Board 8 > Scarlet Ranks 150 User-Nominated Wrestlers Part II

(+) Yeah! (+)

scarletspeed7 posted...

I didn't know that.

Yup!

That's actually a large part of why I think he was so effective at the 92 Rumble. I think in his head him being commentary was temporary and he was going to go back to managing Flair.
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Save
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Got a new set of furniture for my family room, so I'm a little consumed with that today.
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PrestonStarry2 posted...

Edge is going to win. :)

Edge is already out.
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Damn, just noticed that myself.

He had a good run though
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Ah okay. He's at #28. That's good. :)

#17 - Bret Hart Nominated by: ZeroSignal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPEZHofN7m8" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8U5HBcHyrg" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSNJX1aBDSw" data-time="

A wrestler whose longevity and durability seems to fly under the radar in the scope of the rest of his career achievements, Bret Hart is almost universally recognized as being one of the finest technical wrestlers and one of the steadiest main event talents in wrestling history. A second generation wrestler who seemed destined for greatness from the moment he stepped into the ring, Hart became the most consistent wrestler in North America during the 1990s.

The match is recognized as one of the best in Hart's career and in the histories of both SummerSlam and the Intercontinental Championship. At the time the Intercontinental Championship was considered the "workers" belt; while limited in-ring performers such as Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior carried the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, the Intercontinental Championship was recognized as being the championship that the superior wrestlers, like Henning, Savage and Steamboat carried. Holding the Intercontinental Championship made you arguably the second most important champion in wrestling and often went on second-to-last on major shows; a far cry from the curtain-jerking status it has today.

What a lot of people forget about Hart was that he wasn't necessarily a young wrestler when he first captured the world title; he was 35 years and had already been wrestling for around 15 years. Most fans only really remember Hart's career from his reigns as Intercontinental Champion on, but he had accomplished so much before that, including being a tremendous tag team wrestler and anchoring one of the more prominent wrestling territories in the industry. Hart may have only had a five or six year run as a top guy in wrestling, but his resume is much thicker than that.

I think the singularly greatest feud of the 1990s is Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin. As a heel, Bret Hart found a voice that rang similarly to Superman in the same era. Superman, disillusioned at the brand of justice Americans clamored for, grew distance and judgmental. Bret Hart, too, didn't believe that heroes should cross certain lines. If you read Kingdom Come, Bret and Austin come across like Superman and Magog. Austin considers Bret archaic just like Magog thinks Superman's time has passed. This feud just proved to be remarkably well-established, with themes that really lit up the crowds wherever Bret went. Austin really became a superstar as a result of his interactions with Bret, and that's a testament to just how great Bret was on the stick and in the ring.

Of course, I'm probably expected to talk about the Montreal Screwjob and the the soulless Bret Hart that sort of floated like a ghost through WCW afterwards, but I prefer not to think about that era. I certainly don't blame Bret for losing his love for wrestling at the time, especially coupled with the death of his brother. I'd rather remember that, in 1997, Bret Hart was truly the best there was.
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What sucks most is that Bret had JUST found his voice again with NWO 2000 - able to channel his bitterness into good onscreen product just as injury put him on the sidelines. Imagine how much better things are if Jarrett is merely brets second banana instead of the focus of the show

I am low-key shocked Bret is even this low btw.
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WCW ghost Bret is underrated. Him not giving a damn about his career there for most of it led to some hilarious promos. The infamous El Dandy promo being the best of the lot but he had a lot of good ones from that time. Will never agree with people who said Bret was not a good promo.

Also 17 IS MUCH TOO LOW.
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#16 - William Regal Nominated by: IHateThisCPU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hImofL_MgWc" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_qE21nmfCA" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkC44Lk5S2w" data-time="

Regal was so good at playing a jerk that it overshadowed his talent in the ring. But watch him carefully during his matches, and youll realize one thing: This man lived and breathed professional wrestling and did it better than almost anyone else. He knew a thousand different holds, submission maneuvers, and slams, and he was incredibly talented at storytelling in the ring. Take a look at almost any clip of him, and youll see what I mean. Despite his hammy but forceful acting that really nailed the era of wrestling from which it originated, Regal was actually one of the best in the ring. And it's not like he has a ton of extremely well-regarded matches under his belt. It's that Regal could be stuck on Velocity with some opener who had no experience whatsoever and still come away with a decent match, regardless of whether the other guy had any real skill or ability. And thats why Regal is so criminally underrated. His best moments are these low-key, subtle actions that are best appreciated in hindsight.

I've always wondered what the 2008 Regal World Title run could have looked like. Between main event caliber matches and excellent backstage promos, I feel like Regal could have led an entire show to a very entertaining pinnacle of sports entertainment-style television. The unique ability Regal always had to command the TV screen was unparalleled. He was a rare talent that could pull off comedy segments without de-legitimizing his character, and between that and his chameleon-like ability to work with anyone in the ring, I'd have to say that he's probably the most overlooked gem in the modern history of the business.
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heck yea Regal's great
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I was so sad when Regal got suspended just after that thing which looked like it might be a Main Event Run. I think his "cut the lights" as GM gimmick was the most hype ending to a Raw in the past 10 years. More hype than the pipebomb.
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#15 - Eric Bischoff Nominated by: Lopen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpzQfpcl3k8" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoZUXeKIPwE" data-time="

Eric Bischoff, liar, snake oil salesman, cheat, slick tactician, businessman. If you know anything about me, you know that I'm an avid comics fan. And one of my all time favorite characters in comics is Maxwell Lord, the clever businessman who foists himself into the position of corporate executive of an entire era of internationally flavored Justice Leagues. Bischoff, both on-screen and off, is the very definition of Maxwell Lord. Completely disingenuous, a politician, a man who hides vile behind a smile. The fact that Bischoff is simultaneously an underdog hero of sorts and a complete villain makes him such a compelling figure in wrestling history.

The narrative of Bischoff vs. Vince McMahon is such a unique and unprecedented one in wrestling history. It will likely never be duplicated. Bischoff's sudden fortuitious rise to the top of the WCW hierarchy led to the single biggest boom period in the history of wrestling. It wasn't just the NWO (which was virtually his own idea, including all of the pitfalls that accompanied it), it was the entire structure of WCW from top to bottom. Eric loved fast moving segments, rapid-fire promos, and a certain attention to the flow of a show. It's why that the bad on Nitro wasn't that bad under his tenure; if it sucked, it was short. You weren't just interminably bored. It was entertainingly bad. And when it was good, it didn't linger too long. You were ready for more the following week. In look at 1996-1997 WCW as a perfect example of how to book a wrestling TV show. Bischoff had an excellent format developed, and yet he wasn't afraid to change up once and a while just to keep things unpredictable. He never threw out what didn't work in this era; instead he tried to prevent anything from overstaying its welcome, and I think he did so to great success.

Of course, Bischoff had to juggle Turner execs on top of wrestling egos, and this eventually led to the collapse of his position in 1999. I don't particularly blame Bischoff for this. His system had flaws to be sure; a top-heavy card, WCW suffered when it couldn't push blooming talents into meaningful positions. The backstage politics of WCW was something to behold, since Bischoff believed in being a friend to the boys in a world where he had nearly 200 guys on partial or full-time contracts. When the money began pouring in, Bischoff reinvested it in future talent but was never able to capitalize on the massive pool of waiting future stars that needed stronger pushes.

Bischoff has always been a man who wants to write his own history, and when you look at him in his waning years on podcasts now, he very much is hoping to capitalize on what I consider the fake news epidemic. Bischoff will flat out contradict historians and reporters, impugning their character and insulting them extremely personally in an effort to discredit them and make his agenda appear more genuine. It's a very carny attitude to have, and one that makes perfect sense with Bischoff. It's also caused him to drop in my personal rankings as of late. This is a shame, since Bischoff was at one point an innovator, a risk-taker, and a man who was uncomfortably close to unseating Vince McMahon as the greatest wrestling mind of an era. Sadly, it looks like that keen manipulator has verged into a style of self-promotion and propaganda that I find distasteful. But when I look back at the good years of Eric, I have to admit that he was an extremely interesting character in the history of wrestling.
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Hell yeah Bischoff. As probably the board's #1 Bischoff fan I do think it's a fair ranking all things considered, though I suspect I may be the only one.

I'm curious, and this may be difficult-- but if Bischoff was just a wrestling character who was like, just a crooked authority figure/mouthpiece type on screen, how would you rank him? Significantly lower I assume, but I'm just curious how much you actually liked the on screen character-- I mean I know there is some fondness there from the write-up but you didn't talk about it much at all (in fairness there's a lot to cover with him) so it's unsure.

Also where do you expect Vince McMahon would rank were he actually nominated?
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I wanna second that - you barely talked about his onscreen character and Im curious
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Lopen posted...

I'm curious, and this may be difficult-- but if Bischoff was just a wrestling character who was like, just a crooked authority figure/mouthpiece type on screen, how would you rank him? Significantly lower I assume, but I'm just curious how much you actually liked the on screen character-- I mean I know there is some fondness there from the write-up but you didn't talk about it much at all (in fairness there's a lot to cover with him) so it's unsure.

I just didn't have a LOT of space, and I think that the character of Bischoff on-screen is virtually identical to Bischoff off-screen. Again, he's Max Lord. Grinning, oozing a fake charm that is almost completely unsettling. Before he let his hair go gray, he was very much what I consider a Ken-doll style announcer, but he had this underlying dishonesty to him that worked really well. And he cut the singularly best heel authority figure promos in the business. I remember him getting pelted with stuff in the ring and just growing in his smile every time. THAT'S a great actor.

He would have ranked right behind Heenan I would guess if he was just Bischoff without the backstage presence.

Lopen posted...

Also where do you expect Vince McMahon would rank were he actually nominated?

I think the Vince character is nowhere near as good as the Bischoff heel character, and the real world actions of Vince are actually more of a turn-off to me than a positive. He would have ranked below Triple H on my list.
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Hm. I may actually completely agree with that post. Maybe a bit harsh on McMahon's on screen character (I wouldn't put him below Triple H but I also wouldn't have Triple H as high as you did so it probably about balances out), but otherwise yeah

Bischoff is definitely my favorite authority figure of all time and one of the only ones I actually enjoyed all things considered. Even his WWE run as Raw GM was entertaining. 3 MInute Warning was so fun.

I think in terms of authority figures for me it's like...

1. Bischoff
2. Regal
Distant 3. Vince McMahon (entirely for attitude era stuff-- his later appearances have been bad)
4. Teddy Long
5. Jack Tunney

With every other one having been a neutral or negative to the on air product. Kinda wish they hadn't become such a fixture in televised wrestling. We need more Jack Tunneys.
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Didn't expect it, but loving the Maxwell Lord reference.
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I actually agree with you on needing more Jack Tunney type characters. I don't really like having Shane McMahons for no reason. Shane was actually a great choice at the start of the brand split, but over time he just became woefully unnecessary since his character didn't make face decisions. You might as well have a Kurt-styled hobbled-by-heel-superiors GM at that point for all the logic you'll get out of them.

Tunney is that perfect balance of non-character and impartiality that allows a storyline decision to just flow without a character overshadowing the in-ring workers.

My list is easily Bischoff on top, but I would put Dario Cueto in the #2 spot. He's easily the greatest authority figure of the modern wrestling world.
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Mega Mana posted...

Didn't expect it, but loving the Maxwell Lord reference.

I really think it's easy to conflate Bischoff's betrayal of WCW and turn on Piper with Max Lord's betrayal of the Justice and turn on Ted Kord. It's eerily similar in a lot of ways.
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Oh

Cueto is totally #2. I just forgot about him. I love VIOLENCE just like him. He's like the heel version of Tunney in some ways (though attached to a much better promo) which I think is awesome because he's just out to dick over everyone
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Dario is actually a face character, yet makes so many heel decisions that the crowd will boo in the moment and immediately forget his bad behaviors because he is honestly the most compelling actor in wrestling. It's just unfair to rate a professional actor against non-professionals xD
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Yeah I suppose the fans in the temple (who are the only ones he's not actively out to dick over) like VIOLENCE too, generally, and he does give that across the board, so you could argue he's a face or just neither too. Either way he's very good at what he does! So good I've now spent as many posts talking about him as I have Bischoff, but what can you do.
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#14 - Asuka Nominated by: Snake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_qwbiHAzp4" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7A8K-ST69s" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJAx8LsXHHk" data-time="

I love Asuka. I love Asuka matches. I love Asuka promos that only last five words but seem to carry more weight than any other women's division promo. I love that little sideways glance she throws on top of a turnbuckle. I love her loud shrieks in Japanese in the ring. I love her outfit that looks like it was cobbled together from Crazy Quilt's old costume. I love her Twitter game. I love her appearances in anything outside of the canon WWE since she seems to have the utterly sweetest personality in the world.

Asuka is just my kind of champion. I don't even have that much to say about why she's currently my #2 female worker of all time and my #1 on this list. She's just awesome. It's not even a sexiness thing; the most attractive aspect of Asuka is her personality. Everything about Asuka just clicks for me. Maybe that's why, in my 30 year TEW file, Asuka has racked up a 5 year winning streak, only vacating the women's title so she could challenge for the Intercontinental Title. Now she has a two-year streak with that, where she continues to win in bigger and bigger feuds that should realistically end her run. Hell, I had her beat John Cena in a loser leaves town match, where the loser was sent to my Japanese brand.

Anyways, Asuka is the best. Asuka #1.
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Bret Hart was awesome throughout most of the 90s. Obviously his WM13 match (and feud) with Austin is the GOAT (or at least very close), but other things I really enjoyed watching from him include...

- His SummerSlam match with Undertaker; not only was it a good match, but it also had two great stories in the making: Hart's ongoing feud with HBK, and the beginning to HBK vs. Undertaker.
- Of course his matches with HBK, whether it was the Iron Man match or the Montreal Screwjob
- In terms of matches, his two gems in WCW will always be his matches with Ric Flair and Chris Benoit (Mayhem excluded). Bret vs. Benoit at the arena Owen died in was probably WCW's last great match ever between main eventers; Bret even wanted to put Benoit over, but the staff insisted that Bret won.
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Lopen posted...

Yeah I suppose the fans in the temple (who are the only ones he's not actively out to dick over) like VIOLENCE too, generally, and he does give that across the board, so you could argue he's a face or just neither too. Either way he's very good at what he does! So good I've now spent as many posts talking about him as I have Bischoff, but what can you do.

Dario saying "LADDER MATCH" would get those Money in the Bank matches over so much better than WWE did this year.
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ZeroSignal620 posted...

Bret vs. Benoit at the arena Owen died in was probably WCW's last great match ever between main eventers; Bret even wanted to put Benoit over, but the staff insisted that Bret won.

I love this match, and I love that Bret is actually a really generous worker. It's something that people tend to overlook when they talk about how he's a mark for himself. His problems really began and ended with Hogan and with Michaels.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

she's currently my #2 female worker of all time

Well now I must know since apparently #1 was not nominated. Behind who?
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I will always have a super-huge soft spot for Lita. When I was a kid, I just thought she was the coolest person in the world. She's one of the rare workers where peoples' criticisms of her actually make me like her more.
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William Regal was not backstage at Raw this week and his condition is very serious. From what I have heard from a few sources, the "stomach condition" we have been hearing that he has had for the past few weeks is actually a parasite that has shut down his lower intestines. Obviously, is a very serious matter. It is believed that Regal contracted the parasite during WWE's November 2002 tour of India. Regal has gained a lot of weight since the parasite has invaded his system, I believe due to fluid build up in his system. The truly scary thing about the condition is that doctors believe that their could be a gestation period of a year or more where other people who went on the tour could also be afflicted by parasites.

I remember that. Scary.

I don't think I ever heard that story. That sounds pretty awful.
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I liked Lita a lot too. And I totally get what you mean on the criticisms. Like... I think if she did a super pretty looking moonsault it would detract from the image she had. Her sloppy reckless wrestling style fits the character well. I mean I don't want to see her do a moonsault ever again after that last women's Rumble but back when she was an active wrestler I think she was just sloppy enough that it worked to her advantage.

Mickie is my #1. Asuka might actually be #2 and I honestly don't really have a problem with her being this high. Lita's probably top 5 though.

And related I would totally buy Asuka beating John Cena. Most women wrestlers I couldn't say that for but Asuka does have a certain air of credibility-- not just in her streak but in her wrestling style, that's hard to duplicate (at least in the US-- plenty of joshi could credibly kick Cena's ass too)
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scarletspeed7 posted...

in my 30 year TEW file

:O
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Lopen posted...

And related I would totally buy Asuka beating John Cena. Most women wrestlers I couldn't say that for but Asuka does have a certain air of credibility-- not just in her streak but in her wrestling style, that's hard to duplicate (at least in the US-- plenty of joshi could credibly kick Cena's ass too)

Someday I should post my TEW diary in its distended, ridiculous glory on here. I think you'd get a kick out of it although it's obscenely long. I literally have 6 brands running with 12 TV shows and one special event every week by the current end of the diary. By 2005, I've purchased virtually every promotion that exists aside from TNA.

And there's some really silly booking decisions. The saga of Undertaker is actually a pretty amusing legacy.

Mickie/Asuka as top two is a really good top two btw.
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do ittt
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Tom Bombadil posted...

do ittt

I probably will post it in some different form than a normal diary. Maybe do write-ups on character histories.
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I will definitely encourage that

Having a diary that actually gets updates (<_<) would reinvigorate the community!
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#13 - Lex Luger Nominated by: Tom Bombadil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEZkEH4mENQ" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEuQRggqU7A" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x23rlV0fdS0" data-time="

It's time. It's time to discuss the wrestler with the greatest sound effects in the history of the industry. It's time to discuss the man that, despite being considered by many to be a mediocre talent with failing mic skills, has a sizable fanbase on this board. It's time to discuss the Express that is... Lex.

Lex Luger, simply put, is the most integral part of the greatest relationship in the history of wrestling. And that relationship is founded upon Sting's Becky Lynchian overtrust issues and Lex Luger's lack of friendships anywhere else. From almost the very get-go, Lex would jettison himself from his best friend Sting time and again only to return to him when he burned bridges elsewhere. I think the best example of how Luger used Sting as an unknowing accomplice to Luger's own selfish ends springs out of Luger's return to WCW in 1995. As the Dungeon of Doom is gearing up its assault on the notion of Hulkamania, Luger stuns the audiences of WCW by returning outside of a Gap Clothing Outlet in Minnesota. Hogan and Savage don't trust Luger but Sting wholeheartedly embraces his old friend (who once tried to murder him as a member of the Four Horsemen less than a decade before), rebuffing the accusations made by Savage. Luger clearly is only interested in allying with Savage and Hogan so that he can worm his way into the title picture. Sting gives this impassioned plea, and then after the Dungeon lose to Hulkamania, he begins tag teaming with Luger.

I think there aren't angles that are much better at explaining relationships than this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8VBOTk35tw" data-time="

Luger, in an effort to cover up his clear attempt to prevent his so-called friend from succeeding at a level above him, throws a match. But Luger, and I've always liked how he has this sort-of meat-headed jock personality, attempts to cleverly manipulate the good guy into thinking that he would never do this. "I was hurt Sting." "Look, let me prove it to you!" "We should be a tag team." Luger plays a risky game, bluffing that he has footage; Sting believes him and never calls for footage that would clearly incriminate Luger. Instead, Luger and Sting begin tag teaming. Sting believes that he's helping Luger repair his reputation and turn over a new leaf in this tag team.

In reality, Luger is using Sting to earn more gold. I will never forget one of my all-time favorite little angles. After Luger and Sting win the tag titles, they come out for an exhibition match against the Harlem Heat. Sting is high-fiving all the kids and waving, and Luger is right behind him doing the same thing. But every time Sting turns his back on Luger, Luger starts ignoring the kids and pushing them away while rolling his eyes. If Sting turns back around, however, Luger is suddenly high-fiving and glad-handing the crowd again.

This is just a little snippet of the relationship that I think was the best part of WCW for a long time. Sting and Luger would separate and rejoin from time to time. It was Luger's distrust of Sting that led to Sting becoming the Crow, and it was the reparation of their relationship that brought Sting into the nWo Wolfpac.

Luger also was the hottest WCW in 1997 for a while. For a brief period he held the World Title, stealing it out from under Hogan. But Luger isn't a hero. He's a coward, and he always wants the easy way out. That's why he dropped the title back to Hogan a few days later. Sure, he COULD be the top guy, but Luger isn't the hero WCW needs. He's only in it for Luger. And that's why he's so great. Because, inevitably, Luger's demons will always shout down his better angels.
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I am so glad the majority of your Luger write-up was talking about that angle with Sting where he was being the disingenuous friend. That's legit one of my favorite wrestling storylines and a big part of the reason I have a love for Luger too. He was so good at being just phony enough that it was obvious to us that he was lying through his teeth, but not so much that it strained credibility that Sting could possibly trust this guy. Sting played his part too of course.

But in general I've always pretty much liked Luger as a heel. Whether it was Nar Sis Us or The Total Package. As a face I didn't care for him but I respect how hot he was with the crowd in WCW at least and how over he got that Torture Rack despite it being, frankly, a kinda stupid move. Kinda drives home how good he was at maximizing what in ring skill he had, that and the equally stupid flying forearm being his finishers and both being pretty over. I guess the forearm had DA METAL PLATE gimmick to help it out but still.

Maybe a little overrated at #13 to me because all praise considered I can't name a single Luger match I liked much... but... maybe not!
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Metal plate gimmick is amazing, but I wanted to concentrate on WCW because as a character he was just a very compelling watch.

Lopen posted...

Maybe a little overrated at #13 to me because all praise considered I can't name a single Luger match I liked much... but... maybe not!

This is one of those times that I will actually say that you don't need to have the greatest matches in the world if you can remain a compelling character. You only need to get over for the amount of time you're on the screen.
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Oh I definitely agree. But at the same time a lack of great matches is a bit of a void in being, heh, a total package as a wrestler. Even Warrior had a few of matches I really liked (his mania matches with Savage and Hogan, and his cage match with Rude at Summerslam)

However, it also helps that Luger's matches, while not generally good, never were bad to the point where they'd actively drag the show down. Cause at the very least he could pump up the crowd as a face or get the other guy over as a heel with his expressions and such. His matches generally being on the shorter end probably helped too, since as you said you only need to be over for the amount of time you're on screen.
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If you think about it, Lex Luger being on screen for five minutes and being enjoyable is exactly why I dislike Triple H. He would be on screen for 30 minutes, and 2 of them would be interesting.
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If you had to tell me to watch a random Triple H match or a random Lex Luger match I'm taking the Luger match 10/10 times I'll say that much.
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now that I've seen some of his earlier stuff I kinda feel like Luger is underrated in-ring honestly

also I am pretty sure that the Luger/Sting dynamic went like 90% over my head as a kid lol, I just thought he was cool.
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I just suffered through mid90s wcw as part of my OSWReview watchalong and let me tell you - Lex was fucking excellent all through that time period.

Its to the point where I almost regret that the nWo happened because they were on track toward making Luger a really gigantic heel main event act that would have been really excellent.

He was fine in his face role opposing the WCW but...man what might have been.

And I will always ALWAYS be Team Lex for WMX. Breaks my heart every time.

To me he stands out as being probably better than he was just because we don't see characters like him right now who get over in 2 minutes what it takes them a half hour opening segment to get over now.

Proof that Mic skills and charisma are two different things and his characters were just never static. That good mat wrestlibg and moves arent required to be a good wrestler.

I dunno I just love lex.
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Eddv posted...

it takes them a half hour opening segment to get over now.

half hour opening segments are why people don't get over now.
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I was just talking story, not like getting over the wrestler.

Though yes youre right
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Indeed
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I watched a match featuring the next entry on the list tonight.
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#12 - Minoru Suzuki Nominated by: CybrMonkey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbKTdcTyGDA" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5AwTUbKTZI" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGR0O1sd_QQ" data-time="

It's been said that Minoru Suzuki is the most terrifying human being in the history of the known universe, and I would concur with that assertion. His brutality and unpredictability make him a monster the likes of which WWE has never come close to creating. Suzuki belongs in the world of the Yakuza games, but instead we've been cursed to fear for our lives as he destroys worker after worker with his phenomenally hard-hitting shoot style.

Minoru Suzuki is one of the greatest wrestlers I have ever seen. He is fully in tune with his heel character from his wrestling style to pre/post match antics to even how he behaves in press conferences. On top of that he's one of the greatest technical wrestlers, has a ton of great matches, and is one of the few heels that even the smartest fans will say they are completely terrified of. He's definitely like Top 5 in the world right now, at least for heels, but he's putting in a bid for one of the greatest ever.

And also, the Ishii/Suzuki feud? I'm more excited for that match than I was for any Okada/Omega bout. That's going to feature punches that reverberate on Saturn's rings.
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