Top 10 all-around performers
The recent retirement of Ric Flair has sparked a lot of talk about who the greatest wrestler of all time is. It’s a complex question because everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a great wrestler. Is it the best worker? The biggest box office draw? The biggest crossover celebrity? What about longevity?
I think a less ambiguous question would be: Who is the best all-around performer? I define that as the wrestler who possesses the best combination of in-ring ability, charisma and promo skills. Following that criteria, I have come up with a list of my top 10.
Wrestlers who excelled in one aspect but were significantly deficient in another did not make the cut. For example, Hulk Hogan, the biggest star in the history of wrestling, did not make the list because his in-ring work was average at best. On the flip side, an outstanding worker such as Chris Benoit did not make the list because he was ordinary as far as charisma and promos.
I only considered wrestlers that I have seen enough of to judge. Therefore, legends such as Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers, who would be included in any discussion of the all-time greats, aren’t on the list. I also didn’t consider wrestlers such as Harley Race, Verne Gagne, Jack Brisco, Terry Funk and others because I didn’t see much of them in their primes. I have been watching wrestling for more than 35 years, but, having grown up in Baltimore, the only exposure I had to any wrestling other than WWE prior to the early 1980s was in magazines.
Back to Flair. A strong argument can be made for him being the greatest wrestler of all time, especially when factoring in longevity, drawing power and the fact that he inspired many of today’s stars to pursue a career in wrestling.
One of those stars is Shawn Michaels. And while Michaels likely won’t be regarded as the greatest of all time, he does get the nod over Flair as the best all-around performer that I have ever seen.
Here’s my top 10:
1. Shawn Michaels: As a heel, “The Heartbreak Kid” exudes cockiness and is a superb bump-taker. As a babyface, his selling is top notch and he is both charismatic and sympathetic. No matter which role he plays, Michaels is a great worker, a master of ring psychology and strong on promos. Michaels, who has earned the moniker of “Mr. WrestleMania” for often stealing the show at WWE’s signature event, incorporates mat wrestling, Lucha Libre moves and brawling into his repertoire. Perhaps the greatest testament to Michaels’ ability is the fact that an array of wrestlers have had their best matches against him.
2. Ric Flair: It has often been stated that Flair could have a great match with a broomstick, and that isn’t much of an exaggeration considering some of the limited wrestlers that looked like a million bucks thanks to him. Flair was among the most charismatic wrestlers ever and one of the all-time best on the microphone. No one was better than the “Nature Boy” at talking fans into the building. The only knock against him is his versatility in the ring, as he often wrestled the same match no matter who he was working with.
3. The Rock: The eyebrow-raising superstar being this high on the list might raise a lot of eyebrows, but it shouldn’t. While most fans will focus on his unparalleled charisma and highly entertaining work on the microphone, Rock actually was very underrated as a worker. Was he a mat technician like Benoit or Dean Malenko? No, but he was smooth in the ring and athletic, and he had more than his share of good-to-great matches. As The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer once said to me, with Rock’s charismatic personality, he was much better in the ring than he really needed to be.
4. Kurt Angle: The Olympic gold medalist proved to be a fast learner after entering pro wrestling. Not only is he a tremendous mat wrestler, but he will occasionally break out a moonsault – including once off the top of a steel cage. Serious neck and spinal injuries have taken a toll, but he still as among the elite workers today. Angle also knows how to connect with the crowd, especially when he works as a heel. He has shown range as a character, as he has effectively portrayed an intense shooter and also demonstrated a flair for comedy.
5. Randy Savage: “The Macho Man” adeptly combined his speed and agility with an effective brawling style. He not only had great matches with other great workers such as Rick Steamboat – their match at WrestleMania III is considered one of the best ever – but also with lesser workers such as The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. Savage was one of the most distinctive and colorful characters of the ’80s and ’90s. His promos sometimes didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but they were intense and often humorous.
6. Steve Austin: He basically had two careers in one. As “Stunning Steve,” a heel with flashy robes and long blond hair, Austin was regarded as a very good worker with average charisma and promo skills. When he shaved his head, grew a goatee, put on black tights and black boots and became the no-nonsense, trash-talking “Stone Cold,” he became one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry. During the “Stone Cold” years, injuries to Austin’s neck and knees slowed him a bit in the ring, but he still was a good worker and one of the best brawlers ever. He also developed a promo style that really connected with fans.
7. Bret Hart: “The Hitman” also was known as “The Excellence of Execution,” and with good reason. Hart was very smooth in the ring and a fantastic technical wrestler. He was regarded as being bland before he received a singles push, but his somewhat understated personality eventually connected with fans and his promo skills improved. Hart was at his all-around best during his transformation he from bitter babyface to full-fledged heel in 1997.
8. Chris Jericho: Before making it big in WCW and even bigger in WWE, Jericho honed his craft all over the world, learning a variety of styles in places such as Mexico, Japan and Germany. Once a high flyer and risk-taker, Jericho began toning down his style several years ago, but he still can go and he understands ring psychology. Effective as a charismatic babyface or a smarmy, smirking heel, Jericho is adept at cutting serious promos as well as humorous ones.
9. Rick Steamboat: He was as good a worker as anybody on this list. “The Dragon” has participated in matches that are considered among the best ever, specifically against Flair and Savage. In the late ’70s and ’80s, Steamboat was the prototype for a babyface, and he never worked as a heel during his 18-year career. Steamboat, who had charisma but not in an over-the-top manner, was great at selling for the heels. He would have placed higher on the list if not for his average promos.
10. “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig: When it comes to in-ring ability, Henning wasn’t perfect, but he was close. Everything he did in the ring looked smooth, and he was a great mat technician and fantastic bump-taker. Although he had been AWA champion, Henning was at his best as the cocky “Mr. Perfect” in WWE. Hennig’s character wasn’t as effective as a babyface, but he definitely had a strong heel persona. His promos were decent, but not anything special.
Comments
Don't know how far back you are going but leaving Bruno Samartino and Bob Backlund off the list is a mistake in my opinion,without them,the WWE,TNA,etc,etc,wouldn't be what it is today.And Dusty Rhodes in his prime wasn't bad either,lol.Man I miss some of the old NWa and AWA shows,Freebirds,Rock and Roll Express,THe Koloofs,The Moondogs,The Samoans,I think back in those days the tag team wrestling was as good or better than the solo titles.And Captain Lou Albano will always be one of my favorite characters ever,lol.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I love Bruno but he was a puncher and kicker, not much of mat technician. Promos were pretty ordinary, too. Backlund was a good but not great worker, with questionable charisma and below average mic skills.
Posted by: Burt from Essex | April 24, 2008 3:37 AM
If your going to say the Rock then you also have to put Austin Idol in there...
Posted by: BigDg | April 24, 2008 6:08 AM
Why not John Cena in this list?
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: He'd probably be in my top 20. Obviously he has the charisma and promo skills, but his work in the ring, while I think it's a lot better than people give him credit for, isn't at the level of the guys I have listed.
Posted by: Ricky | April 24, 2008 6:22 AM
Always enjoy your column, Kevin. With only 10 spots it's inevitable that some deserving wrestlers would be left off. But one that can't be overlooked is Sting. He is the best overall wrestler I have ever seen. He had it all--power, agility, charisma--and could overcome any obstacle. Granted, his later years in the ring have been spotty, but mainly due to his personal values. Who would I remove? The Rock--not in the ring long enough--and Curt Henning, whose early years (AWA) were pretty mediocre.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Sting was a decent worker but I never cared for his promos.
Posted by: Bill Madway | April 24, 2008 8:09 AM
any top10 great performers list is incomplete without Hulk, no matter how you try to justify it!!!
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Hulk would be No. 1 on my list of the biggest stars of all time, but as an all-around perfomer, his ring work is nowhere near the level of the guys on the list.
Posted by: zak | April 24, 2008 8:19 AM
I think Sting should have made his way onto this list somehow.
No love for the Undertaker, either, hm?
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Undertaker's character has always kind of prevented him from delivering great promos. Plus, there was a time when I found his matches to be boring, but that certainly isn't the case anymore.
Posted by: JTK | April 24, 2008 8:47 AM
Hard to argue against anyone on your list, but I would have included Mick Foley. His matches ranged from very good to "oh my God, what's he going to do next". And only Kurt Angle could rival him on comedic promos.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I am a big fan of Mick's as a performer and as a person, but I just don't think he can be called a great worker. His brawling/big bump style was entertaining for sure.
Posted by: Ruben | April 24, 2008 9:19 AM
What about the Undertaker?
(The best pure striker in the history of sports entertainment, as Cole likes to remind us every single match)
Posted by: John | April 24, 2008 10:16 AM
Great stuff. You're right that it's hard to decipher what makes the "best" wrestler. I always tended toward workrate. Guys like Eddie Guererro, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, WIlliam Regal, Fit FInlay and the like had be from hello.
Posted by: GMan | April 24, 2008 12:40 PM
Two words: Perry Saturn. Number one!
Eck, I don't think your defense of the Sting omission really got the job done. While the man slowed down in his 40s, he still put on exciting match with good hype and good skills, certainly on par with the Hitman.
That said, I think something that should be considered is how some of these guys stayed well past their expiration date. I think that really tarnishes legacies and should take away from being "great." I always enjoyed Flair, especially some of his WWE work with the Macho Man, but I will always remember the last Nitro when he wrestled Sting in a t-shirt. Yikes.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I just don't see Sting on par with Hart as far as working, but that's only my opinion. An argument could be made that he was as big a star as Hart. I really didn't look at longevity or guys staying around too long. I was mainly judging them by their prime years.
Posted by: JTK | April 24, 2008 2:22 PM
I'm skeptical of any list that leaves out Ivan Putski.
Posted by: bigterpfan | April 24, 2008 2:22 PM
You should do a list of the most underrated wrestlers of all time. Guys who were great in their time but never mentioned when a list like this comes around. Guys like Barry Windham, Nikkita Koloff, Tully Blanchard, Magnum T.A. (yes, I just watched the 4 Horesman DVD!!!!).
I agreed w/ most of the list w/ the exception of ommiting Mick Foley, and I would have taken Macho Man off the list...in his latter years in WWF and his entire WCW stint I thought he was way past his primeand was always bored watching his matches. And what about some of the ECW guys? I think Raven was a great worker as well as a great talker. And RVD (although he never did have great mic skills, but his in-ring performance was so good it might overshadow his lack of mic skills).
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Of the guys you mentioned, I only considered Blanchard and Windham. Tully was more of an all-around performer. Windham was a better worker but his promos were average at best.
Posted by: Mike | April 24, 2008 2:46 PM
Only one name is missing, local legend Van Hammer. Need I say more?
Posted by: J | April 24, 2008 2:57 PM
Great list.
What really bums me out about the current scene is that I can't think of one performer who I can see eventually surpassing anyone on this list.
Back in the territory days, there were so many greats at once...
If only Don Muraco were around today...
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I hate to keep saying this guy or that guy would be in my top 20 , but Muraco is one of those guys. I had a working list of about 20-25 names and then whittled it down to 10. Some other guys that were considered that haven't already neen mentioned include Eddie Guerrero, Triple H, Rey Mysterio, Ted DiBiase, Brian Pillman and Rick Rude.
Posted by: Adam Annapolis | April 24, 2008 2:57 PM
George "the Animal" Steele and the "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka top my list.
Posted by: lefty | April 24, 2008 3:08 PM
Lists, such as this, will always divide fans. You are right about not including Hogan in this particular list or Sting. Shawn Michaels quite rightly deserves his place at the top ahead of Flair. And I know you are a big Rock fan, as am I, but I was surprised to see him that high in your list. But as you say, because his promos etc were fantastic, it overshadowed the fact he was good performer.
Interestingly, do you think any of the current younger crop in TNA or WWE or elsewhere could elevate themselves into the list? I really do admire Randy Orton..... think he is a good performer, cuts good promos and gets the right response as a heel. Edge surely will be there too in years to come for similar reasons.
Posted by: Wayne | April 24, 2008 3:53 PM
How about Taz? His ECW promos were classic and there's no way you can deny his in ring work. He pulled out supplexes never seen before in the U.S. on guys that were over a foot taller and 100+lbs heavier like they were nothing. I'll never forget him T-boning Bam Bam Bigelow off the ramp and into the crowd like he was nothing back on an old ECW pay per view.
Posted by: nick | April 24, 2008 4:19 PM
Mr. Perfect was also a very good announcer, in my opinion. My favorite gem of his was in response to a Bryan "Crush" Adams vignette: "What a time this guys parents must have had with him, McMahon, with him walking around the house crushing everything."
Posted by: Christopher | April 24, 2008 4:41 PM
Two current guys who at least have to be included in the conversation are Edge and Christian. Another older guy is Piper. A guy who would be in this conversation if WWE had a clue is Carlito.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I loved Piper back in the day, but even I have to admit that as a worker he wasn't spectacular. The charisma and promos were tremendous.
Posted by: Kevin | April 24, 2008 4:48 PM
I think you're underestimating Bruno's wrestling ability. How about the lengthy match at a packed stadium with Pedro Morales. I don't think anyone was better at body slams. He once threw Haystacks Calhoun. His arm drag takedowns were awesome too. Bruno didn't start the rough stuff until the bad guy crossed the line.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I never saw the Bruno-Pedro match and only know it by reputation. Some think it was a classic and others think it was boring. When considering Bruno as a worker, I think you have to judge him by the standards of his era. Was he in a class with Thesz, Rogers, Race, Brisco, the Funks, Gagne, etc.? I think most old-timers will say no.
Posted by: Dave | April 24, 2008 4:55 PM
As a general comment I think you underestimate the effect strength and power bring to the equation, often overcoming better technical capability.
Steamboat was a great wrestler but simply didn't have the strength to compete with a Hogan or Sammartino. Same with Jericho or Flair.
Posted by: Dave | April 24, 2008 5:09 PM
Eck,
You lost cred with me: No Bruno, no Hulk, no Andre the Giant, no killer Kowaski, no blah, blah, blah blah. I think you wrote an article that is over your head and out of your league. PEACE OUT and Audi 5001.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I don't think you bothered to read the criteria for this list. Andre among the best workers or promo guys? You just lost cred with me. For the kind of list you're talking about -- which is basically ranking the greatest wrestlers of all time based on box office appeal, longevity, etc. -- check out this link. I did a piece for Wrestling Digest in 2002 in which I ranked the 50 greatest wrestlers of the past 50 years.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCO/is_6_3/ai_83760467/pg_1
Posted by: earl travis | April 24, 2008 5:13 PM
1.Flair - He is the number one reason why I watched wrestling.
2.Michaels - He made everyone better.
3. Undertaker
4. Angle - a complete package
5. Savage
6. Austin
7. Rock
8. Sting - He deserves to be in the Top 10. I enjoy watching him beat Flair at the GAMB at the arena.
9. RVD - Innovative
10. Steamboat - The Perfect face.
Posted by: Jay | April 24, 2008 6:07 PM
My Top 15 Picks (in no particular order)
The Undertaker
Shawn Michaels
Trish Stratus
Kurt Angle
Steve Austin
Rey Mysterio
Mick Foley
Ric Flair
Rob Van Dam
Shelton Benjamin
Lita
Eddy Guerrero
HHH
The Rock
And…
Al Snow
Posted by: Sean | April 24, 2008 6:18 PM
Thank you for mentioning Curt Hennig. I started following pro wrestling in the early 70s also, and "Mr. Perfect" was probably the most impressive wrestler I saw. Every move executed flawlessly, endurance, brawling skills, attitude, and ability to "sell it". Pro wrestling lost a bright light with his departure.
Posted by: TolosJohn | April 24, 2008 6:31 PM
Kevin , great topic ! Personally I would have to go with Flair topping the list . Also near thetop of my list would be Henning and Rude . Too bad the likes of Warrior and Benoit were so bad on the mike . I'm surpised ( not ) that no where in your list is the inclusion of a Scott Hall or Kevin Nash . On the ladies side Sherri Martell was right up there . Great read Kev . By the way an earlier post included Van Hammer , his mom lives down the street from me in my current residency of Hebron.
Posted by: jack in hebron | April 24, 2008 6:47 PM
Ivan Putski ??? Geo. Steele ???? How 'bout Rene' Goulet or Robert Goulet for that matter .
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Sure,why not. Let's throw in Bulldog Brower, Haystacks Calhoun, S.D. Jones and The Wolfman -- how's that for an obscure reference?!
Posted by: jack in hebron | April 24, 2008 6:55 PM
what about eddie guerrero?? i thought he was a total package!
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: He was very, very close to being in my top 10. Top 15 no question. Great worker, charismatic but promos were inconsistent. Remember, this is just one man's opinion.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 24, 2008 7:29 PM
My Top 10:
1. Man Mountain Rock
2. Max Moon
3. Mantar
4. Aldo Montoya
5. Damien Demento
6. Warlord
7. The Blue Meanie
8. Mike Knox
9. Spirit Squad
10. Adam "Pacman" Jones
Kidding...
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: You forgot Bastion Booger.
Posted by: mr. bronson | April 24, 2008 7:37 PM
The " Wolfman " ? You got me on that one Kev . You made that up . Rest up for the upcoming TNA bash , er , bashing :)
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Check this out. http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling/wolfman.html
Posted by: jack in hebron | April 24, 2008 7:49 PM
I am giving my age away but in my opinion wrestling back in the old days was much better. I am not saying that the modern wrestlers aren't better athletes and much stronger but it sure was more fun in the day's of bruno, argentina apollo, grilla monsoon, arnold scholan, sky low low, the shiek, ernie ladd, etc etc. Just a opinion.
Posted by: bob lancione | April 24, 2008 7:55 PM
I know everyone has their own opinion , but I think many missed the point of list .
Posted by: jack in hebron | April 24, 2008 7:59 PM
Kevin, YOU ARE THE MAN ! Thanks for "Wolfman" info I'll never doubt you again . Looking at photo of Wolfman reminded me of my neighbor , only thing missing was a "brew " in hand . Now that your'e softened up , I'm sure tomorrows TNA report will be steller .
Posted by: jack in hebron | April 24, 2008 8:21 PM
I don't see how Curt Hennig beats out either Triple H or Edge. He was a solid mid-carder, but there's a reason he never rose to the main event level in WWF or WCW.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Hennig did work main events in WWE against Hogan. It was a different era in WWE at that time, though. The top guys in WWE during Hennig's big run were Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. A guy like Hennig just wasn't going to be given a title run. If Hennig would have come along in this decade, I have no doubt that he'd have been a multi-time world champion. It is a fact that he wasn't as big a star as Triple H or Edge, but in his prime I believe that he was a better all-around performer.
Posted by: eLo | April 24, 2008 11:12 PM
I really think this is a strong list, but if it was my list, I'd have a hard time not including Ted Dibiase and HHH. I'm a big Rick Rude fan as well, but I think he would probably fall out of my top 10. I'd have to get HHH and Dibiase in my list, though. I'd probably drop Steamboat for one. I think his promos were consistently sub-par, and I don't think he was very versatile outside the ring. I'm not sure he could have made a good heel. If this was just a top 10 workers list, I'd definitely keep him in there. As for the other guy I'd drop, god that's tough. It would probably come down to Bret Hart or Y2J.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Good points.
Posted by: Rob | April 24, 2008 11:38 PM
Being a fan for 35 years, I have seen many national and regional promotions both live and on television. I must say your list is pretty much dead-on. I would have given consideration the "American Love Machine" Art Barr (NOT that horrible Juicer version). At the latter stages of his short career he could work a crowd and was fairly technically sound. Ohhh, if I could only hear Iceman King Parsons use "rooty-pooty" one more time.
Posted by: Jeff | April 25, 2008 12:00 AM
While I do think Rock is an underrated worker, I don't know that his skills in this category are sufficient to get on this list, let alone be number 3. I wouldn't have much of a problem with him being on it, but I think there's a BIG omission on your list, according to your criteria as I understand it. Just so we're straight, we're judging basically on a combo of mic skills and workrate, right? If so, I really believe Christian Cage deserves to be there more than Rock does. While I agree with you that people are too hard on Rock when it comes to working, I think Christian is a far superior worker to Rock, and has mic skills that are at least on par with him. I also don't think anyone else on the list deserves to be bumped for Rock, so I will contend that switching Rock for Christian would make it a much more solid list.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I like Christian a lot, and you make valid points. I also knew that Rock was a controversial pick at No. 3. That's the great thing about these lists. There is no right or wrong and they make for great debates. As for comparing the two, I don't think Christian is that much better than Rock as a worker, but I think Rock is significantly better than Cage as far as mic skills and charisma. That's no knock on Christian, who is charismatic and a good talker. But Rock, to me, just had off-the-charts charisma and mic skills.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 25, 2008 1:47 AM
Kevin,
I love this list, and I find it pretty spot on.
The only question I have from your working list of 20-25 wrestlers is where did Arn Anderson fall on this list?
AA to me was perhaps one of the most intense and believable guys on the mic I ever listened to. Quite simply, when he said he was going to take someone out, you believed him. And who can deny that he was a great worker who took his craft very seriously?
I always wished that he would have been given the opportunity to show he could be a top of the company guy. He would have been terrific in my opinion.
So while I do not quarrel with your top 10, it's rock solid, I just wanted to give some love to a guy who I always felt never really got his due because he was always the good company guy and played second banana to Flair or was content to flourish with lesser titles or tag gold.
P.S. - And hands down the best spinebuster in the history. The youtube clip of AA dropping the Undertaker in the Flair-UT match at Wrestlemania (With one ARM!) should be required viewing for guys who want to use the move.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I was a fan of Arn's, as well. Very good worker and outstanding promo skills. Lack of charisma was a drawback, although a case can be made that he was charismatic in his own way.
Posted by: Walter Hollman | April 25, 2008 5:37 AM
I agree that the Rock is underrated as an in-ring performer but I think you're underrating Mick Foley as well. Neither of them had the same technical mat style of Benoit or the flashy moves of HBK but they were solid workers that consistently delivered. Foley elevated many wrestlers to the next level including the Rock and HHH. Your list strikes me as being a tad bias towards the more traditional mat-based wrestling approach (no luca libre, no hardcore). I would personally drop Hennig and Steamboat in favor of Foley and Guerrero. Both Hennig and Steamboat were only suitable for one role (heel and face respectively) while the other wrestlers on the list, as well as Foley and Guerrero, got over with the crowd as both faces and heels. I also think Foley had many more outstanding matches that will be remembered better than Hennig's finest hour.
Posted by: Din | April 25, 2008 6:23 AM
What? No Shockmaster? :-)
Glad to see Shawn Michaels get his due. I've always felt, without question, he's one of the best all-around.
Posted by: hsoi | April 25, 2008 6:46 AM
Captain Lou Albano
Posted by: dj khalid | April 25, 2008 7:08 AM
Nice little list, but i would take curt henning out and put in eddie guerrero
Posted by: Lateddie | April 25, 2008 7:22 AM
Wow Kevin - I like your list a lot and the readers have made some compelling cases for many other stars. There is one guy that has been completely overlooked although he has held titles in WCW, WWE and TNA...Jeff Jarrett. He was at his best using the "Double J" heel persona, but has always been good in ring performer, cut solid promos and is the epitome of charisma. I would put him on the list rather Ricky Steamboat, who you noted had limited mic skills and charisma.
Posted by: Dionysus2.0 | April 25, 2008 9:04 AM
Bravo for picking HBK as your top choice. As you point out, Michaels could wrestle different styles. He also excelled in different eras more than anyone else. He was over as a high flying tag wrestler in the early 90s. He transitioned to a heel (in one of my all-time favorite turns). Then he was a top guy during the "New Generation" period (93-96?). He worked well in the atitude era, albiet briefly. ( think the original DX deserves a lot of credit despite their latest incarnation being annoying.) He returns in 2002 to put on some of the top matches of his career in whatever era this is. That's 3-4 different times in wrestling that he remained over and mostly a main eventer who put on good matches. I don't think you can say that for Hogan, Flair, The Rock, or Austin.
Posted by: seanhart | April 25, 2008 10:31 AM
SHAWN MICHAELS IS NO. 1
http://michaelhickenbottom.blogspot.com
Posted by: Christian | April 25, 2008 11:22 AM
I definitely agree with you on your placement of The Rock. The main thing to point out is his success in the movies; he had such a great persona and mic skills that his success in the movies is all the proof you need.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 25, 2008 11:26 AM
Just because I love list, after alot of consideration, here would be my top list (I went with all around performance. Some guys on my list have bad mic skills (or none at all!!) but their in ring ability make cancels that out!!)
1. Mick Foley
2. The Rock
3. Shawn Michaels
4. RVD
5. Sabu
6. Bret Hart
7. Edge
8. Mr. Perfect
9. Tazz
10. Barry Windham
Honorable Mentions:
Rick Rude
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Shelton Benjamin
Raven
Adrian Adonis
Posted by: Mike | April 25, 2008 11:31 AM
Anyone that thinks George Steele should be on this list needs to have their fan card revoked.
Eck- Were you ever much of an ECW fan? If so, what are your feelings about Raven, did you give him any consideration at all?
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I liked Raven in his prime. I thought he should have gotten a much bigger push when he was in WWE. I wouldn't put him in my top 10, though.
Posted by: John | April 25, 2008 12:06 PM
You forgot the Missing Link!
He cut unforgettable promos!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 25, 2008 1:25 PM
Great list although you didn't include any super-heavyweights...... Which you have to judge them differently because they simply can not have the same workrate as a smaller wrestler. Can anyone say **VADER TIME**????
Also no Undertaker, how can you possibly leave him off that list?
Shame you didn't see much of Harley Race when his prime..... I loved watching him wrestle, all his moves were designed for slow maximum impact, he was ugly as all get out, and funny at times, like Race trying to do headbutts on the JYD or Tony Altas which everyone in the stands knowing it would only hurt Race. Race also had tattoos before they were the norm in wrestling.
Posted by: Shawn Patrick | April 25, 2008 11:56 PM
This list can not be complete without the Enforcer Arn Anderson. He could make anyone look good and many times even made Flair look better. Ring Skills? He beat Hogan and Flair in the same week. The Greatest Wrestler never to win a Championship and his promo skills were excellent. "I don't want to toot my own horn but, toot toot"
Posted by: Don | April 26, 2008 12:40 AM
Not that I think he deserves to be on the list (based on the criteria), but have you ever seen any of Hogan's old Japanese matches? Rumor has it that they were more technical. I don't know how much more technical (and I seriously doubt it is to a degree that would earn him a spot here--I haven't seen them), but I was just curious.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I have seen some of them and they were more technical. I also saw a WWF title match between Backlund and Hogan from 1980 that went close to 40 minutes and was very good -- at least it seemed good when I was 13. But his work still wasn't at what I woud call an above average level.
Posted by: Alvaro | April 26, 2008 1:33 AM
I agree with Mike on Adrian Adonis. Good worker with good mic skills . Who can forget the "Flower Shop"? Also what about Sgt Slaughter? He was a decent ring performer who cut great promos as leader of the "Cobra Corps".
Posted by: david elzey | April 26, 2008 12:22 PM
Now that we've discussed the best in ring performers, what about the top ten best promo guys? Ric Flair has gotta have the number one spot for that.
Posted by: Sean | April 26, 2008 4:13 PM
William Regal's work seems very solid all-around. Where would you place him?
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: As a total package, I'd say he's above average but not among the elite.
Posted by: Steve | April 26, 2008 9:22 PM
Great list, although I would quibble somewhat with Ricky Steamboat and Bret Hart making the list. They were excellent wrestlers but a little lacking in the promo department. Even though I'm not a huge fan, HHH has to be in there somewhere. And while I was a huge fan, you were right for not having Sting on the list. He was extremely charismatic and a better than average worker, but his promos were nothing special. It's not the least bit ironic that the most he was over in his entire career was during the time he didn't say a single word.
I too always felt The Rock was a highly underrated worker. Sure he wasn't Benoit, but had several 4 and 5 star matches. But as underrated as Rock was, it pales in comparison to how underappreciated Randy Savage was as a worker. Anybody would could make Hogan and Warrior look above average as a worker has to be great in his own right. Still, he would be a top 5 worker just on the strength of his match with The Dragon alone.
Posted by: Joe Barber | April 27, 2008 5:31 PM
Good list but I disagree with two of your choices. Henning and Jericho out and HHH and Undertaker in.
Posted by: Marnie McGowan | April 28, 2008 2:11 AM
Some really great memories there. I have been watching wrestling since I was a kid in Iowa, so it's been over 40 years now. There is some great talent out there for sure. I just have really fond memories of guys like; Bobby "The Brain" Henan, Verne Gange, The Crusher, The Brusier, The Freebirds, The Midnight Express, The Von Erick's, Andre, Hulk, The 4 Horsemen. The list is endless when it comes to great entertainers and great athletics that helped build the billion dollar business it is today. My hats off to all those the men and women who gave everything they had to a business they loved. I don't think I could find a way to narrow it down to a top 100, much less a top 10.
Best wishes to Bobby Henan and his recovery. My prayers are with you. I'm trilled to hear you're better.
Bill
Posted by: BillyDaug | April 29, 2008 10:12 AM
I like your list a lot, and I can only think of a few omissions/additions I would make.
I knew you were a credible wrestling fan when I saw Curt Hennig on the list. The way that man use to move around the ring was uncanny. And no disrespect to Edge or Triple H, but they are not on par with Mr. Perfect.
I honestly don't see how you couldn't have Hogan on the list, he's just that big of a star. And lets think about it, if he wasn't so big as a megastar, can we really say that he would do the same finisher, three punches, big boot and leg drop? I personally think his best match was against Triple H at Backlash. It wasn't as big as the Ultimate Showdown in 1990, but I think it was a better worked match.
I've had a lot of talks with my brother, and we've agreed that Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Ricky Steamboat and Curt Hennig are some of the best and legitimate workers in the business. Like one of the comments stated, Ric Flair would have the exact same match with every one of his opponents. Really, how many times can someone be back dropped?
Posted by: Jon-Charles Cordery | May 2, 2008 8:23 PM
Interesting topic and posts.
No real argument with the top 2. Flair was the wrestler of the 80's. The 90's was all HBK. Since 2000, it's Angle. His body of work is greater than The Rock.
In my opinion, three guys could have made this top ten, RVD, Edge and Goldberg.
RVD -- amazing ring skills, average on the mic.
Edge -- I'm not sure what else you're looking for in a superstar. He's very good on the mic/camera and i believe he's underrated in the ring.
Goldberg -- raw power. His physicality was something i've never seen before him and honestly -- really haven't seen since. Incredibly talented. Youtube his name, you'll see what i'm talking about. How exciting was "The Streak"? His promos -- not great, but effective enough. His ability in the ring made up for his shortcomings on the mic. I'm not sure why he's not in the top then....
BUT --
Given the criteria you've outlined i'm not sure who i would take off this list. It's really all about being top notch on the mic and the mat. Your list personifies those qualities.
Posted by: mr_cinco | May 4, 2008 7:18 AM
Your list is very interesting. Personally, I think that Bad News Brown (a.k.a Bad New Allen or 'Buffalo' Allen Coage) was an underrated worker who also had a lot of charisma and good mic skills. It's a shame he did not get much of a push in the WWE.
Posted by: Maggie | May 13, 2008 5:56 PM
I can't see how Shawn Michaels could be a better all-around performer than Steve Austin or the The Rock. Those two should have been the top two. To be honest with you I think Michaels is bad at promos compared to everyone on your list.
Posted by: Michelle | May 28, 2008 1:00 PM