Board 8 > B8's Greatest Wrestlers Ever Ranking

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muddersmilk
07/08/20 7:42:24 PM
#302:


28. Toshiaki Kawada
Score: 70
# of Lists: 7

One of the All Japan Pro Wrestlings famous Four Pillars of Heaven, the core of the roster that produced what many consider the greatest era of Pro Wrestling ever. Kawada is the first were going to discuss (sorry Taue!) but it would be impossible to discuss Toshiaki Kawada without talking about Mitsuharu Misawa. Their careers are as intertwined as any two wrestlers could be, with a rivalry that dated back to high school and would last through their professional relationship (which ends when Kawada is one of two All Japan wrestlers to stay with the company when Misawa takes the rest of the roster to form NOAH in 2000).

His relationship with Misawa in AJPW starts as a team as the Super Generation Army in 1990, along with Kenta Kobashi and some other young talent they clash with Jumbo Tsurutas Tsuruta-Gun stable, and often war with gaijin like Stan Hansen and Dr. Death Steve Williams. He would challenge Hansen for the Triple Crown Championship in the Tokyo Sports 1992 match of the year, and later be the first challenge for Misawas first title reign the first singles title match between the two.

But its once this team ends, and Kawada forms a new partnership with Akira Taue, that the best of Kawada comes. The Holy Demon Army is one of the greatest tag teams of all time, delivering main event epic tag team matches that did great business and were extremely well received critically throughout the rest of the peak All Japan period. But obviously there were no greater rivals for the Holy Demon Army than the other two of All Japans Four Pillars Misawa and Kobashi. These two teams would have 9 matches in total, all of them great, and several among the greatest tag matches of all time. In particular, you can just say 6/9/95in many circles and people will know you are talking about possibly the greatest tag match of all time.

But the main reason those matches stand out more than Holy Demon Armys matches with the Miracle Violence Connection or any other team that came through 90s All Japan, is the enduring rivalry with Misawa which would also manifest in several of the greatest Triple Crown matches which, at the risk of repeating myself here, again means some of the greatest matches of all time. While each of the Misawa/Kawada matches is excellent in their own right, it really is the personal animosity that escalates through their series that puts these matches in an elite tier of professional wrestling.

Kawada is best known for his stiff strikes, intensity, and I dont know a better word for it than grumpiness. A highlight of many multi man tags is watching Kawada seethe on the outside as his partner takes a pounding, and then watching him unleash that fury once he can get in the ring. The effect is amplified when its Kawada himself taking the beating and firing back and never moreso than when the man on the opposite side is Misawa.

Its sad yet fitting that despite their careers going separate paths when Misawa formed NOAH, Kawada lost his passion for wrestling shortly after Misawas tragic death in 2009, and stopped wrestling himself shortly after. Their rivalry defined an era, their careers, and in some ways their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2OLvGT5ROU; Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (June 9 1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQngTdDtBw8; Toshiakia Kawada vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (June 3 1994)
BONUS: https://www.bilibili.com/video/av74023072/;Toshiaki Kawada vs. Mick Foley (May 8th 2004)

27. Stan Hansen
Score: 71
# of Lists: 6

The headline of Stan Hansens bio has to read Greatest Gaijin Ever you could stop there and he more than earns this spot. Theres no more legendary a foreigner to ever compete in Japan than the man synonymous with the Lariat. Hes certainly best known for his work in Japan, but dont let that diminish his work in the States before he went there He was a challenger for Bruno Sammartino in the WWWF, and it was when he broke Sammartinos neck in a title match at Madison Square Garden in 1976 that the power of his Lariat first became legendary.

It was off the back of this incident that Hansen would first be booked in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a top heel, putting him across the ring from NJPW legends such as Tatsumi Fujinami and, of course, Antonio Inoki. In 1980 he would defeat Inoki for the NWF World Title, a rare feat in and of itself. Shortly after, he would jump to All Japan, where he would perhaps find his greatest success also scoring wins over Giant Baba, becoming the only man to pin both Inoki and Baba in singles matches, and holding both the PWF World Championship and the later Triple Crown Championship 4 times each (amongst others).

As is the hallmark of many beloved wrestlers in Japan, Hansen worked as stiff as they came. He attributed this to his poor eyesight basically, he just swung his Lariat, and it was up to the guy taking it to not die. This all comes together beautifully with Hansens character, a Wildman cowboy wholl kick anybodys ass. His entrance consisting of him coming out fired up, swinging his bullrope and fighting off fans is always an amazing chaotic scene that tells you Hansen is here to fight. And thats usually what a Hansen match was, an out-and-out fight where somebody was going to get fucked up. What more do you want from wrestling?

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7kuip9; Stan Hansen vs. Vader (February 10, 1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDBnF-vLp0U; Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (July 29, 1993)

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scarletspeed7
07/08/20 8:06:41 PM
#303:


Damn, I was hoping Hansen would top Tsuruta.

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NBIceman
07/08/20 8:10:52 PM
#304:


+25
+24
+23
+22
+21
+20
+19 Toshiaki Kawada
+18
+17
+16
+15
+14
+13 Kenny Omega
+12 Stan "I can't see shit so I'm just gonna swing as hard as I can at this blur in front of me and hope I hit something" Hansen
+11
+10 Matt Jackson
+9 Nick Jackson
+8
+7 Chris Hero
+6
+5 Austin Aries
+4 Masaaki Mochizuki
+3
+2 Genichiro Tenryu
+1 Will Ospreay

Haven't lost many lately but there's a couple down. Kinda cool to see Hansen eke out Kawada there. I may have had the latter higher on the vote, but on a completely personal level I do prefer Hansen. He's one of my straight-up favorites.

Can I make a request if it's not too much trouble? Now that we're about to hit the top quarter, is it possible that, along with the total score and number of lists, you could post the highest placement for each wrestler on an individual list? I'm interested to see Kawada's and Hansen's for sure - I've been told I wasn't the high man on Kawada so I'm definitely wondering where he topped out.

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muddersmilk
07/08/20 10:03:03 PM
#305:


NBIceman posted...
Can I make a request if it's not too much trouble? Now that we're about to hit the top quarter, is it possible that, along with the total score and number of lists, you could post the highest placement for each wrestler on an individual list? I'm interested to see Kawada's and Hansen's for sure - I've been told I wasn't the high man on Kawada so I'm definitely wondering where he topped out.

Yeah I can do that. I'm not doing as many each update so it shouldn't be a problem.

Kawada Highest Placement = +22
Hanson Highest Placement = +20

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Steiner
07/09/20 4:09:27 AM
#306:


I updated the sheet to make this easier so here's full stats for Hansen:

voltch - 6 (20 points)
scarlet - 9 (17 points)
icon - 12 (14 points)
Iceman - 14 (12 points)
Steiner - 20 (6 points)
Semi - 24 (2 points)

And Kawada:
Semi - 4 (22 points)
Iceman - 7 (19 points)
scarlet - 16 (10 points)
illuminatusbubu - 18 (8 points)
Jakyl - 21 (5 points)
voltch - 22 (4 points)
CPU - 24 (2 points)

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Steiner
07/09/20 5:04:38 AM
#307:


29. Andre The Giant
Sultan - 9 (17 points)
CPU - 13 (13 points)
paulg - 16 (10 points)
Jakyl - 16 (10 points)
MarkS2 - 16 (10 points)
Tennis - 17 (9 points)

30. John Cena
Sultan - 2 (24 points)
Eddv - 9 (17 points)
Jakyl - 11 (15 points)
Steiner - 14 (12 points)

31. Owen Hart
Semi - 2 (24 points)
icon - 6 (20 points)
Tennis - 18 (8 points)
malyg - 20 (6 points)
CPU - 21 (5 points)
Sultan - 21 (5 points)


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Steiner
07/09/20 5:14:32 AM
#308:


Also i can post these for anybody that wants them:

Steiner
+25
+24
+23
+22
+21
+20
+19 Jerry Lawler
+18
+17
+16
+15
+14
+13
+12 John Cena
+11
+10
+9 Nick Jackson
+8 Matt Jackson
+7
+6
+5 Brock Lesnar
+4 Chris Hero
+3 El Generico
+2
+1 Will Ospreay

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Steiner
07/09/20 8:18:39 AM
#309:


eh those newest stats have Owen and Cena reversed from how they were posted, but that's how it's gonna be now sry

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NBIceman
07/09/20 9:57:46 AM
#310:


Much obliged to you both.

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illuminatusbubu
07/09/20 10:13:14 AM
#311:


I just realize that I totally forgot Hansen when I made the list. And now I'm very sad.
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Steiner
07/09/20 10:46:32 AM
#312:


illuminatusbubu posted...
I just realize that I totally forgot Hansen when I made the list. And now I'm very sad.

:( if only i had more time to run through Posts

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muddersmilk
07/10/20 9:52:24 PM
#313:


26. Mick Foley
Score: 74
# of Lists: 7
Highest Vote: tennisboy, 4th

or Mankind, or Cactus Jack, or Dude Love. Theres nobody in wrestling more famous for their multiple characters than the Three Faces of Foley. But what makes him an all time great, and what makes all those characters work, is Mick Foleys ability to connect with the audience. What natural talents Mick lacked, he made up for with heart and a willingness to have ridiculous shit done to him, whether intended or not.

Hed begin his career as Cactus Jack (Manson), the violent psychopath that would play right into the style Foley would be known for as well as fitting right in to several territories at the time noted for their chaotic, wild brawls first World Class in Texas, and later Tri-State an early version of what would become ECW. After a trio of matches in one night with Eddie Gilbert got some national attention, he would sign full time with WCW in 1991.

In WCW he would begin to develop the character in earnest adding his Bang Bang! catchphrase to what would eventually become a significant repertoire and he entered a program with Sting, where he has what Foley would consider his best match for several years. Shortly after the Sting match, though, Cactus Jack would enter perhaps his most memorable and infamous feud with Big Van Vader.
Vader and Cactus immediately got off to a violent start their first match ended in a countout, and their second was an angle where Vader legitimately knocked Cactus unconscious with a powerbomb on exposed concrete. When Cactus returned, they would face off again in a Texas Death Match a match so violent WCW refused to book the two together on PPV again. Unfortunately for Foley, they still didnt hold back the next time they were in the ring together in Europe where Foley tore off most of his ear by getting caught in the ropes, and Vader finished the job, tearing it off his head himself. Foley, of course, finished the match and refused surgery to have it reattached as it would have cost him winning the Tag Titles. Not the smartest, but this is wrestling Im here for big dumb tough guys.

Losing the ear is a legendary moment but it led to the end for him in WCW frustrated with Bischoffs refusal to work a program around his lost ear, he would depart the promotion in 94 and work in Japan (where hed get to wrestle his idol, Terry Funk) and around the US most notably in ECW. Its here he would really exhibit his range as a character, giving his famous Cane Dewey promo and scalding the crowd for their love of hardcore wrestling. Despite his extremely contentious relationship with the ECW fans during his run, for his final match there they showered him with love and begged him not to go to the WWF.

In the WWF, though, Foley would easily reach his greatest heights. Of course, it was 1996 WWF, so Cactus Jack would not fly here (in March, at least). Foley would introduce his newest character, Mankind the tortured soul who resided in the boiler room. The Mankind character was, from day one, attached to The Undertaker and what a stroke of genius that was, because the two had amazing chemistry. Mankind would have some of the first legitimately good matches of Takers career through 96, before receiving a title match against Shawn Michaels at Mind Games. That match is not just the best of Foleys career, its one of the gems of 90s WWF as a whole.
As WWF entered the Attitude Era, all three of Foleys personas adding in his childhood fantasy character, Dude Love would become major parts of that shift. Engaging in programs with all of the top stars of the time Austin, Rock, Triple H, and always being around McMahon produced more memorable moments than I can detail here. But the one moment I will detail is when he once again ends up across the ring or, in this case, Cell from The Undertaker. Maybe the most replayed clip in wrestling history, Undertaker throwing Mankind from the top of the Cell is as iconic as moments in wrestling get. You add in Foley not only getting up from that, but from a second, unplanned fall THROUGH the Cell and Foleys absolute willingness to do anything for the love of the crowd comes right back to the forefront.

That same willingness wouldnt just manifest in crazy hardcore matches and bumps though Foley really would do anything for the crowd, and as his wrestling career (somewhat) wrapped up in 2000 and he moved into the GM role, Foley would continue to exhibit that same trait in having no shame whatsoever about getting the cheapest pops imaginable. Still, at that point Mick Foley had earned it. He was one of the most believable performers in an era of wrestling that was still plastered with cartoonishness whether as a violent psychopath or a sympathetic underdog, Foley was able to get you to feel what he felt almost effortlessly. The secret, it turns out, is really feeling it.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3fv5u9; Cactus Jack vs. Triple H (January 23, 2000)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlmsec; Mankind vs. Shawn Michaels (September 22, 1996)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzod1g; Cactus Jack vs. Big Van Vader (October 24, 1993)

25. Sting
Score: 78
# of Lists: 7
Highest Vote: malyg, 4th

(Guest writeup: War)

There are people who will say WCW was defined by Ric Flair. There are people who will say WCW was defined by the New World Order. These people are wrong. WCW, through the best and the worst, had one person who was, unquestionably, The Man. The Man called Sting. When people left WCW, or returned, or simply left the business, Sting remained. Perhaps the most shocking part about Sting is that he wasn't made by a victory. Sting was made by a 45 minute draw with Ric Flair at the first Clash of the Champions, and he never looked back. From that moment, he was the hero of WCW. There have been many heroes in wrestling who were loved. Sting was more than that. He was revered.

Sting and Ric Flair's feud would carry throughout the years. Nearly every match followed the same formula, and nearly every match was fantastic at bringing out the absolute best out of both men. Sting's crushing at the hands of the unstoppable Vader was just as fantastic. There are few wrestlers that define babyface, and even fewer do it as well as Sting.

Perhaps Sting's greatest babyface trait was his belief in others. He was always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, and sometimes it worked out. Sometimes it led to him being betrayed, and one time it led to one of the greatest gimmick changes of all time. Some fans use this to insult Sting, but isn't an important trait of a hero the ability to forgive, to believe the best in the people around them? Wrestling, and the world, needs more Stings.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7diwsm; Sting vs. Big Van Vader (December 28, 1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80tkrqXyJC4; Sting vs. Ric Flair (March 27, 1988)

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Maniac64
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muddersmilk
07/10/20 9:58:44 PM
#314:


So this marks a real tier break in our list.

I say that because after this we break into the 100 point scores, making the gap between spots 25 and 24 by far the biggest score jump in the list so far.

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Maniac64
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Steiner
07/11/20 1:22:25 AM
#315:


26. Mick Foley
Tennis - 4 (22 points)
CPU - 10 (16 points)
malyg - 15 (11 points)
sephsblade - 16 (10 points)
paulg - 18 (8 points)
voltch - 20 (6 points)
MarkS2 - 25 (1 points)

25. Sting
malyg - 4 (22 points)
sephsblade - 10 (16 points)
junk_funk - 12 (14 points)
ZeroSignal - 12 (14 points)
Maniac - 17 (9 points)
MarkS2 - 24 (2 points)
Sultan - 25 (1 points)

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MarkS222222222222222
07/11/20 3:17:08 AM
#316:


Uh oh, something ain't right. I gave Foley 12 points and Sting 13. I'll pm you the pm

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Steiner
07/11/20 3:18:17 AM
#317:


MarkS222222222222222 posted...
Uh oh, something ain't right. I gave Foley 12 points and Sting 13. I'll pm you the pm

hm? Unless I've misunderstood your list - who did you give 11 points to?

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MarkS222222222222222
07/11/20 3:26:53 AM
#318:


Nobody, I only did 25 - 12

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Maniac64
07/11/20 2:04:09 PM
#319:


That's why. Basically everyone's list got started at +1 for their lowest so your list became +1 to +14 instead of +12 to +25.

It was discussed when I first brought it up in the wrestling topic as the fair way to handle partial lists but I forgot to mention it in the nomination topic.

That's on me for not telling you when you confirmed you were doing a partial list. I apologize for that.

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ZeroSignal620
07/11/20 2:34:23 PM
#320:


Excellent Sting write up. I started watching in late 1998, so I didn't get the full experience that others got with him.

Like many others, the last 2 years of WCW were rough for Sting. He returns in April 99 to win a World title for about 90 minutes before dropping it back to DDP. That summer, we watch Sting on the losing end of ppv bouts with Sid Vicious and Rick Steiner, before somehow finding himself headlining Fall Brawl with Hulk Hogan. WCW's attempt to turn Sting heel was a massive failure from the start, as fans cheered when he used the bat on Hogan; his month long (and final) run as WCW Champion was just as sad.

2000 wasn't any better, as Sting spends a good chunk of the year feuding with Vampiro, the Kiss Demon, and Jeff Jarrett.

However, the one positive to Sting in WCW's final years was him and Ric Flair wrestling each other on Nitro's final main event, and you'd be hard pressed to find two men who deserved that honor more. He'd later go on to be part of both Flair and Hogan's final matches ever while in TNA (neither of them were good, but it's still noteworthy).

Still hate that we never got Sting vs Taker, but seeing how Vince booked WCW guys in the early 2000s, can you really blame him for not going right away?

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Maniac64
07/11/20 2:37:46 PM
#321:


Yeah Sting vs Taker in early 2000s would have been great but it was probably best for Sting to just get away at that point.

Also crazy to think he basically started his career teaming with Ultimate Warrior.

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malyg
07/11/20 4:41:36 PM
#322:


ZeroSignal620 posted...
Like many others, the last 2 years of WCW were rough for Sting. He returns in April 99 to win a World title for about 90 minutes before dropping it back to DDP

how gr8 is the match where he wins it off DDP tho. probs my fav non-cruiserweight match from late 90s WCW. either that or the ddp/benoit/raven triple threat
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junk_funk
07/14/20 8:49:07 AM
#323:


^

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Steiner
07/14/20 9:52:28 AM
#324:


srry writeups are coming

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Maniac64
07/14/20 10:33:35 AM
#325:


Also I have been working overtime so i wouldnt have been able to post yesterday anyway

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illuminatusbubu
07/14/20 11:15:06 AM
#326:


If anyone wants to see Eye for an Eye match, you can check out Hansen vs Vader posted above in a meantime.
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Steiner
07/14/20 11:54:40 AM
#327:


illuminatusbubu posted...
If anyone wants to see Eye for an Eye match, you can check out Hansen vs Vader posted above in a meantime.

i just watched it the other night - it's great, but it's not going to be the best eye for an eye match i post!

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Eddv
07/14/20 12:50:56 PM
#328:


Man i had no idea Santana rated this high

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muddersmilk
07/14/20 8:24:53 PM
#329:


Well he isn't in this batch...

24. Edge
Score: 104
# of Lists: 7
Highest Vote: ZeroSignal/Nick, 4th place

Im not sure what you think of first for Edge its probably Ladder matches, or the hilarious Edge & Christian segments. It could be the Smackdown Six era, or the Lita scandal and subsequent angle. Maybe its the first Money in the Bank cash in and Cena feud. Or even the years he spent anchoring Smackdown before his career ended abruptly in 2011. I think when we look back on all of wrestling history, because of the stagnant product at the time in 2000s WWE, theres not a lot of Edges career that comes up but if you are watching 2000s WWE, theres no doubt without Edge it would be a lot less fun.

Edge debuted in the WWF in June 1998 and before long would be paired with his tag partner from the independents, Christian. The pair would become stars when they wrestled the Hardy Boyz at No Mercy in 1999 in the first WWF tag team ladder match and the match that would set a new standard for the ladder match. This was a rare WWF match which got all the competitors involved a standing ovation afterwards, and so was born the legend of Edge in the ladder match.

Obviously shortly thereafter the Dudley Boyz would also be thrown in the mix and wed see more crazy, high risk matches from the three teams the ladder match at Wrestlemania 2000 and the first TLC matches at Summerslam 2000 and Wrestlemania X-7 would each outdo the last, with perhaps the most iconic image of all being Edge spearing a dangling Jeff Hardy out of the air. These matches, as well as the matches in between would bring tag team wrestling to a level of popularity it hadnt been in WWF since the 80s, and would never reach again afterwards.

During the tail end of this era, Edge and Christian would really begin to find their characters, and their interactions with Mick Foley and Kurt Angle remain among my fondest wrestling memories. Over time Edge develops into one of the most convincing actors the WWE had, an important part of making his character so compelling later on.

Edges singles run begins in earnest at King of the Ring 2001, where he defeats Kurt Angle and kicks off a feud that would end his tag team with Christian. From there it takes him some time to find his footing as a singles he doesnt get over at the level WWE hoped initially but around this time he is part of the infamous Smackdown Six; Edge, Mysterio, Benoit, Angle, Eddie and Chavo. These six in various iterations were having great matches on both TV and PPV through most of Heymans run in charge of Smackdown in 02-03, and from a personal standpoint this is one of my favourite eras of television ever. Most notably in this run is one of the best WWF tag matches of all time Edge and Rey Mysterio vs. Angle and Benoit, from No Mercy (again!) 2002.

What really kicked off Edges rise to main eventer though, was Lita. Both the real life heat on the pair as knowledge of their affair got out, and then their chemistry on screen propelled the act to a main event heel level and from that point on, Edge would be one of the companys top heels until the final year or two of his career. First as the Rated R Superstar and then shifting more to the Ultimate Opportunist gimmick, Edges presence on the show was always a highlight, and he portrayed the character with a conviction few can muster in todays wrestling.

For all you might consider this worth Edge has more 4-star rated PPV matches in WWE than anybody in Observer history (This is a stat I learned a few years ago and maybe has changed, do not @ me). He might not have the 5-star match you pinpoint to talk about as one of the greatest ever, but when you look at the decade of the 2000s theres an argument that hes WWEs best all around performer. Where does that rank in the annals of all time? Well, we can tell you today, definitively 24th.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz6sw9; Edge and Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle (October 20, 2002)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4vsukj; Edge vs. The Undertaker, Hell in a Cell (August 17, 2008)

23. Hulk Hogan
Score: 105
# of Lists: 7
Highest Vote: junk_funk/tennis, 5th place

(Guest writeup: Eddv)

Sometimes there's just no avoiding the obvious angle. Hogan is synonymous with wrestling. Even still 20 years after his peak the very first image most have of wrestling is of the george Hamilton tanned, blonde skullet wearing Hulkster.

But what made him truly great was his ability to read what the crowd wanted and give it to them. In New Japan and in the higher workrate era of the early 80s in general he worked hard and gave good psychology driven high workrate matches.

But as he came to define a new era and really to define Vince McMahons vision of a larger than life superhero as the centerpiece of a wrestling promotion Hulk learned how to take the basics of wrestling psychology and stretch them to comical proportions thar fit the high octane, everything in excess attitude of the 80s. He carried WWE to its place as a global level promotion and he ensured that when he left the WWF would have to start from 0.

He then re invented himself taking the things that once made him a hero, twisting them and becoming an iconic villain once more giving the crowd exactly what they asked for and getting them coming back for more. What's notable to me about Hogan is that he had the same superpower as John Cena to take just horrible ideas and get them over with the crowd.

As an aside, I actually did not think he would make this list due to his pretty disgusting personal life. I think growing up with Hogan as your hero is a great way to break yourself of the habit of hero worship.

Still as the platonic ideal of what wrestling is as a cultural thing he is probably a top 4 figure in terms of historical importance even without the NWO run.

So here have a match between Hogan and Ed Leslie because its what we all deserve.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5xux27; Hulk Hogan vs. "The Butcher" Ed Leslie

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ZeroSignal620
07/15/20 12:03:46 AM
#330:


One fun fact with Edge: since he took part in the 1999 Royal Rumble, Edge is currently one of only two superstars to main event a WWE ppv in 4 different decades

(the 2nd person being Undertaker)

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KommunistKoala
07/15/20 12:50:12 AM
#331:


edge good

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Steiner
07/15/20 12:50:54 AM
#332:


guess i'll keep posting these

24. Edge
Whiskey_Nick - 4 (22 points)
ZeroSignal - 4 (22 points)
junk_funk - 10 (16 points)
malyg - 10 (16 points)
Maniac - 16 (10 points)
Extha - 17 (9 points)
paulg - 17 (9 points)

23. Hulk Hogan
junk_funk - 5 (21 points)
Tennis - 5 (21 points)
Sultan - 6 (20 points)
Jakyl - 10 (16 points)
MarkS2 - 12 (14 points)
paulg - 15 (11 points)
Maniac - 24 (2 points)

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Steiner
07/15/20 12:53:52 AM
#333:


Anyway as for Edge - I tried to skirt around it in the writeup but I'll say it here - Edge was my favourite wrestler for almost his entire run. More importantly he was my favourite wrestler when I was 13, and you all know how important that is. That said, not only did I not vote for him, I think he's massively overrated in this list. One of the more glaring examples of this place's base being way more into 2000s WWE than most broader wrestling communities. That dichotomy between my own fandom and my recognition of historical significance made the Edge writeup really difficult

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ninkendo
07/15/20 1:31:05 AM
#334:


But he was in the greatest wrestling match ever

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MarkS222222222222222
07/15/20 1:41:19 AM
#335:


Anyone who knowingly omitted Hulk Hogan from their list of Greatest Wrestlers of All Time could not have been all that interested in objectivity.

muddersmilk posted...
Hogan is synonymous with wrestling.

Edit: that wasn't meant to be in response to steiner's last post in particular but I see how it could be read that way

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NBIceman
07/15/20 1:42:52 AM
#336:


Hulk Hogan couldn't work worth a shit. At least by the measure that I actually appreciate in my wrestling. If this was a list of the 100 wrestlers most synonymous with wrestling, I'd have voted for him.

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ninkendo
07/15/20 1:44:52 AM
#337:


Even though I didn't make a list I would think he would be in my top 10

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NBIceman
07/15/20 1:47:55 AM
#338:


And by the way, there is no such thing as an objective list on a subject like wrestling, especially with something as nebulous as the greatest ever and especially when there weren't even any parameters given.

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MarkS222222222222222
07/15/20 1:57:58 AM
#340:


NBIceman posted...
And by the way, there is no such thing as an objective list on a subject like wrestling

I do agree with you there

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NBIceman
07/15/20 2:06:41 AM
#341:


Those posts probably came off as needlessly combative and I apologize for that. Having a bad night.

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Steiner
07/15/20 2:19:25 AM
#342:


MarkS222222222222222 posted...
Anyone who knowingly omitted Hulk Hogan from their list of Greatest Wrestlers of All Time could not have been all that interested in objectivity.

agree, and Lou Thesz, and Antonio Inoki, and El Santo, and Rikidozan, and Bruno Sammartino, and Jim Londos, and...

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TheRock1525
07/15/20 2:33:33 AM
#343:


I mean, wrestling is pretty subjective.

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scarletspeed7
07/15/20 2:35:43 AM
#344:


NBIceman posted...
Those posts probably came off as needlessly combative and I apologize for that. Having a bad night.
It's okay. When Iceman's frosty exterior melts, his fiery passion that burns for wrestling ignites this thread.

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NBIceman
07/15/20 2:37:24 AM
#345:


*screams and machinegun chops scarlet*

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MarkS222222222222222
07/15/20 2:52:50 AM
#346:


Steiner posted...
agree, and Lou Thesz, and Antonio Inoki, and El Santo, and Rikidozan, and Bruno Sammartino, and Jim Londos, and...

Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Ultimate Warrior, we could go on and on here

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scarletspeed7
07/15/20 3:06:19 AM
#347:


None of these people innovated anything in wrestling. Now let's talk about Artemidorus and Taurosthenes

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Steiner
07/15/20 3:11:41 AM
#348:


MarkS222222222222222 posted...
Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Ultimate Warrior, we could go on and on here

no, absolutely not lol. Hulk Hogan you have a point, none of these should be anywhere near a top 100. Maybe a "most important wrestler to North American Wrestling after 1985" but that is not the topic

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MarkS222222222222222
07/15/20 3:13:21 AM
#349:


^ I was kidding

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Steiner
07/15/20 3:15:33 AM
#350:


Who can be sure!

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Eddv
07/15/20 5:08:59 AM
#351:


I feel the way about Hogan that Steiner feels about Edge.

I loved Hogan. He was my absolute favorite long, long past when that was a widely acceptable point of view. I still think the moment his cheesy wcw theme hit and he came out as Hulk, not Hollywood was one of the best moments of late era WCW. I loved him vs Rock, I loved the Mr America angle, hell I even kinda liked Immortal and the rest of his TNA run.

I could not bring myself to vote for him. The only thing bringing me comfort is he does belong here over people like fucking Mick Foley let alone lol Hall and Nash and Warrior.

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ninkendo
07/15/20 5:10:29 AM
#352:


Yes I would have voted Foley higher than Hogan

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