PWPNation.com is happy to announce the “Greatest Ever Series,” where we’ll rank a wide range of topics from the world of professional wrestling. The first will be a list of the Top 50 Wrestlers of all time.
Members of the PWP Nation staff and community put together their own collective lists, which was then infused into one solidified list. From all walks of life, young and old, long-time to recent fans, we feel like we have a very accurate and precise list that can represent the greatest performers and wrestlers of all time.
This list will feature current stars like John Cena and Daniel Bryan, to old school legends like Bruno Sammartino, Andre The Giant, Lou Thesz, and stars from the most popular time in wrestling, the “Attitude Era,” like ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and The Rock.
The following names are the members who helped contribute to the final list:
- Eron Ramadanov, Editor-in-Chief of PWPNation.com
- Jay Alletto, Owner & Founder of PWPNation.com
- Zak Fellows, Senior Staff Writer
- Matt Burgess, Featured Writer
- Brennan Daly, Featured Writer
- Tim Bell, Featured Writer & News Reporter
- John “JCD” Dimiceli, Senior Staff Writer
- Zack Heydorn, Featured Staff Writer & Host of “The Bottom Line” on PWP Nation Radio
- Chris Baker, Staff Writer
- Nick Ohrn, PWP Nation Community Member
- Mike Roche, PWP Nation Community Member
- Stephen Ajamie, PWP Nation Community Member
- Ford Fischer, PWP Nation Community Member
- Ron Adams, PWP Nation Community Member
- Matthew Hollie, PWP Nation Community Member
Along with these names, we received several other anonymous lists.
One of the biggest questions we’ve been asked is how the members of the PWP Nation universe put together their respective lists. When posing this task to them, we asked them to take into account everything that can be considered when trying to analyze a wrestler/performer:
- In-ring abilities
- Microphone/promo skills
- Drawing power/merchandise sales
- Longevity
- Name recognition
- Influence on the business
- Intangibles
Obviously, we can’t confirm that people didn’t place their own personal bias into their respective lists, but we feel like because there were so many entries, the margin for error is small. Also, we asked our contributors to take into account the different eras. For example, it’s hard to compare someone like Lou Thesz against someone like John Cena. Both great in their respective eras, but two completely different performers.
The Top 50 list will be released in several parts:
Each part of the list will have analysis and explanations from the staff and members on why they placed a certain performer where they did and why they should be higher or lower on the overall list.
To stay tuned and up-to-date with all the postings of the Top 50 Wrestlers of All Time, follow us on Twitter @PWPNation and check us out at Facebook.com/ProWrestlingPowerhouse.
So, here’s numbers 10-6:
#10. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Achievements/Accolades:
- 2-time WWE Champion
- 1-time WWE Intercontinental Champion
- 4-time WCW Champion
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)
Opinions:
“Randy Savage’s intensity and charisma captivated audiences for over 30 years, whilst capturing some 29 championships. Rivaling the likes of Hulk Hogan, in terms of drawing power, the “Macho Man” not only entertained audiences out of the ring, cutting some truly iconic promos, but was unquestionable one of the most gifted wrestlers to step between the ropes. A spot in the top 10 draws no complaints from me.” — Matt Burgess
“Without question one of the absolute greatest of all time. I’m a huge Randy Savage fan and always have been. He was the one wrestler growing up that I can distinctly remember having such a love/hate relationship with…ya know, since I believed in pro wrestling. The Mega Powers storyline from the first time Hogan helped Savage on the October 3, 1987 Saturday Night’s Main Event until WrestleMania V is one of the greatest storylines ever executed in the history of the business. And Randy Savage was the reason for that. His ability to get you emotionally invested whether he was a babyface or a heel was incredible. I’ll never forget where I was or what I was doing when I heard the news that Randy had passed away. Heartbroken. Plain and simple. I always wanted to see him return to WWE one final time. Rest in Power, Macho Man Randy Savage.” – Jay Alletto
#9. Kurt Angle
Achievements/Accolades:
- 6-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion
- 6-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion
- 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion
- King of the Ring Winner (2000)
Opinions:
“Having started watching wrestling in 2004, I caught the end of Kurt Angle’s run in WWE; and at the time was not old enough to appreciate the talent that he was. However, going back and watching some of his old WWE matches, as well as some of his more recent matches on the indie circuit, Angle is undeniably one of the all-time greats. Saying that, I think a spot in the top 10 is slightly high for the 1996 Olympic gold medalist.” — Matt Burgess
“The only Olympic Gold Medalist in WWE history is a surefire Hall of Famer and in some circles, could be considered the greatest of all time. Angle has a body of work that is nearly unparalleled in the industry. He’s one of those guys that the new generation of wrestlers looked up to & based their in-ring styles after. His career isn’t over yet and we will likely see him cement his legacy in WWE one more time before it’s all said and done. We can’t discredit his accomplishments in TNA. He helped bolster that company for the better for many years. And that’s true.” — Jay Alletto
#8. John Cena
Achievements/Accolades:
- 15-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion
- 5-time WWE United States Champion
- 4-time WWE World Tag Team Champion
- Royal Rumble Winner (2008, 2013)
Opinions:
“John Cena is the reason I fell in love with professional wrestling, and the 15-time world champion is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time. The “face who runs the place” is perhaps the most polarizing, and technically underrated wrestlers to ever stop foot in a WWE ring. A spot in the top 10 is a testament to Cena’s dedication and commitment to the industry.” — Matt Burgess
“If we were to compile this list in 10 years, Cena may be closer to the #1 spot than any of us can imagine. There is no quit in this guy. He is the guy that Vince McMahon hangs his hat on and could be the most loyal professional wrestler to ever compete in WWE. And let’s call “a spade spade”: John Cena is an incredible in-ring talent. The guy consistently puts on one of, if not the, best match on the card.” — Jay Alletto
#7. Bret “The Hitman” Hart
Achievements/Accolades:
- 5-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion
- 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion
- 2-time WWE World Tag Team Champion
- Royal Rumble Winner (1994)
- 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
- 4-time WCW United States Champion
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)
Opinions:
“Perhaps the most technically gifted wrestler of his generation, Bret Hart is one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. Although he was before my time, the “Excellence of Execution” has been a part of some of the most iconic matches of all-time, and has left a legacy that few will ever surpass. Personally, I feel he deserves to be in the top five.” — Matt Burgess
“We are at a point on this list where all of the aforementioned wrestlers could stake their claim at the #1 spot…and Bret Hart is no exception. For a long time, I considered Bret Hart as the best wrestler that I have ever seen. He consistently put on the best matches & his performance at the 1993 King of the Ring might be the greatest single night performance of any wrestler ever. I’m a huge mark for The Hitman & am thoroughly surprised he is not in the Top 5.” — Jay Alletto
#6. The Undertaker
Achievements/Accolades:
- 7-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion
- 7-time WWE World Tag Team Champion
- Royal Rumble Winner (2007)
Opinions:
“For me deciding who to put number one was the hardest decision on this list, and that was a two-horse race between The Undertaker and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The Undertaker epitomizes professional wrestling and given his technical prowess and the longevity of his illustrious career, it amazes me that “The Phenom” is not in the top two.” — Matt Burgess
“The greatest gimmick in the history of professional wrestling. The Undertaker is an institution in WWE. For over a decade, fans have been calling for his retirement and stating that he “doesn’t have it anymore.” But every single year, he defies those claims. I’ll tell you what: it will be a sad day when The Undertaker decides to finally hang them up for good.” — Jay Alletto
Thanks for reading, everyone. The final part of this series will contain numbers 5-1 next weekend on July 4th.
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