became their official look and one Bret himself never changed outside of updating it a bit. Yada Yada, Bret was awesome and seemed to always have a title of some kind. The only problem I have with Bret is the way he went out. I'm not talking about getting hurt in WCW, but his refusal to drop the title in Canada. What the hell difference does it make where and when you drop the title? When Vince tells you you're dropping the belt... you drop the belt. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't match the amazing 20 million that WCW was offering him and you can't be the WWF champion while in WCW. So you do the right thing and drop the belt. I thought his actions were really unprofessional and weird for a guy who had been class act his entire career. So when Vince says "Bret Screwed Bret" I kinda agree. Not that I liked seeing him dicked over, nor do I think that was the right thing to do either. But he had it coming. WCW also used him like shit. So was the $20 million really worth it? He ended up getting a career ending injury and held back from none other than Hulk Hogan. There is no proof of this what so ever, but all signs point to him not wanting Bret to steal his spotlight once again. He would have been better off just retiring in 1997 if you ask me. He had already done all and seen all well before then and was getting up there in age. But that's my only beef and I admire him tremendously. They don't call him The Excellence of Execution for nothing
# 1 (Shawn Michaels)
Last but not least, the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels. I'm probably going to do a piss poor job at describing how much this guy affected my life. He really did. I idolized him and was a fanatic if you will. I remember meeting him up close for the first time at a mall back in 2000 and I was at a loss of words. That's probably the most awe stuck I've ever been in my life. I shook his hand and my knees were shaking. I think I just barely got out a "What's up Shawn?" or some basic crap that he probably heard 1,000 times that same day. But whatever, it was something I'll never forget. There isn't much I can write here that would do justice. I loved the Rockers growing up and honestly thought Marty was the one who would eventually get further. But you know how things go, sometimes you get superkicked, thrown into a window and a guy proves you wrong. It's a shame the Rockers never did get to become tag champions. They beat the Hart Foundation for the belts, however the top rope broke off and the match turned out to be pretty crappy as you'd expect. They never did air that match and pretended it never took place lol. Ah, the power of being taped ahead of time. They were a great in sync tag team that has been copied over and over during the years. Just most recently with Brian Kendrick (who's doing his best to follow in Shawn's footsteps) and Paul London who looks like the next Jannetty heh. Shawn's heel turn was shocking and he took full advantage of his opportunity to shine. I think matching him up with Sherri (who had already managed the likes of Macho Man and Ted Dibiase) gave him instant credibility. Also, thank you Curt Hennig for coming up with the Heart Break Kid name. I can't imagine him without it. What's interesting about him is that he's been main eventing since 1992 against Bret Hart even though he was only the IC champ. It was them when created the ladder match and tested it out once during a house show. Well it's safe to say that Shawn lost most of those matches, but they were damn good considering Bret was the WWF champion. By late 1993 Shawn had become my favorite wrestler and that stands even to this day. If you couldn't figure that out with him being ranked #1 and all... Anyway, to make a long story short, I think he did more for the direction of the industry than anyone and I'm not sure if the WWF would have made it out alive without him. He was keeping their heads above water for a good while there. So if Bret is the best wrestler then Shawn was the best entertainer. It kind of sucks when your two favorites don't like one another both on camera and off but oh well. I think Shawn losing to Bret so many times in the past made defeating him in the Iron Man match at WM12 for the title even more satisfying. *Skips ahead* When his back got fucked I felt so in the dark. There was no news, no way to know for sure what his status was and wrestling moved on without him. :( I still wonder what it would have been like in 1999 if Shawn were healthy. When he first came back after such a long time period off I didn't know what to think. I certainly didn't want to see him hurt himself and was on the fence for a few years. After a while he started coming back to form and showing signs of the Shawn of old. Over the part few years he has reinvented himself which is no easy task. I'm glad younger kids and wrestling fans of a new generation got a chance to see him. Ending the way he did in 1998 would have left a bitter taste in my mouth for a long time. I do hope he retires in a few years though. I don't want to see him sticking around till he's flabby like the Nature Boy.
