Lurker > muddersmilk

As some hype for whats to come, we are at another break point on the list. The next rankings break 200 points and one of them will be the first to appear on 15 lists.

---

Maniac64

13. Manami Toyota
Score: 166
# of Lists: 10
First Place Votes: 1, Icon

Writeup: voltch

When you look back on the the mid 90s, the state of wrestling in North America looked to be in a transition period of sorts, but the main events on many occasions still featured lumbering stiffs. Japan on the other hand was putting on a showcase with NJPW and AJPW riding high selling out stadiums or arenas and delivering all time classic matches. It was a great time for the scene, with even smaller promotions like FMW having their best years. But you could argue that the women's scene with AJW and JWP were producing match quality that was on par and in some cases, surpassed what the men were putting on.

Thanks in large part to Japan's bubble economy, money was flowing through all feds over in Japan and the women's scene was no exception, the 80s saw the scene flourish thanks to stars like Bull Nakano, Devil Masami and the Crush Gals. Early 90s AJW had one of the deepest and most talented rosters of its time, with many of them trained by the legendary Jaguar Yokota. Thanks to those girls, just about any show you watched would for sure feature a great match. But the one who stood out above the rest in the ring was none other than Manami Toyota. Now this is taking into account that her peers included Aja Kong, Akira Hokuto, Kyoko Inoue, Mayumi Ozaki and many many more.

What Toyota and co brought to the table were a series of fast paced, highly athletic, stiff matches. This was accompanied by huge frenzied crowds, on a show that displayed a lot of glitz and glamour. With so many future legends among her peers, Toyota didn't have to carry her opponents, she was free to have the best matches possible and the result was the best run of matches any woman has ever had.

Toyota could do it all; if you needed her to face a big hulking monster like Aja Kong or Dynamite Kansai, she'd tank the huge hits and deliver red hot comebacks. Against an Akira Hokuto, you're more likely to see an athletic showcase with huge dives, tons of impact moves and a lot of fired up screaming. Tag Matches? Just like the Four Pillars of Heaven, she had 5 star quality matches there too.

Toyota's workrate was essentially unmatched and in some cases, it might be considered a downside. She could keep up a frenetic pace for some lengthy matches, but as we've seen many times before, that can sometimes crossover into a dull spotfest. Though I would say in her case, she would consistently keep the match fun and engaging. Just like all the other true greats on this list, when the matches mattered most, she would rise up to the occasion. In a high stakes situation, you could rely on her to have one of the best matches of the night.

Again this is taking into account that she was working in a fed that had a supremely talented roster, with all the other girls striving to put on killer quality matches. Her career had longevity too and she would continue to wrestle deep into the 2010s. Unfortunately, the stage would be far smaller as with the economic bubble bursting, the money tap was shut and AJW went bankrupt. Toyota would never again perform in front of the same crowds or headline supershows, but she stuck with wrestling and would show up against old foes or the latest upcoming talent of the day. She could have created her own fed like Chigusa or Nanae or Ozaki, but that just wasn't her style.

Now that her career's over and you look at her legacy, ok so she's not the most famous women's wrestler, Hokuto had a higher peak, as did the Crush Gals and a number of others had more crossover fame on TV. But in the context of wrestling alone, she's got the collection of matches any woman's had and her wrestling style ended up having a rather deep influence.

You look at the state of women's wrestling in Japan right now and after much trial and error, it would seem that the winning formula is to go the idol route. The personalities are fun, the gimmicks are cute, the matches are actually better than you'd expect, but it's a niche scene. It shows that women's wrestling won't be getting back to the top by copying what the old guard did. Though at Toyota's peak, we got to see what women's wrestling looked when given time and money and the results were fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_L0GTTbBUk; Megumi Kudo & Combat Toyoda vs. Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada (February 4, 1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAIw7VTNy1A; Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki vs Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada (June 12, 1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrEXm-kvy5A; Manami Toyota vs. Akira Hokuto (September 2, 1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33uEiXg9_4w; Claudio Castagnoli & Sara Del Rey vs. Manami Toyota & Mike Quackenbush (September 19, 2010)

---

Maniac64

Sorry its been a busy weekend.

14. Terry Funk
Score: 158
# of Lists: 9
First Place Votes: 1, Eddv

Writeup: Steiner
Its so difficult to know where to start with Terry Funk. Its hard to point to one career high point for him, or one thing that makes him great. But therein lies his strength for over 40 years, Terry Funk wrestled everywhere around the world, wrestling at the top of cards, drawing money and wrestling some of the greatest matches of all time. If I have to point to one thing that sets Terry Funk apart, its the breadth of his work brawls in Texas, mat wrestling in St. Louis, tag teaming in Japan. Terry Funk would have no doubt had an all-time great career if he had wrapped up in 1989, but if theres one thing we all know about Terry Funk, its that he never wrapped it up. While the 90s may not have matched some of the in ring peaks of his 70s and 80s, by freshening up his style and changing with the (at that point, rapidly changing) times, Funk was able to not only work well into his 50s, he remained relevant in doing so.

Funk first wrestled in 1965, and would continue to wrestle until, at time of writing, 2017. Now, theres definitely a tail end there, but simply having a 52 year career is a feat in and of itself. His career started in his fathers promotion, Western States Sports, based in Amarillo, Texas, where hed first find success teaming with his brother, Dory Funk Jr. The Funk Brothers would go on to be one of the top tag teams in the country, and this would lead to their first trip to Japan in 1971 where they would win the NWA International Tag Team Titles from B-I Cannon the team of Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba. The Funks were one of the top teams in All Japan throughout the 70s and early 80s, feuding initially with the likes of Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta and The Destroyer, before eventually turning babyface and wrestling alongside Jumbo and Baba in their feud with Abdullah and The Sheik.

But while theres a catalogue of incredible Funk Brothers tag matches, its as a singles Funk really finds his greatest success namely, defeating Jack Brisco in 1975 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Hed hold the title for 14 months, defending against names like Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, Dick Murdoch, Jerry Lawler among others before finally losing it to Harley Race in February 1977. Dory Jr. had held the title earlier, from 1969 to 1973, making them the first (only? Im pretty sure) pair of brothers to hold the title. And so through the rest of the 70s, Terry Funk was an established name, main eventing all through the US and Japan. By the time he has his first retirement match in 1983, hes a surefire hall of famer.

To me, though, its everything after that makes him one of the greatest of all time. His return to the NWA in 1989, first as a commentator, and then interviewing Ric Flair after the conclusion of the legendary Steamboat series before attacking Flair in one of my favourite angles ever setting up a pair of Flair-Funk matches in 1989 that would round out Ric Flairs 1989 perhaps the best single year a wrestler ever had. The I Quit match especially is one that, for all the legendary matches Ric Flair had in his career, is one many cite as his best ever. After this, hed continue to work WCW, have a USWA title reign in Memphis, and start to work with ECW.

Ive seen some argue that ECW doesnt affect Funks Greatest Wrestler case, and I think thats nuts. Its by no means his greatest in ring work, but its definitely an important time in his career. He first comes to ECW in 1993, in the early days of the promotion while its still NWA affiliate Eastern Championship Wrestling. But his first match there is an I Quit Texas Death Match quickly becoming a part of the tone shift that was taking place in Philadelphia at this time. (As an aside, a few months later, FMW owner and Deathmatch legend Atsushi Onita brought in Funk as his opponent in the FMW 4th Anniversary Show main event a No Rope Exploding Barbed Wire Time Bomb Deathmatch that really has to be seen. Funks clearly developed a certain type of rep by this point). Theres no doubt that Funk is a pioneer when it comes to the hardcore wrestling style both in the US and Japan, but it cant be understated the legitimacy that former NWA Champion Terry Funk participating in matches like this offered, to ECW especially as they made their name in the early 90s. Funks run was a crucial part of early ECW, and throughout his tenure there which ended in 97, like everywhere else he wrestled before, he was wildly entertaining.

And thats the thing with Funk I had to cover how many places he worked, his impact, his history but, more than anything, in doing all that he did, he was always entertaining. As a worker, he had one of the best minds for the business ever his sense of timing and grasp of the crowd is really unlike any other. Theres so few workers in history with the diversity of Funk, and the ability to switch face/heel so effortlessly. When he was a mad eyed vicious heel, a bloody babyface in peril, a cowardly weasel or any other role hes ever played, Terry Funk makes me love this dumb sport. May he wrestle another 50 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEXneiWdDSE; Terry Funk vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (June 11, 1976)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy58e1; Terry Funk vs. Stan Hansen (April 14, 1983)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HitHAHRTmcU; Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (November 15, 1989)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbn8Hsrv1g; Terry Funk vs. Atsushi Onita (Exploding No Rope Barbed Wire Exploding Ring Time Bomb Death Match)(May 5, 1993)

---

Maniac64

15. The Undertaker
Score: 152
# of Lists: 11
First Place Votes: 1, paulg

Writeup: Steiner

The Undertaker, more than anything else, is the greatest gimmick in wrestling history. It would have been very easy for The Dead Man to be a one note act with a five-year shelf life, starting as a monster for Hogan to knock down then falling to the midcard. A controversial title victory against Hogan before losing it back days later was itself further than even Vince Jr. would ever go with such a cartoonish character before. So it was unfathomable that The Undertaker would go on to be a constant presence in the main event scene for 20 years, and become interwoven with WWE lore in a way few are just the fact that the gimmick endured for so long (biker phase notwithstanding) is a testament to both Mark Callaway and the WWFs commitment to a character that wouldnt have worked nearly as well in any other setting, or with any other performer.

When the Undertaker debuted in 1990, cartoon characters were par for the course in the WWF. He fit right in this era, alongside the likes of Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and Macho Man Randy Savage but, despite showing some flairs of athleticism, early in his career he rarely had a match worth speaking of, as he was often across the ring from luminaries such as Mabel, King Kong Bundy and of course, Giant Gonzales. While he would occasionally be a title challenger in this period, even his first encounter with Bret Hart didnt produce anything too memorable.

Enter 1996, along with two happenings which would alter the trajectory of the Undertakers career. The first, and most obvious, was the signing of Mick Foley, who would debut as the Mankind character. As usual, the newest Dark and Mysterious character in the WWF would go after The Undertaker but, unlike in previous cases, Mankind brought magic from the Undertaker in the ring (or, indeed, the Boiler Room). Undertaker and Mankind would feud through 96, producing all of Undertakers best matches to date. It was later in the year though that the second change occurred one you would have expected to spell doom for the Undertaker. The WWF began to shift in presentation, offering an edgier product with more realistic characters. While there were some remnants of previous eras in the mid and lower cards, the cartoon tones were largely gone from the main events by now and with characters like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart at the top of the card, the Dead Man could have easily started to feel out of place.

For whatever reason though, the opposite happened. The Undertaker flourished in this new environment, and while surrounded on the show by Steve Austins rise to the top as a pissed off wild badass and Shawn Michaels and Bret Harts extremely real rivalry, fans were also willing to buy into the lore that developed around the Undertaker in this period, as Paul Bearer would reveal his backstory and hype the debut of the Kane character for months. This would all play into one of WWFs finest hours at Badd Blood in 1997, Undertaker would far exceed even his best previous work as he met Shawn Michaels in the first ever Hell in a Cell match. The match is a masterpiece not just from a workrate perspective and psychology perspective, it also ends with the debut of Kane which, thanks to the months of buildup, got a monstrous reaction and must go down as one of the best debuts of all time.

Kane would go on to be an integral part of the Undertakers career, and the two would share many of the WWFs most iconic moments both as opponents and as partners. Its while sharing the screen with Kane that The Undertaker is at his wackiest and most supernatural vanishing from burning coffins, firing lightning with a point of his finger, so on and so forth. But for whatever reason, despite the changing wrestling business in the late 90s, audiences lapped up all of this. Youll struggle to find a fan of the late 90s WWF who cant tell you intricate details of Undertaker and Kanes backstory. Theres nothing else approaching this fantastical at the time, and it really is testament to everybody involved that it was received as well as it was.

Its incredible then, that a character to whom the story, gimmick and all the other trappings around It was so important, was able to disappear in 99 and return as The American Bad Ass, Biker Taker. Its tough to say the Deadman character had outlasted its welcome considering hed be back to it in under 4 years, for another 16 years from that point but the Biker character did add new dimensions to the playbook of the Undertaker. A more important thing happened during this era though the first mention of The Streak.

Now, to fact check that a little bit JR had mentioned Undertaker being undefeated at Wrestlemania at least as early as WM12 vs. Diesel, but it really started to be something they would promote the match around with Ric Flair, as Taker hit 10-0 at Wrestlemania 18. The next decade after this is, to me, the most important of Undertakers career, and the reason hes deserving of this spot. The man could and should have only wrestled once per year and would have had as much impact on WWEs business as anybody they had as a centerpiece star of that period. For the 10 years of The Streak from Mania 20-30, it was The Undertakers match that made the show special. It was this same time period that Wrestlemania became the supershow we know it as today while it had been WWFs biggest show, it hadnt been the year defining spectacle wed come to know today. I would argue now that WWEs business shifted to be far more focused on Wrestlemania than it had in the 90s and none of that happens without The Undertaker match as a cornerstone of each one. The proof lies in what has come since Has any Mania really felt like a Wrestlemania since Lesnar ended the streak at Mania 30?

And besides the impact on the business lets just look at some of those matches. Most will probably circle his last 5 wins HBK, HBK, Triple H, Triple H, and CM Punk. Id like to at least stretch that back a further two years to include Edge and Batista. Id argue all 7 of these would be in the upper echelons of Wrestlemania matches ever with the top few of these being the favourites for greatest ever. In fact, Im fairly sure the Michaels match at 25 is the consensus greatest WWF/E match of all time and if not its splitting hairs with the winner.

The Undertaker isnt for me never has been. Im not into magic zombies, urns, lightning, caskets and all the rest. I like wrestling where one guy is a wrestler and the other guy is also a wrestler and theyre going to wrestle each other. But in Vince McMahons absurdist world of sports entertainment, The Undertaker is a part of the fabric. When you look at everything Ive put to you here and, please, consider that Hulk Hogan was made before he ever came to the WWF I think my closing argument to you is this: The Undertaker is Vince McMahons greatest creation.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x51u6mw; The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (October 5, 1997)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x50cdbp; The Undertaker vs. Mankind (June 28, 1998)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy9fsz; The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle (February 19, 2006)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgASnGbbKn8; The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (April 5, 2009)

---

Maniac64

Speaking of Dominic...

16. Rey Mysterio Jr.
Score: 150
# of Lists: 11
Highest Vote: War, 2nd

Writeup: Eddv

Rey reps out as perhaps the greatest underdog of all time. WWE for certain hasnt been able to resist heaping that title upon him ad nauseum and giving Rey the matching booking. Poor Rey had the dubious distinction of having the act of being booked to lose a lot as champion get renamed "pulling a Rey" due to the way they treated him during his main event level run. But this is really par for the course for Rey who managed to get over in America again and again based on almost nothing but raw talent and skill.

He didn't invent high flying wrestling, but the argument can be made that he has perfected it. You can go back and watch old Rey Mysterio matches when he first came to WCW. Schiavone, Heenan and Dusty sit there stupefied trying to call the action, unable to keep up with either his style or his rapid fire delivery or his seemingly off the cuff creativity in how he would deliver his moves. At his athletic peak, he was thrilling audiences who had absolutely no frame of reference for what Lucha was and making them fans of the style and getting the whole division and company over. Tony Schiavone uttered a phrase during one of these early bouts that has stuck with me - "any one of these maneuvers, if done by anyone else would have a name and be their finisher, but for Rey Mysterio it's just one of the hundreds of maneuvers he can unleash at a given time". I can recall watching Rey's matches and feeling a sense of awe and reverence at not knowing what he would do next. They would make a practice of wheeling out the nerdy Mike Tenay just to give the audience someone who could give them some sense of the action.

Years and years later, even now, when people discuss the WCW cruiserweight division, sure they're talking about Malenko and Jericho and Juventud but mostly? They're talking about Rey. He got the cruiserweight style popular and then, perhaps more impressively he shattered the need in the US to sequester that style behind a weight class. Every match in existence now features a tope suicida and that simply would not be the case if not for Rey. I think you can successfully make the argument that Rey has influenced the style and delivery of the actual wrestling we see in front of our eyes more than any other wrestler on this list. And for good reason, the night the nWo was formed? All the smarky nerds could talk about was the clinic he put on with Psychosis instead.

And he did all of this with bookers and management that, mostly didn't get him. Didn't understand what was happening in the ring or what it was about Rey that was getting so popular. Yet that popularity alone got Rey opportunities, even in WCW he was presented as a world title challenger at one point. Russo insisted he de-mask again proving he was as ill-suited to understanding Rey as Heenan was. Commentary on his matches often elicited racist quips from Heenan or Dusty or later on Lawler. It didn't matter that none of them got it. The audience got it. People like Scott Hall would mock them while the entire next generation of wrestlers studied and copied him hoping to thrill audiences even a fraction as well as Rey.

To the point that when Rey made his WWE debut in 2003, he was an instant sensation as WWE loyalists got their first look at what a real high flier looked like and rode that to a certain height as a main event fixture.

The only knock on him, really, is that WWE never quite pulled the trigger on him and yet...he returned to AAA and Lucha Underground in the 2010s as a broken down shell of himself and still put even the modern luchadors not named Flamita and Rey Fenix to shame. While he may not have the pedigree of championships and booking opportunities he deserved, the fact that literally everyone in WWE now has a top rope move and the ability to do a tope rings out as a more tangible legacy than anything more decorated champions have to show for themselves.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5zehbt; Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psychosis (July 7, 1996)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4vhkur; Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (October 26, 1997)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6nij5u; Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle (August 25, 2002)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xylbtx; Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho (June 28, 2009)

---

Maniac64

17. Eddie Guerrero
Score: 139
# of Lists: 11
Highest Vote: CPU, 3rd

Writeup: scarletspeed7

Sit down for a cup of coffee and let me tell you the story of a roguish charmer who navigated the most turbulent and yet most successful period of wrestling in history, carving a path through divisions of complete all-stars and hall of famers. When you look at the accomplishments of Eddie Guerrero, the sheer number of accolades earned, the wide variety of opponents with whom Eddie forged unforgettable classics, it's easy to forget that his run as a prominent wrestler and star really lasted just over ten years. From Mexico to Japan to America, Eddie mixed every worldwide style and technique to become his own, slowly articulating a personality that took the devilish demeanor of a villain and turned it into a popular babyface underdog personality. Battling through companies filled with veterans unwilling to give younger talent a shot, pain-fueled drug addictions, and the stigma of being a smaller guy (leading to steroid usage), Eddie forced his body to take an unimaginable toll, all in an effort to inspire the fans of wrestling. His career was a true "Never Give Up" testament, right until the end, the highest point coming just before a tragic, undeniable sudden demise.

Do you have your coffee yet? Good. Try not to pour it on yourself. Eddie's true rise to prominence came in the mid-90s as a heel in AAA, supplementing his income with excursions to Japan as Black Tiger. In 1993 and 1994, he developed both the beginnings of his technical legend and his longest, most enduring relationships. Notably, Eddie's matches with Dean Malenko were the stuff of pure legend, eventually garnering attention with the promoters of the United States as tapes began to circulate. Before he made the jump to America, however, he helped pave the way for cruiserweight talent like Chris Jericho, Art Barr, and Chris Benoit, all legends in their own rights. Tagging with Barr, he helped developed the Frog Splash and participated in some legendary lucha tag matches, most notably against El Hijo del Santo and Octagon in a mask vs. hair match.

From here, Eddie made his way to Paul Heyman's boutique of rising talent best known as ECW. This short run resulted in a resume primed and ready for one of the big two's perusal, and in 1995, Eddie churned out a brief but memorable series of matches that culminated in a 2 out of 3 falls match with Malenko as a legendary send-off from the promotion.

At this point, Eddie found himself at the bottom of the heap in WCW. Despite the lack of credibility he found with the old veterans at the top of the card (such as Hogan), Eddie used his agile yet powerful move set and fast-paced familiarity with the lucha moveset to enter into some memorable matches for the US Title against men like Konnan, Chris Benoit, and Ric Flair. Eventually, Eric Bischoff realized the value of Eddie's international style, and Eddie was pushed into a featured role in the Cruiserweight division. It would be fair to say that, along with Malenko, Jericho and Rey Mysterio, Eddie established the division that most redefined pacing and storytelling in wrestling for the next generation of workers. Gone was the plodding, slow psychology of Hogan's era - here to stay was a new style of match best exemplified by what is arguably the best single match out of WCW during the Monday Night Wars - the Halloween Havoc Title vs. Mask match against Rey Mysterio in 1997. Built through a series of vignettes highlighting the value of the mask, Eddie was well-positioned to succeed as a heel in the high-water mark of cruiserweight matches, and with Rey, he set the ultimate standard for the division.

This success led to a desire by bookers to raise Eddie out of the division and push him towards the heavyweight division, but a car accident and a desire by veterans such as Nash and Hogan to keep the top tier drawing power focused on themselves meant that Eddie languished in the late 90s, trapped in stories featuring the LWO and Filthy Animals. By 2000, enough was enough, and other neglected talent left WCW alongside Eddie. This crop of all-star talent would send shockwaves in the wrestling community - first, Jericho would debut in front of the Rock in 1999, eventually followed by Malenko, Benoit, Guerrero and Perry Saturn the Radicalz.

In WWE, Eddie excelled in every facet of the business. He helped provide much-needed credibility for Chyna at the height of her success before moving on to the European Title. Fans loved Eddie, but the glut of talent made it difficult to break through to the top tier of WWE's biggest matches. It would take a brand split for Eddie and other talent that excelled in the ring to really showcase their abilities. For many, the early era of the brand split turned Smackdown into the must-watch show that really formed their wresting sensibilities at a young age. Week in and week out, Eddie would churn out clinic after clinic with talent like Benoit, Kurt Angle, Chavo Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and Edge. With success in the ring, the persona of Eddie Guerrero - a lying, cheating thief - began to gain traction with fans, and by 2004, Eddie realized the years-long goal of becoming the top champion of a wrestling brand, defeating Brock Lesnar for the WWE title at No Way Out. The visual of Eddie and Benoit, lifelong friends and co-champions from both of the top wrestling brands in the world, is the fitting final image for many, a capstone at Wrestlemania 20 and a reward for careers of scraping and climbing to the top of the ladder.

When we look back on the careers of the journeymen of wrestling in the Monday Night Wars, it becomes clear that our fandom became inextricably linked to the careers of certain talents. For many, wrestling died with Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, two men that had nearly a hundred matches alongside and against one another in multiple promotions over a ten-year period. Eddie's smooth talking and his dirty tactics enamored millions, and when died, a little piece of wrestling as a business went with him. It cannot be ignored how his work as a cruiserweight talent and a member of the Smackdown Six helped to redefined the pace and style of matches in American companies, an impact that is felt to this day in both men's and women's divisions, be it WWE, Impact, Ring of Honor, and even AEW. And of course, his legacy looks to live on today in his son, Dominic.

Rest easy, Latino Heat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1bchiaDP1Y; Eddy Guerrero & Love Machine vs. El Hijo del Santo & Octagon (June 11, 1994)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/av12564651/; Black Tiger vs. Wild Pegasus (June 11, 1996)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3axlv9; Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge (September 26, 2002)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x197561; Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar (February 15, 2004)

---

Maniac64

To those people who thought I spoiled Rey Mysterio being next, I laugh at you for thinking my error was that obvious.

18. Jushin Thunder Liger
Score: 136
# of Lists: 10
Highest Vote: CPU, 5th

Writeup: Bidoof

One of the finest of his generation and arguably the greatest junior heavyweight of all time, Jushin Thunder Liger truly had a legendary career that ended this year. Spanning 35 years and over 4000 matches all over the globe, Liger has from the beginning worked to be a totally unique and standout performer. Whether that meant incorporating martial arts techniques in the early 80s or utilizing the striking lucha libre offense from Mexico at a time where it was novel, he always sought to better not just himself but also the Japanese junior style. As a result, Liger found himself to be not just one of the most popular wrestlers in Japan but also one of its biggest influences to future wrestlers.

From a pure match standpoint, its difficult to say what would be the best of Jushin Thunder Liger. Just in the 90s alone, Liger had show-stealing performances with just about every junior of note. His two matches with The Great Sasuke in 1994 basically changed the game when it comes to junior heavyweight wrestling and are still incredible to watch even in the era of Ricochet/Ospreay or Hiromu/Dragon Lee. His match with Shinjiro Otani in 97 is another personal favorite of mine and shows off more of his technical skills. Probably the most well-known match of his to American fans was his amazing match with Flyin Brian Pillman on Superbrawl II. In the 90s alone, I can think of at least a dozen Liger matches that not only were excellent for their day but would likely be among the best matches on any promotions card today. It just goes to show how progressive Liger was as a performer. And as an aside, it was in 1996 that Liger had a brain tumor removed. Not even that slowed him down!

Ligers greatness and impact on the junior heavyweight division is not just limited to the 90s. In the 2000s, he was the leader of a heel crew in NJPW, established himself as the cornerstone of the division, and continued to work around the world with future stars like Brian Danielson, Samoa Joe, and Mistico. That last part kind of became one of the most noteworthy things about Ligers work in the latter half of his career his interest in working with the people that he saw as the future of wrestling. While many Japanese performers tend to be loyal to their home promotion, Liger felt like a guy who cared more about the future of the sport rather than his allegiance to NJPW. During many of these appearances for other promotions and even when wrestlers from other promotions appeared for NJPW, Liger often did the job to younger guys like YAMATO or Austin Aries despite his influence in wrestling. Even for his retirement, Liger felt that it was important to showcase guys like Hiromu Takahashi and Dragon Ryu Lee.

To conclude, if you somehow have not seen anything from Jushin Thunder Liger then go seek it out. If you are only familiar with the Liger of 2016-2020, then definitely go watch his work in the 80s when he was still Keiichi Yamada and especially his 90s work. I especially recommend watching the 1994 Super J Cup. Not only do you get one of the best Liger matches ever in Sasuke/Liger, you get to see possibly the greatest one night tournament in wrestling history. Which, by the way, was Ligers idea in order to show NJPW brass that juniors can be a draw. I did not submit any votes for this list but, over the course of writing this and reviewing Ligers career, I feel it would be a great injustice to not have Jushin Thunder Liger on my personal list of greatest wrestlers ever. Thank you for reading.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz7gm6; Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Flyin' Brian Pillman (February 29, 1992)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6symm; Jushin Thunder Liger vs. The Great Sasuke (April 16, 1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOHMjSfUzEA; Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (July 10, 2004)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZhe0bWaI2o; Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Minoru Suzuki (October 14, 2019)

---

Maniac64

ninkendo posted...

:O

You just had to quote it before I corrected it huh?

I just copied the wrong matches, not that it is any surprise that Rey Mysterio will show up on this list.

---

Maniac64

20. AJ Styles
Score: 130
# of Lists: 10
Highest Vote: .ZeroSignal, 5th

Writeup: NBIceman

AJ Styles is quite simply one of the best in-ring performers in the history of professional wrestling. This is a guy who was good when he had his first match, great when he got his first real shine in the business as part of TNA's first match ever, and exceptional by the time his main event pushes started. He's compensated for wrestling an extremely physically taxing style for his entire career (that, especially in his younger days, saw him taking some of the sickest bumps I've ever seen outside of hardcore wrestling or deathmatches) by progressively making small tweaks to his style that allowed him to adjust to all of the many roles he's played without ever losing that distinct Phenomenal One feel. Fast-paced, high-flying, high-impact matches have been his bread and butter for two decades throughout it all, held together by the backbone of the Pele kick, the Stylin' DDT, one of the best and smoothest dropkicks in history, and the iconic Styles Clash. He's played the underdog youngster, the egotistical heel, the veteran ass-kicker, and the cocky prick you still can't help but appreciate, and it's all worked. Unless your name is Curt Hawkins, if you've wrestled AJ Styles, you've almost definitely had a great match with him. This man made MATT MORGAN look great, and if that doesn't solidify him as a miracle worker, nothing will.

He's finally slowed down considerably in the last few years, but after the career he's had, who could blame him? He accomplished literally everything a wrestler could ever hope for. A final run full of things like bad comedy and being literally murdered in a match doesn't change the fact that for 15 years, give or take, he was always one of the 20 best wrestlers in the world.

That on its own would be more than enough to merit his high placement on this list, but his importance to the places he's worked shouldn't be overlooked. Styles was the lifeblood of the early TNA X-Division (and therefore arguably the promotion as a whole given that division's importance to the product), and he continued to be one of its most prominent assets for his entire run with the company. He held every title, had several of their most memorable matches, and made everyone around him better, even during times where he was put into situations where it was almost impossible to succeed. No matter how relevant or irrelevant TNA was at any given time, Styles was one of their major draws. I actually credit him for being the primary reason I even started to seek out wrestling outside of WWE in the first place, because TNA was my entry point into that world.

But he also played a huge part in establishing Ring of Honor as an early darling of the hardcore fan, his most notable contribution coming in a match with Paul London that I still consider one of my all-time favorite bouts, and then he pumped a bit of new life into the place upon his return a decade later. The real prize of his more recent work, though, is obviously his New Japan run, where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his first match and overcame some initial fan rejection to become one of its most featured and best-drawing stars for a couple of years. And oh yeah, he had some incredible matches there, too.

Not many wrestlers, if any at all, can claim to be as good AND successful for as long and in as many different places as AJ Styles has been. Honestly, considering the kind of variety he's produced in his long career, I'd be hard pressed to think of many guys that I'd rather watch the lifetime compilation of. He's proven time and again just how accurate his famous epithet is, and it may be a long time before we see anyone quite like him again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U28pyOAMXcI; AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels (September 11, 2005)

19. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Score: 131
# of Lists: 10
Highest Vote: .Whiskey Nick, 3rd

Writeup: Eddv
Randy Savage is pretty unique among people who are this high on the list. Sure Savage would have a long, even relatively successful, run in WCW post 'retirement' and sure prior to coming to the WWF he was one of the best workers in the world. But no one cares about any of that. Not really. There is only one thing people care about with Savage and its his character arc as the Macho Man.

The story is of course famous, Savage debuts in the WWF and is being made out to be the new hot main event level heel, so naturally every heel manager lined up trying to acquire his services and he went instead with the babyface Miss Elizabeth and set in motion a slow burn character arc regarding their relationship, which provided the framework that produced every hot angle, every great promo, every....everything that Savage produced.

Wrestlemania 3? The whole George Steele/Elizabeth thing played out to cost Savage the title. Savages run with the Mega Powers as a babyface World Champion? Defined by the weird love triangle between he and Hogan with Liz, turning heel via his treatment of the pure chaste Liz. Even his eventual babyface turn came as the result of his embrace of Liz and somehow Savage dragged The Ultimate Warrior to a very very good match in the process.

And without Liz, post Liz? He was a shell of himself. Without her he was merely a good wrestler - and there were much better than him. And sure he had a great promo ability - perhaps the best coke fueled promo of the coke-fueled promo era. But as time passed even that became less true as the working style got faster and the promo style got less insane.

Ironically it's this period that is most well remembered, the Slim Jim commercials, the cheesy pin attempt on Yoko during a Royal Rumble, feuding with Repo Man over the possession of his hat, the movie cameos? All of that came during his down period. He drew more money as a broken down old shell of himself than most wrestlers do in their entire careers.

It's arguably the most successful angle of all time - certainly the most successful valet angle. He feuded with all the greats along the way, giving most of them their best matches or up there. Steamboat. Flair. Jake Roberts. Hogan. Warrior. He provided them all with very high drama and high emotion bouts that tugged on the heartstrings and advanced his relationship with Liz and through that dynamic he was basically able to print money and fan respect. And that's why Savage is here.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wevii; Randy Savage vs. Jerry Lawler (December 12, 1983)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjxw0a; Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (March 29, 1987)

---

Maniac64

21. Jumbo Tsuruta
Score: 119
# of Lists: 7
First Place Votes: 1, Semi

"Jumbo Tsuruta is the greatest wrestler of all time. Now fuck off and watch some Jumbo matches, you fucking nerds." Semi
Were going to talk a lot about the Four Pillars of Heaven, the four men who symbolized the golden era of All Japan Pro Wrestling in the 90s. But while the 90s ushered in a new dominant style in the Kings Road, and freshened up the booking of AJPW by sticking to strict clean finishes (a departure from the 80s booking, which would often feature matches between major stars end without a satisfying finish), it all has to start from the man who was on top for the transition Jumbo Tsuruta.

To me there are two men synonymous with the Triple Crown championship Misawa would hold it through most of the era it held the most prestige, but the man who brought that prestige was Jumbo, who unified the PWF Heavyweight, NWA United National and NWA International Heavyweight championships, creating the Triple Crown Championship in April of 1989. Within 2 months of the Championship being born, one of the most iconic and important matches in history was contested over the belt as Jumbo Tsuruta would lock horns with Genichiro Tenryu in the match most historians point to as the first step on the Kings Road.

I chose to start this story in 1989 as thats what Im most familiar with but, as you can guess by the fact he unified their championships, Jumbo was already definitively the top Japanese wrestler in All Japan at this point (It could also be argued he was the top Japanese wrestler in North America, as his time in America saw him become one of the first Japanese wrestlers to be cheered by American crowds, as well as picking up an AWA World Heavyweight Championship). Jumbo was established as the company Ace and my possibly controversial take here is that Jumbo is the greatest Ace of all time. He perfectly moved between being the face of the company and Japan against gaijin like Stan Hansen and Terry Gordy to the arrogant Ace role against the younger Japanese talent most notably, Misawa himself.
Jumbo and Misawa would first meet on June 8, 1990 in one of the most legendary matches of all time. If youve ever listened to Observer Radio, youve heard Dave tell the story of being in the building for this match Mitsuharu Misawas first singles match after removing the Tiger Mask, he defeats the Ace in the biggest match of his life and All Japans most iconic star was born. As well as being an iconic match and result, this match is so important as it really begins the era of the Four Pillars.

Even if we only consider two matches vs. Misawa, and vs. Tenryu Jumbo Tsuruta would have one of the most important careers in wrestling. These two matches laid the groundwork for the Kings Road style the style you see in all major wrestling promotions today. Beyond that, these two matches alone show the brilliance of Jumbos character as the Ace. Only a year apart, Jumbo is essentially playing the same character but is the hero in the Tenryu match, and the villain / bully in the Misawa match. Both matches do an amazing job of making you feel like Jumbo is the man, which only makes the result for Misawa that much more impactful.

But he didnt only wrestle two matches! He wrestled over 3000 matches over 26 years, in both the US and Japan. As was the style in All Japan at the time, as well as the legendary Triple Crown matches Jumbo would routinely be involved in tag team matches most famously during the Tsurutagun vs. Super Generation Army, where Jumbo would team with his allies such as Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi to take on the next generation of All Japan Misawa, Kobashi and Kawada. This series in particular produces what could be the best 6 man tag of all time with all 6 men selling their place in the story and their hatred for the other team in a way rarely seen through all of wrestling.

The last few years of Jumbos life are a sad story, as is so often the way in wrestling. But for twenty years Tomomi Tsurutas wrestling influenced so many; his wrestling ability, size and presence making him an act that not only drew eyeballs but kept them captivated and enabled the birth of stars all around him. Semi was right watch some fucking Jumbo matches, you nerds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsMQi6B7WuA; Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (June 8, 1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaO3Y1RXofo; Jumbo Tsuruta, Masanobu Fuchi & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi & Toshiaki Kawada (April 20, 1991)

---

Maniac64

22. CM Punk
Score: 115
# of Lists: 8
Highest Vote: Extha, 4th place.

(Guest writeup: PepsiPlunge)

So turns out Board 8 users voted on the Greatest Wrestlers Ever & of course debate will be had but that's not what I'm here for. I'm here because I was asked to write about someone who I love dearly. Look at my username. I may not have ever met the man but I love him all the same & do consider him one of the greatest ever. I shall attempt to explain why both personally, and with as much objectivity as possible.
Despite kind of losing my passion for wrestling or at least not caring to the level that I used to, CM Punk was possibly the last wrestler I cared for in every aspect. I'm just a wrestling person. What you can do in that ring is all I need to become a fan, nothing more. It's not like that for everyone & that's fine but I say that because what first caught my attention with Punk & made it so I *had* to see this man, was his two matches in 2002, in IWA-MS vs. Chris Hero. One being a TLC match that went 55 minutes & the other being a 2/3 falls that went 93 minutes. Aside from personally loving long matches, I simply had to see how the hell two men could go that long, twice, & have good matches. Not that all the talk meant they were good but it meant I had to see them. I would say they are early indie classics though certainly not 5 star caliber. It was guys being allowed freedom in a place where nobody would care & it could get attention. Which it did. IWA-MS would be a hot promotion for a while eventually & Punk is certainly one of those reasons why. Then later in 2002, he made his way to Ring of Honor & that is where myself & plenty of others truly fell in love with that man.

The first real feud he was put into was with Raven, another personal favorite. This is where me mentioning loving Punk as a total package comes in. For the story, you had a legit Straight Edge person with certain morals against a legit former & probably current at the time drug user in Raven. This feud was one of the first times I really heard the man cut promos & he pulled me in from the start. Usually a thing in wrestling I skip but when he spoke, I always listened.

Even with the best matches of CM Punk, not everything he does, if anything, truly looks pretty. You might even look at him as a sloppy wrestler. He never had a great looking body, his moves never looked crisp & clean, but even so he could draw you into a match with almost anyone. The Raven feud worked. The man would have three classic bouts for the RoH World Title with Samoa Joe. Two of which went to an hour draw & one of which Meltzer did give 5 stars. Not that star ratings from anyone is the measure of a wrestler but more to say that regardless of style or how flashy your moves look, anyone can have a classic, captivating match with the story they tell in the ring. To me, Punk was a master at doing that. This was in a time period where between the shows happening & hitting video to be seen, 3-6 month turnaround. I would read results on the message board, know Punk didn't win & yet in both of those draws, he had me sucked in to the point that I somehow forgot.

He would eventually win the title, in his "Farewell match" that I bought, hook, line, & sinker. Everyone that would sign away to WWE would usually get a title shot & lose on their way out. Just how RoH worked. But that night it was the opposite. He won. If you watched the Summer of Punk in WWE & were disappointed with how it turned out, the original RoH version is something you may want to see. That man had turned a fanbase that loved him so dearly into people that seemed like they wanted to legit kill him, especially when signing his WWE contract on the RoH Title. I haven't seen the match in years but still remember the pop of him losing the title. Him getting us to eat out of the palm of his hand was not a problem at all.

From there, if you knew none of what I was talking about (I tried to keep it brief & coherent I swear), you probably became aware of CM Punk sooner or later when he was in WWE. If it wasn't before "The Pipe Bomb Promo", I doubt it was after. Even now in 2020, as someone that doesn't care for promos, I could probably recite most of it to you without needing to look it up.

I could rant about Punk, his matches, various promos, things he would say during matches to make me laugh, & hell I didn't even mention how CM Punk helped bring some of us here on B8 together to go to a Ring of Honor show. He may not have been there at that time anymore but it was the love for him & wrestling that initially brought all of us together.

Ranting aside, why would I try to argue CM Punk as one of the greatest wrestlers ever? Because despite a sloppy looking style of wrestling, he could pull myself & others into matches regardless of how good they may or may not look. Because when he spoke, I would listen while nobody else could get my attention like that. Hell, put him on commentary like they did & he'll get me to watch matches I have no interest in just to hear what he might say. Not just from a humour perspective but the man knew how to call a match too. He may not have ever had the usual wrestler look, or size, but he had the love & passion. That resonated with a lot of us in a way that not everyone can do.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av22429135/; CM Punk vs. Chris Hero (February 28, 2004) (wXw - Iron Man Match)
https://youtu.be/d3NJyWauUE0?t=1302; CM Punk vs. Austin Aries (June 18, 2005) (Punk's "Final match" in ROH)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x65wvb0; CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar (August 18, 2013)

---

Maniac64

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

---

Maniac64

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.

---

Maniac64

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)

---

Maniac64

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

---

Maniac64

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)

---

Maniac64

30. Owen Hart
Score: 68
# of Lists: 6

(Guest writeup: Jakyl25)

Arguably the most naturally gifted member of the Hart Family, Owen spent the early parts of his career as one of the 1980s crew of Jr Heavyweight innovators in New Japan. In matches with Jushin Liger, he demonstrated his athletic ability and high energy, traits which distinguished himself from his familys reputation for purely technical expertise.

After a few failed runs as a journeyman around the globe, it was time for a change. He would reach his highest heights in the WWF, feuding with his older brother Bret. They stole the show at Wrestlemania X, cementing a new foundation for Owens career. As the whiny, entitled, jealous younger brother, he became a consistent heel highlight of the New Generation era.

Sadly, we all know how his career met its tragic end due to the WWFs negligence doing an ill-advised stunt. If his style was allowed to mature into his old age, who knows if he might have been higher on this list.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7j9u7p; Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (August 29, 1994)

29. Andre the Giant
Score: 69
# of Lists: 6

(Guest writeup: Eddv)

Andre the Giant in many ways harkens back to the carnival barker origins of professional wrestling as the ultimate special attraction/freak show. In this way he's in the same category as Haystacks Calhoun and others whose entire act was simply coming out being very large and winning battle royales, which was the very same pattern Andre himself followed.

Even the stories we tell about Andre all have that sheen of tall tale and fable to them. To a greater extent than anyone save Hogan he was able to presented as larger than life.

What separated him from other freaks of nature was his natural charisma and smile. Everyone who saw Andre almost instantly came to like the guy - which made his late career heel turn all the more effective when it finally came and led to 2.5 years of WWEs best drawing feuds with Hogan before he took on a memorable emeritus role as part of the Colossal Connection.

However the reason Andre belongs so high on this list is that he was one of the key figures in helping the late 70s and early 80s wrestling boom take off. He participated in several mainstream appearances, to include a shoot mma bout with boxer Chuck Wepner on the undercard of the famous Inoki-Ali bout and his famous Shea Stadium sellouts fighting as the hero against heel Hulk Hogan, making their feud one of the few that ever drew big money with the two participants switching roles the second time around.

And with Andre that's what you're voting for - the Legend and his uncanny 20 year drawing ability. He wasnt on every card but every card he was on drew and that's a big part of what wrestling is about.

https://youtu.be/h3EksOFtILs; Andre The Giant vs. Chuck Wepner (June 25 1976)

---

Maniac64

32. Kevin Owens
Score: 67
# of Lists: 6

Kevin Owens/Steen is one of the all around most entertaining wrestlers in modern history. There is an elite tier of performer who can blend comedy with an aura of toughness with the obvious example being Steve Austin. For my money, Owens has everything necessary to get to the same level as Austin did, but unfortunately things have never quite broke that way in WWE. Still, I think its clear his WWE run has done him favours in this list in fact, he is the highest-ranking NXT graduate on the list.

His career will always be indelibly linked with that of El Generico/Sami Zayn, with both breaking into the business together in the Canadian independents, before beginning to be booked as both a team and as opponents in the likes of CZW and PWG. Its PWG where Kevin would begin to break out as not just a worker but a character, entertaining not just on promos but also in interactions during his matches, and commentary during everyone elses. Steen on commentary produces some of PWGs most memorable moments
Steen would reach new heights as his team with Generico began to get booked in ROH, leading to a feud with the Briscoes that gave us the first Ladder War in ROH, my personal favourite ladder match or ROH match. A few years later Steen would win the ROH title, and around this time would feud with Generico in the best executed version of that feud to date, resulting in a feud of the year award in the Observer.

While Generico was signed some time before Steen, their WWE careers would quickly become intertwined again when Steen showed up the night Sami Zayn would win the title, powerbombing him on the stage in a memorable angle that signified that these two would never break apart from each other. Owens had a short run as NXT champion before moving on to probably his most significant WWE program his Raw debut against John Cena. Delivering some of WWEs best matches of 2015 with the top guy in the business (and one of his last programs as that) should have been the arrival of a certified Superstar

Of course, its WWE, and it never quite materialized like that but hes still one of the biggest success stories of NXT or the recent WWE. And while maybe hes rarely delivering in ring at the level he did in the independents, hes still consistently one of the most entertaining, compelling and convincing characters in wrestling and well always have great moments like the Festival of Friendship to take from his WWE run.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1036033213107651; Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. The Briscoes (November 30 2007)

31. John Cena
Score: 68
# of Lists: 4

(Guest writeup: Eddv)

I imagine seeing John Cena this high on a list like this would send the circa 2009 APWT that existed when I first came back to wrestling a series of shocks but having missed the rough transitional years of 2006 and 2007, it has always been plain for me to see that John Cena is and always has been the star of our generation.

He goes out and turns a horse "dookie" promo idea into something fun and memorable. He got a PPV feud with Johnny Ace to become something we still laugh about and have fun with in the 2010s. He served as the catalyst for every single good story WWE has told since 2004 save maybe Bryan at mania 30. He had classic matches with Umaga, Edge, Michaels, Hunter, Angle, Punk, Bryan, Lesnar, Rusev. Theres no one he crossed paths with who didn't at least temporarily feel like a big effing deal as a result. I was temporarily fooled into thinking Cryme Tyme was gonna be huge just because they were associated with Cena. He is the man who singlehandedly delayed the current dog dookie WWE from being totally exposed for an extra decade.

He does all this while working a style that, if you weren't too busy whining about it, was noticeably identical to how Bret worked, just less crisp. He's not a ring general yet unlike a Triple H he holds his own with every talent he crosses paths with and made the matches the dramatic affairs they tended to be. He is the entire genesis of my belief that you don't need to be a greater ring technician to be a good worker. Despite how sloppy he is he brings so much emotion and psychology to the table. He gets you to maybe temporarily believe The Miz is a bad ass. He can work a crowd better than anyone ever has, even when a large portion of the crowd was demanding and insisting that Cena was terrible and I don't say that lightly. I know the split crowd stuff mars his legacy to some respected voices but in the end I believe they weren't rejecting Cena, they were rejecting WWE and just didn't know it yet.

And whats crazy he has done all of this with just horrendous booking. He had the talent to be an all around great. There is a fairly basic debate in wrestling, the Vince Jr vs Vince Sr debate, where you think the best quality a star can have is to be relatable or to be larger than life. Cena was booked exclusively as a larger than life superhero for much of his career to his extreme detriment. How much better could Cena have been if he had ever been allowed to show vulnerability. Cena is a great relatable guy. He's got the immature sense of humor that Triple H wishes he had, he genuinely loves people and kids. In the wake of so much of wrestling being filled with grifters and sex pests, John Cena stands a league apart as what you would want wrestlers to be like - big goofy frat boys with a heart of gold.

Steiner note: It's interesting that Cena ranks so highly while only being on 4 lists. This lines up with my thoughts that a large portion of the fanbase does not give Cena his just due.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17af0f; John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam (June 11, 2006)

---

Maniac64

Speaking of Hogan, here are a couple other larger than life wrestlers to talk about.

34. Brock Lesnar
Score: 58
# of Lists: 5

Its very difficult to come off as special in modern WWE, in large part because they book in a way designed to prevent that. And while even he has been victim to it I argue wed be talking about a different pantheon of star to this day if he hadnt lost that first match back to Cena there isnt too much you can do to stop Brock Lesnar being special.

In my mind hes without a doubt the greatest athlete in pro wrestling history. Thats backed up by not just his credentials which youre all familiar with, NCAA champion, UFC heavyweight champion, nearly made the Vikings on a whim but his ring work too; his explosiveness and power are close to unique in the wrestling setting and its what sets him apart from everyone else.

One thing I always think about with Brock is his video game, Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain. In that game Brocks moveset was pretty much all unique variants on standard moves but made to look much more impactful. You bet your ass I always played as Brock in that game! But that is true to life Brock doesnt have many fancy moves (especially so since becoming the Suplex City variation), but a few simple moves look devastating in his hands.

While the power game might be obvious, I think whart's not so obvious is Lesnar might be the most underrated seller in the business. Hes one of the very best and I think people have it in their head because they dont like Lesnar and he doesnt sell when he shouldnt, that he doesnt sell. Theres a number of matches I can point to but the ones that stand out in my head best are the ones where an underdog story is told vs. Eddie, vs. Balor, vs. Bryan and Lesnar is the one who convincingly makes you think the other guy has him in danger.

Its a shame WWE have spent years telling you Lesnar doesnt care about wrestling and doesnt want to be here its a storyline but for some reason its the only storyline in modern WWE people have bought into. More importantly, its totally irrelevant. Not everybody needs to be a Good Employee (Contractor, should I say). Some people are special.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3tt7kr; Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena, April 29 2012

33. Giant Baba
Score: 62
# of Lists: 4

(Guest writeup: voltch)

Is Giant Baba a great in ring wrestler? No, if you're going to watch a Giant Baba match, it'll probably be a tag affair.
But pretty quickly you'll notice one thing, no matter how over the other guys in the match are, Baba's going to be matching them
While people now look back on him as more as an awkward tall guy with short T-Rex arms. The guy has become a legend back in Japan
For all of his shortcomings in the ring, Giant Baba had one of the greatest minds in wrestling and his run as owner and booker of AJPW showcased that.

AJPW for sure was outmatched and outgunned by NJPW, who were putting up stadium shows and had a roster filled with iconic names.
But Baba made the call to stick with the Budokan as his promotion's home and built his own collection of stars through some of the best matches we've ever seen.
His decision to have Misawa beat Jumbo has gone down as one of the best examples, as it helped further establish Misawa as the guy.
Baba is the perfect booker, he knew what stories needed to be told, how to use foreign outsiders, how to build homegrown stars. In his promotion, moves just had a lot more meaning, finishers in particular.

When you look at some of these other old Japanese legends, Rikidozan is a hero with the sumo background who carried a nation on his shoulders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev5X01wJrH4; Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk

---

Maniac64

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)

---

Maniac64

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

---

Maniac64

Last Bump

---

Maniac64

pezzicle posted...

I disagree because the way people are looking at this game is based on the first game. If you have not played the first game you won't have any sort of issue with the beats of the story because they mean nothing to you.

I have never played or watched any The Last of Us content. I would probably stop playing after Abby kills Joel and you then play as her because why would I want to play as her? She seems like a totally unlikable character, the kind you would typically be fighting against. I would just be confused why I'm not playing only as Ellie looking for revenge, unless it was some kind of "play as the villain" sequence which definitely doesn't seem to be the case.

Especially since this is a game that is not marketed or presented as "Play as the bad guy".

---

Maniac64

It's fine.

Last day to get your lists in and updated!

@Tom_Bombadil @Steiner @Jakyl25

---

Maniac64

LordoftheMorons posted...

https://twitter.com/billkristol/status/1271525432572227584?s=21

And its gone.

---

Maniac64

Bump for the weekend.

---

Maniac64

6 lol

---

Maniac64

ExThaNemesis posted...

jesus fucking christ, I forgot AmDrag

Corrections are allowed. Just let me know.

---

Maniac64

Seeing Jake on AEW makes me wish so hard that more people would learn from his promo style.

It's just so good!

---

Maniac64

2

---

Maniac64

Yeah there is a certain level where you just cant be objective

---

Maniac64

Monte cristo

---

Maniac64

6 votes are in and we already have 100 different wrestlers nominated!

This confirms that the final list will be a Top 100, though I will make note of those who missed the cut.

Its going to be a wild list.

You can still make changes, just make sure to PM me before Sunday.

---

Maniac64

Yeah I don't think getting to 100 is going to be a problem.

EDIT: Also, one of my Top 5 doesn't have a second vote and that both surprises me and makes me very sad.

---

Maniac64

Heavyweight Tournament (+100 points apiece)

Bowser Jr.
Banjo-Kazooie
Richter Belmont
Mega Man
Mii Swordfighter (Zero)

Middleweight Tournament (+100 points apiece)

Byleth
Dark Pit
Inkling
Villager
Lucario

Lightweight Tournament (+100 points apiece)

Little Mac
Rosalina & Luma
Bayonetta
Mewtwo
Young Link

Tag Team Tournament (+100 points apiece)

Solid Snake/Sonic the Hedgehog
Mewtwo/Lucario
Greninja/Incineroar
Mario/Dr. Mario
Mega Man/Pac-Man

Free for All Tournament (+100 points for each correct placement, -25 for each incorrect placement)

G&W > Fox > Mega Man > Banjo

Simon > Ike > Chrom > Byleth

Shulk > Terry > Cloud > Isabelle

Dr. M > Mii > Ryu > Luigi

Dedede > Rosa > Daisy > Samus

---

Maniac64

Topic's up.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/78758576

---

Maniac64

This is a ranking topic to decide who Board 8 thinks are the greatest pro wrestlers of all time! This is based on whatever things you think makes someone the greatest: wrestling ability, promo skills, overness, longevity, whatever. This is intended to be best wrestler and not favorite wrestler.

Only restriction is they must be real world pro wrestlers, no video game, anime, etc characters.

Each person can submit a Top 25 ranking going from 25 points for the best down to just 1 point for the bottom of your list. You do not need to fill out the full list but it is encouraged. PM your ranking to this account and I will add up the lists and post the results.

Deadline will be end of the day on Sunday June 14th.

Easy Vote Form:
+25
+24
+23
+22
+21
+20
+19
+18
+17
+16
+15
+14
+13
+12
+11
+10
+9
+8
+7
+6
+5
+4
+3
+2
+1

---

Maniac64