Four Biggest Names in Wrestling

[Das Einhorn]

I know a lot of you guys frequent the TVtropes website. I was there (I'm hooked, dammit!) and under the article of a certain rattlesnake we all know and love was this comment.

The poster boy for WWE's Attitude Era, the biggest Professional Wrestling superstar of The Nineties, and one of the four biggest non-McMahon names in the industry (the other three being The Rock, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan).

Agree? Disagree?

I have to wholeheartedly agree here. IMHO, these four are the most mainstream and recognizable names to emerge from our sport.
Comments?

Stone Cold : My favorite wrestler at the time was Bret Hart until that awesome double-turn. Then it became Austin. Stone Cold personified that rebellious teenager inside and I was hooked. He fought against McMahon and stomped a mud-hole into his boss. Yea... Austin is gold in my book.

The Rock : The people's champion. The most electrifying superstar in the WWE. And the man who is making millions in Hollywood based on what he displayed on the mic during his career. If the Rock came back, even for one night, I would mark my ass off.

Ric Flair : Without a doubt in my mind the best heel ever to grace a wrestling ring. I really wish he would've retired after his great sendoff from the WWE, but you cannot deny the importance of Ric Flair in the wrestling business.

Hulk Hogan : You can't make this list without including the phenom that was Hulkamania. When Hogan was running wild, there was no stopping it.

[Methusael86]

If it was based on mainstream appeal outside of wrestling, definitely Austin, Rock, and Hogan. Flair didn't seem to have the mainstream appeal the other three had, but then again I hardly know much about Flair's popularity outside of wrestling. John Cena seems to top Flair on that.

[rnrk supports BLM]

If I were to narrow it down to four names, I'd say Andre deserves to be in there significantly more than Flair.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Andre or Cena over Flair, I'd say. Flair might carry the South over those two though, I don't know. I've always been a WWE guy, and grew up watching that rather than NWA/WCW.

Undertaker and Macho Man nipping at their heels.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

It's hard to narrow it down to just four. Hogan, Austin, Flair, Rock and Andre are all five names that could readily be identified by people who don't usually follow wrestling. MAYBE the Undertaker and Cena on occasion.

[NOwave]

I'd agree with those four. I know some would disagree with the inclusion of Ric Flair, but I think they are mistaken.

If you look at the old NWA territories and the south in general, he may be #1 on that list. Charlotte, NC in the east to Amarillo, TX in the west, south to San Antonio and Houston, and back east to Florida, was NWA country. WWF house were routinely outsold in the 80's and 90's (until very late) by NWA/WCW shows.

[MolotovMocktail]

I would also take out Flair, and add in Bruno Sammartino. Different time, but he was the one who was first responsible for the WWWF getting off the ground, especially when it did not have the support of the NWA. He was the first mega-face in the company's history, its first 2-time champion, and still has the longest single and combined reigns that people from my father's generation will still say was the greatest pro wrestler of all time.

You have to realize that the WWF/E symbolizes pro wrestling to most people, so like it or not, wrestlers who made their mark there have priority over NWA, WCW, AWA, ECW, TNA, ROH, etc. And Flair was a 2-time WWF champ, but did not achieve the level of success and legend that Hogan, Austin, Rock, Bruno, or Undertaker (who if too many people disagree with Bruno I would put on instead) achieved there. His aura was created in companies that mainstream people don't know as well, and the average mark would consider secondary in terms of importance (again, before anyone jumps on me for denigrating the NWA, this is not my opinion, but again represents probably the average mark fan).

[shadowangel]

I think it depends on where you live, how old you are and a lot of other things.
Of course, if you live in the USA and watched american wrestling in the past 30 years, you will name Flair, Hogan, Rock, Austin, maybe Sting or Randy Savage too.
If you're older you may remember Guys like Sammartino, Thesz or even Georgeous George.

If you take a worldwide look, you may wonder: what about the japanese? Keiji Mutoh? Mitsuharu Misawa? Giant Baba? Antonio Inoki.
Some of them were pretty popular in the USA too (Keiji Mutoh as Great Muta for example) and they were Megastars in Japan

[Jimmy]

Rock, Austin, Hogan for sure. The fourth is either Andre or Macho Man.

[lildude8218]

Armando Alejandro Estrada and Carlito Caribbean Cool have to be on there

Bruno Sammartino is close but just falls short

George Hackenschmidt beats him out by a letter or two

[i.Sarita.com]

If you asked 1000 random people who Ric Flair was, I bet a lot more of them would know if you asked the same who Bruno Sammartino was.

[DASH 243✅]

1.Dylan
2.Dylan
3.Dylan
4.Dylan

[James McCloud IS John Godot]

If being a big name outside the wrestling business made you a big name in the wrestling business then WrestleMania main eventer L.T. Taylor and former TNA tag team champion Michael Vick would make the list. I don't see why a wrestler's size OUTSIDE wrestling should determine their size IN wrestling.

[the5thhorseman]

If anyone deserves to take Flair off the list its Piper. His film career is probably the most successful of a wrestler besides the Rock and Hogan and he continues to be a part of mainstream media. Everyone knows Rowdy Roddy. Andre also is a candidate and possibly Cena but hes more top 10 not top 4

[foreveryoung]

Ehhhh... I would have to take Flair out and put Andre in. Andre recognizable all over the world and one of the top 3-4 biggest attractions ever arguably even over Stone Cold or the Rock.. Arguably.

Hogan is the biggest name bar none. Rock, Austin, and Andre in any order..

Another guy most people don't know about also was Jim Londos from the early 1900's. From what I understand, he was one of the biggest draws ever.

[shadowangel]

Oct 28, 2010 16:27:49 GMT -5 i.Sarita.com said:

If you asked 1000 random people who Ric Flair was, I bet a lot more of them would know if you asked the same who Bruno Sammartino was.

If you ask in Germany it would be Hogan, Hart, Undertaker, Michaels (or maybe Austin) in that order
Like i said before, it depends on were you ask and who you ask

[bob]

Flair, Hogan, Rock, Austin in no particular order

[Angus Mcloud]

Oct 28, 2010 16:51:46 GMT -5 James McCloud IS John Godot said:

If being a big name outside the wrestling business made you a big name in the wrestling business then WrestleMania main eventer L.T. Taylor and former TNA tag team champion Michael Vick would make the list. I don't see why a wrestler's size OUTSIDE wrestling should determine their size IN wrestling.

It was actually Pac Man Jones not Vick

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

I'd say that is a pretty good list. The only one I might disagree with is Ric Flair, who could be replaced by either Undertaker or John Cena.

[Angus Mcloud]

Oct 28, 2010 19:06:22 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

I'd say that is a pretty good list. The only one I might disagree with is Ric Flair, who could be replaced by either Undertaker or John Cena.

I think HBK could have a strong argument to.