Figured I'd start a new thread for results and discussion of those results.

Thanks to PB Shootist KING KID 🤯 @admin RT Big Pete jTjohncenaGOAT iron maiden @theshow @ck Kilgore UT Emperor Lionheart Voxtz Rogue Strobe and Todd for voting. Throw in myself and that makes 20. Great turnout! Double what I was expecting. Easily the biggest countdown I've ever ran on PW. We had a turnout of 30 when some Green Bay Packers fan (can't remember if UT or Coolstuff) ran a PW Favorite Wrestler Countdown a few years ago BUT those were only ballots of 30. This ballot of 50 means 1000 votes were cast. Last time it was only 900.  

Anyway, 291 different wrestlers received a vote. 
130 of them crossed the 50 point milestone. And to think I once hoped we could somehow scratch and claw our way to 100. We shattered that number.
74 wrestlers surpassed 100 points.

Time for a final One Vote Wonder tally before I get down to business.

One Vote Wonders By Ballot

Baker: 8
PB: 0
Shootist: 4
Kid: 0
PI: 9
HR: 19
RT: 4
Pete: 3
Jeff: 6
IronMaiden: 3
Show: 0
CK: 6
UT: 5
Kilgore: 6
Emp: 2
Lionheart: 10
Voxtz: 6
Rogue: 1
Strobe: 5
Todd: 2

The NWA Powerrr Party claimed 3 of the top 4 spots. 
Conclusion: Lionheart should watch NWA Powerrr.

I pride myself on being a very conscientious scorekeeper. But I am not Hennig. Mistakes are possible. Let me know if you see something suspicious and I'll check it out. 

First big batch of results should be up in a half hour or so. 

The Complete List

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
1. Bret Hart: 16-718
2. Daniel Bryan: 16-619
3. Steve Austin: 14-564
4. Chris Jericho: 15-509
5. Eddie Guerrero: 14-505
6. CM Punk: 13-490
7. Mick Foley: 15-488
8. The Rock: 16-483
9. Ric Flair: 13-465
10. Shawn Michaels: 16-445

11. Randy Savage: 12-438
12. Undertaker: 14-420
13. AJ Styles: 13-420
14. John Cena: 12-404
15. Kurt Angle: 13-401
16. Brock Lesnar: 9-386
17. Owen Hart: 10-339
18. Christian: 11-310
19. Triple H: 11-308
20. William Regal: 12-279

21. Terry Funk: 7-269
22. Mr. Perfect: 10-266
23. Rey Mysterio: 10-245
24. Edge: 9-241
25. Rob Van Dam: 9-227
26. Roddy Piper: 7-225
27. JBL: 8-212
28. Ricky Steamboat: 7-212
29. Vader: 9-211
30. Asuka: 8-206

31. Samoa Joe: 9-193
32. Randy Orton: 7-192
33. Hulk Hogan: 5-190
34. Chris Benoit: 6-175
35. Rick Rude: 6-174
36. Shinsuke Nakamura: 5-174
37. Matt Hardy: 6-172
38. Trish Stratus: 8-167
39. Hiroshi Tanahashi: 6-164
40. Ted Dibiase: 6-162

41. Kenny Omega: 4-161
42. Jushin Liger: 4-161
43. Taz: 5-160
44. Kevin Owens: 6-158
45. Kazuchika Okada: 6-155
46. Arn Anderson: 7-154
47. Raven: 7-153
48. Sasha Banks: 6-152
49. Jeff Hardy: 7-150
50. Jake Roberts: 5-146

51. Will Ospreay: 5-143
52. Cesaro: 5-140
53. Goldust: 8-139
54. Sting: 6-136
55. Sabu: 4-136
56. Adam Cole: 6-135
57. Umaga: 5-134
58. Jerry Lawler: 7-131
59. Tetsuya Naito: 3-129
60. Katsuyori Shibata: 4-128

61.Low Ki: 4-122
62. Kenta Kobashi: 4-119
63. Mitsuharu Misawa: 3-119
64. AJ Lee: 5-117
65. Lita: 6-116
66. Zack Sabre Jr.: 4-115
67. Drew McIntyre: 4-112
68. Kota Ibushi: 4-111
69. Christopher Daniels: 6-110
70. Stan Hansen: 3-110

71. Davey Boy Smith: 5-107
72. Scott Hall: 6-106
73. Ultimate Warrior: 5-106
74. Goldberg: 5-104
75. KENTA: 2-99
76. Toshiaki Kawada: 3-96
77. PAC: 5-95
78. Finlay: 4-95
79. Scott Steiner: 4-95
80. Brian Pillman: 3-93

81. Hiromu Takahashi: 4-92
82. Bobby Eaton: 4-92
83. Batista: 4-91
84. Booker T: 5-89
85. Sami Zayn: 4-89
86. Minoru Suzuki: 3-89
87. Mark Henry: 3-89
88. Shane McMahon: 3-88
89. Jumbo Tsuruta: 2-88
90. Molly Holly: 2-86

91. DDP: 3-85
92. Stevie Richards: 3-83
93. Tajiri: 3-83
94. Bam Bam Bigelow: 3-83
95. Jazz: 2-82
96. Finn Balor: 3-80
97. Johnny Gargano: 4-79
98. Nick Aldis: 3-78
99. Kane: 4-77
100. Dynamite Kid: 3-77

101. Barry Windham: 3-77
102. Bull Nakano: 2-77
103. Dean Malenko: 4-75
104. Bray Wyatt: 3-75
105. Bubba Ray Dudley: 4-74
106. Charlotte Flair: 4-73
107. Great Muta: 3-73
108. Nattie Neidhart: 2-73
109. Sean "X-Pac/1-2-3 Kid" Waltman: 3-72
110. Tomasso Ciampa: 4-69

111. Sensational Sherri: 2-68
111. Shingo Takagi: 2-68
113. The Miz- 3-66
114. Tully Blanchard: 3-65
115. Madusa/Alundra Blayze: 2-63
116. John Morrison: 3-62
117. Jey Uso: 2-62
118. Jimmy Uso: 2-62
119. Kairi Sane: 3-61
120. Harley Race: 2-61

121. Big Boss Man: 2-61
122. Beth Phoenix: 2-59
123. Dean Amrose/Jon Moxley: 4-56
124. Jamie Noble: 4-54
125. Nikki Bella: 2-54
126. D'Lo Brown: 2-52
127. Jay White: 2-51
128. Bayley: 2-51
129. Wade Barrett: 3-50
130. Dolph Ziggler: 2-50

131. Sid: 4-49
132. Dusty Rhodes: 4-49
133. Nigel McGuinness: 2-49
134. Zack Ryder: 3-48
135. Steve Corino: 3-48
136. Yuji Nagata: 1-48
136. TAICHI: 1-48
138. Cody Rhodes: 3-47
139. Andre The Giant: 2-47
140. Madison Rayne: 1-47

141. Alex Shelley: 4-46
142. Stephanie McMahon: 2-46
143. Road Warrior Hawk: 2-46
144. Road Warrior Animal: 2-46
145. Tomohiro Ishii: 4-45
146. Kevin "Diesel" Nash: 4-45
147. Vince McMahon: 2-45
148. Kofi Kingston: 5-44
149. Dr. Death Steve Williams: 2-44
149. Genichiro Tenryu: 2-44

151. Pete Dunne: 2-44
152. Seth Rollins: 2-43
153. Ricochet: 2-43
154. Akira Taue: 2-43
155. Jacques Rougeau: 1-43
156. Jeff Jarrett: 2-42
157. Terry Gordy: 2-42
158. Jack Swagger: 2-42
159. Velveteen Dream: 2-42
160. Bushwhacker Butch: 1-42

161. Gail Kim: 2-41
162. Bushwhacker Luke: 1-41
163. Santino: 1-40
164. Al Snow: 2-39
165. Becky Lynch: 1-39
166. Chyna: 2-38
167. Ricky Morton: 2-38
168. Sara Del Rey: 2-38
169. Awesome Kong: 2-37
170. Toru Yano: 2-37

171. Shane Douglas: 2-36
172. Rusev: 2-36
173. Larry Zbyszko: 1-36
173. Ayako Hamada: 1-36
175. Melina: 1-35
176. Kamala: 1-34
177. Naomi: 1-33
178. Tommy Dreamer: 2-32
179. Zicky Dice: 1-32
180. Naomichi Marufuji: 1-31

180. Orange Cassidy: 1-31
182. Sheamus: 4-30
183. Luke Harper: 1-30
183. SANADA: 1-30
185. MVP: 1-29
185. EVIL: 1-29
185. Sarah Stock: 1-29
188. PCO: 1-28
188. Meiko Satomura: 1-28

191. Teddy Hart: 1-27
191. WALTER: 1-27
191. Nick Bockwinkel: 1-27
191. Shinya Hashimoto: 1-27
195. Roderick Strong: 2-26
196. Sgt. Slaughter: 2-26
197. Chris Sabin: 2-26
198. Ludvig Borga: 1-26
198. Shayna Baszler: 1-26
200. Lacey Evans: 2-25

201. Shane "Hurricane" Helms: 2-25

202. New Jack: 1-25
202. Lance Storm: 1-25
202. Tessa Blanchard: 1-25
205. Honkytonk Man: 1-24
205. Austin Aries: 1-24
207. Chris Hero: 2-23
208. Jimmy Jacobs: 1-22
208. Super Crazy: 1-22
208. El Phantasmo: 1-22

211. IRS: 1-21
211. Road Dogg: 1-21
211. Bianca Belair: 1-21
214. Aleister Black: 2-20
215. Homicide: 1-20
216. Big E: 2-19
217. Io Shirai: 1-19
217. Taiji Ishimori: 1-19
219. Stan Lane: 2-18
220. Chigusa Nagayo: 1-18

221. Damien Sandow/Aron Stevens: 3-17
222. Cheerleader Melissa: 2-17
223. Sandman: 2-17
224. Chris Adams: 1-17
224. Hayabusa: 1-17
224. Braun Strowman: 1-17
224. Maryse: 1-17
224. Brie Bella: 1-17
229. Ronda Rousey: 3-16
230. Earthquake: 2-16

231. Michelle McCool: 2-16
232. 2 Cold Scorpio: 2-16
233. Paul Orndorff: 2-16
234. David Von Erich: 1-16
234. Layla: 1-16
236. Alberto Del Rio: 2-15
237. Victoria: 2-15
238. Eddie Gilbert: 1-15
238. D-Von Dudley: 1-15
238. Brian Kendrick: 1-15

241. Trevor Murdoch: 1-14
241. Akira Hokuto: 1-14
243. Perry Saturn: 2-13
243. Roman Reigns: 2-13
245. Gino Hernandez: 1-13
245. KUSHIDA: 1-13
247. Jack Gallagher: 1-12
247. Jack Evans: 1-12
247. Kevin Von Erich: 1-12
247. Jun Akiyama: 1-12

251. Taka Michinoku: 2-11
252. Yokozuna: 2-11
253. Ryback: 1-11
253. Madison Eagles: 1-11
255. Mike Awesome: 2-10
256. Jimmy Rave: 1-10
256. Jay Briscoe: 1-10
256. Alexa Bliss: 1-10
259. Lex Luger: 2-8
260. Hardcore Holly: 1-8

260. Jerry Lynn: 1-8
260. Kerry Von Erich: 1-8
260. Angelina Love: 1-8
264. Matt Riddle: 1-7
265. "The Genius" Lanny Poffo- 1-6
265. Evan Bourne: 1-6
265. Chavo Guerrero: 1-6
265. Lance Archer: 1-6
269. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart: 1-5
269. Magnum TA: 1-5

269. Ahmed Johnson: 1-5
269. Mickie James: 1-5
273. Kyle O'Reilly: 2-4
273. Albert: 2-4
275. Test: 1-4
275. R-Truth: 1-4
275. Candice LeRae: 1-4
275. Tyler Breeze: 1-4
279. Rhea Ripley: 2-3
280. Lana Star: 1-3

280. Bruiser Brody: 1-3
280. Curt Hawkins: 1-3
280. Carlito: 1-3
284. Amazing Red: 1-2
284. Funaki: 1-2
284. Aja Kong: 1-2
284. Jimmy Snuka: 1-2
284. Ember Moon: 1-2
289. Jesse Ventura: 1-1
289. Masa Chono: 1-1
289. MJF: 1-1

I'm guessing @admin 's list is a bunch of indy female wrestlers that no one else voted for. 19 is a lot!

Wow, I’m surprised I’m not a lone vote for some of the guys on my list. I thought I’d have a few tbh. I’m excited to see who else voted for these guys.

Want to thank Baker in advance for doing all of this.

#201- #291

*I devised a tie breaker system that I don't feel like explaining right now. Will do so later.

Ranking. Name: Number of Votes-Points

201. Shane "Hurricane" Helms: 2-25
202. New Jack: 1-25
202. Lance Storm: 1-25
202. Tessa Blanchard: 1-25
205. Honkytonk Man: 1-24
205. Austin Aries: 1-24
207. Chris Hero: 2-23
208. Jimmy Jacobs: 1-22
208. Super Crazy: 1-22
208. El Phantasmo: 1-22

211. IRS: 1-21
211. Road Dogg: 1-21
211. Bianca Belair: 1-21
214. Aleister Black: 2-20
215. Homicide: 1-20
216. Big E: 2-19
217. Io Shirai: 1-19
217. Taiji Ishimori: 1-19
219. Stan Lane: 2-18
220. Chigusa Nagayo: 1-18

221. Damien Sandow/Aron Stevens: 3-17
222. Cheerleader Melissa: 2-17
223. Sandman: 2-17
224. Chris Adams: 1-17
224. Hayabusa: 1-17
224. Braun Strowman: 1-17
224. Maryse: 1-17
224. Brie Bella: 1-17
229. Ronda Rousey: 3-16
230. Earthquake: 2-16

231. Michelle McCool: 2-16
232. 2 Cold Scorpio: 2-16
233. Paul Orndorff: 2-16
234. David Von Erich: 1-16
234. Layla: 1-16
236. Alberto Del Rio: 2-15
237. Victoria: 2-15
238. Eddie Gilbert: 1-15
238. D-Von Dudley: 1-15
238. Brian Kendrick: 1-15

241. Trevor Murdoch: 1-14
241. Akira Hokuto: 1-14
243. Perry Saturn: 2-13
243. Roman Reigns: 2-13
245. Gino Hernandez: 1-13
245. KUSHIDA: 1-13
247. Jack Gallagher: 1-12
247. Jack Evans: 1-12
247. Kevin Von Erich: 1-12
247. Jun Akiyama: 1-12

251. Taka Michinoku: 2-11
252. Yokozuna: 2-11
253. Ryback: 1-11
253. Madison Eagles: 1-11
255. Mike Awesome: 2-10
256. Jimmy Rave: 1-10
256. Jay Briscoe: 1-10
256. Alexa Bliss: 1-10
259. Lex Luger: 2-8
260. Hardcore Holly: 1-8

260. Jerry Lynn: 1-8
260. Kerry Von Erich: 1-8
260. Angelina Love: 1-8
264. Matt Riddle: 1-7
265. "The Genius" Lanny Poffo- 1-6
265. Evan Bourne: 1-6
265. Chavo Guerrero: 1-6
265. Lance Archer: 1-6
269. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart: 1-5
269. Magnum TA: 1-5

269. Ahmed Johnson: 1-5
269. Mickie James: 1-5
273. Kyle O'Reilly: 2-4
273. Albert: 2-4
275. Test: 1-4
275. R-Truth: 1-4
275. Candice LeRae: 1-4
275. Tyler Breeze: 1-4
279. Rhea Ripley: 2-3
280. Lana Star: 1-3

280. Bruiser Brody: 1-3
280. Curt Hawkins: 1-3
280. Carlito: 1-3
284. Amazing Red: 1-2
284. Funaki: 1-2
284. Aja Kong: 1-2
284. Jimmy Snuka: 1-2
284. Ember Moon: 1-2
289. Jesse Ventura: 1-1
289. Masa Chono: 1-1
289. MJF: 1-1

HR poured his heart and soul into making his list- now so many will go unrecognized on the countdown.  

I wonder which 6 of mine are unique- I‘ll have no idea which ones just didn’t meet the threshold vs. the ones who were only on mine. 

Some big names here. Only one from my own list:

46. Ronda Rousey

I wanted to hate Rousey in the WWE as much as anyone, but damn, she took to this better than anyone not named Kurt Angle. Her match quality has to be one of the best ever, given how she only did big matches and they were all great. She showed that she really cared, wasn't just here for a paycheck, and took some incredible beatings. Just a few years ago the idea of women main eventing Wrestlemania felt impossible - she was a big factor in making it a reality. Really hope she comes back to face Becky one-on-one soon.


But lots of others I considered:

Ember Moon
Kyle O'Reily
Mickie James
Roman Reigns
Michelle McCool
Io Shirai
Chris Hero

I feel like O'Reily and Shirai will make my list in a few years time if their careers continue to develop the way they are currently.

Roman Reigns has to be the lowest ranked first-ballot hall-of-famer right? It feels harsh, even though I didn't vote for him myself. I think he's insanely talented and very underated as an in-ring performer, but has just been booked so badly it's hard to call him a favourite even though I really respect his work.

Who's the other Stan Lane voter?

Roman Reigns is incredibly low.

Chris Hero was my #35.

I first came across Hero when he was a part of the Kings of Wrestling circa 2011. They were the stand-out act in ROH in what was easily the best tag team division in Pro Wrestling at the time and their matches were a huge draw. Of the two guys, Hero was actually the better all-round package, even though Cesaro was the more flashier guy in the ring. I thought it would only be a matter of time before the Kings of Wrestling were called up and I was expecting a Evolution vs. Punk/Kings of Wrestling feud any minute. It never happened and Hero is probably most famous for being replaced by Roman Reigns who was admittedly a better fit for what they were going for.

Hero's issue in NXT is that he never really climitised to the NXT style. In the WWE you have to have that thing to seperate yourself and he chose to be this one move character which may have worked elsewhere but when you're working in the same promotion as Brock Lesnar it's difficult to buy into. Once Wade Barrett took the move as his own, it was over for Hero and it wasn't long before he was shipped out.

At first his return to the indies was pretty sad. It was speculated that he had a bad back which is why he was struggling to stay in shape but he just started dropping off the radar more and more. Then in 2016, Hero just allowed himself to become fat, but it didn't matter because he was going around and working all these really cool indie matches where he was really showcasing a lot of the best talent in the world like Sabre Jr, Big Daddy Walter, Jeff Cobb, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee etc. He was so undeniably talented that he got hired again to pretty much do the same thing in the WWE and showcase their guys.

Jay Briscoe was another part of that amazing ROH tag division of 2011-12 and remains one of the best acts to never work in the WWE. It took me awhile to get behind the Briscoes, when I first caught them they were stuck in this loop of matches with the World's Greatest Tag Team that weren't very exciting. It may have only been in 2015 where they really clicked with me and I realised Jay Briscoe was one of the most charismatic acts in Pro Wrestling and could actually work some great matches with just about anyone. One turning point was on a DVD show they had against The Kingdom who usually worked that unappealing chicken shit style but on this occassion they brought it and had this action packed balls to the wall barn burner and it was at that point I realised just how talented they were. I wasn't a huge ROH fan, but I was always into everything the Briscoes did and I thought they brought the best out of every team.

46. Ronda Rousey

I wanted to hate Rousey in the WWE as much as anyone, but damn, she took to this better than anyone not named Kurt Angle. Her match quality has to be one of the best ever, given how she only did big matches and they were all great. She showed that she really cared, wasn't just here for a paycheck, and took some incredible beatings. Just a few years ago the idea of women main eventing Wrestlemania felt impossible - she was a big factor in making it a reality. Really hope she comes back to face Becky one-on-one soon.

Ronda was a late cut for me.

I'm with you being naturally opposed to her. The bloom appeared to be off the rose as a celebrity and her acting career was awful. Then she went ahead and made the best debut of any Pro Wrestler I've seen. That tag team match remains one of my favourite Wrestlemania matches period and Ronda stood out more than any male or female performer I'd seen in a long, long time. Her promos could be brutal, but as soon as she'd hit the ring it was on and there wasn't any other wrestler who drew my interest more than Rousey.

I can't wait for her to return, I just hope the WWE can build up some more opponents for her.

Apr 7, 2020 15:19:51 GMT jTjohncenaGOAT said:

Apr 7, 2020 15:04:33 GMT Big Pete said:

Chris Hero was my #35.

I first came across Hero when he was a part of the Kings of Wrestling circa 2011. They were the stand-out act in ROH in what was easily the best tag team division in Pro Wrestling at the time and their matches were a huge draw. Of the two guys, Hero was actually the better all-round package, even though Cesaro was the more flashier guy in the ring. I thought it would only be a matter of time before the Kings of Wrestling were called up and I was expecting a Evolution vs. Punk/Kings of Wrestling feud any minute. It never happened and Hero is probably most famous for being replaced by Roman Reigns who was admittedly a better fit for what they were going for.

Hero's issue in NXT is that he never really climitised to the NXT style. In the WWE you have to have that thing to seperate yourself and he chose to be this one move character which may have worked elsewhere but when you're working in the same promotion as Brock Lesnar it's difficult to buy into. Once Wade Barrett took the move as his own, it was over for Hero and it wasn't long before he was shipped out.

At first his return to the indies was pretty sad. It was speculated that he had a bad back which is why he was struggling to stay in shape but he just started dropping off the radar more and more. Then in 2016, Hero just allowed himself to become fat, but it didn't matter because he was going around and working all these really cool indie matches where he was really showcasing a lot of the best talent in the world like Sabre Jr, Big Daddy Walter, Jeff Cobb, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee etc. He was so undeniably talented that he got hired again to pretty much do the same thing in the WWE and showcase their guys.

Jay Briscoe was another part of that amazing ROH tag division of 2011-12 and remains one of the best acts to never work in the WWE. It took me awhile to get behind the Briscoes, when I first caught them they were stuck in this loop of matches with the World's Greatest Tag Team that weren't very exciting. It may have only been in 2015 where they really clicked with me and I realised Jay Briscoe was one of the most charismatic acts in Pro Wrestling and could actually work some great matches with just about anyone. One turning point was on a DVD show they had against The Kingdom who usually worked that unappealing chicken shit style but on this occassion they brought it and had this action packed balls to the wall barn burner and it was at that point I realised just how talented they were. I wasn't a huge ROH fan, but I was always into everything the Briscoes did and I thought they brought the best out of every team.

Jay Briscoe is a person that I would have loved to see get a WWE run. I’ve tried to do some Fan Fic stuff with him taking over WWE. The major problem is that I don’t think he can tone back for them. He is so over the top with everything. Didn’t he say something racist a while back that got him in trouble? His language alone is a no-no for WWE. But man.. dude is smart as a whip on the mic. He comes up with some of the best promos I’ve ever heard (language aside). Funny too. I really think he could have been HUGE in WWF attitude era. But those days have sailed. I still think he could be something outrageous in WWE if they could push the envelope just a little more for him.

They were close to signing a few years back but Jay made a homophobic post in relation to gay marriage so that ship sailed.

It was a shame for them professionally but from a career perspective they would have been too indie for the WWE to get.

Apr 7, 2020 14:41:26 GMT Todd said:

Who's the other Stan Lane voter?

You're looking at him. The man with the educated feet comprised one half of my choice for GOAT tag team. I had Sweet Stan at #41 and was thrilled to see him pick up a late 2nd vote.

#27 Honkytonk Man- The Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All Time was my first true wrestling love. He was the quintessential chickenshit heel. Gold on the mic. Fabulous pre-match outfits. Glorious guitar shots. Formed one of the all time great wrestler/manager pairings with Jimmy Hart. HTM was the man normal people loved to hate.

#43 Sandman- The beer swilling, chain smoking, cane swinging Hardcore Icon was just pure ECW. There's no way he gets that over anywhere else. But he was perfect for ECW. His persona and particular brand of charisma resonated with the ECW fanbase. We loved him. His entrance was always electric. Obligatory "I was there when Sandman returned!" line. Easily the loudest pop I was ever a part of. Also one of the loudest pops EVER from a per capita standpoint. 1300 people made the noise of 13,000. I still watch that video every few months. It never fails to put a great big smile on my face. Sandman was never Dean Malenko in the ring, but he had his moments. Nowhere near the WOAT in ring competitor some make him out to be. For starters, he was a fearless bump taker.

#44 Paul Orndorff- Mr. Wonderful was in the first wrestling match I ever remember seeing. Had a great run opposite Hogan just before I got into wrestling. But what really solidified his spot on my list is his short-lived late 1995 WCW run where he went completely over the top with the "Mr. Wonderful" gimmick. That opera theme was *ahem* WONDERFUL. And he had this great sports entertainmenty squash of Disco Inferno one time. When the Horsemen injured him I was all in on Orndorff coming back for sweet, sweet revenge on those jerks. And one of those Horsemen was *spoiler alert* my #1 choice in this countdown! That's how much I loved 1995 Mr. Wonderful. I wanted him to come back and win the WCW Championship from Ric f'n Flair. Unfortunately, he never did return due to injuries. The Piledriver is also my all time favorite wrestling move. And Mr. Wonderful had the GOAT piledriver. So bonus points for that.

#46 Yokozuna- Became a permanent Baker Guy when he squashed Hulkamania. I grew up a heel fan. Yoko was the first heel I ever saw get an extended run with the WWF Championship. So even without the Hogan squashing I would have come around on Yoko. The Squash Heard 'Round The World just accelerated the process. Was also a part of two of my all time favorite stables in the Foreign Fanatics and Camp Cornette. Formed a cool tag team with my man Owen. Yoko's offense looked like death. The Banzai Drop was the most brutal finisher of its day. To this day I have no idea Yoko didn't injure guys left and right with his extremely painful looking offense.

#45 Lanny Poffo- This early high flyer was sports entertainment gold with his mannerisms and poetry readings. Dude just got pro wrestling like few others. My favorite member of the legendary Poffo family. Don't @ me. Sometimes dressed up as a knight. Formed another awesome manager/wrestler pairing with Mr. Perfect. Beat Hulk Hogan(!) in one of my all time favorite Hogan matches.

#48 Lana Star- The Queen of WOW was a sports entertainment goddess. Her in ring ability was sub-Honkytonk Man, and she often didn't even deliver her lines in the best way, but she absolutely embraced her "spoiled Hollywood princess" gimmick. She quickly became the star of the show. As far as I was concerned, it wasn't WOW so much as it was the "The Lana Star Show." Lana had great chemistry with her lackey Patti Pizzazz. They were a hoot together. "The Lana Star Christmas Special" is a sports entertainment masterpiece on par with those Mr. Wonderful/Gary Spivey segments I forgot to mention earlier. 

*Between Lana, Honky, Sandman, and maybe Yoko, I think it's pretty clear in ring ability is not my top priority 

*Be back later to cover some specially selected others.

From my list:

201. Shane "Hurricane" Helms: 2-25 (41)
Loved his initial 2001-2003 run as the wannabe superhero Hurricane. Loved Mighty Molly as his sidekick, loved his interaction with Austin and HHH in the 2002 Royal Rumble, loved his role in helping get WWE's Cruiserweight Division off the ground in the early goings of the brand split era, loved his alliance with Kane, and his stuff with Rock.

He fell off a bit afterwards due to booking, which is a shame. His stuff with Rosey was meh at a very generous best. This was around this time I stopped watching in real time. Not sure how his heel turn into serious Gregory Helms was handled, but probably not as well as it should've been. Could've been a fun angle in Helms turning and abandoning his Hurricane heroics. Maybe a super villain run? At least he got that long CW title run out of it. Then I heard he randomly later reprised like a Dark Knight version of the Hurricane character on ECW? Missed that too.

Loved going back and exploring his pre-Hurricane stuff as bland Sugar Shane in earlier 2001 and also WCW. And 3 Count was a hoot. Always loved how Hurricane wrestled and especially sold.

237. Victoria: 2-15 (39)
Feel like poor Victoria always gets overlooked, undersold, or even hated on way unfairly. She was an awesome presence in the Women's Division from 2002 through 2004. Impressive character and in-ring performer considering her relative lack of experience.

That hardcore match with Trish out her on the map. Then loved her relationship with Steven Richards (whom I regret not working onto my list) and her reign as champ. The Widow's Peak was/is one of the most bad ass women's finishing moves I've ever seen. Stayed with Victoria all the way through her hair vs. title match against Molly at WMXX. Then lost track of her when I stopped watching wrestling in real time on the regular.

Always preferred her, Molly, and Jazz over the likes of Trish and Lita.

243. Perry Saturn: 2-13 (44)
Maybe a controversial take, but it was Saturn's brief Moppy run that solidified his status as one of my favorites. It also didn't hurt that he had a unique and awesome look (even if it was kinda just an amalgamation of other unique bad ass looks), and an awesome movesets with awesome names for his moves. Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Gradunza for the win!

251. Taka Michinoku: 2-11 (42)
The no tag teams rule was heartbreaking for me mostly for maybe five teams. Chief among them was Kaientai. Taka gets the high vote for being the leader of the tag team and previously the stable, and also because I liked his singles work the most.

In some alternate timeline, it would've been cool to see WWF build out and push a light heavyweight division to rival WCW's cruiserweight division featuring Taka and the rest of Kaientai, the Great Sasuke, Tajiri, Super Crazy, Jerry Lynn, Little Guido, Hayabusa, etc. Essentially just steal from ECW.

But then of course still revert Taka to comedy gold by 2000. Because that EVIL INDEED shit was EPIC INDEED.

253. Ryback: 1-11 (40)
How he wasn't a bigger thing is so beyond me. Great look, could talk, could go. WTF!? I blame CM Punk. Just yet another reason to hate that lil grease rat.

Anyway, I've fallen more and more in love with Ryback through listening to some of his podcast episodes and his interviews on others' podcasts. Seems like a smart dude who's a bit too much into his own shit, but in a way that makes him feel old school like a Hogan or Warrior or Savage.

Would've loved to see him get a better run in WWE, would love just as much to see him pop up in #NWAPOWERRR.

260. Hardcore Holly: 1-8 (43)
Before Brock came along, I had a weird affinity for wrestlers with H names. I think first discovering Triple H when playing WWF Warzone was the first time this quick reared its head. Honestly, for a little stretch there in sixth grade, I probably rated HHH as my favorite wrestler because his name was three H's (and also his high knee and Pedigree were cool MOVEZ!~ to me). Anyway, so Hardcore Holly had a fan in me outta the gate because of his Double H's.

It also helped he was so bad ass. Here was this jobber who didn't seem to understand wrestling was fake, was legit beating the shit outta guys, and gave no fucks. And yet he was also somehow super crisp with his wrestling too. I bought into that dropkick hype. And I loved when he debuted the Alabama Slam. I wanted that to be MY finisher in real wrestling at the same time.

On rewind, dug all his solid jobber stuff during his days as Sparky and Bob in the New Gen era. Tagging with Sean Waltman always earns you bonus points in my book. Then preferred him over Al and Crash in the early and prime days of the Hardcore Championship. I would've been content as a clam if 2000 just featured Bob and Steve Blackman stuffing the fuck outta each other and trading the strap all year. Fuck the 24/7 Rule. Or even better, have everyone be afraid of trying to jump either Bob or Steve.

Weirdly sided with Bob over Matt when that Tough Enough beatdown went down. And then was probably the only person OK with Bob getting a WWE title shot on PPV against Brock (on a Big Four, no less). While I still always wanted Brock to ultimately retain, I was quite alright with Bob being in that spot.

274. Albert: 2-4 (48)
An unsung master of reinvention. I wasn't sure about his Prince Albert days as Droz's muscle, but you couldn't deny he had an interesting look as the love child of George Steele and leather-loving Demolition. He was pretty green and directionless though, so really didn't register for me.

But then enter T&A. For whatever reason, that team, with or without Trish, registered big like a modern update on the Skyscrapers or something. Loved these two hosses together. They both rocked some of the best big boots in the business, but with different spins. Test had the GOAT running big boot, and Albert had that bad ass jumping bicycle pump kick version. Really wish the breakup of T&A in early 2001 had more of a blow off. Oh well...

I might be one of the only people who LOVED X-Factor, and thoroughly enjoyed Albert as the group's muscle. However, not a huge fan of Albert winning the IC Title outta the blue. But whatever. He's far from the worst IC Champion in the title's history.

Went back to being kinda whatever on Albert for his Hip Hop Hippo phase. He was generally inoffensive and clearly poorly utilized. He started to find himself IMO as the Velocity bully starting in 2002. Had a mini rivalry with Funaki that I enjoyed, and I think this might be where the "shave your back" stuff really took root. During this time, I thought Albert and Bill DeMott would've made a great tag team. Go figure they'd both end up as head trainers together years later.

Then, late 2002, Albert rebrands as A-Train and it's magic in a bottle again for me. His entrance with those steam columns and train horn was so fitting and bad ass. I bought him as a boss level henchman second only to Big Show, but second in a 1b to 1a sorta way. It's a shame he didn't get better and more consistent booking. By the end of 2003, the writing was on the wall.

He disappears and reappears in Japan as Giant Bernard and his arguably the peak of his career as both as singles and tag act. Whoever the other voter for Albert was, I assume you voted for him because of this phase of his career.

Then, he comes back to WWE as Tensai... Which was super fucking weird, but also kinda cool, until they made him a complete joke. But at least he found a way to have fun with it and stay somewhat relevant I guess as one half of Tons of Funk.

275. Test: 1-4 (47)
So much squandered potential. One of the best big boots in the business, and the GOAT running big boot.

Memorable introduction as a kayfabe Motley Crüe bodyguard. Then did kinda nothing of note before becoming really established as Steph's first beau. Pulled a miracle match with Shane in their street fight at SummerSlam 1999, and I was fully on board at that point. Should've had a bigger late 99/early 00 as a foil for HHH... would've made more sense than Big Show or even Vince maybe as HHH's adversarial bridge opponent between Rock and Foley.

Then, after losing all momentum and direction, forms T&A. See above. Loved that team. Should've been more for him out of that team's breakup, especially considering how both Steph and Trish were involved. Given his history with HHH and Steph, should've been more of a force and factor as far as fighting the Two Man Power Trip... But oh well. Still had a decent mid card run in 2001. And I wasn't totally against Test defecting to the Alliance. He had ties to Shane, and I liked how heel Test always seemed to like to stir shit.

Won a year of immunity at Survivor Series, which had so much potential that was totally wasted. Became an Un-American but was relegated to mostly their backup muscle. In an alternate reality, I'm pushing Christian as a Canadian HBK and Test as a Canadian Diesel in late 2001 and throughout 2002. Anyway... Falls further and further down the card into obscurity. By 2003, is doing stuff with Scott Steiner and Stacy Keibler that's probably only interesting to me. Fades out, but then pops back up in ECW, and I'm thinking maybe this will be Test's renaissance like when Albert went to Japan. Instead, it wasn't, and then Test dies way too young.

RIP to the GOAT running big boot.

284. Funaki: 1-2 (49)
See writeup above for Taka. Mostly the same applies to Funaki. Funaki still ranks on his own based on the strength of being SmackDown's NUMBAH ONE announcer as well as Kung Fu Naki.


* * * * *

Considered and/or regret not thinking of (in order of amount of consideration and/or regret):
265. "The Genius" Lanny Poffo- 1-6
208. Super Crazy: 1-22
221. Damien Sandow/Aron Stevens: 3-17
241. Trevor Murdoch: 1-14
275. R-Truth: 1-4

7 of mine (mostly females) were listed here. Alexa Bliss, Michelle Mc Cool, Tyler Breeze, Kyle O'Reilly, Victoria (don't stone me @admin); Cheerleader Melissa. I think I cut Rhea Ripley as I did with Candice LeRae. I thought about Tessa Blanchard but she's turned me off so much lately with her ego that she didn't make the cut. If this was a best wrestlers list might be different.

Wait... jTjohncenaGOAT claims he voted for Hardcore Holly too? Should he have more than the 8 points from my vote then?

Apr 7, 2020 16:46:56 GMT jTjohncenaGOAT said:

Apr 7, 2020 16:34:09 GMT 🤯 said:

Wait... jTjohncenaGOAT claims he voted for Hardcore Holly too? Should he have more than the 8 points from my vote then?

No. I cut him.

The bottom of my list are wrestlers that I had on there and then cut off.

Ballsy move.

Few people cut Bob and don't get cut in return.

Apr 7, 2020 16:17:31 GMT 🤯 said:

From my list:

201. Shane "Hurricane" Helms: 2-25 (41)
Loved his initial 2001-2003 run as the wannabe superhero Hurricane. Loved Mighty Molly as his sidekick, loved his interaction with Austin and HHH in the 2002 Royal Rumble, loved his role in helping get WWE's Cruiserweight Division off the ground in the early goings of the brand split era, loved his alliance with Kane, and his stuff with Rock.

He fell off a bit afterwards due to booking, which is a shame. His stuff with Rosey was meh at a very generous best. This was around this time I stopped watching in real time. Not sure how his heel turn into serious Gregory Helms was handled, but probably not as well as it should've been. Could've been a fun angle in Helms turning and abandoning his Hurricane heroics. Maybe a super villain run? At least he got that long CW title run out of it. Then I heard he randomly later reprised like a Dark Knight version of the Hurricane character on ECW? Missed that too.

Loved going back and exploring his pre-Hurricane stuff as bland Sugar Shane in earlier 2001 and also WCW. And 3 Count was a hoot. Always loved how Hurricane wrestled and especially sold.

Have you seen his badass match with The Undertaker?

But he did his job so perfectly!

Apr 7, 2020 16:17:31 GMT 🤯 said:

253. Ryback: 1-11 (40)
How he wasn't a bigger thing is so beyond me. Great look, could talk, could go. WTF!? I blame CM Punk. Just yet another reason to hate that lil grease rat.

Blame terrible booking all round. They were planning to do Twice in a Lifetime as the climax of Cena's redemption story (which Brock beating him at Extreme Rules would've added to, but Lesnar had to be put in his place of course and much worse would be to come with the HHH matches) in order to get big PPV numbers for Mania 29. So they turned Punk heel so that he could drop it to Rock, so Rock could drop it to Cena. Ryback was getting over huge and they clearly should have built to him winning the WHC at Mania, preferably over Big Show, hitting him with the Shell-Shock for the first time. But they ran with Punk/Ryback in October in order to draw a better minor PPV number than usual (and it did), but couldn't put Ryback over. So his winning streak was ended and he couldn't win the Rumble as Cena winning the Rumble was the way for Rock/Cena II after Once in a Lifetime, where it looked like they were forced to in kayfabe. Then they still didn't put Ryback in the other World Title match (Jack Swagger challenging for fuck knows what reason) and he took on Mark Henry instead... and lost!

Short term booking decisions at the expense of creating future stars. And they can get away with it. Because all the years of making the WWE name the star has worked to an extent. And they have been able to rely on past stars on big shows and mega TV deals because they still get decent-size live viewership in the age of streaming. And there has not been a rival company to pull fans away, allowing Vince to do things his way (horrendous handling of Reigns for example) all the time.

This is all a large part of why this past decade of wrestling has been clearly my least favourite. Plus, the entire feel of wrestling is so knowingly a performance at this point. I don't buy into the characters and the style isn't for me (elaborate sequences that are so overly choreographed, featuring moves that are clearly intended to miss). Basically old man yells at cloud from me. What you grew up with is typically what you will accept and when it goes too far beyond that, it can be a struggle. Like the guys of the 60s thinking Flair/Steamboat were doing too much.

----------------

Based on that, it should be no surprise that I had no wrestlers on my list who debuted this century.

When I was young, my main wrestling watching, even up to the start of the Attitude Era, was mainly tapes of late Hulkamania era WWF (1988-1992), so you've got guys from there. There was some watching of New Gen stuff as well, but not to the same extent. I had seen very little WCW at this point.

Attitude Era was watched in real time by me and all my friends (plenty of people who only really watched wrestling then still send me Attitude Era GIFs and the like) so you've got some of those guys in there. Some, but not a lot, of WCW was seen by myself during this time.

Mid-00s WWE was losing me but you had the Bret and Shawn DVDs to help fill in my New Gen gaps and cement those guys for me. The lost interest in WWE led me to finding TNA and the indy scene, making me a fan of the three youngest wrestlers to make my list. Around this time you had streaming sites becoming a bigger deal and when I joined PW for the first time (must've been 2006), I was getting into a lot of the pimped Japanese stuff (90s AJPW, NJPW juniors and Joshi), putting a lot of those greatest ever types into the favourite category for me.

In the past 10 years, I have watched more diverse wrestling than before, due to the options available, but only some of those guys (obvious names) that I have received further exposure to have made this list. The pull of nostalgia is strong.

RYBACK was a late cut for me. He almost made my list but I took him out last second. The idea of him was awesome and when he was on top I loved him. His heel turn was whack and then he became a monster that lost a lot so it got whack. When he was the man, he was the man though!

I didn’t notice Ronda on the list though. I’m pretty sure she was on mine (unless I forgot) but she’s a bad ass.

5 out of my 6 One vote Wonders

224. Chris Adams: 1-17


World Class was the Von Erich's territory, but he really became a top star there.  Either as a face or heel, he could do it all.  Then he traveled and was an important figure everywhere he went.  Also, really popularized the Superkick.

234. David Von Erich: 1-16


Kerry was the guy when I was younger, because all the women loved him and he looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but over time and youtube, David's work as both a face and a heel (watch his stuff in Florida) then you understand why he was going to be NWA World Champ, most likely multiple times. 
 
245. Gino Hernandez: 1-13


Gino was basically slimy Ric Flair.  Flair would occasionally be face for a little while, but it's nearly impossible to buy Gino as a face.  Nor would you want to, he's so good as the guy you want to punch.  If you're a fan of MJF, check out Gino's stuff.  He was really great, but lived the gimmick and it cost him.
 
247. Kevin Von Erich: 1-12


Kevin became the Von Erich for me when I was a teenager, because I recognized how much of a freakish athlete he is.  He's strong, agile and can literally jump out of the ring.  He's the prototype for the Cruiserweights.  In a different world, I could see Kevin in NJPW's Best of the Super Jr Tourney, maybe a run with the TV Title in JCP/WCW...they left Dallas so infrequently it's a shame.

260. Kerry Von Erich: 1-8


The Von Erich everyone knows was not really a great wrestler, but had such charisma it was scary.  He couldn't really talk, in fact David was the only one that delivered decent promos, but he had the look that most people thought a pro wrestler should look like, at least during a certain time.  He benefited from a lot of wrestlers wanting to do business with him, because they could print money with him involved.  

I was the only vote for Matt Riddle? Do you people even watch wrestling?

Also seeing Aleister Black and D-Von Dudley from my list. I’m surprised of my 4 unique votes that 3 were North American wrestlers. I thought Japan would dominate that list, but I guess Emperor is here too so I’m good.

289. MJF: 1-1 (41)
I bizarrely deliberated over this more than any other position, I had my 49 wrestlers and struggled with the final choice. In the end I couldn't find anyone I liked more than this guy. It does feel kind of ludicrous that a talent so young can make a list like this but I have to remind myself, this is favourites, not greatest. This kayfabe king in a post-kayfabe world is exactly the shot in the arm that wrestling needed, and of course he sticks out like a sore thumb in this era. I accept that if he were in any other era, perhaps he would blend in and not get quite the notoriety he deserves. Still, he convinces as a grade-A asshole, he's believable, and when I watch him, I don't get the impression that he's trying to get a match rating. He's genuinely playing his part in the theatre of wrestling, and I just find him a total breath of fresh air.

People I considered/forgot:

243. Roman Reigns: 2-13
A tremendous exponent of the WWE big-match style. His matches with the Shield against the Wyatts and Evolution, and his WrestleMania 31 main event against Brock Lesnar would sit nicely in my top 100 matches.

269. Magnum TA: 1-5
Always found this guy's story fascinating. By all accounts he was ready to be the next big guy in the NWA, a couple of years before Sting came along, and just at the right time as Vince would start to dominate. I find it hard to believe he would have made a big difference, given the problems NWA had with presentation, and obviously Hogan, but it would have been more interesting for sure. Classic NWA talent with good basic skills, good promo skills, and a classic rugged look.

280. Bruiser Brody: 1-3
This guy would have made it but I just feel like I haven't seen enough. I love the idea that a wrestler can incite a crowd in the way he did, consequences be damned. Similarly to TA, he has the story to keep you down the rabbit hole, one of the most fascinating murder stories in wrestling history.

Apr 7, 2020 19:08:21 GMT RT said:

I was the only vote for Matt Riddle? Do you people even watch wrestling?

Also seeing Aleister Black and D-Von Dudley from my list. I’m surprised of my 4 unique votes that 3 were North American wrestlers. I thought Japan would dominate that list, but I guess Emperor is here too so I’m good.

Nope and I've tried.  I mean he's okay, but not favorite-wise.

Apr 7, 2020 19:08:21 GMT RT said:

I was the only vote for Matt Riddle? Do you people even watch wrestling?

He's very talented, but the gimmick (if it's even a gimmick) is annoying as shit and he's been around for five minutes.

Todd MJF fell off my list late. He’s right on the cusp for me. I love his character work but his ring ability leaves me wanting more. I think he’ll crack my top 50 in a year or two though. He’s only going to get better.

KING KID Ryback was a late cut for me too. I felt bad cutting DA BIG GUY but he’s done next to nothing since leaving WWE and that sucks. He’s had every opportunity to continue his career in a meaningful way and he hasn’t.

If he’s happy, good for him, but I had to cut him.

Apr 7, 2020 19:15:29 GMT Todd said:

Apr 7, 2020 19:08:21 GMT RT said:

I was the only vote for Matt Riddle? Do you people even watch wrestling?

He's very talented, but the gimmick (if it's even a gimmick) is annoying as shit and he's been around for five minutes.

His gimmick doesn’t bother me and he’s had some absolute bangers in a short period of time. Also I watched him in PWG and the indies where he had great matches with Ciampa, David Starr, Shibata and O’Rielly to name a few.

Apr 7, 2020 19:08:21 GMT RT said:

I was the only vote for Matt Riddle? Do you people even watch wrestling?

Also seeing Aleister Black and D-Von Dudley from my list. I’m surprised of my 4 unique votes that 3 were North American wrestlers. I thought Japan would dominate that list, but I guess Emperor is here too so I’m good.

He's not my bro.

Apr 7, 2020 19:15:29 GMT Todd said:

Apr 7, 2020 19:08:21 GMT RT said:

I was the only vote for Matt Riddle? Do you people even watch wrestling?

He's very talented, but the gimmick (if it's even a gimmick) is annoying as shit and he's been around for five minutes.

It's literally Riddle's personality times 10.  

Sorry RT. Riddle was one of my last cuts. I enjoy a lot I've seen from his indy work and some of his NXT stuff but his NXT character doesn't excite me. Develop a solid character and he will find a place on my list. I considered him for the 50 spot but had to show some love to A-Train/Giant Bernard. Aleister Black placed very well on my list at 35 so you should at least be proud of me for that.

Apr 7, 2020 19:08:21 GMT RT said:

I was the only vote for Matt Riddle? Do you people even watch wrestling?

Sorry Bro. You know I love you, but I do not love Riddle. I tried and while I don't 'hate' him, he isn't anywhere close to a favorite of mine.   Maybe I'm missing something, but dude does nothing for me .   

I think Zack Ryder did the Bro gimmick better and Riddle's Bro character reminds me of a Russian Mafia guy.