baltimoresun.com

« Raw is Fun | Main | Kevin Nash’s tired act »

December 12, 2007

Greatest stars in Raw history

Vince McMahon might have proclaimed himself as the biggest superstar in the history of Raw during Monday’s 15-year anniversary show, but the debate rages on. Actually, it’s pretty clear-cut who the real top star is, and it’s not the WWE chairman.

Here’s my list of the 10 biggest stars of the Raw years, followed by the top five female stars:

1.“Stone Cold” Steve Austin: Honestly, is there really any other choice? The “Texas Rattlesnake” was the central figure in WWE turning the tide and winning the wrestling war with WCW.

2. The Rock: I was always more of a Rock guy than an Austin guy, but the fact is that Rock became a bigger mainstream star, while Austin was a bigger wrestling star. Still, no pro wrestler has ever been more entertaining than “The Great One.”

3. Vince McMahon: Everyone knows that a great babyface needs a great heel to go against, and McMahon and Austin were magic together. While the Austin feud was clearly McMahon’s best on-screen work, the evil Mr. McMahon character remains an enduring part of Raw.

4. Shawn Michaels: When Raw first started, Michaels was among the best all-around performers in the business. He eventually became the best (in my opinion), and he’s still one of WWE’s elite workers.

5. Triple H: He is a polarizing figure among wrestling fans because he is McMahon’s son-in-law, but “The Game” didn’t marry into a top spot – he was already there before he walked down the aisle with Stephanie McMahon.

6. Mick Foley: Whether he was playing a demented sadist, a hardcore legend, a lovable monster with a hand-sock or a tie-dye-clad dude, Foley always was fun to watch.

7. Bret Hart: “The Hitman” was on top during the early years of Raw, and he also played a major role in helping the characters of Austin and McMahon take off the way they did.

8. The Undertaker: Year in and year out, The Undertaker has been in the top mix. His character has evolved over the years, but he is as popular today as ever.

9. Chris Jericho: “Y2J” might not have been pushed quite at the level of the others on this list, but his in-ring work, charisma and promo skills have always been top-tier-worthy.

10. John Cena: Some love him, some hate him, but there’s no denying that he’s been the face of the company for a couple years now.

TOP FIVE FEMALE STARS

1. Chyna: Starting out as Triple H’s masculine-looking bodyguard, she eventually mixed it up in the ring with men and later morphed into a Playboy cover girl. She was a huge star when WWE was at its zenith.

2. Sable: WWE’s first Playboy cover girl was wrestling’s “it girl” during the incredibly successful “Attitude era.”

3. Trish Stratus: No one combined the “diva look” with in-ring skills as well as her.

4. Lita: With her tattoos, punk-rock look and high-risk maneuvers, Lita distinguished herself from the other WWE divas. Later, she helped Edge become the top heel in the business.

5. Sunny: She was the original WWE diva, but well-publicized personal problems de-railed her career.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:42 AM | | Comments (5)
        

Comments

WWE provided fresh colorful storylines and engaging new characters. For me, there were two rivalries that brought me over from WCW. DX vs. Nation of Domination and Stone Cold vs. "The Boss." HHH vs. Rock was a clash of titans. Both guys could talk a streak and then get in the ring and back it up. The lengths Vince would go to to screw Austin only to have Austin outwit him in the end was the classic poetic justice storyline.
I read "The Death of WCW" and its an accurate account. WCW's downfall was inevitable. There are only so many times you can retread a tire. WWE is suffering a lot from that same problem today. WWE has groomed a few new talents (Cena, MVP, Batista) but for the most part, these are the same guys we have been looking at for 10 years now. Eventually, HHH and Undertaker need to start stepping down a little and giving the prime spots to more deserving athletes.

Everyone you listed was right on the money, but the show has 2 hours to kill, and in that time alot of the lesser names filled that slot perfectly...Edge & Christian were always fun to watch, Hardy's, The Dudley Boys, Eddie Gurrero when he was PAPI CHULO was hysterical, Too Cool w/ Rakishi...even "Sexual Choclolate" Mark Henry...these were the guys who filled in when the main guys werent on, and sometimes they were more entertaining than the main eventers!! There needs to be a Top 10 Mid-Carders list!!!

Why can't The Goon ever catch a break?

Top 10? Where's Wahoo McDaniel?

(tongue-in-check)!

Kevin:

I would include Jim Ross in the top 10 list. He has been on the show a long time and he plays a key role to selling each and every story line.

Post a comment

All comments must be approved by the blog author. Please do not resubmit comments if they do not immediately appear. You are not required to use your full name when posting, but you should use a real e-mail address. Comments may be republished in print, but we will not publish your e-mail address. Our full Terms of Service are available here.

Please enter the letter "v" in the field below:
About Kevin Eck
The Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck blogs about professional wrestling.
E-mail Kevin.
-- ADVERTISEMENT --

Cast your vote
Most Recent Comments
Photo galleries
Sign up for FREE local sports alerts
Get free Sun alerts sent to your mobile phone.*
Get free Baltimore Sun mobile alerts
Sign up for local sports text alerts

Returning user? Update preferences.
Sign up for more Sun text alerts
*Standard message and data rates apply. Click here for Frequently Asked Questions.
Blog updates
Recent updates to baltimoresun.com sports blogs  Subscribe to this feed
Charm City Current
Stay connected