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

[odor31]

I helped these guys on the list...so far

16. Samoa Joe
17. HHH
18. Scott Hall
20. Christian
26. Andre The Giant
28. AJ Styles
29. Ted Dibiase
30. Kenta Kobashi
34. William Regal
40. Kevin Nash
46. Big Show

[Godhand]

joshwoodrum said:

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.....

The thing is they have already named the biggest guys in roh. I doubt Homicide or Jimmy Rave will be in the top ten. I cant think of any tna guys that would be either, except for Angle and Sting obviously

['Sweet n' Sour' A. A. Estrada]

Well, at least Nigel and Claudio made it in the Runners Up ...

I've yet to see any of my picks aside from Gregory Helms and Kobashi.

[bigHEADinc]

#15 - MICK FOLEY

[/b]

Total Points: 208 Points
Total Votes: 13
Highest Placement: 2 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Rock, Hulk Hogan...all of these wrestlers have achieved success in fields other than wrestling, but perhaps no one, save perhaps for former Governor Jesse Ventura, has helped to bring respect to pro wrestling more than Mick Foley.

Foley grew up on Long Island, New York, a lifelong wrestling fan. Idolizing Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Foley hitchhiked to Madison Square Gardens on the night that Snuka lept off the top of a steel cage onto the prone body of then-Intercontinental Champion Don Muraco in 1983. In college, Foley made a movie of himself as the mythical character Dude Love, highlighted by a death defying leap off a neighbours house. The video made its way into the hands of Dominic DeNucci who would train Foley for his pro debut, when, wrestling as Cactus Jack Manson, he defeated Kurt Kaufman.

In 1986, with just a few years of experience under his belt, Foley wrestled in several matches in the WWF/WWE, as a jobber known as Jack Foley. A couple of years later, after working on the independent circuit, Foley began to wrestle for the Memphis-based CWA, aligning himself with Robert Fuller and his Stud Stable where he would become known as "Cactus Jack". In October 1988, Foley teamed with Gary Young and defeated Todd Morton and Bill Dundee in a tournament final to become the new CWA Tagteam Champions.

Leaving Memphis for Texas, Foley wrestled for the World Class Championship Wrestling (later the USWA) where he won the Light Heavyweight Championship by defeating Eric Embry on December 30th, 1988, despite being well over the weight limit. He was a member of Skandor Akbar's stable and teamed with Super Zodiak and Scott Braddock to win the USWA Tagteam titles twice in 1989.

In 1989, Foley would arrive in the World Championship Wrestling area of the NWA, and was used mostly as a mid-carder and jobber over the next two years, including losing to Mils Mascaras at Clash of the Champions XX in February 1990.

Perhaps it was Foley's work with "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert in Tri-State Wrestling where he really began to get noticed. Tri-State, almost a precursor to ECW, was known for its high impact and violent wrestling style and Cactus Jack fit in well with the organization. It was in Tri-State where Foley and Gilbert clashed in several no-holds-barred typed matches. On August 3rd, 1991, Foley and Gilbert met three times on Tri-State's Summer Sizzler card. Foley won a "Falls Count Anywhere" bout, lost a Stretcher Match to Gilbert and then the two men battled to a double-disqualification inside a steel cage.

With Cactus Jack now becoming noticed by promoters, he was soon back in WCW, where on September 5th, he jumped out of a large "gift box" and attacked fan favourite Sting, leading to a long series of matches between the two superstars. Foley's high-risk maneuvers soon won him respect even from Sting fans. It wasn't long before Jack's manager,Harley Race, turned on him and Cactus Jack was in the fan's favour as he battled Vader. During one of the initial Vader/Jack matches in April 1993, Vader beat up Cactus Jack so badly that Jack had to be "hospitalized" and led to amnesia.

When Foley returned (attacking Vader) at Slamboree, the two men tore up the WCW circuit with their matches. During one battle in Munich, Germany, during a WCW tour of Europe, Foley became entangled in the ring ropes and lost nearly a third of his ear. The injury simply added to Cactus Jack's legend.

Foley would later team with Kevin Sullivan to defeat the Nasty Boys for the WCW Tagteam titles. However, with Foley leaving WCW, the team would split up following the loss of the Tagteam titles and Foley would depart following a "Loser Leaves Town" match.

Foley would wrestle for the Philadelphia-based Extreme Championship Wrestling where his style certainly fit in with the rest of the ECW competitors. Teaming with Mikey Whipwreck, Foley (still wrestling as Cactus Jack) defeated Public Enemy for teh ECW Tagteam titles.

In addition to ECW, Foley would work for many North American independents as well as in Japan. On August 20th, Cactus Jack would win the IWA's one-night King of the Death Match tournament, defeating legendary Terry Funk in the finals. Foley would also see action in the Japan-based Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW) organization, which became famous for its "junk" or gimmick matches.

By the spring of 1996, Foley had left both Japan and ECW behind, and Cactus Jack went into a semi-retirement. Mick Foley signed with the WWF and debuted as Mankind. Immediately targeting the Undertaker, Foley would receive help from the Undertaker's manager, Paul Bearer when Bearer turned on the Undertaker during a Broiler Room Brawl match at SummerSlam '96. In between battling the Undertaker, Foley would also challenge Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship in the fall of 1996.

After teaming with Vader in an attempt to win the WWE Tagteam titles from Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith at Wrestlemania XIII, Mankind became a fan favourite and began fueding with Hunter Hearst Helmsley, meeting Triple H (as he would later be known) in a steel cage match where he emulated Jimmy Snuka. When "Stone Cold" Steve Austin needed a tagteam partner in the summer of 1997 (following Shawn Michaels' walkout after a dispute with Bret Hart), Mankind campaigned to be that partner. Instead, Austin turned his back on Mankind and opted to battle Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart by himself. Austin did eventually receive help from Dude Love and the pair defeat Hart and Smith for the WWE Tagteam titles.

Austin and Mankind would lose the belts via forfeit with Austin's injury at SummerSlam 98, but Foley would revisit his Cactus Jack persona and team with Chainsaw Charlie (aka Terry Funk to defeat the New Age Outlaws for the belts at Wrestlemania XIV, only to lose the belts the next night on Raw as the genesis for the reformation of DeGeneration X.

Claiming to be frustrated by the lose of the tagteam titles, Foley retired the Cactus Jack persona in favour of Mankind, who would align himself with Vince McMahon and battle both Austin and the Undertaker, the latter in the most infamous "Hell in a Cell" match where Mankind was thrown off the top of the cell and through the Spanish announce table.

Although at first a vicious character, Mankind began to show his lighter side, visiting McMahon in the hospital and introducing the world to "Mr. Socko". Mankind would become the first WWE Hardcore Champion, a gift from McMahon.

When McMahon's Corporation turned its back on Mankind at the 1998 Survivor Series, Foley targeted the Rock and on the last Raw of 1998, won his first WWE World Championship. The Rock would defeat Mankind at the 1999 Royal Rumble, but Foley would regain the title in an empty arena during "Halftime Heat" on Super Bowl Sunday.

After battling The Big Show, Foley enlisted him, along with Test and Ken Shamrock to form the short-lived Union that battled the Corporation. At SummerSlam 99, Foley would overcome Triple H and Steve Austin to win the WWE Championship in a bout refereed by Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura.

Meanwhile, Foley was starting to garner attention for his best-selling autobiography "Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks" which would rise to Number One on the New York Bestseller Chart, the first wrestler biography to do so.

As 1999 ended and 2000 began, Foley once again crossed paths with Triple H, this time for the WWE Championship. Triple H would get the better of Mankind in a street fight at the 2000 Royal Rumble, but Foley and Hunter would clash again, with Foley adopting the Cactus Jack persona during a Hell in the Cell match, with the stipulation that if Foley lost, he would retire. Indeed, Cactus Jack lost and Foley retired from active competition, save for one farewell match at Wrestlemania 2000.

In June 2000, Foley would return to the WWF as Commissioner, making matches and dishing out justice and punishment, all the while garnering cheap pops and laughs.

After being fired from the GM position, Foley named himself as the special referee for the Shane McMahon/Vince McMahon Street fight at Wrestlemania VII.

Foley's second book "Foley Is Good" debuted at Number One on the New York Times Bestseller List at May 27th, 2001.

With the "Invasion" angle up and running, Foley would return to the WWE in October, 2001 and resume his role as WWE Commissioner. However, his time in that role would be limited and he would walk away from the WWE on the day after the 2001 Survivor Series.

Foley would not resurface in the WWE until June 2003 when he refereed a Hell in The Cell match pitting Triple H against Kevin Nash. After the match, Foley stuck around the WWE to be honoured as a "Hardcore Legend" and get into a confrontation with Randy Orton and Evolution.

In December 2003, after a brief period as co-GM of Raw, Foley was to have battled Orton, except that just before the match was to take place, Foley walked away from the arena. After weeks of taunting by Orton, Foley returned to the WWE in the Royal Rumble and attacked Orton. Orton got revenge with a subsequent beatdown on Foley by Evolution.

Foley got some help from his old Rock'n'Sock Connection partner, the Rock and the two battled (but ultimately lost to) Evolution in a handicap match at Wrestlemania XX. Orton would also defeat Foley one-on-one in a Hardcore match at Backlash.

Since leaving the WWE, Foley has been active as a special referee on the independent scene and in October 2004, Foley became involved with the Ring of Honor organization and although the two never stepped into the ring to face each other, he engaged in a feud with Ricky Steamboat in late 2004.

Video Link:Mankind vs. Undertaker (Hell In A Cell)

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

Foley at 15? I can accept that. I was kind of hoping he'd make top 10, though.

[bigHEADinc]

joshwoodrum said:

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.....

seriously dude, it's getting annoying that you're criticizing a list you haven't seen...

oh, and you also never took the time to vote...

i don't care if people give their opinion on the list, but to make two comments, both negative, and you had absolutely no input in the first place, it makes you come out looking like a joke...

why don't you just sit tight, read the rest of the list, and then post before you look like a jackass...

['Sweet n' Sour' A. A. Estrada]

bigheadinc said:

#19 - CHRISTOPHER DANIELS

[/b]

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

That was me.

[heffer111]

bigheadinc said:

#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[/quote]


hahahaah i was at that raw

[bigHEADinc]

#14 - STING

[/b]

Total Points: 210 Points
Total Votes: 17
Highest Placement: 2 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: In the world of professional wrestling, there are stars and then there are legends. Sting, is not only a legend, he is an ICON.

One of the all time greats in the history of the industry, Sting returned to TNA Wrestling in 2006 on a mission. His mission was to rid TNA of Jeff Jarrett and become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Throughout the years, Sting has been a multi-time World Champion, having bested such stars as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and many others. He also has won several tag team titles throughout the course of his illustrious career.

In his return to TNA Wrestling, Sting encountered several obstacles in his quest for Jeff Jarrett and the NWA Title. Among those were intense matchups and confrontations with Scott Steiner, the former Team Canada, and Christian Cage. Through it all, Sting was able to persevere through adversity, successfully wrestling the NWA World Title away from Jeff Jarrett at Bound for Glory 2006.

Sending a somewhat ominous message to Sting, after his defeat, Jarrett gave an interview explaining the strenuous demands of being the World Champion and that he hoped Sting knew what he had gotten himself into. At the same time, as Jarrett left the glare of the spotlight, Sting promised to bring pride and dignity back to the NWA Title.

Just one month later though, at Genesis, in a twist of irony, Sting found himself becoming a victim of his own intensity, as he was disqualified in his title match against the Monster Abyss, and thus, relinquished the title to him as well.

Reenergized and refocused once more, Sting, with his legacy already in tact, now looks to the future as he tries to help others and elevate himself back to the top of TNA Wrestling and the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

Video Link:Sting vs. Vader (GAB '92)

[bigHEADinc]

#13 - EDDIE GUERRERO

[/b]

Total Points: 241 Points
Total Votes: 18
Highest Placement: 3 (2 Votes)[/center]

Bio: Eddie Guerrero was born into Mexico’s first family of professional wrestling in 1967. The son of the legendary Gory Guerrero, it was only natural that Eddie, along with his three older brothers, would pursue a career in sports-entertainment. With wrestling flowing through his veins, Eddie began his in-ring training at a very young age. In fact, Guerrero had mastered the dropkick by his third birthday.

Eddie moved from his family’s backyard ring to the professional circuit in 1987 when he debuted as “Mascara Magica” or “Magic Mask” in Mexico. After teaming with his brothers, Guerrero broke out on his own, crafting his skills in the lucha libre world. Eddie then moved on to Japan, wrestling as Black Tiger. It was there that Guerrero first met good friend Chris Benoit.

After moving back to Mexico full time, Eddie began teaming with El Hijo del Santo, who was the son of Gory Guerrero’s long-time associate El Santo. Eddie and Santo eventually broke up, with Eddie forming a duo with Art Barr. The pair would feud with Santo in one of the most heated rivalries in lucha libre history, which culminated in Guerrero and Barr losing a hair vs. mask match to Santo and Octagon in November 1994.

Eddie then moved on to ECW, where he gained his first full exposure in the United States. Not long after his ECW debut, Guerrero defeated 2 Cold Scorpio for the ECW Television Championship, a title he held twice before moving to WCW. Guerrero's ECW stay will always be remembered for the amazing match he had with Dean Malenko before leaving the promotion. After the match, which many consider to be one of the greatest ECW matches ever, the crowd showed their appreciation for Guerrero by giving him a standing ovation.

Guerrero spent four years competing in WCW. While there, he was a part of numerous memorable rivalries with the likes of Booker T, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Ric Flair and nephew Chavo.

On Dec. 29, 1996, Guerrero defeated Diamond Dallas Page in the finals of a tournament to crown a new United States Champion. He also went on to capture the Cruiserweight Championship on two separate occasions before leaving WCW.

On Jan. 31, 2000, four new faces showed up on Monday Night RAW and shocked the sports-entertainment world. They were former WCW wrestlers Benoit, Malenko, Perry Saturn and Eddie Guerrero – The Radicalz. The faction immediately got involved in a match between the New Age Outlaws and Al Snow & Steve Blackman, marking the beginning of Guerrero’s amazing WWE career.

Over the next five years, Eddie Guerrero overcame many obstacles to reach the top. In his first WWE match against the Outlaws, Eddie suffered a dislocated elbow, but returned to action in a short time. On April 3, 2000, he claimed his first piece of WWE gold, defeating Chris Jericho to win the European Championship. He would go on to win that championship one more time in 2001.

After The Radicalz went their separate ways, Eddie began a relationship with his “Mamacita,” Chyna. In fact, it was Chyna that Eddie defeated in September 2000 to claim the Intercontinental Championship. After their split, Eddie’s demons got the best of him. He subsequently took time off from the ring in 2001 to deal with his personal issues.

Upon his return in 2002, Eddie’s career skyrocketed to new heights. He won the Intercontinental Championship again in May 2002, this time from Rob Van Dam. Eventually, Eddie moved to SmackDown where he teamed with nephew Chavo to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship. He would win that championship three more times, as well as the United States Championship, but his greatest moment came in February 2004.

On Feb. 15, 2004 in San Francisco, Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar at No Way Out to become WWE Champion. He had reached the pinnacle of the industry, and went on to headline WrestleMania XX against Kurt Angle. No one will ever forget the scene at the end of the show, when Eddie joined long-time friend Benoit in the ring to celebrate moments after Benoit won the World Heavyweight Championship.

Eddie later formed an alliance with another old friend, Rey Mysterio, and the duo would win the WWE Tag Team Championship in early 2005. This was Eddie’s final run as a champion, as the duo split up after WrestleMania 21 and began a bitter rivalry, highlighted by numerous breath-taking matches.

At No Mercy on Oct. 9, 2005, Eddie’s 38th birthday, Eddie squared off against a new amigo, Batista. He was unable to win the World Heavyweight Championship from the Animal, but their friendship was cemented when Batista led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Latino Heat afterwards. A little more than one month later, Guerrero competed in his final televised match on the Nov. 11 edition of Friday Night SmackDown where he defeated Mr. Kennedy.

Video Link: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (Halloween Havoc '97)

['Sweet n' Sour' A. A. Estrada]

I'm glad that Christian and Christopher Daniels both got pretty good spots on the list ... they're two great, great talents.

I'm hoping Alex Shelley will pull an upset and find a place in this, still.

[bigHEADinc]

#12 - RANDY SAVAGE

[/b]

Total Points: 299 Points
Total Votes: 21
Highest Placement: 1 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: Randy Poffo was born on 11/15/53 on the campus of Ohio State University, He is the son of wrestler Angelo Poffo and brother of Lanny Poffo. Randy was a baseball player and was in the farm systems of the Cardinals, Reds and White Sox. He became a wrestler in 1975.

Randy gained national attention in 1985 when he joined the WWF. In a surprise, he named the lovely Miss Elizabeth to be his manager. In real life he was married to the late Elizabeth Heulette. Within months, he had beaten Hulk Hogan twice at Madison Square Garden before winning the I-C title from Tito Santana.

His title reign lasted over a year and was the longest title reign to that point. His most notable feuds were with George Steele, who had a crush on Elizabeth, and Ricky Steamboat. He crushed Steamboat's larynx and lost the title to Steamboat in a classic match at WrestleMania 3. Later in the year he feuded with The Honky Tonk Man over the belt and became friends with Hulk Hogan in the process.

Savage and Hogan teamed up to form the Megapowers. When Hogan was cheated out of his title, Savage won the belt by beating four men at WrestleMania IV with the help of Hogan. For the next year their relationship started to get sour and finally collapsed on NBC in primetime. Hogan beat Savage for the title at WrestleMania V.
The Macho King, Marriage and World Champ Again:
Shortly after losing the title he became the Macho King. AT WrestleMania VII, he lost a retirement match to The Ultimate Warrior but after the match made up with Elizabeth. A few weeks later he proposed to her and they were married at SummerSlam. Jake Roberts gave her a cobra as a wedding gift which led to his eventual return. He would win the World title from Ric Flair at WrestleMania 8 in a feud where Flair claimed that "Elizabeth was mine before she was yours"

After being relegated to announcing, Savage went to the WCW in 1994. His feud with Flair was reignited when his father was attacked. Savage was turned on by Hogan when Hollywood formed the New World Order. A little while later, Savage joined the NWO and feuded with Dallas Page. In 1999, Savage wasn't resigned by WCW due to cost cutting.

In his retirement, Savage stared in Spider-Man as Bonesaw McGraw. He also made a rap album in which he challenges Hulk Hogan to a fight due to his real life beef with Hogan over the breakup of several of his relationships. This feud with Hogan is believed to be keeping his WWE legacy from being mentioned. On 5/1/03, his ex-wife Miss Elizabeth died from an OD of a combination of alcohol and pain pills.

Video Link: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (WM3)

[MGH]

Savage!

[bigHEADinc]

#11 - CURT HENNIG

[/b]

Total Points: 316 Points
Total Votes: 20
Highest Placement: 2 (1 Vote)[/center]

Bio: "I stand for wrestling, cause that's what I do best. But if you want to fix it up and you want to have a fist fight, I can run faster, I can jump higher, I can do everything better than you! Know why? Cause I am what I say I am: Absolutely...PERFECT."

Curt Hennig was born in Minneapolis on March 28, 1958, the son of legendary wrestler Larry "The Axe" Hennig. Raised in the Minneapolis suburb of Robbinsdale, Curt was friends with, and even graduated with, future wrestlers Tom Zenk, Rick Rude, and Brady Boone. At a young age and throughout school, Curt showed tremendous athletic ability; he claims to have "lettered in more sports than anyone in the state of Minnesota". But it was a stint at Verne Gagne's Wrestling Camp that sealed his future, and Hennig gave up collegiate offers for football, baseball, and wrestling after a stellar prep career.

Following in his father's footsteps, Curt started as a jobber in the WWF. He learned quite a bit about wrestling in this time, including one match where he did the job to WWF Champion Bob Backlund. But things didn't work out, and Curt headed to Don Owen's Pacific Northwest territory for some time. In 1981, Curt returned home to Minnesota and joined Verne Gagne's AWA. During this time, Curt began to get a nice push and became one of the federation's biggest stars. He teamed up with Scott Hall to win the AWA Tag Team belts from Jim Garvin and Steve Regal in January 1986 and held the title until May that year. Perhaps his most shining moment came May 2, 1987, when he beat Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World title, but this victory came with controversy. Curt didn't officially get the title until 9 days later, when the AWA ruled in a vote that videotape evidence showed that Curt had not been illegally aided by Larry Zbyszko. Curt held this title for over a year before losing it to Jerry Lawler in May 1988, with one exception. In late 1987, Hennig was cleanly beaten by former tag partner Greg Gagne for the title in a cage match, albeit with controversy. This change was not cleared with the bookers, though, and in a rematch, Curt beat Gagne.

Following his loss to Lawler, Curt was contacted for a contract with the WWF. When asked by Vince McMahon what kind of high school athlete Curt was, as an idea for a character, Hennig replied "Perfect", and thus, he became Mr. Perfect. Mr. Perfect made his debut in the WWF in late 1988 and began a winning streak that lasted until Wrestlemania 6, losing to Brutus Beefcake. Establishing himself as a superstar (including beating WWF Champion Hulk Hogan before WM6 by DQ in Madison Square Garden), Perfect won the coveted Intercontinental title just 3 weeks later in a tournament final, beating Tito Santana. He held this title until Summerslam 90, when he lost it to Kerry Von Erich. But Perfect would get his revenge, winning it back 3 days before that year's Survivor Series. Mr. Perfect would go on to hold the I-C belt for 280 days. Then Curt suffered a back injury that would haunt him the rest of his career, but before going to the sideline, he lost the I-C belt to Bret "The Hitman" Hart at Summerslam 91.

Now on the sidelines, Hennig became "Executive Consultant" to WWF newcomer Ric Flair. But once his back healed, Hennig began a feud with Flair, including a victory over the "Nature Boy" in a "Loser Leaves WWF" match following the 1993 Royal Rumble. However, before making his wrestling comeback at Survivor Series 1992, Hennig signed a contract with Lloyd's of London to insure his back for further injury. Perfect began a feud with another WWF newcomer, Lex Luger, then started a feud with WWF I-C champion Shawn Michaels. Hennig looked to beat the champ at Summerslam 93 but lost via countout, and during the match he re-injured his back. With his Lloyd's of London contract, Hennig collected millions in annual settlements. To keep active in wrestling, Perfect worked as a Guest Referee at Wrestlemania 10, disqualifying Lex Luger when Luger shoved Perfect in a World Title match against WWF Champ Yokozuna. He didn't show up again until working occasional guest commentary starting at Survivor Series 1995. By 1996, Perfect was either ready to return to the ring, or insurance was unwilling to keep paying him, so before a scheduled comeback match, he began a feud with Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, whose valets Perfect began stealing. Slated to fight "Triple-H", Perfect's knee was injured by HHH before the fight, and Perfect was replaced by I-C champ Marc Mero, only to be set up; Perfect had conspired with HHH so Helmsley could win the belt.

After this match, Hennig began contract negotiations with WCW for a full-time return to the ring. This comeback became a reality in July 1997, when Hennig showed up at Bash At the Beach as Diamond Dallas Page's mystery partner. Hennig looked good in the time afterward, after being away for nearly 4 years. Curt, trying to establish himself as a babyface, accepted the role of Horseman upon the retirement of Arn Anderson of the Four Horsemen, but this, in typical Hennig fashion, ended up as a setup at Fall Brawl 97, when Hennig turned on the Horsemen to reveal himself as a member of the heel New World Order stable, and in the process, seriously injuring his old nemisis Ric Flair. The following night, Hennig won the WCW U.S. Title from Horseman Steve McMichael. Hennig held this belt until Starrcade 97, when he was beated by former partner Dallas Page. Doing his best to work around various knee and back injuries throughout 1998, Hennig re-emerged in 1999 to win the WCW Tag-Team belts with Barry Windham and held the belts for about a month. Curt worked various angles, wrapping up with by losing a "Loser Must Retire" match against Buff Bagwell at Mayhem 99, but turned around to reveal he was aligned with the heel "Powers That Be". In 2000,Hennig's contract expired, and Curt spent most of 2000 and 2001 wrestling independently.
It was announced by the WWF that "Mr. Perfect" would be returning at the 2002 Royal Rumble, and Curt did rather well, staying in until only he, Triple-H, and Kurt Angle remained before being eliminated. Mr. Perfect was as brash and cocky as ever and was apparently picking up where he left off in 1996. Then, on a trans-Atlantic flight, Curt got into a fight with Brock Lesnar which got several other wrestlers involved, and by the time the flight landed, Hennig was given his pink slip. Curt went on and wrestled for a time in the NWA-TNA, and then with Jimmy Hart's All-Stars. He was hoping for an eventual return to the WWE, but as fate would have it, it was not to happen.

On February 10, 2003, Curtis Michael Hennig was found dead in his hotel room near Tampa, Florida. No official cause of death was immediately given, though Curt showed several telltale signs of a heart attack in the hours prior to his passing. His body was returned home to Minnesota, and is entombed at Gethsemane Cemetery in New Hope, Minnesota. Curt left behind his wife of 20 years and 4 children. Reflecting on Curt, he spent his free time hunting, fishing, and golfing. As for his career, he listed Bret Hart, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair as his best opponents; his greatest matches were both with Bret Hart, at Summerslam 1991 and at Anchorage, Alaska's Sullivan Arena (as his greatest match), and his most memorable match was in the AWA when he beat the Road Warriors by himself in a handicap match.

However you remember Curt, one thing is for sure: there was no way you couldn't get your money's worth out of any match, and that's what made Curt absolutely...PERFECT.

Video Link: Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart (Summerslam '91)

[MGH]

Ah, now some of my real favorites are popping up

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

I was getting worried about Hennig there for a second.

[bigHEADinc]

And there's 11-50... I'm gonna take a break (i've done nothing but update this thing all day) and when I come back, I'll start the Top 10... So, I wanna see some predictions... Who's #1? Can anybody properly predict the Top 10?... I think it might shock a few of you...

[MGH]

Flair and Hogan will be there. Shawn Michaels and Undertaker too I'd think. Austin, Rock...


I thought HHH would have made the top 10. He would have been in mine if I had ever gotten around to voting.

[The OP]

You guys can thank me for Regal and Hennig, I had the highest vote for both.

['Sweet n' Sour' A. A. Estrada]

bigheadinc said:

And there's 11-50... I'm gonna take a break (i've done nothing but update this thing all day) and when I come back, I'll start the Top 10... So, I wanna see some predictions... Who's #1? Can anybody properly predict the Top 10?... I think it might shock a few of you...

This is a tremendously professional listing, bigHEAD. Thanks for doing it.

I'm going to go with the following for the Top 10,

10) Steve Blackman (I wish)
9) Undertaker
8) Alex Shelley
7) Colt Cabana (Should be enough ROHbots to have him make it!)
6) HBK
5) Steve Austin
4) Chris Jericho
3) Ric Flair
2) Hulk Hogan
1) Bryan Danielson or some 'ROH Nobody' that nevertheless has more fans on this board than the Ultimate Warrior.

And for those of you who are curious (i.e. nobody), here was how I listed my top Twenty Five wrestlers ...

1) Colt Cabana
2) 'Fallen Angel' Christopher Daniels
3) 'Sweet n' Sour' Larry Sweeney
4) Chris Jericho
5) Alex Shelley
6) Triple H
7) Rob Conway
8) Jimmy Jacobs
9) 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair
10) Big Van Vader
11) Claudio Castagnoli
12) Samoa Joe
13) 'The' Austin Aries/Starr
14) Christian
15) Mike Quackenbush
16) KENTA
17) 'Sugar' Shane Helms
18) Nigel McGuiness
19) Steve Blackman
20) Johnny Nitro
21) Kevin Thorn
22) Kenta Kobashi
23) 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
24) C.M. Punk
25) 'Macho Man' Randy Savage