Well, we’re back after the Christmas break.
This is a 3 website joint effort. Here were the contributors:
www.thebalrogslair.com
www.xheadlines.com
www.saltyham.com
A while back, we sent out the call to the internet writers from these three websites and gave them instructions on sending in their list of their top 100 wrestlers. They were told that whatever criteria they wanted to use was fine. If they based their great wrestlers on in-ring ability, legacy, or entertainment value or whatever – they could decide that for themselves. We then took all the lists we got back from these writers and gave points to each wrestler based upon the rankings. We then totaled up the points and what we had was the cumulative and definitive list of the Top 100 wrestlers of all time.
So, let’s not waste any more time. This week we present to you: The Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time: #60 to 51:
#50
Fabulous Moolah
Joe Balrog: Along with many of the other strange rankings on this Top 100 list comes Moolah’s ranking. There’s no doubt that Moolah should be considered in the Top 10 or 15 wrestlers of all time. No one has been able to replicate the success that Moolah had in her career…and with Trish retiring and the Women’s Division becoming a “washed up bikini model” group, no one looks to replace Moolah any time soon.
Roland: I doubt anyone could argue the fact that Moolah is one of the more legendary wrestlers and certainly the most legendary of any female wrestler, having held the Women’s Title for longer than any person in history. Plus, she doesn’t get near the heat that HBK gets for participating in the screwjob of Wendy Richter – of course, that’s likely due to the fact that nobody ever cared about Wendy Richter.
Dones: Ok, I guess. (dr-NOT RANKED)
#49
Big John Studd
Dones: Gave Andre some good matches, but other than that, I don’t remember enough to rank him in the top 100. (dr-NOT RANKED)
Roland: It’s too bad Studd’s career was winding down when the WWF was really starting to gear up, because he could have really been a factor. Studd was far more athletic than most of the guys his size (hence he had to wrestle down to Andre’s level at WM 1) and really was at the level of The Undertaker and Kane in terms of his “big man athleticism.” I’m certainly glad he made the WWE Hall of Fame as it was totally deserved, as is his place on this list.
Joe Balrog: Studd’s unfortunate diagnosis and untimely death runs perpendicular to his great “big man” career. As with Bam Bam, Studd was a committed worker and a man of the industry.
#48
Rey Mysterio Jr.
Roland: You can’t deny Rey’s impact on wrestling over his career. In a world full of giant men, Rey proved you could be small and amaze the crowd. While he’s getting older now, he could always dazzle with his amazing ring skills. Rey’s partly responsible for bringing the Luchadore into the mainstream in the United States and the fact that he held the World Championship does prove that sometimes WWE gets it right.
Joe Balrog: This is a decent ranking for Mysterio at this point in his career. Right now I’d say that Rey is the “Cruiserweight that Could.” Once he breaks free of this unnecessary Eddie Guerrero storyline, the sky is the limit for him (and he’s liable to just jump up there and touch that sky, too!).
Dones: Biggest little man of all time. Seeing him win the World Title at WM 22 ( I was there) was great. (dr-#58)
#47
Big Van Vader
Joe Balrog: Here’s a guilty secret…Vader is one of my favorite wrestlers to watch! No, not the Vader that we saw a year or two ago that couldn’t even walk (sad, isn’t it?). I’m talking about the Vader who was able to decimate his opponents and had a true “tough man” style of wrestling. The agility that Vader once had was one of his best features – let’s hope he gets himself back into shape if not for wrestling, then for his own health!
Dones: Vader was awesome. He just was. I prefer “Vader” over Big Van Vader. (dr-#63)
Roland: Certainly Vader has done so much more in his career than being the guy who ripped Mick Foley’s ear off – but I wonder if that is what he’ll be most remembered for. Vader was always intimidating and a guy I always had trouble disassociating from his gimmick. I know it’s weird, but when I see Leon White without his Vader gear on, it’s unsettling simply because, to me, he embodies his character (which isn’t true, as from all accounts he’s a lovable teddy bear outside the ring). I think this is good placement for him no this list.
#46
Bam Bam Bigalow
Dones: One of the most agile big men of all time. (dr-#50)
Roland: After just typing so many nice things about Vader – we now get the Vader clone. I don’t agree that Bigalow should be higher than Vader. Personally, I was never a big fan and his Lawrence Taylor match WM 11 was almost an insult to pro wrestling.
Joe Balrog: This is a decent ranking for the man from Asbury Park (I live next to Asbury Park!). Bigelow may be too quickly remembered for the Lawrence Taylor match, but he was really one of the “go to guys” in wrestling for well over a decade. A dedicated worker and a man whose promotion could count on him.
#45
Gorgeous George
Roland: If we’re thinking about legacy as a part of how we ranked these guys, then Gorgeous George is woefully misplaced on this list. George was the first nationally known wrestler and was largely responsible for creating a persona bigger than life which gelled with the early television age. Like it or not – all athletes that use self promotion owe a debt to George. I don’t know if wrestling would be the same if it wasn’t for this guy figuring out how to manipulate the crowd.
Joe Balrog: Now here is an individual that should be moved to the Top 15 or 20. George was the first to bring a showman’s flair to the wrestling ring – even back in the “Golden Era” of wrestling. What he did literally laid the groundwork for the Ric Flairs, Hulk Hogans, and even Superstar Billy Grahams of tomorrow.
Dones: What can I say? I didn’t rank him. (dr-NOT RANKED)
#44
Edge
Joe Balrog: It’s a disgrace that this guy is even on the list. He’s done nothing for the business…yet.
Dones: Edge sucks. That said, his tag team wars with the Hardy’s and the Dudley’s are classic. (dr-#39)
Roland: One begins to wonder if the people who helped contribute to this list just issued a “give up” and put Edge’s name on here. I don’t think Edge deserves to be in the Top 50 of this list as it has yet to be seen what his legacy will truly be. If you look at his early career – he certainly deserves accolades for his tag team work – and his main event run hasn’t been failed – it’s just the state of WWE wrestling as a whole that has hurt our perception of Edge. But until he establishes a better legacy than what we’ve seen so far, I disagree with him being this high up.
#43
Booker T
Dones: Long, but solid career. Has really picked it up with the King Booker gimmick. Has been given the ball (finally) and is running well with it…unlike his ex tag team partner. But again, whatever. (dr-#41)
Roland: I used to watch Booker in the dying days of WCW and I would think, “Wow, if the WWF had this guy, they would use him right. He’d be huge.” Unfortunately, that didn’t happen the way I thought it would. But I don’t blame Booker. I’ve always thought the guy had tremendous ability both in and out of the ring. He has a great look and great charisma. It isn’t his fault his Wrestlemania match with Triple H (after a tremendously tense pseudo-racist angle) ended up burying him for a while. The one thing you can’t deny is that Booker always rises out of things like that.
Joe Balrog: This guy shouldn’t even be in the Top 80. King Booker is a good wrestler (not great) and he does get some heat from the crowd, but it’s really nothing to be impressed with overall.
#42
Kevin Nash
Roland: Say whatever you want to say (and I used to say plenty in RAW Rage) about Kevin Nash. Say he can barely walk and he’s slower than molasses. Say he only cares about himself and those close to him. Say he knows how to ruin a promotion. But look at the facts. The n.W.o turned US wrestling on its ear and almost toppled the mighty WWF. Who was at the forefront of that angle? Kevin Nash. He has legacy (some of it not so great – but it’s a legacy none the less) and you can’t get much better than his mic work. I think some on this list should be higher, but Nash is right around where he should be.
Joe Balrog: How this guy even breaks the Top 50 blows my mind. Nash is the king of self-promotion. Actually, I don’t hate this guy as much as some people do, but the truth is that he’s one of the worst drawing WWE Champions of all time and he did very little for the business. His current PCS stuff is somewhat funny, but still weird.
Dones: The good: NWO. The bad: pretty much everything else. (dr-#87)
#41
Dusty Rhodes
Joe Balrog: The American Dream! For too many fans, Dusty means nothing but polka dots and awkward color commentary. His early NWA career was just awesome. He should be better ranked on this list.
Dones: Put on some great matches with Flair. Surprisingly agile in the ring for a big man. AWESOME promos.
Roland: I was never a big fan of The American Dream. I always thought he talked weird, was strangely obese to the point it was hypnotizing to watch, and I never bought the whole “working man” image. But what I cannot deny is what Rhodes has meant to wrestling. When you can draw in this business – it matters. But when you can draw like Dusty could draw – you’re a legend. From his matches with Flair all the way to his polka dot look – he was always a fan favorite and someone people really felt they could get behind. I’m actually shocked to see him at #41, seeing as how I figured he’d make the top 20.
That’s it for this week. Join us next week for #40 to 31!
