Board 8 > B8's Greatest Wrestlers Ever Ranking

(+) Yeah! (+)

My only regret is that I didn't give Asuka a couple more points to get her over Orton.

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And the alternate 2-list minimum version.

50 Curt Hennig / Mr. Perfect
51 Randy Orton
52 Asuka/Kana
53 Atlantis
54 Samoa Joe
54 Seth Rollins
56 Will Ospreay
57 Bruno Sammartino
57 Orange Cassidy
57 Tomohiro Ishii
60 Tetsuya Naito
61 Kota Ibushi
62 Konnan
63 Booker T
63 Ricky Steamboat
63 Scott Steiner
66 Nigel McGuinness
66 Roddy Piper
68 Kevin Nash
69 Zack Sabre Jr.
70 Katsuyori Shibata
70 Scott Hall/Razor Ramon
70 Shinsuke Nakamura
73 Matt Jackson
74. Minoru Suzuki
75. Jeff Hardy
76. Claudio Castagnoli / Cesaro
76. Tommaso Ciampa
78. Bill Goldberg
79. Ultimo Dragon
80. Genichiro Tenryu
81. Big Van Vader
81. Hiromu Takahashi
81. Nick Jackson
84. Shinya Hashimoto
85. Jon Moxley
86. Lou Thesz
87. Kane
88. Jaguar Yokota
88. Satoshi Kojima
90. Big Show
91. Chris Hero
92. Diamond Dallas Page
92. Fenix
92. Shingo Takagi
95. William Regal
96. Adam Cole
97. Meiko Satomura
98. The Miz
99. Rob Van Dam
100. Akira Taue

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+25
+24 Dr Wagner
+23
+22
+21
+20
+19
+18
+17
+16
+15 Konnan
+14
+13 Atlantis
+12 Satoshi Kojima
+11
+10
+9 Roddy Piper
+8 Bobby Eaton*
+7
+6 Matt Jackson
+5 Fenix
+4
+3 Cody Rhodes*
+2
+1 Gail Kim*

The stars are the ones that DNR at all.

I strongly disagree with like most of today's reveals

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I feel like Perfect deserves a spot just not that high.

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49. El Generico / Sami Zayn
Score: 36
# of Lists: 4

El Generico is the greatest babyface wrestler of his generation. Nobody I've ever seen is as enjoyable to watch sell and struggle to make a comeback, or has the same babyface fire as Generico. There was a several year period at the end of his indie run - in fact, dating back as far as BOLA 2006 - where you would hear "El Generico always has the best match of the night". Now, that might not be a 100% fact - but it's closer to than not, and when you consider the 2000s indies, that's no small feat.

Of course, it wasn't just the amazing matches that define Generico's career - it's also, in large part, the relationship with Kevin Steen/Owens. Breaking into the US scene together, they wrestled each other and wrestled as a team in every company in the states for a few years, but it's ROH where they would have the most prominence - both as a tag team and then feuding in the Observer Feud of the Year 2010 - one of the best feuds in wrestling history.

Generico would also find international success, holding titles in both wXw in Germany and DDT in Japan, before eventually signing with WWE and being largely responsible for putting NXT on the map - between his series with Cesaro and subsequent NXT Title programs, a lot of people may not remember now but in 2014, these were the things convincing hardcores to check out NXT, before it was established as the workrate darlings show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hosPimK8rQM; El Generico vs. Kevin Steen (December 18, 2010)

47 (tie). Lex Luger
Score: 37
# of Lists: 2

(Guest writeup; War) Few wrestlers had the career run Lex Luger did in the 1990s. A main event star in WCW, he would leave for WWF when he became unhappy at the heel turn right as he was positioned to be made the top babyface. He would rise to main event status in WWF before again a company decided at the last minute not to make him the top babyface, giving him his win at the end of the infamous Lex Express run by count out rather than winning the WWF Title. He would leave to return to WCW a few years later, being a surprise debut on the first Nitro. Again, he would rise to being a top star, culminating in winning the WCW Title, as a hero, at the 100th Nitro, before again having the rug pulled out from him, losing the title 5 days later. Many fans deride him for lack of effort, but the companies he stopped working hard for arguably stopped working hard for him first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v-vSfCAF0Y; Lex Luger vs. Yokozuna, July 5 1993

47 (tie). Johnny Gargano
Score: 37
# of Lists: 2

(Guest Writeup: NBIceman) To me, as one of the first and most prominent indie stars to really wear his lifelong wrestling fanhood on his sleeve, Gargano will always be representative of a transitional era in professional wrestling. After starting young and spending a decade working in almost every popular indie in America being recognized only in small circles as one of the best, he finally got the chance to prove that he was more than just a big fish in a small pond with his great success in NXT.

For my money, he'll always be most tightly linked to the WWN family of promotions. He was the face of EVOLVE for a long time, especially when the company was a particular darling of hardcore fans, and his two-and-a-half year reign as the champion of Dragon Gate USA is one of the best indie title reigns ever. In five or ten years when those libraries have become more accessible, he could be thought of even more highly than he already is.

Opinions on his most recent work are mixed, but that doesn't take away from everything that came before. Face or heel, singles or tag, Johnny Wrestling can do (and has done) it all.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6duae1; Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade Cien Almas, January 27th 2018

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There is something strangely beautiful about Lex being tied with Sami and Gargano. I didn't put him on my list, because he's just not someone that came to mind for being one of the best, persay, but I do appreciate his work more than I used to.

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Never liked Lex. Happy to see Zayn and Gargano though. B8 likes some weird (to me) indie underground guys.

Thank you for those detailed write-ups on each TC.

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Gargano didn't quite make my personal 25, but he's one of my individual all-time favorites and didn't miss by a whole lot, so I'm glad to see him in the top 50.

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Outside of DREW MAC and Becky Lynch, Johnny Gargano is the only wrestler in WWE I actually love.

Then they turned him heel.

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OSW Review has given me a new love for Lex

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junk_funk posted...

Thank you for those detailed write-ups on each TC.

trying my best!

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junk_funk posted...

Thank you for those detailed write-ups on each TC.

Dont thank me. Write-ups are by Steiner unless they say guest in which case it will say who wrote it.

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We are going to be having more guest write-ups btw

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46. Christian
Score: 37
# of Lists: 3

Rising to prominence through the infamous ladder/TLC feud with the Hardys and the Dudleys, Christian is part of some of the most memorable tag matches in WWF history. But even after the tag team broke up in 2001, Christian would continue to be one of the most entertaining parts of the show - earning his Captain Charisma nickname of 2005. He looked poised for a big singles run in WWE, but then did something historic - was the first WWE talent to jump to TNA. He had a run on top there with some great matches, but more importantly legitimized the idea for WWE names of jumping ship to TNA, something that would be quite a theme of the next few years.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7aquny; Christian vs. Randy Orton - May 22, 2011

45. Keiji Muto / The Great Muta
Score: 38
# of Lists: 2

(Guest Writeup: Illuminatusbubu)
Without a doubt, one of the most, if not the most, famous Japanese wrestler outside of Japan until the boom of NJPW in the last 5 years. He is even more famous in Japan as one of New Japan's legendary "Three Musketeers" during the 1980-90s boom. His star power is unmatched as he was once simultaneously hold the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, the top belts of NJPW and AJPW, two biggest companies in Japan.

He is one of the few who can claim to master both in-ring skill and character work. He started as young, agile, exciting, and explosive. As he got older, he reinvented himself as a crafty, master of mindgames, while innovated moves like Muta lock and Shining Wizard along the way. He might also be better known in his alter ego, The Great Muta, which he switching back and forth his entire career. While he did not originate the gimmick, but like Ric Flair, he made it his own so that it became one of the most influential gimmicks in puroresu. As The Great Muta, he was more aggressive and weapon-friendly. He was involved in one of the bloodiest wrestling match with Hiroshi Hase, which inspired the Muta Scale, the indicator of bloodiness in wrestling match.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26dq8d; Keiji Muto vs. Masahiro Chono, August 11 1991

44. El Santo
Score: 39
# of Lists: 3

(Guest writeup: Jakyl25)
No one in the history of professional wrestling is more important to their territory than El Santo is to Mexico. To generations of fans, the iconic silver mask is sacred; the symbol of a real life superhero. You can visit museums dedicated to El Santo, the greatest luchador to ever live.

Very few of his matches survive to viewed today, as most of his output was before the era of television. In a sense, though, it only enhances his legend. Can you imagine the feats of this man our ancestors worshipped and carved statues of. Superman walked among us, south of the border.

He of course starred in many films as his character, vanquishing all types of foes both mortal and supernatural with the power of his lucha libre. I have attached one of them.

Viva El Santo!
Viva Lucha Libre!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdIiriExBSw; El Santo & Blue Demon vs. Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolfman, The Cyclops and Frankenstein's Monster, May 14 1970

43. Bull Nakano
Score: 42
# of Lists: 2

(Guest Writeup: sephsblade)
With a bucketload of charisma, an ever-changing but always delightful collection of extragavant outfits and hairstyles, Bull Nakano dominated both the AJW in the period between the Crush Gals and Toyota as well as having a strong run in the WWE with some of the best womens wrestling that promotion has ever seen in its history until the unfortunate discovery of some cocaine on her person, especially her feud with Blayze (if you can stomach the commentary in most of her matches, which spend 90% of them calling her fat for some reason????).

Nakano was an excellent powerhouse-style wrestler who was also adaptable enough to wrestle the more flippy later AJW era, as well as play the scrappy fighter against bigger wrestlers like Aja, and was a great seller- and no-seller, as the case often was in America as she played the monster heel.

She also became a golfer. Her golf career was a much bigger crime than the cocaine thing. Dont watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kUCHirftKE ; Bull Nakano vs. Akira Hokuto, April 1 1991

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I eagerly await the Ta-Gar write up

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+25 Bull Nakano
+24
+23 Lioness Asuka
+22
+21
+20
+19
+18
+17
+16
+15
+14 Scott Steiner
+13
+12 Takahashi
+11
+10
+9
+8
+7 Shingo
+6 Orange Cassidy
+5
+4 Jon Moxley
+3
+2
+1 A Placeholder I Forgot To Change

Higher than I thought she'd get, honestly.

+25
+24
+23
+22
+21
+20 Iron Sheik
+19 Ultimate Warrior
+18
+17 Great Khali
+16
+15 Johnny Gargano
+14 Tomasso Ciampa
+13 Orange Cassidy
+12 Alexa Bliss
+11 Ta-Gar, Lord of the Volcano
+10
+9 Kevin Nash
+8 Sami Zayn
+7
+6 Ultimo Dragon
+5
+4 Maria Kanellis
+3 Adam Cole
+2
+1 Missile Assault Ant

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Kyubit_Foxstar posted...

+25 Bull Nakano
+24
+23 Lioness Asuka
+22
+21
+20
+19
+18
+17
+16
+15
+14 Scott Steiner
+13
+12 Takahashi
+11
+10
+9
+8
+7 Shingo
+6 Orange Cassidy
+5
+4 Jon Moxley
+3
+2
+1 A Placeholder I Forgot To Change

Higher than I thought she'd get, honestly.

It's too late to take back your dragon dragon vote now
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Oh right, forgot I fixed that horrible, horrible mistake.

Why is Christian up there?

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Oh right I forgot to mention that Bull got a first place vote.

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Yeah but who from?

41 (tie). Jerry Lawler
Score: 42
# of Lists: 3

If you want to argue there is a better promo in wrestling history than Jerry Lawler, you're gonna have to DM me with rigorous evidence. It's my belief that he has no superior, and his peers are exceedingly rare (even in his day, never mind today). People will be most familiar with his WWF run - and, while he never achieved world title level success there, he still manages some fine mic work. As the host of the King's Court he was one of the driving forces of the early years of Raw, providing a foil for many babyfaces but most notably Bret Hart, who he feuds with right up until Bret's heel turn in 97. After this point Lawler's role in WWF would mostly be as a commentator, where his unique talent for saying the most ridiculous things possible made him an entertaining partner for McMahon and later one half of the most famous announce team in wrestling with JR through the Attitude Era.

But, frankly, that's all bullshit compared to what came before. Even symbolically - Lawler is the most decorated champion to ever have a WWE contract, with over 140 championship reigns. Not one is in WWE. While he had a 'nice little run' there, before he ever got to WWE he was a certified legend.

His legend probably begins with his feud with comedian Andy Kaufman - the angle between the two on the Letterman Show captured the imagination of the country at the time, making the front page of the New York Times - no small feat for the Memphis territory of 1982. He'd been the 'King of Memphis' since defeating his mentor Jackie Fargo for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title and the "King of Memphis" title in 1974, but with the Kaufman angle became famous across the country.

While it's more attractive to talk about the promos and the angles for Lawler, that doesn't mean he isn't also phenomenal in the ring. The part of his game he's best known for is probably his punches - known as the best in wrestling history, an accolade I know I'd agree with. Many of his matches may not have consisted of much more than punches and piledrivers - but they rarely needed to. Lawler's matches were so heated, whether he was the babyface King of the territory or the hated heel, the Mid South Coliseum was always in the palm of Lawler's hand, and the mix of crowd heat and violence is something that never wears thin in wrestling.

As an aside, Jerry Lawler might be one of the worst people in the wrestling business, at least of those who remain. I thought of laying the facts of that out here as well, but I don't think it's necessary. But it definitely made him one of the harder people to reflect on in the current state of the wrestling business. All that said, wrapping the positives and negatives together, Lawler is a true microcosm of the wrestling business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxPtNUKptag; Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman on Letterman, July 28 1982
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28WhhxH7DrM; Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk, March 23 1981
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1XQv9ugWf0; Jerry Lawler/Bill Dundee Loser Leaves Town go home show

41 (tie). Aja Kong
Score: 42
# of Lists: 3

(Guest writeup: sephsblade)
Aja Kong is that most perfect of combinations: the hoss who can actually wrestle. And wrestle she has- for WWE (well, okay, F), AJW, AEW, her own promotion (which she quit mid match because fuck you shes Aja Kong), CHIKARA, Gaea Japan, Shimmer, and most importantly of all, some japanese prank show where she wrestled Kota Ibushi in the middle of a street for some reason?(????).

Her AJW stint is probably her peak- encredible david-goliath matches with Toyota, and a brutal cage match with Nakano stand out- but theres gold almost everywhere. While shes slowed down noticeably in her older age, she put out a good match with Hikaru Shida a couple of years back at the age of 47; especially amusing because the original AJW mandatory retirement age was 26. They also told her Youre black, so you should feel this hatred towards the Japanese people and crush them, so maybe, uh, dont listen to late 80s AJW management. And, yes, Aja Kong is probably the most prominent black japanese wrestler, which is notable because holy shit did you just read that quote jesus christ AJW.

While she doesnt have as much range as some other wrestlers on this list- shes the monster heel, through and through- she is very, very good at what she does. Which apparently includes ambushing Kota Ibushi in the middle of the street? I dont fucking know anymore. Watch Aja Kong matches!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wANjnGYUdvo; Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota, November 20 1994

40. Becky Lynch
Score: 43
# of Lists: 4

One of WWE's infamous 4 Horsewomen who led the so called "Women's Revolution" (that revolutionary moment where WWE simply stopped booking the women like complete jokes one day), she is the only member of that group to make this list. As I write this in June 2020 we're right around 2 years from the last point where Becky was, to the majority of fans, the 4th out of those 4. That all changed with the feud with Charlotte in Summer 2018 - a story which, despite WWE's best efforts in the other direction, turned Becky Lynch into the biggest star in the company for a year.

Having just left to have a baby, there's every chance that we've seen Becky Lynch's entire in ring career already. Even if we haven't, I think it's unlikely we ever see her reach the heights of late 2018 again - especially without a Ronda who the audience hates for her to really play off of. So while Becky's argument isn't going to be in longevity, it will be in how hot she burned for her peak - a peak that saw her as the first woman to win the Wrestlemania main event. No matter what else you think, Becky Lynch for a few months was the hottest star in all of wrestling, and as far as I know was the first woman you could ever say that for. That earns her spot on this list

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2qwjo3; Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks, May 20 2015

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damn that's a great lawler writeup

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Yeah I wonder who wrote that

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Maniac64 posted...

Lawler is the most decorated champion to ever have a WWE contract, with over 140 championship reigns. Not one is in WWE.

I double checked Wikipedia and counted, getting 235 total.

R Truth will be halfway to that by the end of the year >_>

For reals tho, Lawler's a legend

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235 is certainly over 140

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To be fair, I had Becky Lynch on here for the entirety of her work. She was criminally underrated in her promos with Alexa Bliss before she was "The Man."

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it's my opinion she was not the 40th greatest worker of all time, and that it is her run as The Man that is historically notable. Being a good worker doesn't put that much distance between her and Bayley, Charlotte and Sasha.

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Right, but I wouldn't have voted her just based on Becky Balboa or The Man.

The entirety of her work is why I had her so high.

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i've left a lot out of every writeup. i'm just trying to cover what makes them historically significant, in my writeups. i think it's safe to assume the majority of votes are for "the entirety of their career".

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Yeah this tracks with what I was saying in the Discord the other day.

Mr Perfect was a trailblazing grappler but let's be real - he's on this list because he shot one really good series of vignettes, had a good 3 month program with Hogan and had two stellar matches with Bret.

Its the same with Becky. She is an all timer in terms of women's wrestling due to her run as The Man and while I think 40th is overinflated and the execution of her Wrestlemania Main Event is by NO means considered a classic she probably deserves in the top 250 conversation just for the 6 month period between Survivor Series and Wrestlemania last year.

Personally I think this is far far too high for her though. Women's wrestling did not enter a golden age following what she did to break the glass ceiling and indeed is dipping back down to Paige era quality already. And any argument for a figure like Becky is gonna be inherently tied to influence since no one draws anymore and shes not THAT good of a worker.

She's Wendi Richter mk 2 and honestly I go advantage Richter just for making a bigger pop culture impact.

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Steiner posted...

235 is certainly over 140

Of course, so it isn't wrong. I was just curious.

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ZeroSignal620 posted...

Of course, so it isn't wrong. I was just curious.

yeah i was just relieved to see my writeup said "over" :P

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I checked Lawler's wiki page. It listed Southern Heavyweight Championship twice under AWA and Memphis Wrestling. So you might double-counting extra 58 reigns. Who knows what else got listed multiple times. In reality, it might be closer to 140 than you might think.

Is first place going to be some NJPW nobody that only a mark would know?

Just a couple today.

48 (tie). Triple H
Score: 45
# of Lists: 3

Triple H's entry on this list is an interesting one - he made 3 lists, and all 3 lists were basically the 3 lists we received that were entirely WWE wrestlers. I don't think it's surprising - WWE tells you constantly that he's an all time great, and if you've never watched anything else, it's easy to believe. Without a doubt he's been a star there for a long time - while he was never THE guy (or rather, when he was in 2002, it was an awful time for business and they never went there again), he would always work with THE guy. Prominent feuds with The Rock, Steve Austin, Batista, John Cena, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns, just off the top of my head - it's possible Triple H wrestled more all time greats than anybody, at least in the years he's active.

For his peak you look towards 2000 - starting the year with the famous street fight with Cactus Jack, going on to be the first heel to leave Wrestlemania with the WWF Championship, and then a feud with The Rock that would carry the company through most of its most successful year in history. Even going into 01, there's the phenomenal Three Stages of Hell match and then the brief 2 Man Power Trip angle which features one of the best tag matches in North American history - the HHH/Austin vs. Benoit/Jericho match where HHH would injure his quad. He would miss the next year, miss the entire Invasion angle, and return as a babyface at MSG on the last Raw of 2001 to the biggest pop I personally ever heard as a wrestling fan. Unfortunately he came back slowed by injury and was never the same worker again. This is compounded by him going on to anchor one of the most boring eras of WWF TV, as his reign as the top guy on Raw in 03-04 certainly helped run off a large portion of the audience before they established new stars like Cena and Batista.

There'd be more great matches after this point - the Benoit triple threat, a Flair title defense - but by 2006 and the reformation of DX, his time as one of the peak performers in the business was done. There've been highlights since then - the Undertaker and Bryan Wrestlemania matches most notably - but in the remaining years of his career I think it's easier to define Triple H by his backstage role - the father of NXT. Whatever people think of his motives, his sincerity, and how much he really believes in what he's doing in NXT (all conversations worth having, but not at this point of this writeup), if nothing else he took McMahon money and created a product where great matches flourished and wrestlers Vince would never have looked at twice were allowed to work spectacular main event matches. It may be a calculated plan by Triple H to ingratiate himself with the hardcores, but I for one am open to being buttered up when it's in the form of DIY vs. The Revival.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3k332o; Triple H & Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho

48 (tie). Dusty Rhodes
Score: 45
# of Lists: 3

(Guest writeup: scarletspeed7)

Tapping into the pulse of the working man, Dusty Rhodes was, in some ways, the Stone Cold of the 70s and 80s. After his feud with Pak Song in Florida, Dusty Rhodes became a local hero in the territory era, selling out southern venues for years before taking over as a top talent in JCP. Dusty was famous for his Common Man charisma. The Son of a Plumber was the natural counter-balance to the rich jet-setting Ric Flair, and their feud resulted in some of the best promos of the fledgling WCW.

For years, Dusty Rhodes was an American icon in the wrestling world, battling such luminaries as Abdullah the Butcher, Terry Funk, Nikita Koloff, Tully Blanchard and more. His success even extended to a short run in WWF as well. But for most fans, Dusty is best remembered as the man that cut that promo about Hard Times, daddy. His colorful but down-to-Earth style reached the hearts of fans and endeared him in their hearts, altering the perception of babyfaces for decades to come.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3g9rhw; Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair, July 26 1986

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Maniac64 posted...

Triple H's entry on this list is an interesting one - he made 3 lists, and all 3 lists were basically the 3 lists we received that were entirely WWE wrestlers.

Fun fact: I was not one of those lists.

Here's what I've got so far:

+25
+24 Becky Lynch
+23 DREW MAC (Drew McIntyre)
+22 Johnny Gargano
+21
+20
+19
+18
+17
+16
+15 Kana/Asuka
+14
+13
+12
+11
+10
+9
+8
+7 Kota Ibushi
+6
+5 Adam Cole
+4
+3
+2 Big Van Vader
+1

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Maniac64 posted...

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3k332o; Triple H & Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho

I'm watching for the first time since it aired in 2001, and man it's awesome watching Austin work his ass off from the get-go. I don't remember him having a gas tank like that. The portions where H is in the ring are so boring by comparison.

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CaptainOfCrush posted...

Maniac64 posted...
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3k332o; Triple H & Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho
I'm watching for the first time since it aired in 2001, and man it's awesome watching Austin work his ass off from the get-go. I don't remember him having a gas tank like that. The portions where H is in the ring are so boring by comparison.

i hadn't really considered why the match was so great, it being entirely the other 3 workers... well it kind of plays into my writeup at least!

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Yeah that is Triple H in a nutshell - he is politicked into matches with great workers and tries to trick you into thinking he is a simply great worker himself.

In terms of influence alone, he is probably the most influential promo of two generations. The problem is this almost entirely a negative thing. His plodding slow pace scripted sounding promos took over. Suddenly the ability to anchor a 30 minute promo segment became the key to main eventing in WWE to its incredible detriment.

Trips is working off that karmic debt in NXT but blah.

He's probably top 100 in a just world but like....90th not 40th.

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37. Antonio Inoki
Score: 49
# of Lists: 3

(Guest writeup: Jakyl25)
One of Rikidozans two heirs along with Giant Baba, Antonio Inoki founded the most popular Japanese promotion in history: Inoki Genome Federation.

Just kidding. Of course he is the founder and first major star of New Japan Pro Wrestling, which for four of its five decades in existence has been an industry leader in talent, booking, and pure in-ring excitement. Lets not talk about the 2000s.

Inoki is the biggest star in the history of the company, and has secured a spot in history no matter how misguided his later ideas became.

(Steiner note)
I feel like we would be remiss in not mentioning the Ali-Inoki fight - the first mixed martial arts fight, as it were. While Inoki is forever linked to the the history of Pro Wrestling in Japan, you can point to Inoki-Ali as the birth of MMA in Japan as well.

https://youtu.be/EL9v0vE8DqY; Antonio Inoki vs. Great Antonio, December 8 1977

36. Kenny Omega
Score: 56
# of Lists: 5

(Guest writeup: NBIceman)

Omega doesn't get enough credit sometimes, which probably seems like an odd thing to say when talking about a guy who, for the last five years, has been considered by the majority of hardcore fans to be at least one of the five best wrestlers in the world. His work in the New Japan heavyweight division has become the stuff of legend, with his series of matches against Kazuchika Okada probably doing more to boost the popularity of Japanese wrestling in the West than anything else in history and his barrier-breaking as a gaijin likely starting ripples that we've only begun to see the effects of, and now as one of the key players in the first legitimate alternative the US has seen in a long while he seems poised to remain in the spotlight for years to come.

But Kenny's been really good for a really long time. You can see the early prototypes of the Best Bout Machine in his indie work around the turn of the decade in places like ROH and PWG (there's some real hidden gems in there) where the exaggerated animesque persona that would become such a staple of his career was already on display, but he really came into his own when he went to Japan. Solid work in the junior divisions of NJPW and AJPW was of course part of that, but his enduring legacy came in DDT, where he won the top title, drew a damn good bit of money, and formed a bond with Kota Ibushi that still makes its way into matches and storylines all these years later.

He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but all things considered, his detractors make up a vocal minority. He's praised far more often than he's derided, and he deserves every bit of that. Few wrestlers put the amount of thought into their work that Kenny does, and it shows. His proficiency at weaving stories into his matches, creating compelling character arcs, and playing any role he's given to perfection makes for an exceedingly rare set of talents. He might get a little too ambitious for his own good sometimes, but that's a quality shared by many people who are geniuses of their fields. He's been part of some of the absolute best matches wrestling has ever seen and become a top star (and drawing star) in multiple companies. A guy like that should always be in the conversation for the greatest of all time.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6lgxtj; Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada June 9 2018

35. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Score: 57
# of Lists: 5

(Guest writeup: scarletspeed7)

In an era of cartoon giants and bombastic promos, Jake Roberts would put on quiet clinics of true psychology, barely whispering his brilliant turns of perspective with cold smiles and dead eyes. In fact, Roberts is the most nuanced storyteller behind a mic of any wrestler in the WWF of the Hogan Era.

Roberts also invented and popularized the DDT as well, and such a commonplace move was, in his time, a devastating - and over - technique. It's rare to see a character who isn't the top babyface getting chants for their finisher, but Jake could turn massive arenas into his personal chorus. From the moment he would hit the ring, heel or face, fans wanted to see that DDT. In fact, it's been said multiple times that Vince wouldn't put Jake against Hogan in a main event feud because his finisher was too over. It would likely diminish the fans' desire to see Hogan win.

Despite never winning a major title in his entire career, Jake was a consummate storyteller, and that's why he deserves a place on this list of greats.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x57rf68; Jake Roberts / Eddy Guerrero / Love Machine vs. Blue Panther / Konnan / Perro Aguayo, November 12 1993

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I apparently write way too much as a guest compared to the rest of y'all.

I apologize for that, especially considering I've agreed to do at least 3 of the remaining list!

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I enjoy reading them.

I hope the match I chose is fine. I think its the first Kenny Omega match I ever saw. (also the first time I picked the match in this lol)

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Five lists for Jake? That's amazing!

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muddersmilk posted...

I enjoy reading them.

I hope the match I chose is fine. I think its the first Kenny Omega match I ever saw. (also the first time I picked the match in this lol)

There's plenty of people who'd call it his magnum opus, so yeah, I think it's a great choice.

If anyone's just intimidated by the length or something but still wants to check him out, they can always just ask for other recs!

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scarletspeed7 posted...

Five lists for Jake? That's amazing!

Hearing him talk in AEW really just reminded me how amazing he was on the mic.

Just great all around.

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here's the match i meant to use for omega:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6rg6vz; Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii (August 4, 2018)

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my favorite HHH moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD5wC3kJVYI

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Angle got super concussed from there.

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