WC Forums Top 50 Wrestlers (FULL LIST IS UP!)

[heffer111]

where is blackman!!

[bigHEADinc]

#25 - VADER

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Total Points: 116 Points
Total Votes: 10
Highest Placement: 4 (2 Votes)[/center]

Bio: Vader's career in WCW took off as his relationship with New Japan disintegrated. When Lex Luger jumped to the WWF, at the end of February 1992, Vader was moved up into spot of being Sting's top rival for the WCW World Title, including being given Luger's manager, the legendary Harley Race. While the feud with Sting would become one of the more memorable in WCW history, for a while it looked to be little more than Vader playing a three week transitional heel champion bridging the title from Sting to new WCW promoter Bill Watts' chosen lead face, Ron Simmons. But when the Simmons bombed as a lead face, the belt was put back on Vader at the end of 1992.

1993 marked the high point of Vader's career as he dominated the WCW World Title throughout the year with defenses against major WCW competitors like the Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Cactus Jack and more matches with Sting, which included the title briefly changing hands in Europe. In Japan, he jumped to the UWF International promotion and was built towards an inevitable match with Nobuhiko Takada. The world champion vs. world champion match between the two took place 12/05/93, drawing 46,168 fans to Jingu Baseball Stadium in Tokyo to watch Vader submit to Takada's cross armbreaker. Vader capped of his year by dropping the WCW World Title to former World Champion Ric Flair at Starcade '93 in a memorable storyline where Flair promised to retire from the sport if he lost. Vader's "career year" won him both the PWI and WON Wrestler of the Year awards.

Vader continued to feud with Ric Flair into early 1994, but WCW was anxious to bring their newest acquisition, Hulk Hogan, into the mix, and as a result Vader found his value to the company decreasing as Hogan was programmed straight into main event matches with Flair. Vader entered into a long feud with the Big Bossman that opened strong, then faded as repetition led to apathy for both the workers and the fans. In Japan, his star continued to shine bright. With the trio of Takada, Vader and Gary Albright at the top of UWFi's cards, the promotion averaged more than 14,000 fans per show in 1994. The highpoint of the year was once again a Vader vs. Takada match as they met in the 8/94 finals of UWFi's five month long singles tournament. Vader avenged his loss of the prior year by knocking out Takada to win not only the tournament, but also UWFi's version of the world title. Vader would defend the title over Albright in 1/95 before dropping it back to Takada in 4/95 and leaving the promotion.

At Starcade '94, Vader won the US Title and had a post card confrontation with Hogan to set up a program between the two. The series was creatively plagued, as neither wrestler would to a job for the other and Hogan being particularly unwilling to do anything to make Vader look good. Despite poor booking and lack of cooperation, their three match PPV series were very successful at the box office, drawing WCW's best buyrates between the Flair-Hogan series in 1994 and the late 96-97 Hogan vs. Piper series, eclipsing even the original nWo Invasion series of mid-96.

After finishing the series with Hogan, WCW turned Vader face and aligned him with Hogan, including having him be one of the faces to run in to save Hogan during the infamous "Dungeon of Doom" skit in the 8/95 Clash of the Champions. The Clash also featured his final major match in WCW, taking a handicap match over Flair and Arn Anderson. Later in the month, Vader involved in a backstage fight with Paul Orndorff that lead to White being fired from WCW on terms that remain bitter even today.

After the firing, Vader took some time off weighing his career options and resting a shoulder injured in his final PPV match against Hogan. He first agreed to work New Japan's 1/4/96 Tokyo Dome card against old rival Antonio Inoki, then signed with the World Wrestling Federation to begin with the promotion in January 1996. He match against Inoki was one of the best performances of his career, working with a still bad shoulder but carrying Antonio Inoki to what will go down as the last great match of Inoki's career. Vader debuted in the '96 Royal Rumble to a very hot reaction from the crowd. The following night on RAW he worked a hot angle attacking and injuring WWF President Gorilla Monsoon, leading to Vader getting suspended. The suspension was a cover story to allow White to get his shoulder operated on, but the angle was so strong that Vader's run in the WWF looked to be very promising.

He started fulltime with the WWF at Wrestlemania 96, but his honeymoon in the promotion was over by the following night when he was jobbed cleanly to the Undertaker in a short dark match at a RAW tapping. By May, he was also jobbing around the circuit to the likes of Ahmed Johnson, the Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels, and Yokozuna at a time he'd yet to get his major TV and PPV push as a WWF World Title challenger. The jobs created heat between Vader and the front office, which along with series of injuries led to an erratic push for Vader and several mis-fires with planned angles. Vader did go on to wrestle Shawn Michaels for the WWF World Heavyweight Title at Summer Slam 96, but turmoil with the office and injuries caused him to be passed over for the role of short term champion with Sid Vicious being given the slot instead. He spent 1997-98 in and out of the WWF's doghouse, with an arrest in Kuwait and weight problems getting more attention that anything he did in the ring.

The WWF let White out of his contract in late 1998, after which he quickly signed with All Japan Pro Wrestling. The move not only revitalized Vader, but also proved at least initially to be a shot in the arm for a promotion that had been sliding at the box office. Vader formed a team with Stan Hansen that stormed to the finals of All Japan's annual Tag League before losing to Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama. Vader continued his roll into early 1999, including pinning Akira Taue to win the vacant Triple Crown in 3/99.

A major drawing wrestler throughout the world for much of his career, Vader's drawing power in the US has fallen considerably from what it once was. In the WWF Vader was used to push upcoming stars, but too many of these matches have detracted from the overall value of Vader to the point he no longer was considered a main event class wrestler. Creatively, both US offices had difficulty in figuring out how to push and book him for maximum return on his potential. In addition, health problems and heat with the front offices plagued Vader and prevented him from being pushed in sustained feuds. His return to All Japan has shown he still has mileage as a top of the card draw, but there are already questions on how well All Japan's front office will be able to maximize and sustain what has fallen in their lap.

In his prime he was one of the best working big men the history of the business, with his strengths including a very stiff and wide moveset, exceptional bumping ability for a big man, the ability to carry most anyone, and a strong desire to not only perform at a high level, but also to improve. With rare exceptions such as the 2/97 Final Four PPV main event and the tag match on All Japan's 5/98 Tokyo Dome card, his work during the WWF years deteriorated due to weight, age, injuries, mediocre opponents to work with, and diminishing personal desire. There are some signs of his work picking up in All Japan, but given his age it is unlikely he will come close to his peak work. Still, given the quality of opponents he will be working with, if his old desire returns he may be able to raise his game like Stan Hansen did in 1993 and have a run excellent top of the card matches.

Video Link: Vader vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

[bigHEADinc]

#24 - EDGE

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Total Points: 137 Points
Total Votes: 9
Highest Placement: 4 (1 Votes)[/center]

Bio: Don't pretend to think you know Edge. You didn't grow up with the Rated-R Superstar and his single-parent mother in some cramped apartment in Orangeville (a tiny Ontario town that Edge recalls offered residents two choices: "work in a factory in town, or if you're really lucky, land a job in Toronto"). You likely identified with his classmates at Princess Elizabeth Public School, carrying a hockey stick and aspiring to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Edge, meanwhile, dreamed of rocking out on a Les Paul guitar and following in the platformed footsteps of KISS. (He didn't, but it hasn't stopped him from amassing an impressive collection of signed, custom-made guitars over the years.)

If you really knew Edge, you would have noticed the "black cloud" that hung over the eight-year-old boy after a car accident claimed the life of his most-admired uncle. You would have also seen that cloud give way to the yellow and red-clad form of Hulk Hogan, whose mantra of saying prayers and taking vitamins spoke directly to Edge from the TV. Perhaps then you would have sat eleventh-row ringside with him in Toronto's SkyDome; it was there he watched Hogan face Ultimate Warrior in the "Ultimate Challenge" at WrestleMania VI, and vowed he would also headline a WrestleMania someday.

Edge's pals at Don Bosco Secondary High knew he was destined for greatness, even writing in his yearbook "Most Likely to Win the WWE World Championship." Yet they couldn't predict he'd receive free wrestling training after winning an essay contest in the Toronto Star. Only his trainers, Sweet Daddy Siki and Ron Hutchison, and those training with him in Sully's Gym, could truly appreciate juggling multiple odd-jobs while wrestling in the independent circuit. But unless they were riding shotgun, they couldn't begin to comprehend Edge's "winter death tours" across frozen north Canadian lakes, or eating only canned tuna for days at a stretch, simply to wrestle in poorly attended venues.

Much due-paying and a recommendation from fellow Canadian Bret "Hit Man" Hart ultimately helped Edge make his WWE debut in June 1998, though few believed he would last. So he made his opponents believe, even if it meant taking chairs to the head, falling off ladders, and crashing through tables. He's suffered a torn ACL, ruptured labra, a broken neck, a fractured skull, metal rods in his teeth, and countless stitches over the years, but not without giving as good as he's received. Ask any man-or woman-who has gone toe-to-toe with him; they'll tell you why he's called the Rated-R Superstar.

You think you know Edge? Think again.

Video Link: Edge Wins His First WWE Championship

[bigHEADinc]

#23 - ROB VAN DAM

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Total Points: 142 Points
Total Votes: 14
Highest Placement: 1 (1 Votes)[/center]

Bio: Arguably the most uniquely gifted athlete ever to compete in professional wrestling, Rob Van Dam can do things that no other wrestler can do, has done or ever will do. Also known as "The Whole F'n Show," fans feel seeing RVD wrestle is well worth the price of the ticket. Rob Van Dam's one of a kind offensive arsenal includes Rolling Thunder, The Van Daminator and the mind-blowing Van Terminator.

Distinguishing himself from other wrestlers by exhibiting his martial arts skills and uncanny flexibility, RVD first gained fame inside the squared circle of ECW. Rob Van Dam and Sabu were both trained by Sabu's uncle, The Sheik and had a tenuous relationship that resulted in epic extreme battle with one another and two ECW World Tag Team Championship reigns.

At one time, Rob Van Dam was a co-holder of the ECW World Tag Team Championship and The ECW World Television Champion simultaneously. He held the ECW World Television Championship for a record-breaking 23 months. His reign ended only because Rob Van Dam broke his ankle and was forced to relinquish the championship.

Since signing with WWE in July 2001, Rob Van Dam has been equally impressive, racking up two World Tag Team Championships, a WWE Tag Team Championship, and six WWE Intercontinental Championships which saw RVD unify the Intercontinental Championship with the WWE Hardcore Championship and WWE European Championships before retiring both of those titles.

At ECW One Night Stand on June 11, 2006, RVD defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship in an Extreme Rules match. Rob Van Dam vowed to re-christen the title as the ECW World Title.

On the world premiere of ECW on Sci Fi on June 13, 2006, ECW Representative, Paul Heyman finally awarded Rob Van Dam with the ECW World Title that had eluded him for over 10 years. Rather dropping the WWE Championship, RVD chose to wear both belts because the ECW World Title is the greatest achievement in his career, and WWE Championship amuses him because "it spins."

Video Link: RVD vs. Jerry Lynn (Living Dangerously '99)

[Fandjango Unchained]

Who would put RVD as 1!?!

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

theperfectplex said:

Who would put RVD as 1!?!

I can think of a few.

[bigHEADinc]

#22 - JAKE ROBERTS

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Total Points: 156 Points
Total Votes: 14
Highest Placement: 1 (1 Votes)[/center]

Bio: Aurelian Smith Jr. was born on 5/30/1955. He is the son of wrestler Grizzly Smith and half brother of wrestlers Sam Houston and Rockin' Robin. Jake had a very bizarre family life which is detailed in depth in his Pick Your Poison DVD and my review of that DVD. He made his wrestling debut in 1975. He wrestled primarily in the Georgia,
He was known as The Snake before entering the WWF because of his long lanky body. In the WWF, he was given a python snake named Damien that he would wrap on the unconscious victims of his DDT. His first feud was with Ricky Steamboat who brought a Kimono Dragon to the ring with him. Around this time, he was given his own talk show called The Snake Pit.

Jake became a good guy when he was hit with a guitar by The Honky Tonk Man. That guitar was real and caused damage to Jake's neck that resulted in him becoming dependent on pain pills and eventually having to take time off. After feuding with The Honky Tonk Man, he got into a feud with Rick Rude when Rude tried to hit on his wife Cheryl Roberts. For those wondering, that was really his wife. Since then, they have divorced.

While feuding with Rude, Andre interfered in one of their matches and was afraid of Damien. After his feud with Andre, he had his neck broken by Ted DiBiase. In reality, he was resting his neck that was injured by The Honky Tonk Man. He was then blinded by Rick Martel's cologne Arrogance. Their feud culminated in a blindfold match. A few months later, Damien was murdered by The Earthquake when the 400+ pounder sat on him.

Jake went insane after this incident and introduced a cobra named Lucifer as his new pet. He had a few bizarre vignettes where he aligned with The Undertaker and turned on The Ultimate Warrior. Before they were able to fight, Warrior left the WWF. He then presented the cobra to Elizabeth as a wedding gift and beat up Randy Savage at their wedding reception. Their feud reached epic proportions when the cobra gnawed on Savage's arm for several minutes.

He had a brief feud with The Undertaker before going to WCW. In WCW, he had a main event match with Sting and then left the business to confront his personal problems. Jake was heavily into drugs and alcohol. He returned to the WWF in 1996 sober but severely out of shape. He left shortly after and has been fighting his drug addictions since.

The late 90's were embarrasing for Jake. The documentary Beyond the Mat captured his addictions and family problems on film. He hit rock bottom at The Heroes of Wrestling PPV in 1999. This was an old timers wrestling event that features Jake fighting his problems. In his pre-match interview, he was making no sense while slurring his words. His in ring performance was "interesting" and required other wrestlers to join the match to make the match safe for his opponent.

Video Link: Jake Roberts Tribute

[bigHEADinc]

#21 - OWEN HART

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Total Points: 157 Points
Total Votes: 11
Highest Placement: 2 (1 Votes)[/center]

Bio: Owen entered wrestling by working for his father's Stampede Wrestling. Wrestling however was not Owen's first choice for a career; as Martha Hart (his widow) would explain in her book Broken Harts, Owen tried numerous times to find a profitable living outside of wrestling, but those attempts were unsuccessful. He would feud with the likes of Johnny Smith and Dynamite Kid in Stampede, as well as become the first (of two) Canadian to hold the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on May 27, 1988.

Owen eventually began his first WWF stay as The Blue Blazer in late 1988. At the time, the Blue Blazer was a generic masked wrestler gimmick who was a high flying technician. The most notable match for Owen as the Blazer came at WrestleMania V, when he was narrowly defeated by Mr. Perfect. Owen quickly left soon afterwards to wrestle worldwide and in 1991, the Blue Blazer lost the mask versus the Mexican wrestler El Canek in a mask vs mask duel.

Around this time, Owen wrestled briefly for World Championship Wrestling in 1992, and was in the process of contract discussions, but was not willing to move to Atlanta, the company's headquarters. Following the breakup of the WWF's popular The Hart Foundation tag team of his brother Bret and real-life brother-in-law Jim Neidhart, Owen returned to the WWF and formed the 'New Foundation' with Neidhart. Famed more for their bizarre 'baggy pants' attire than anything else, the team disbanded within a few months. Owen would later team alongside Koko B. Ware as High Energy Owen liked to spend time with his boyhood friends. They were known as the ESS (east side shocker) although the name never became a gimmic in wrestling. They were known for their pranks and partys. All the other wrestlers always talk about the good old days of the ESS partys (Rick Flair was even rushed to the hospital from a heavy alchol overdose.) The most famous party was when Dan Fletcher was giving a toast and puked on the Fabulous Moolah.

In late 1993, with rumors circulating that Owen was on the verge of leaving the WWF due to a lack of success, he was eventually pushed as a 'heel' singles competitor and feuded with his brother Bret. They competed in the opening match at WrestleMania X and later in a memorable steel cage match for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam 1994. They are both considered two of the greatest matches of the 1990s. Owen combined high flying and technical mat skill for a very sound style.

He was also quite adept at playing a sneaky, smarmy heel, as evidenced by his King of Harts gimmick (he took the nickname after winning the 1994 King of the Ring). One example of his character came during the 1994 Survivor Series, where -- during Bret Hart's WWF Championship match vs. Bob Backlund, fought under "submission match" rules -- he feigned concern over Bret's physical condition after Bret became trapped in Backlund's crossface chickenwing. He convinced his mother, Helen, to throw in the towel, thereby costing Bret the match and title. Owen celebrated gleefully after the match ended and, during a post-match interview, declared that he had "tricked" his mother into throwing in the towel.

Owen would continue the rest of his WWF career as a top mid-card talent, which included winning the Intercontinental and WWF European Championship. Owen was also a prominent tag team wrestler, as he would capture the Tag Team with the 600-pound Yokozuna, brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith and Jeff Jarrett at various points throughout 1995-1998. He also gained notoriety for the infamous errant piledriver at 'SummerSlam 1997' that broke Steve Austin's neck, and would lead to Austin's eventual retirement in 2003.

When his brother Bret lost his WWF Title in controversial fashion at the 1997 Survivor Series in Montreal, Smith and Jim Neidhart, another Hart brother-in-law, responded by joining Bret in WCW. At the time, all were a part of the new Hart Foundation stable in storylines. Owen intended to follow in-route with his brother and brother-in-laws, but elected to stay put in the WWF when faced with breach of contract issues.

Owen returned at the pay-per-view (PPV) following Survivor Series, running out to attack Shawn Michaels after his world championship match, turning face and adopting the "Black Hart" gimmick in the process. Over the next few months, Owen developed a rivalry with both D-Generation X members at the time (Michaels and Triple H), and won the WWF European Championship from Triple H (who did not officially lose the title in the ring, instead having Goldust sub for him). Owen would later have an ankle injury (kayfabe), and during a match involving Triple H in which Hart joined the commentary at ringside, Triple H regained the title in a controversial fashion, with Hart submitting to Triple H in an impromptu match.

Owen continued his rivalry with DX for a while after that, but Shawn Michaels' departure from the company after WrestleMania XIV, coupled with DX's face turn shortly thereafter, left Owen floundering in midcard.

Four weeks after Wrestlemania, during a tag team match with Ken Shamrock taking on D'Lo Brown and The Rock, Owen Hart turned on Shamrock, "snapping" his ankle and "biting off his ear" in the process. He joined the Nation of Domination with Brown and Rock, and stayed there through the rest of the year, when the Nation broke up. Hart would go on to wrestle Shamrock twice that summer, with an even record. He and the Rock also contended for the WWF Tag Team Championship, losing to then champions The New Age Outlaws once. They were scheduled to be in a fatal four way main event RAW match with the Outlaws, Kane & Mankind, and Austin and Undertaker (who were the current champs), but a returning Shamrock attacked Rock with the anklelock and took him out of the match. D'Lo replaced him, but the Nation team proved unsuccessful.

In early 1999, Owen began teaming with Jeff Jarrett and again captured the WWF tag team title. The duo were managed by Debra McMichael, and as a result of Owen rejecting a storyline proposal involving him having an on-screen affair with Debra, the Blue Blazer character was revived.

The Blazer would be used by both Jarrett and Owen Hart, as a means to play mind games with their opponents, who always thought that it was Owen underneath the guise. Allegations of Hart and Jarrett's connection to the Blazer would always be met with goofy denials from both men. Occasionally, they would be unmasked during matches, with both of them being caught playing the role of the Blazer.

Hart (as the Blue Blazer) fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 23, 1999, during the WWF Over the Edge pay-per-view event; he was in the process of being lowered into the ring from the rafters of Kemper Arena for a booked WWF Intercontinental Championship win over The Godfather. In keeping with the Blazer's new 'buffoonish superhero' character, Owen was to be lowered to just above ring level, at which time he would release himself from the safety harness and then comically fall flat on his face. He had performed the stunt only a few times before, and was worried about performing the stunt at Kemper Arena due to the height involved (Owen had a fear of heights).

Owen performed a practice stunt earlier in the day, and the stunt went forward on the show as scheduled. His wife Martha has suggested that, by moving around to get comfortable with both the harness and his cape on, Owen unintentionally triggered an early release and fell 78 feet (24 m) into the ring, smashing his chest on a padded, but still tough, ring turnbuckle.

TV viewers at home did not see the incident or its aftermath, as the WWF was transmitting a promotional video package for the match, and only showed the audience while Owen was being worked on by medical personnel inside the ring while WWF television announcer Jim Ross repeatedly told those watching live on pay-per-view that what just transpired was not a wrestling angle or storyline and that Hart was hurt badly.

Owen was transported to the Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The cause was later revealed to be internal bleeding from blunt chest trauma. The WWF chose to continue the event, which drew a great deal of criticism over the following weeks, especially as the main event of the evening involved The Undertaker (also known as the "Deadman") winning the WWF Title.

In the weeks that followed, much attention focused on the harness Owen used that night, especially on the "quick release" trigger and safety latches. When someone is lowered from the rafters in a harness, there are backup latches that must be latched for safety purposes. These backups may take some time to unlatch, which would have made Owen's stunt difficult to perform smoothly. Therefore, it was apparently decided that it was more important not to have the safety backups, because it would be easier for Owen to unlatch himself.

In addition to not having safety backups, the harness Owen used was designed for sailboats and required only six pounds of weight to trigger the quick release mechanism; Owen weighed about 225 pounds. An out-of-court settlement between Owen Hart's family and the WWF has prevented the release of any information about the harness. The WWF, however, decided to ban stunts of a similar nature from this point on to avoid a similar event from occurring.

Owen left a widow, Martha, and two children, Oje Edward and Athena. Martha Hart settled her wrongful death lawsuit against the WWF for approximately $18 million[1], and used the funds to establish the Owen Hart Foundation. Martha wrote a book about Owen's life in 2002 called Broken Harts.

Video Link: Owen Hart Tribute

[4real]

Wow, can't believe Edge got so high in this list, that's a real surprise.

[bigHEADinc]

#20 - CHRISTIAN CAGE

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Total Points: 163 Points
Total Votes: 12
Highest Placement: 3 (1 Votes)[/center]

Bio: Christian Cage is one of the most charismatic, quick-witted and athletically gifted performers to grace the world of professional wrestling in the past ten plus years.

A fierce competitor in each organization he has been a part of, success has been synonymous with Cage. A former multi-time tag team champion, Christian Cage took TNA by storm with his entry into the company in late 2005. The biggest acquisition Total Nonstop Action Wrestling history, Christian Cage made an immediate impact upon TNA and its loyal fans as he put together an impressive win streak on his way to contention for the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

Christian Cage reached the pinnacle of success in February 2006 at Against All Odds as he was able to defeat the King of the Mountain, Jeff Jarrett to become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. After having in his own words, “been underutilized,” in other organizations, Cage quickly proved himself to a main eventer and a great champion, successfully defeating the Monster Abyss in several title matches.

Having lost the NWA World Title despite not having been pinned nor submitting, Christian Cage feels that he should rightfully still be the champion. Fighting through intense feuds with his former friend Rhino, and the likes of Abyss and Sting, Christian Cage has his sights distinctly focused on regaining the title he claims should never have left his waist. With his technical skill and penchant for getting the job done at all costs, one cannot discount the chances of him returning to his prior championship form.

Video Link: Christian vs. RVD (Ladder Match)

[bigHEADinc]

#19 - CHRISTOPHER DANIELS

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Total Points: 165 Points
Total Votes: 13
Highest Placement: 2 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: The most technically sound star in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, the Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels is an X Division pioneer, and an X Division Legend.

A former multi-time X Division champion and former tag team champion, the Fallen Angel excels in all aspects of the six sided ring. Having been a part of TNA since its formation back in 2002, Daniels has emerged as the ‘star of stars’ within the company.

He has been part of two legendary tag teams within TNA. Initially partnering with Primetime Elix Skipper and Senshi, together they formed the team known as Triple X. Triple X dominated the tag team scene in the early years of TNA before being forced to separate for good in December 2004. Daniels would go on to have another tremendously successful tag team run with the Phenomenal AJ Styles, as the two would capture the NWA World Tag Team Titles in mid 2006.

Throughout his tenure in TNA, Daniels has been involved in intense feuds with the likes of Chris Sabin, Elix Skipper and AJ Styles. In an industry where friends become enemies and partners become opponents, no one and nothing has been able to subdue the Fallen Angel and keep him from cementing his legacy in professional wrestling history, as one of its all time greats.

Video Link: Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe (Against All Odds '06)

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

Wow, the Fallen Angel's way higher than I thought he would be.

[heffer111]

why is christian high? hes nothing special

[bigHEADinc]

#18 - SCOTT HALL

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Total Points: 166 Points
Total Votes: 14
Highest Placement: 6 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: The Diamond Studd, Starship Coyote, Bad Guy, Outsider, and "Last Call" Scott Hall was the most overlooked wrestling superstar in the '90s and early 2000s. Indeed, he was often overlooked by fault of his own; that is utterly undeniable. However, Razor catapulted the wrestling industry uniquely, more so than any other character that graced the screens of our televisions while, we, anxious fans, yearned for something different than traditional leg drops, scoop slams, and extensive posing after every match.

Foremost, Scott Hall entered the WWF riding his Pacino-like, Scarface gimmick under the pretense of being a "Bad Guy." He managed to surface as a heel in his WWF infancy with this character, even battling Bret Hart at Royal Rumble 1993 for the WWF Title (and, of course, jobbing). The WWF had better plans at WrestleMania IX for a new titleholder--a sumo fighter that could not wrestle whatsoever and weighed more than two Scott Halls, maybe five, combined. Fair enough; perhaps Ramon needed to utilize a Banzai Drop that required an unthinkable amount of innovation and talent.

Now, flash forward twelve months, if you will. If you had the figurative remote control in your hand, you would witness the twenty minutes that changed wrestling entirely. Kliq affiliates, Scott Hall and Michael Hickenbottom, were picked to participate in a mid-card match at Madison Square Garden that involved a "ladder." One, if a true wrestling fan, needs no play-by-play of this match. All one needs to know is this match absolutely created the edgier, hardcore style of wrestling. Edge, Christian, The Hardys, and anyone claiming to be hardcore, should record this match and place it in his/her inventory.

So, The Bad Guy won both Intercontinental titles at WrestleMania X, albeit Michaels' supposed title was merely conjured out of his own desire. Razor would become a four time IC champ before jobbing to Memphis' own, Jeff Jarrett, time and time again. Certainly, Jarrett garnished help from The Roadie--a man that would later be called the Road Dogg--an individual that made a career of never taking his shirt off because he possessed zero muscular definition and insisted upon stealing numerous catch phrases from the likes of Snoop Doggy Dogg to gain notoriety from a crowd that was truly "gangsta" and knew all about Death Row Records.

Then, Scott Hall breaks Kayfabe and heads down south to Dubya-See-Dubya. He crashes a match involving complete jobbers, only to tell the wrestling world, "You, people, know who I am, but you don't why I'm here." He announces the hostile take over, and subsequently, his big sexy friend joins him to slaughter the old men headlining WCW.

And, the premier old man, Hulk Hogan, finds his time to turn heel--courtesy of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash's appearance. We loved it. No longer was wrestling about arm bars, sleepers, and slaps across the chest. It became all about the drama. We thought Hall and Nash were belligerently taking over a company. Make no mistake, they took over a company.

Yet, here is where the injustice develops. Hogan was given the green light to Leg Drop his way to gold, due to Hall and Nash. The Outsiders tore apart the tag team division, rightfully so. What if Hurricane and Rosey were to face The Outsiders" Who would win" Maybe it could be a mask match, where Hall and Nash would force Hurricane and Rosey to unveil their faces just as they did to Rey Mysterio at Superbrawl IX.

Hogan runs wild, scoops slams, vicious pointer fingers and all. The Outsiders reign supreme in the tag division. The nWo incorporates Steiner, Buff, The Giant, Sting, and several fake Stings. Yet, November 1997 summarizes it all. Scott Hall, with help from Kevin Nash, wins World War 3. He is on his way to face Sting at Starrcade.

But, that never happens. Scott Hall lays down for Hogan, reluctantly; Hogan gets the shot against Sting.

And, that is the standard process. Scott Hall gives his charisma, gives all of his mic skill efforts to his buddies, and they take the limelight.

Hogan holds the title many times during the nWo reign. Nash wins the title because of the fateful tazer a Yellow Shirted security man, Scott Hall, inflicted upon the Georgia football stud at Starrcade '98.

Scott Hall then faces Goldberg in Ladder/Tazer Match at Souled Out '99. Hall jobs. Shocked"

The nWo returns to kill WWE in 2002. Hall has the esteemed privilege to face Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XVIII. Stone Cold claims to be a beer drinker yet never drinks more than 1/2 of a single beer when he cheerfully celebrates after stunning a predictable pawn. Thus, Steve O'Douls has a match against Big Scott Hall.

Hall jobs, pretty surprising. Stone Cold wins. Rock tears out Hogan. McMahon's good guys are the victors.

Scott Hall gave us the term "man" and changed it to "main." He offered "Hey, yo," "Survey says," "Prove it," "Don't sing it, bring it," and "Down there." If you have an old PPV with The Rock in a match, watch his punches. Who do they remind you of" Scott also said "Jabrone" long before Rock called anyone a "Jabroni." Who else does the Outsider's Edge" Even Buff Bagwell called Scott Hall the greastest wrestler in the world in a VHS interview in 1999, probably because of the Outsider's Edge, fallaway slam, chokeslam, abdominal stretch, discus lariat, toothpick flick, belly to back suplex from the top rope, top of the head slap, the tazer, creating the ladder match, doing the Stunner on Stone Cold himself, revolutionary punch style, and selling an opponent's moves like none other (insert Stone Cold O'Douls Stunner at WM 18),

Scott Hall was overlooked, large in part because of his alcoholic antics. Nonetheless, he changed wrestling, never got his proper push to the title, but remains an icon because he is simply, Scott Hall--not an icon, but an instrumental component to what we watch every Monday and Thursday night. He, along with Kevin Nash, pushed the envelope and changed everything.

Video Link: Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels (Ladder Match, Summer Slam '95) Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

[bigHEADinc]

heffer111 said:

why is christian high? hes nothing special

It's all about the votes. He had votes significantly higher than a good portion of the list, so somebody thinks he's good out there.

[bigHEADinc]

#17 - HHH

[/b]

Total Points: 177 Points
Total Votes: 13
Highest Placement: 4 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: For a moment, forget all the monikers and catch phrases. Overlook the seemingly countless championships and tournaments he has won. Ignore the fact that he has spearheaded two of the most important factions in WWE history, and overcome what the pundits considered a career-ending injury. You need only two words to properly sum up Triple H: The Game

Strong words, especially when one considers the King of Kings was once a 135-pound “beanpole” from Nashua, New Hampshire. But when he received a free one-week membership for a small local gym one summer day, the 14-year-old “gangly” teen’s life changed forever. For the next three years, he spent nearly every day in that gym, developing every muscle in his body and transforming himself into a six-foot-four, 210-pound powerhouse. He entered—and won—numerous regional bodybuilding competitions, including the prestigious Teen Mr. New Hampshire title at the age of 19. Yet the Game himself admits, “I never seriously considered becoming a pro bodybuilder…My dream was World Wrestling Entertainment.”

Enrolling in Walter “Killer” Kowalski’s Pro Wrestling School in St. Malden, Massachusetts, the future Cerebral Assassin trained four days a week under Kowalski’s “tough love” tutelage, then divided his weekends between wrestling in the independent circuit and managing a Gold’s Gym in Nashua. Almost inconceivably, he would have to fly himself down to Atlanta in 1993, to convince then-new VP Eric Bischoff that he was “good enough” to join the World Championship Wrestling roster. Fortunately, the unlimited potential he showed at World Championship Wrestling quickly got him noticed at World Wrestling Entertainment; by May 1995, “Hunter Hearst-Helmsley” (a name which soon became more identifiable as Triple H) would make his WWE debut. And the rest, as they say, is history.

More than 20 years after entering that small Nashua gym, Triple H maintains the strictest of training regimens, incorporating techniques from world-renowned fitness trainers like Charles Glass. Such dedication has provided him with the fortitude to become a Grand Slam champion; the wisdom to shepherd the “Evolution” of then-newcomers Randy Orton and Batista to WWE Superstardom; the charisma to star in feature films, television shows, and commercials; and the stamina to pull countless sophomoric pranks on Mr. McMahon as a founder of D-Generation X. And it’s precisely what makes him “that damn good.”

Video Link:HHH vs. Taka Michinoku

[heffer111]

bigheadinc said:

heffer111 said:

why is christian high? hes nothing special

It's all about the votes. He had votes significantly higher than a good portion of the list, so somebody thinks he's good out there.

I get how it works, just confuses me as to why people would, dunno

[bigHEADinc]

#16 - Samoa Joe

[/b]

Total Points: 183 Points
Total Votes: 13
Highest Placement: 3 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: The “Samoan Submission Machine,” Samoa Joe has been on a path of domination and destruction since his arrival in TNA Wrestling.

Having been undefeated for the first 18 months of his tenure in TNA, Joe routinely leaves all of his opponents crumpled on the mat, gasping for air.

Engaged in epic wars with the likes of AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Scott Steiner and the Olympic Hero Kurt Angle, Joe has proven the world over that he is the new face of TNA Wrestling.

Samoa Joe has been voted the MVP of TNA for 2006 by the fans, and rightfully so. No other athlete has dominated the competition the way that Joe has. Possessing tremendous submission tactics as well as superhuman agility for a man of his size, there simply is no stopping Samoa Joe.

Obtaining gold seems to come with ease to Joe. He has been a multi-time X Division Champion as well as an X Cup winner. There is little doubt that as time progresses, Samoa Joe will finally get a shot at the ultimate prize in professional wrestling, the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

Having been trained in several forms of martial arts and being a connoisseur of submission moves, no matter the situation, Samoa Joe can always find a counter move and chance at victory.

With chants of ”Joe’s Gonna Kill You,” echoing throughout the arena upon his entrance, many an opponent have already been defeated before the opening bell, they just have not realized it yet. For once Samoa Joe locks in his patented Coquina Clutch, his victim has two choices, tap out or pass out.

In the world of professional wrestling, Samoa Joe is a wrestling virtuoso, an athletic flower that blooms perhaps once a generation. As time will surely dictate, Samoa Joe will grow and blossom into one of the all time greats in wrestling history.

Video Link:Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle (Iron Man Match)

[JoshWoodrumGreaterThanHBK]

Well if this board voted..... than i can say this..... Ric Flair or Hulk Hogan should be number one..... but knowing this board its going to be some ROH nobody.....

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

heffer111 said:

bigheadinc said:

It's all about the votes. He had votes significantly higher than a good portion of the list, so somebody thinks he's good out there.

I get how it works, just confuses me as to why people would, dunno

He would have been on my list, but not nearly as high as he is here.