THE Top 10 Wrestlers In History/Of All Time

[i Luv Da Cock]

Intro: The following criteria for judging a wrestler's place in history: 1. Professional success; 2. Importance to history; 3. How good he was in the ring; 4. His drawing power; and 5. The mainstream status he achieved.


10. RIC FLAIR

The umpteen time NWA/WCW champion, he also held the WWE belt, no mean accomplishment when one considers the fate of those WCW stars who jumped to the WWE. Equally effective as either a heel or babyface, he's still one of the best when it comes to giving interviews. Flair gave WCW what little credibility it had, and gave more to the organization than he ever received in return. Perhaps 10 years from now I may rank him even higher, but his current position as Triple H's caddy is not exactly bathing him in glory.

9. EL SANTO

The God of lucha libre, his popularity crossed over into a series of highly successful movies. In fact, even after his death, his influence on the game still lives on. Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras were better wrestlers, but no one excited the crowd like El Santo. Mexican wrestling rode a wave of popularity due to his presence in the ring. He's still a household-name Mexican sports fans.

8. BRUNO SAMMARTINO

The WWWF champion, for it was on his broad shoulders that the WWWF was able to survive and become the conglomerate it is today. He was the dominant wrestler of the '60s, a keen ring psychologist who was a much better worker in the squared circle than he is given credit for by experts. Bruno set the standard for big men to be champ; at his height he weighed 275, but was amazingly agile. His record of sellouts in Madison Square Garden has yet to be duplicated, let alone surpassed. Because he refused to compromise, giving 100% in every match, back injuries and a broken neck at the hands of Start Hansen in 1975 diminished his ability, but his mastery of ring psychology kept the fans returning again and again.

7. RIKIDOZAN

He was the God of Puroresu who took wrestling off the sumo mats and made it a top attraction in Japan. Legitimately tough, he could match styles with anyone, and a victory over Rikidozan meant instant credibility for a challenger. His matches with Lou Thesz, the Destroyer, and Fred Blassie are classics, and he was one of the few Japanese wrestlers who could draw in California without the "yellow menace" gimmick. The scandal that arose from his murder at the hands of the Yakuza (the Japanese underworld) almost killed pro wrestling in Japan.

6. FRED BLASSIE

A bleached blond blowhard, he excelled both as a wrestler and a manager. Never at a loss for words, he was the best interview in the history of the game. Known as a wrestler who would do almost anything to win, he was also an apt psychologist giving the fans what they came to see, mainly blood. When he toured Japan he was a hit because fans there had never seen anything remotely like him In America he was a frequent guest on local talk shows, made a cult film ("My Breakfast With Blassie") with comic Andy Kaufman, and had a best-selling record, "Pencil Neck Geek," a term he popularized.

5. HULK HOGAN

The best draw in the history of the sport, he often gave the impression wrestling was secondary to other things, such as posing before and after the match. It was on his bleached blond thinning hair that Vince McMahon conquered the wrestling world. With Hogan as champ, wrestling became less of a sport and more of an entertainment spectacle, which probably explains his short reigns as a drawing card, But when he was hot, no one was hotter, Witness his transformation into a heel in WCW with the NWO. He still had mileage left in the WWE when a contract dispute with McMahon made him expendable.

4. BUDDY ROGERS

Every bleached blond heel with a big mouth owes Rogers a debt of gratitude, for he paved the wag He began life as Herman "Dutch" Rhode, was renamed Buddy Rogers by Morris Siegel in Houston, and became "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers at the hands of Jack Pfeffer in Ohio. Rogers' charisma was incredible for a heel; even those who came to see him get his were awed by his performances. Rogers was known for a lively interview style, which set the tone for heels to come, and an arrogant strut, which he used whenever he felt he had the upper hand. His strut was later copied by Ric Flair, who also borrowed Rogers' "Nature Boy" nickname and finishing hold, the Figure-Four Leg Lock.

3. JIM LONDOS

The first matinee idol to grace the ring, London was responsible for luring women fans to the arena. Before his arrival on the scene, wrestling was a male domain. Known as "the Golden Greek," his perfectly proportioned and tanned physique graced a number of beefcake calendars specifically aimed at the female fan. His drawing power kept the game alive during the Depression, and his reputation was such that when he came out of retirement in the '50s, he was still able to draw large crowds, mainly because he kept himself in the pink of condition. He even headlined a card in Australia in 1959. (This from a man who began wrestling in 1916!)

2. GORGEOUS GEORGE

George should be remembered as the man who sold as many television sets as Milton Berle. He began life as George Wagner, journeyman wrestler. Looking for a gimmick, he let his hair grow, dyed it blonde, and wore a robe to the ring to the sounds of "Pomp and Circumstance," all the while being announced as "the Toast of the Coast, the Human Orchid." Women ought each other for the "Georgie pins" (gold-plated bobby pins) he threw into the audience after taking them from his hair. George made an estimated $3 million during his career, but a combination of bad marriages, bad investments, and the bad case of alcoholism left him broke at his death from a heart attack in 1963. But at his peak, from 1947-1955, he dominated the box office and television ratings. He was the right man at the right lime in the right place for the right media.

1. LOU THESZ

Could it be anyone else? Thesz was the six-time NWA world champion at a time when the belt meant something. Thesz's only gimmick was his wrestling ability, and he helped legitimize the sport in the eyes of many, from-ardent fans to college wrestlers, who entered the game because of his influence. His almost seven-year reign as NWA champion in the '50s was all the more impressive when we consider the amount of travel involved. As with Rikidozan, a victory over Lou Thesz meant credibility for the victor. Several wrestlers told me wrestling Thesz was a career highlight. After his retirement he served the game well as a good-will ambassador at a time when wrestling needed all the good will it could get His work for the Cauliflower Alley Club is still remembered fondly.

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FUCK YOU IF YOU DISAGREE



thaRooster still gay

[Mist]

wow, too bad i didnt hear of 4 of these guys

[Who Kares]

horrible fucking list

[Nam Dekan]

not bad...nice all time list

the only one i never heard of was RIKIDOZAN

[EdJames]

Nice to see a list without all the modern days wrestlers on.

[i Luv Da Cock]

Originally Posted by Who Kares

I wanna kill myself.....

Do it. No one will care.

Did you do this yourself or was it a copy and paste job?

I don't completely agree with this list, but it took too much thought for me to knock it.

I do have to say I'm surprised Thesz is at the number 1 spot considering the criteria.

4. His drawing power; and 5. The mainstream status he achieved.

Thesz stopped having anything to do with wrestling when it became more about these two qualities.

[FortiFied Killa]

where's andre the giant? according to your criteria he should be on there

[EdJames]

Originally Posted by FortiFied Killa

where's andre the giant? according to your criteria he should be on there

Not at all, for ringwork alone Andre would fall down. I don't like to speak ill of the dead and all, but dude had like three moves!!!

[exothermic]

thats a bad list... who r some of those guys?... old time wrestlers sux dude u cant even compare em

[P-nut]

1st name that popped in my head was ultimate warrior, macho man randy savage, and bob backlund, dunno why, they jus did...

[i Luv Da Cock]

Originally Posted by Abstract Vizionz

not bad...nice all time list

the only one i never heard of was RIKIDOZAN

Rikidozan was one hella interesting dude. As a young child, his family moved to Japan from Korea, but hid the fact that they were of Korean descent (as the racial tension between Japanese and non-Japanese Asians was very prominent in the 40-50's).

He actually became a Sumo Wrestler first, eating rice cakes and stuff to grow fatter. But he was very atheletic, he could dash a hundred meters a little over eleven seconds. That's pretty damn good for someone close to 300 lbs.

He decided to become a professional wrestler, dropping his weight and improving his physique to that of a bodybuilder.

All else I can recall is that he created a bunch of wrestling organizations (the first in Japan) which would spawn the whole Japan-Puroreso wrestling circuit. The man to establish this new entertainment in Japan would be its greatest of all time, Rikidozan.
Needless to say, every Japanese wrestler you have ever seen in the WWE or anywhere else today has been influenced someway and somehow by Rikidozan. Think of him as the Rakim or Kool Herc of Japanese wrestling.

As for his untimely death, it was unfortunate that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time in a restaurant when he got stabbed up.

[i Luv Da Cock]

Originally Posted by exothermic

thats a bad list... who r some of those guys?... old time wrestlers sux dude u cant even compare em

The worst thing you can do is call something instantly 'bad' or 'negative' after seeing it without having ANY knowledge about it.

That IS the very mindset that America in general has today, where you don't know it, so fuck it, right?

Anyway, please try and read up on these names that you aren't too familiar of.
They will definetely enlighten your knowledge and understanding of why these particular names are up there.

[i Luv Da Cock]

Originally Posted by Macabre

Did you do this yourself or was it a copy and paste job?

I don't completely agree with this list, but it took too much thought for me to knock it.

I did not originally create this list, no.

However, I like it so I decided to post it.

I wil admit that the first time I read this list, my way of thinking was that of most people. I instantly went "Where's the Rock? Where's Stone Cold? Why is Hulk Hogan so low?" as I had no real knowledge about these guys. Actually I was also put off a little bit because I wasn't familiar with these names.

Then I decided to read up on these guys, and truly realized how important and vital the roles they had back before wrestling became a true spectacle-entertainment.

But for me this is like having knowledge about old-school hip-hop, and appreciation of its roots. The same goes for wrestling, you gotta respect and appreciate the roots.

I mean, it would be like reading a Top 10 Greatest Rappers Of All Time, and having Rakim in the number one spot, you see. Then someone will have the nerve to say, "Who the fuck is Rakim? Why isn't Eminem number one?" That would really sound ignorant and foolish wouldnt it?
Well the same thing for wrestling. You gotta know the originators.

[Foog]

how is Freddie Blassie on this list but not Antonio Inoki? I disagree with the list but at least 5 deserve to be on it.

[FortiFied Killa]

Originally Posted by EdJames

Not at all, for ringwork alone Andre would fall down. I don't like to speak ill of the dead and all, but dude had like three moves!!!

yeah but he is at the top of every other category you have. He had great professional success, he was very important to the history of the business since he was one of the main people that brought it to the forefront, he had MASSIVE drawing power, and as far as mainstream status goes he was king.

Originally Posted by Red-Master

I did not originally create this list, no.

However, I like it so I decided to post it.

I wil admit that the first time I read this list, my way of thinking was that of most people. I instantly went "Where's the Rock? Where's Stone Cold? Why is Hulk Hogan so low?" as I had no real knowledge about these guys. Actually I was also put off a little bit because I wasn't familiar with these names.

Then I decided to read up on these guys, and truly realized how important and vital the roles they had back before wrestling became a true spectacle-entertainment.

But for me this is like having knowledge about old-school hip-hop, and appreciation of its roots. The same goes for wrestling, you gotta respect and appreciate the roots.

I mean, it would be like reading a Top 10 Greatest Rappers Of All Time, and having Rakim in the number one spot, you see. Then someone will have the nerve to say, "Who the fuck is Rakim? Why isn't Eminem number one?" That would really sound ignorant and foolish wouldnt it?
Well the same thing for wrestling. You gotta know the originators.

Well, I know all of these people off the top and I know a lot about them, it's just I don't really agree with the order (like my lou thesz comment above).

If this was the top ten most influential, it'd be almost dead-on. But with the criteria that whoever you got this from chose... Well, it's an open forum and I have free time, here's my top picks for each category.


1. Professional success;
-Harley Race, Lou Thesz, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair. Going by who's had the most success over the most period of time and in the most places, these guys have it. I'd actually like to put stone cold or the rock, but they had short stints.

2. Importance to history;
-Lou Thesz, Hogan, Antonino Rocca, bobo brazil, buddy rogers, Harley Race. I have a reason for picking each and feel free to ask me why if you are wondering. I don't think I'm missing anyone unintentionally, but maybe.

3. How good he was in the ring;
- I'll leave this one alone, it boils down to opinion even though there is certain criteria for being a good mat worker. I'll go ahead and just name lou thesz because that's why he gets so much credit (like being number one on a lot of lists) He was one of the first guys to really be good in the ring and everyone notice. Frank Gotch was good for his time, but Thesz was better.

4. His drawing power;
- Austin, Rock, Hogan, Michaels. I know this list mostly lists the older generation, but holy crap, nobody drew like them. Hogan's the guy that taught everyone how to draw for the most part, but if you want some early pioneers: Billy Graham, Gorgeous George, Sammartino (wwwf only), harley race.

5. The mainstream status he achieved.
- Andre and hogan were the first I can really think of to reach mainstream status and become household names.