50 Greatest Wrestlers of All-Time (pt. 1, 1-10)
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
2. Hulk Hogan
3. The Rock
4. Undertaker
5. Ric Flair
6. Shawn Michaels
7. Bret Hart
8. Sting
9. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
10. John Cena
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin- 1 of the Top 2 Greatest Talkers in WWF/E History. Highest selling superstar in history. Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the megastars in the history of wrestling. During a time when WWF was drowning during the Monday Night Wars against WCW, Stone Cold's emergence and dominance lifted the company, from the mud to the mountaintop. First, Austin worked his way to greatness through other promotions (WCW, ECW). He was very good, everywhere he went. After having success in the mid-card as a WCW U.S. Champion, TV Champion, and Tag Champion, Austin desire more. However, WCW limited how effective he could be. That mistake would come back to bite them in a major way. In ECW, the seeds for Stone Cold Steve Austin were planted, with pure, organic unscripted promos coming straight from Austin's hear. His most famous ECW promo came when Paul Heyman gave him the green light to shoot on WCW (Eric Bischoff, Hogan, etc). Austin vented about the politics, and the way he was misused because of bigger names such as Hogan, Flair, Dusty, to name a few. This has become legendary, and one of the finest promos of his career. (Some may argue his best) After cutting his teeth in ECW, Austin moved to Titan Headquarters to join the WWF and owner Vince McMahon. After floundering as "The Ringmaster" (Vince's idea), Austin went to McMahon, expressed his dissatisfaction, and wanted to be original. From that point, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was officially launched. Stone Cold started to gain momentum when he won the 1996 King of the Ring. After winning the tournament, Austin delivered the Iconic Career-Defining Promo. His Austin 3:16 speech sent sound waves across the wrestling world and Austin put both the WWF, and the entire wrestling world on notice with that speech. After winning the '96 KOTR, Stone Cold received opportunities that he was not afforded in WCW or even ECW. While Bret Hart was away, Stone Cold gained massive heat, by calling him out for a return match. The Hitman accepted, and Steve Austin's first major feud began, with a great match at Survivor Series 1996. The Submission Match at WrestleMania 13 put Stone Cold further on the map, with the classic image of him covered in blood while locked in the Sharpshooter. Even in defeat, Stone Cold went over as an even bigger star. Austin would also win his first Royal Rumble, along with 2 Intercontinental Titles, and numerous tag titles. At Summerslam 1997, Stone Cold was able to display his immense toughness, after suffering a career-threatening neck injury at the hands of an Owen Hart piledriver. Austin would go on to win, but was later stripped of the title because of the injury. Austin was in demand even more when he was injured. The seeds for his future rivalry with Vince McMahon were also created. 1997 proved to be a launching pad year for Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin's rise meant the dawn of a new, aggressive era. This not only meant the end of the "In Your House Era", but also the consequential fall in Bret Hart's popularity. With Stone Cold's rising popularity, fans soon took very strong notice of what he could do. Stone Cold went on to win his second straight Royal Rumble in 1998, making him the third wrestler in history to win the Royal Rumble in back-to-back years. (Hulk Hogan-'90-'91, Shawn Michaels-'95-'96) Austin finally put the icing on his cake and cemented his main-event status, by defeating Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV for the World Wrestling Federation Title. Stone Cold officially stood alone at the top of the mountain as the King of the WWF. RAW's Ratings, PPV buy rates, and merchandise sales skyrocketed more than ever before, with Austin's explosion as the champion. Before Austin, the WWF was stuck in their 'the 80s/early '90s mindset, with their In Your House Shows, and goofy gimmicks. Meanwhile, WCW was becoming more cutting edge, with the NWO, cruiserweight division, etc, which helped them run circles around the WWF. The company was dying and was stuck in the doldrums of poor writing, lack of creativity, lack of transcendent post-Hogan Era Main Event stars, and just being behind the times. If it was not for Stone Cold's influence & impact, WWE would have died a long time ago. The Attitude Era was an extended, mainstream version of ECW because that is where Austin cut his teeth. Stone Cold grabbed the company and carried it to the Promise Land, after being destroyed over 80 weeks by their blood rival WCW. Stone Cold went on to surpass Hulk Hogan's record of merchandise sales, attendance records and went on to become the mainstream megastar of his time. Stone Cold was a phenomenon. His popularity and crossover appeal transferred over into being on MTV (VMA's, Celebrity Deathmatch), as well as being on the cover or Rolling Stone Magazine, TV Guide and other magazines. RAW was the house that Stone Cold built. After great title defenses against the likes of Mick Foley (Dude Love), Undertaker, Kane, etc, Stone Cold went on to headline his third straight WrestleMania against The Rock at WM XV. The seeds of their rivalry were planted in 1997 when they went back and forth for the Intercontinental Title. By the end of '98 going into '99, Austin was a two-time WWF Champion, and The Rock was a star rising fast, becoming the youngest World Champion in history at the time (26). The Rock was also Vince McMahon's strongest centerpiece. After winning his third WWF Title in his victory over The Rock, Stone Cold would go on to continue his dominance leading to the end of the year. Stone Cold would go on to feud with Triple H, before leaving because of neck surgery, causing him to sit out for most of 2000. Stone Cold officially made his return at Unforgiven 2000, after being run down by Rikishi. Austin, Triple H, The Rock, Undertaker, Kurt Angle and Rikishi would go on to compete in the first ever 6 man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon 2000 for the WWF Championship. Austin would go on to win his third Royal Rumble in 2001, making him the first wrestler in history to win three. ('97, '98, '01) Stone Cold became the Number 1 Contender to meet his archrival The Rock at WrestleMania 17 in Houston. As I will always say, I believe that this was their best match. You could also make a case for this as either Top 5 or number 1 match. The match told an incredible story, with both men using each other's finisher. Four-star match across the board. They pulled out every single thing that they had. Stone Cold pulled the ultimate heel turn, by siding with longtime nemesis Vince McMahon, on his way to winning his sixth WWF Championship. With the victory, Stone Cold became a 5-time WWF Champion, matching Hulk Hogan. During the rest of 2001, Austin was the leader of the WCW/ECW Alliance (His original promotions) after Vince bought out both companies. Austin would go on to have great defenses against the likes of Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Kurt Angle. Austin would go on to lose the title to Kurt Angle at Unforgiven 2001, from the Angle Lock. However, Austin would go on to have a rematch on the October 8th, 2001 episode of RAW. With the win, Stone Cold passed Hulk Hogan and tied The Rock for most WWF Titles (6). Before Survivor Series, Stone Cold and The Rock rekindled a brief feud, with Austin retaining the title at Rebellion 2001. After losing to Team WWF (Led by The Rock) at Survivor Series, Stone Cold would go on to compete at Vengeance 2001 in a tournament to be named the Undisputed Champion. Included were Stone Cold, The Rock, Angle, and Jericho. After defeating Kurt Angle, Stone Cold would go on to face newly crowned WCW Champion Chris Jericho in the final match of the night. Jericho would go on to defeat Austin for the WWF Championship, unifying both titles to become the Undisputed Champion. As his career began to slow down, Stone Cold would briefly feud with the NWO, by defeating Scott Hall at WM X8. The following year, Austin would have his final match of the WM Trilogy with The Rock at WM 19. Even though The Rock finally won, Stone Cold walked out as a winner as well, having his last match with a rival who became a very good friend. Their trilogy ended in the same fashion as Magic-Bird in 1987. You could not ask for a better ending. After all has been said and done, Stone Cold Steve Austin has become one of the Kings of the Attitude Era, along with The Rock. Both men have the strongest iron-clad cases as the greatest of all-time. The foundation that Stone Cold built for wrestling will never be duplicated by anyone else. In 2009, Stone Cold was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, with Vince McMahon as his presenter. Stone Cold Steve Austin's legacy will continue to stand the test of time, with the likes of Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. Both he and The Rock were each the Jordan of wrestling. Stone Cold Steve Austin is not only a Hall of Famer, and Legend, but an Icon as well. "And that's the bottom line because Stone Cold said so".
Accomplishments:
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI Feud of the Year (1998, 1999) vs. Vince McMahon
PWI Match of the Year (1997) vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 in a Submission match
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2001)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1998)
PWI Rookie of the Year (1990)
PWI Wrestler of the Year (1998, 1999, 2001)
PWI ranked #1 of the Top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1998 and 1999
PWI ranked #19 of the Top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI Years in 2003
World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment:
6-time WWF Champion
2 Time Intercontinental Champion
4-time WWF Tag Team Champion (1-Shawn Michaels, 1-Dude Love, 1-Undertaker, 1-Triple H)
Fifth Triple Crown Champion
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)
3-time Royal Rumble Winner (1997-1998, 2001)
1996 King of the Ring
World Championship Wrestling:
2-time WCW United States Champion
1-time WCW World Tag Team Champion (Brian Pillman)
2-time WCW Television Champion
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2000)
Finishing Move:
Stone Cold Stunner
Signature Moves:
Lou Thesz Press
2. Hulk Hogan- The Babe Ruth, and Elvis of wrestling. If it were not for Hulk Hogan's dominance, wrestling would not be where it has been for so long. Hulk Hogan was the flagship star for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the 1980's and early 1990's. Hogan spent his early years in Japan and WWF back in the late '70s/early '80s. At the time, Vincent J. McMahon, Sr. was the Owner. Initially, Hogan was with the WWF in 1980, as a heel. Classy Freddie Blassie was his manager as well. During this time, Hogan had his first shot at the WWF Championship against Bob Backlund. He also started his first big feud with Andre The Giant. Hogan's greatest success at the time came in New Japan Pro Wrestling. In NJPW, Hogan faced a wide variety of opponents, from Abdullah The Butcher to Pedro Morales. Hulk Hogan defeated Antonio Inoki to win the first ever International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Tournament. Hulk Hogan developed a major following in Japan. During this time, Hogan made his debut in the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA), under promoter Verne Gagne. Hogan developed the "Real American" gimmick there as well. In 1982, when Vincent K. McMahon Jr purchased ownership of the WWF from his ill father, he wanted to expand business and change the landscape to make it more mainstream. Hulk Hogan was the man that he had in mind to be the centerpiece of that plan, because of his persona, charisma, and popularity. Hogan made his return on December 27, 1983. From this point on, Hogan became the face because they wanted to cash in on his popularity as the "Real American" to battle The Iron Sheik. On January 23, 1984, Hogan defeated Iron Sheik to win his first WWF Title. Hogan's victory marked the rise of "Hulkamania!" and the rise of wrestling to become as popular as it once was. Hogan's reign also marked the start of the "Golden Era" of wrestling (1984-1993). Hogan proclaimed what were his three demandants: training, saying your prayers, eating your vitamins. Hogan's first reign as WWF Champion lasted 4 years (1984-1988) FOUR YEARS! His reign lasted throughout Ronald Reagan's second term as President. Hogan proudly wore the red, and yellow. His entrance included pointing to the crowd, pointing to the ring, and ripping off his shirt, flexing and listening to the fans. Hogan would listen to the fans and pose after his matches as well. Hogan's trademark included feeding off the energy of the crowd (Hulking Up), pointing to the opponent, shaking his finger, punch him, Irish whip, Big Boot, followed by a Leg Drop. Hulk Hogan's rise as the face of the WWF launched pro wrestling into the middle of the popular culture, leading to the "Rock 'N' Wrestling Connection" with MTV. Hogan even had a cartoon! Hogan's attraction drew record numbers in house shows, pay per view buy rates and TV ratings. During this time, Hogan started his legendary feud with Rowdy Roddy Piper. Their feud was pivotal because it led to "The War To Settle The Score" and the first ever WrestleMania. (3/31/1985) Along the way, Hogan also befriended celebrities such as Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper in the process. (Side note: Hogan and Mr. T were both in Rocky III) In the main event, Hogan and Mr. T defeated Piper and Paul Orndorff (w/Cowboy Bob Orton). Hogan defeated Orton on the first episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. Along the way, Hogan continued his momentum by defeating the likes of Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Orndorff, Terry Funk, and others. Hogan also defeated King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania 2 in a steel cage match. In early 1987, Hogan's momentum reached a brand new level. He was booked into a storyline feud with the Legendary Andre The Giant. After Hogan was presented an award for being WWF Champion for three straight years, Andre congratulated him. However, Andre's respect turned into envy after he was presented a much smaller trophy for "Being Undefeated for 15 years". Andre did not even accept Hogan's applause. Things finally came to a fever pitch on an edition of Piper's Pit, where Andre came with Bobby Heenan to challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship. During the segment, Andre ripped off Hogan's crucifix off of his neck. When Piper asked if Hogan would accept the challenge, Hogan furiously replied "YES!" The stage was set for WrestleMania III. It was billed as "The Irresistible Force vs. The Immovable Object". Hulk Hogan was the Irresistible Force while Andre The Giant was the Immovable Object. It was Hogan's streak as Undefeated WWF Champion vs. Andre's 15 year Undefeated Streak. This match was the ultimate headliner that drew 93,173 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit Michigan. (3/29/1987) Hogan's match with Andre the Giant at WM III is his greatest trademark with his signature body slam, followed by the leg drop. This was Andre's official way of passing the torch to Hogan. This is also the match where Hogan put an even greater stamp on the business. After dropping the belt in controversial fashion to Andre, the title was vacated. After friend Macho Man Randy Savage won the WWF Title at WM IV, Hogan and Savage formed the legendary team called "The Mega Powers". However, their team eventually imploded, because of Savage's suspicions and jealousies over Miss Elizabeth. Savage believed that Hogan and Elizabeth were more than friends. Things reached the breaking point during their match with The Big Boss Man and Akeem. Elizabeth was hurt during the match, and Hogan took her backstage for her to receive medical attention. Savage was left by himself. After the match, Savage attacked Hogan. This led to the clash at WrestleMania V ("Mega Powers Explode") Hogan defeated Macho Man for his second WWF Championship. Hogan's second reign lasted a year. Hogan won the 1990 Royal Rumble even though he was WWF Champion. This led to a title defense against Intercontinental Champion, rising star Ultimate Warrior. Their clash at WrestleMania VI was "The Ultimate Challenge". Warrior defeated Hogan to become both the WWF IC Champion and World Champion. After a feud with Earthquake, Hogan returned to the title picture. After winning the 1991 Royal Rumble, Hogan became the number 1 contender to challenge Sgt. Slaughter at WrestleMania VII. ("Superstars & Stripes Forever") America was heavily involved in a war with Iraq (Persian Gulf I) Hogan defended the honor of the USA as he defeated Slaughter for his third WWF Championship. That fall, Hogan was challenged by new arrival, NWA Champion Ric Flair. Flair would cost Hogan the title at Survivor Series 1991 against The Undertaker. By 1992, Hogan would make his departure in the midst of a steroid scandal. His last match would be against Sid Justice at WrestleMania VIII. Hogan soon resurfaced in 1993, when he won his fifth WWF Title over Yokozuna at WretleMania IX, before leaving for WCW. With that said, by 1993 Hulk Hogan had firmly cemented his status as a true legend of wrestling. During his heyday, Hogan was involved in the greatest feuds of the Golden Age of Wrestling (vs. Roddy Piper ’84-’86, vs. Andre the Giant ’87-’88, vs. Randy Savage ’88-’89, vs. Ultimate Warrior ’90, vs. Sgt. Slaughter ’91). Hogan headlined 8 of the first 9 Wrestle Manias that he was a part of. (WM I, WM II, WM III, WM IV, WM V, WM VI, WM VII, WM VIII). However by 1993, Hogan's gimmick from the 1980's became stale. Fans wanted a change, and by the time he arrived in WCW in 1994, fans booed him. Kids who were fans of his in 1985, became teenager-young adults by 1995. The fans outgrew Hulkamania and the red-yellow. In 1996, Hogan rejuvenated his career with heel turn by forming the NWO (w/Kevin Nash & Scott Hall) and becoming “Hollywood Hogan”. The turning point happened at Bash of the Beach (7/7/1996), when Hogan cleaned out the ring to save Team WCW (Sting/Savage/Luger). Suddenly, Hogan gives Savage the "Leg Drop heard around the world", as he became the third man for Nash & Hall. During this time, the NWO's dominance was a major upgrade for business. As Hogan led the charge, WCW dominated WWF in the Monday Night Wars. Hogan was working behind enemy lines to destroy the stage that he built for WWF a decade earlier. During his run, Hogan battled the likes of WCW staples such as Sting, Lex Luger, Vader, Ric Flair, as well as former WWF rivals "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Rowdy Roddy Piper for the WCW Title. Hogan won the WCW Title 6 times. In 2002, Hogan made his return to WWF/E as part of the Original NWO (Hogan/Nash/Hall). They returned at No Way Out 2002, where they cost Steve Austin a chance to defeat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Title. They feuded with the company's top two stars of the Attitude Era. (Stone Cold & The Rock) Both men rivaled Hogan in popularity during that era. Hogan accepted the challenge of Modern Day Icon The Rock for a match at WresstleMania X8 (Icon vs. Icon). The match would be Hogan's first WM in nine years. It was also held in the Toronto Skydome, which was also the arena that Hogan wrestled Ultimate Warrior 12 years earlier at WM VI. Like Hogan-Warrior, this match was another epic battle that blew the fans away. This time, Hogan symbolically passed the torch to The Rock like he did for Warrior. After the NWO dissolved, Hogan won his sixth WWF/E Title, as he defeated Triple H for the Undisputed Championship at Backlash. After losing the title to Undertaker at Judgment Day, Hogan briefly teamed up with Edge to win the Tag Team Titles. In 2003, Hogan defeated Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XIX. In 2005, Hulk Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Like Flair, the biggest knock on Hogan is how he has stayed too long to the point where the perception of his career has been stained in the eyes of today's fans, media, etc. However, fans must never forget the mark that Hulk Hogan left on the business. Hogan is both a wrestling icon, and a pop culture icon. Hulk Hogan brought wrestling to the national forefront, and turned it into a multi-million dollar entity. The Red & Yellow never dies.
Accomplishments:
New Japan Pro Wrestling:
IWGP League Tournament (1983)
MSG Tag League Tournament (1982, 1983) – with Antonio Inoki
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (Class of 2003)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI Comeback of the Year (1994, 2002)
PWI Feud of the Year (1986) vs. Paul Orndorff
PWI Match of the Year (1985) with Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff at WrestleMania
PWI Match of the Year (1988) vs. André the Giant at The Main Event
PWI Match of the Year (1990) vs. The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI
PWI Match of the Year (2002) vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X8
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1996, 1998)
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1983, 1999)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1985, 1989, 1990)
PWI Wrestler of the Year (1987, 1991, 1994)
PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991
PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
PWI ranked him #44 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Antonio Inoki in 2003
PWI ranked him #57 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Randy Savage in 2003
World Championship Wrestling:
6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment:
6-time WWF/E Champion
2-time Royal Rumble Winner (1990, 1991)
1-time WWE World Tag Team Champion (w/Edge)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005))
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:
Feud of the Year (1986) vs. Paul Orndorff
Most Charismatic (1985–1987, 1989–1991)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Finishing Moves:
Atomic Leg Drop
Signature Moves:
Big Boot
Body Slam
Clothesline
Multiple Punches
3. The Rock- The Rock's impact within less than 10 years has been nothing short of Legendary. In fact, it is absolutely Iconic. As a third-generation wrestler, Dwayne Johnson's career surpassed the standards of his father, and grandfather. His blend of size, strength, agility and athleticism are transcendent. As a former lineman at Univ. of Miami, Rocky took the world by storm. After being named the sole survivor of the '96 Survivor Series team, Rocky Maivia's meteoric rise launched from that point. On the February 13, 1997 edition of RAW, he defeated Triple H for his first Intercontinental Championship. Although he was heavily pushed as the babyface, the fans resented and disliked him. They showed their disdain with chants of "Die, Rocky, Die!", and "Rocky Sucks!". This fueled The Rock to finally turn heel, and he never looked back. Shortly afterwards, The Rock joined Ron Simmons (Faarooq) to form The Nation of Domination in 1997. During this point, he dropped the name "Maivia" to just be known as "The Rock". The seeds for his feuds with Stone Cold & Triple H were planted as a member of The Nation. At the D-Generation X: In Your House PPV in December of '97, Austin defeated The Rock for the IC Title. The next night on RAW, Stone Cold forfeited the title to The Rock, which included a Stone Cold Stunner. Rock also feuded with Ken Shamrock, which bled over into WrestleMania XIV. The NOD (Nation Of Domination) put The Rock further on the map. He developed incredible heat all over. His promo skills were first put on display as the co-leader of the faction. He was generally a natural even then. Even as a member of the stable, The Rock was the largest standout. In early 1998, tension boiled over between The Rock and Faarooq over leadership. The Rock seized leadership duties from Faarooq, and became the sole leader and ruler of the Nation. He defeated Faarooq at IYH: Over The Edge to retain the Intercontinental Title. The Rock injected new blood as the leader, because the feud with DX finally culminated. The Rock & Triple H had a 2 out of 3 falls match for the IC Title at Fully Loaded, as Rock retained. That match led to their classic Ladder Match for the title at Summerslam 1998. This was their best match over the title, with Triple H winning. After that, the faction soon crumbled. First, Rock defeated Ken Shamrock & Mankind in a Triple Threat Match to become the number 1 contender for the WWF Title. The faction finally came crashing, when The Rock feuded with Mark Henry. After the Nation disassembled, The Rock became a face, and was first named "The People's Champion". His magnetic personality, promos, and growing popularity further solidified that name. This would spark a feud with Vince McMahon. However, this feud would not last, because The Rock would double-cross the fans by joining forces with McMahon. The betrayal took place at Survivor Series '98, as The Rock defeated Mankind in the Finals of the tournament to become WWF Champion. The match ended in the same distasteful fashion as the "Montreal Screwjob", but with Vince & Shane raising his arms in victory. He was the Corporation's ultimate weapon, and crown jewel. This would soon lead to a feud between Rock & Foley, as they traded the belt back & forth. The highlights of the feud include Mankind winning the title on the Jan. 4, 1999 episode of RAW, their brutal "I Quit Match" at Royal Rumble '99. The match would go on to win the PWI "Match of the Year" Award. This match told the story of how dangerous of a brawler The Rock was, with his thunderous chair shots to Mankind's skull. The feud finally ended on the 2/15/99 episode of RAW IS WAR, when The Rock won his third WWF Championship, with help from the Big Show. As the Corporation's top soldier, The Rock's rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin reached its greatest heights by this time. As a "Corporate Champion", The Rock was the embodiment of a great villain champion. He was cut in a very similar mold of Ric Flair from the '80s, with his sunglasses, designer shirts, and great mic work. The only differences from Flair, were his sideburns, and physique. Their match at WM XV was the first of their trilogy of WrestleMania matches, with Austin coming out victorious. During their feud, The Rock even stole Austin's Smoking Skull Belt, and threw it over a bridge. At this point, the WWF was at its apex as a company. However, his time as the villain would not last, because his entertainment value made it hard for fans to continue to dislike him. His popularity with the fans soon returned, which led to Vince & The Corporation betraying him. Towards the end of 1999, The Rock ventured into different levels of the company, with opportunities for both the WWF Title, and Tag Titles. During this time, he also formed a tag team with Mankind called "The Rock 'N' Sock Connection". They defeated The Undertaker & Big Show for the WWF Tag Titles. Their comedy was brilliant, especially with the skit for The Rock called "This is Your Life". The segment earned RAW an 8.4 in the Ratings, one of the highest rated in RAW history. From late 1999-2000, The Rock hit his absolute peak. His impact was so strong, that WWF named their brand new show after his catchphrase "Smackdown". The franchise has become a staple of the company ever since, and has become legendary in its own right. "Smackdown" has been the house that The Rock built from the start.
In January 2000, he won the Royal Rumble, last eliminating The Big Show. This is where he received countless WWF Title shots. First, he faced Triple H, Big Show, and Mick Foley in a Fatal 4-Way match at WrestleMania 2000. Then, he defeated Triple H for the title at Backlash 2000 in Washington, DC (I was there), for his fourth WWF Championship. Stone Cold intervened to make the count. The People's Champ and The Game would have a rematch for the championship at Judgment Day 2000, in an Iron Man Match (Shawn Michaels was the Guest Referee). Triple H regained the title with a 6-5 score, and intereference from The Undertaker, which DQ'ed The Rock. After winning his fifth WWF Championship, Rock would go on to defend in great matches against the likes of Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and The Undertaker to name a few. After losing the title to Angle, Rock would compete in the first ever 6-Man HIAC match at Armageddon 2000. After regaining the title from Kurt Angle at No Way Out 2001, The Rock would put the title on the line against Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 17 (Rock-Austin). In my view, this was their best match together, and possibly a Top 5 WM match in history. After his return later that year, The Rock would lead Team WWF to victory over the WCW/ECW Alliance at Survivor Series 2001. During the Invasion, he became a 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion. He would go on to feud with former WCW/ECW star Chris Jericho for the WCW/WWF Titles, leading to Jericho unifying the titles. After winning an Iconic match with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18, The Rock would go on to surpass both Hogan & Austin, winning his 7th WWF/WWE Championship over Angle & Undertaker at Vengeance 2002. The Rock would return to finally defeat his Iconic nemesis Stone Cold at WrestleMania 19, to end wrestling's greatest rivalry. After headlining 5 WrestleManias with the likes of Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan and Triple H, The Rock returned in 2011 to challenge John Cena in "The Match of A Lifetime" at WrestleMania 28 in his hometown of Miami. After defeating that Power Ranger at WrestleMania, The Rock has officially become the only man to defeat the faces of different eras. When a jabroni has been checked into the Smackdown Hotel with a Rock Bottom followed by The People's Elbow, it is over. When you look at his body of work, it speaks for itself. He is the Michael Jordan of Professional Wrestling. When other stars reached greatness through territories, The Rock was able to thrive, even without that system, going against the norm in a shorter span of time. The Rock is a bonafide, one of a kind, wrestling Legend, Icon, and Royalty. He is a certified Hall of Famer in my book. If Ya Smell, la, la, la, la, la, la What The Rock is Cookin'!
Accomplishments:
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI Match of the Year(1999) "I Quit Match" vs. Mankind (Royal Rumble 1999)
PWI Match of the Year (2002) "Icon vs. Icon" vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan (WM X8)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1999, 2000)
PWI Wrestler of the Year (2000)
PWI ranked him #2 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2000
PWI ranked him #76 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment:
Sixth Triple Crown Champion
WCW/World Championship (2 times)
WWF/E Championship (7 times)
WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWF Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Mankind (3), The Undertaker (1), and Chris Jericho (1)
Royal Rumble Winner (2000)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
Best Box Office Draw (1999–2000, 2011)
Best Gimmick (1999)
Best on Interviews (1999-2000)
Most Charismatic (1999–2002, 2011)
Most Improved (1998)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Finishing Moves:
The Rock Bottom
The People's Elbow
Signature Moves:
Spinebuster
Sharpshooter
Float-over DDT
Floating snap DDT
Samoan Drop
4. The Undertaker- Career longevity is unmatched with the most enduring gimmick in wrestling history. Only Superstar in History to be Undefeated at WrestleMania (21-0). Greatest Big man in History (6’10 ½ 299) with dominating power mixed with awesome speed. The Undertaker is the true cornerstone of the business, as he has been the staple of WWF/E. Since his debut in 1990, The Undertaker has seen them come and go. The Phenom has gone from battling the likes of Hulk Hogan, and Ultimate Warrior, to Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock. With manager Paul Bearer by his side, Undertaker was truly unstoppable. In his first full year, Undertaker had a monumental run. Not only did he win his first WrestleMania match with Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania VII, but he went on to battle Hulk Hogan at Survivor Series later that year. This would be considered Hogan's "Gravest Challenge" Taker went on to defeat Hogan, before dropping the title the next week at Tuesday in Texas. Shortly afterwards, Undertaker started his feud with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Undertaker would go on to defeat Roberts at WM VIII. For the rest of the decade, The Undertaker was one of the leaders of the roster, from Bret Hart's reign as champion to later Stone Cold. Undertaker also introduced his own specialty match "The Casket Match" against Yokozuna at Royal Rumble 1994. During this time, Undertaker's image and persona would soon evolve as well. The Phenom transformed from an undead Mortician character from the Old West, to an even darker, gothic figure. Taker would also slowly, but surely diversify his moveset. He started to become a more fluid in-ring worker. The Undertaker is widely regarded as the greatest big man wrestler of all-time, and for good reason. Before the Undertaker, there has never been a man his size that has been able to do the things that he has done in that ring. The Deadman's combination of strength, size, speed and agility was remarkable in his prime. As his character started to develop, so did his WrestleMania opponents. His first true high-profile WM feud came against Big Daddy Cool Diesel at WrestleMania XII. In 1996, after vanquishing Diesel, Undertaker would start his feud with Mankind which resulted in the first Boiler Room Brawl Match at Summerslam. During the match, Paul Bearer betrayed Undertaker, by hitting him with the urn to assist Mankind with the win. Taker and Mankind's rivalry reached a whole new level when they met each other in a Buried Alive Match. The Undertaker was victorious with a chokeslam. However, interference from The Executioner (Terry Gordy) resulted in The Deadman being Buried Alive hmself. After defeating The Executioner in an Armageddon Rules Match, Undertaker soon set his sights on Vader. Their feud culminated in a Four Corners Elimination Match at In Your House 13: Final Four, which Bret Hart won. Undertaker defeated Psycho Sid for his second WWF Title at WrestleMania 13. After losing the belt to Bret Hart at Summerslam, The Phenom focused his attention on Shawn Michaels. Their feud resulted in the first ever Hell in a Cell Match at Bad Blood. This was another one of the Undertaker's specialties, and very cutting edge. As Taker was on his way to destroying HBK once and for all, his half-brother Kane interfered and cost him the match. This would lead to their classic match at WM XIV. Taker overcame the Big Red Machine with three Tombstones. Not one, not two, but THREE! Later that year, Undertaker had the legendary HIAC match with Mankind at KOTR 1998. Speaking of Mania, this has become the staple of Taker's legacy. So much has changed in not just the world of wrestling, but culture overall during the Streak. Undertaker's streak lasted through the entire Clinton Administration, the second Bush Administration, and into the Obama term. The streak lasted through at least 5 eras (End of Golden Era, New Generation, Attitude, Ruthless Aggression, PG). During this time, we saw the rise of prominent franchise wrestlers (Bret Hart, Stone Cold, The Rock, Edge), along the way, we saw them go as well. I say that to say how consistent UT has been throughout the many changes in wrestling history. Even with the different changes, UT racked up win after win on the biggest stage of them all. In spite of the slow start, Undertaker's opponents became even better, which added greater value to the streak. After his match with Triple H at WM X7, things continued to rise for the Phenom. We saw the rematch with Kane (WM XX), Randy Orton (WM XXI), Mark Henry (WM XXII), Batista (WM XXIII), Edge (WM XXIV), HBK twice (WM XXV, XXVI), Triple H twice (WM XXVII, XXVIII), and CM Punk (WM XXIX). His matches with HBK earned him two Match of the Year Awards (2009, 2010). Recently, his WrestleMania Streak came to an end at the hands of Brock Lesnar, giving him a record of 21-1. However, that does not diminish his greatness on the Grandest Stage of them All. Undertaker's value as the spine of the company for this long through the good, and the bad should be held in the highest regard. Undertaker is a one of a kind, an original, Icon, Legend and Phenom!
Accomplishments:
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Feud of the Year (1991) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
PWI Match of the Year (1998) vs. Mankind in a Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring
PWI Match of the Year (2009) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV
PWI Match of the Year (2010) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI
PWI Match of the Year (2012) vs. Triple H at WrestleMania XXVIII
PWI ranked him #2 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2002
PWI ranked him #21 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
3-time World Heavyweight Champion
4-time WWF/E Champion
1-time WWF Hardcore Champion
6-time WWF Tag Team Champion (1-Steve Austin, 2-The Big Show, 1-The Rock, 2-Kane)
1-time WCW Tag Team Champion (w/ Kane)
Royal Rumble Winner (2007)
Slammy Award for Best Entrance Music (1997)Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2009) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV
Slammy Award for Moment of the Year (2010) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI
Slammy Award OMG Moment of the Year (2011) Kicking out of Triple H's Tombstone Piledriver atWrestleMania XXVII
Slammy Award Match of the Year (2012) vs. Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match at Wrestlemania XXVIII
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
5 Star Match (1997) vs. Shawn Michaels in a Hell in a Cell at Badd Blood.
Best Gimmick (1990–1994)
Best Heel (1991)
Feud of the Year (2007) vs. Batista
Match of the Year (2009) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV
Match of the Year (2010) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)
Finishing Moves:
Tombstone Piledriver
Chokeslam
Last Ride
Triangle Hold
Signature Moves:
Old School
Diving Clothlesline from top rope
Flying Clothesline launching from the ropes
5
. Ric Flair- First and only wrestler in history to win the World Title in all 3 major promotions. (NWA, WCW, WWF) Great technician, with Incredible Stamina. Matches with Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, and Sting are all NWA Classics. Top 5 in mic skills. This man was indeed a trendsetter in many ways. Ric Flair was the torch carrier for NWA (later WCW) during the 1980's. Flair was the franchise star of the NWA much like Hulk Hogan was the franchise star of the WWF during that time. Ric Flair's flash, charisma, ring generalship, etc are what made him the biggest draw for the smaller company. He was the ultimate influence for future legends such as Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Although his persona was inspired by the original "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, Ric Flair was the most memorable because he took the business to levels that even Buddy did not take it. The NWA/WCW World Title ("The Big Gold Belt") has become synonymous with Ric Flair. Had it not been for the dominance of the Four Horsemen, there would not have been a DX or an Evolution. Flair made his start in the AWA back in 1972 under promoter Verne Gagne in Minnesota. Flair's time there is where he first had matches with Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, and others. Flair soon joined the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under Jim Crockett Jr. Promotion's Mid-Atlantic region. During this time, Flair would start touring in Japan, where he would wrestle numerous times in his career. On October 4, 1975, Ric Flair's life, and career would both change forever. That day, Flair was involved in a serious plane crash in Wilmington, North Carolina that killed the pilot and paralyzed Johnny Valentine. Flair suffered back problems in different places, and at age 26 he was told by doctors that he might never wrestle again. However, he proved them wrong and his career took off even further. After going through physical therapy, Ric Flair returned to the ring four months later to continue his feud with Wahoo McDaniel during February 1976. After the crash, Flair had to polish his wrestling technique to more of a technician, after originally being a brawler. From this point, he adopted the "Nature Boy" persona, and the rest is history. Jim Crockett Jr. soon started grooming Ric Flair to be his top star. Flair had his first taste of gold and superstardom on July 29, 1977 as he defeated Bobo Brazil to win the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. This was the second most prestigious title in the company, only behind the World Title. During the following three years, Flair had 5 US Title reigns, which included his first feud with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Mr. Wrestling II, Jimmy Snuka and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. Flair finally reached elite status in 1978, when he was involved in a feud with the original "Nature Boy" himself, Buddy Rogers. Flair defeated Rogers during their encounter. On September 17, 1981, Ric Flair finally became the NWA's MVP when he defeated "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes for his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship. For the rest of the decade, Flair would continue to cement himself as the King of the NWA Mountain in the midst of the heavy competition of the World Wrestling Federation. With his flamboyant interview style, image and persona, Flair symbolized the role of a true World Champion. Ric Flair was the complete package for World Champion material. Flair sported designer clothes, jewelry, watches, bleach blonde hair, sunglasses, colorful robes, along with his legendary figure four leg-lock. During this initial run, Flair had his first great feud with fellow NWA legend Harley Race. Race defeated Flair for the title in 1983, but Flair regained it at Starrcade 1983 later that year in a Classic Steel Cage Match. Ric Flair and Harley Race would have many great matches early in 1984. As NWA Champion, Ric Flair was a "True World Champion" as he defended the title around the world, including places such as Japan and New Zealand. Territory to Territory, Flair took on all comers. In fact, Flair regained the title from Race in New Zealand in March 1984. Flair dropped the title to upcoming Kerry Von Erich at Texas Stadium. However, he regained it in Japan shortly after. From that point, Ric Flair was World Champion for two years, and two months before losing the belt to rival Dusty Rhodes at the Great American Bash. (7/26/1986) From that point, Flair and Dusty established their legendary feud. During this time, Flair also formed the Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard) Flair regained the NWA World Title in September 1986. As Jim Crockett, Jr decided to expand his promotion nationally beyond territories, he continued to book Flair to rule NWA with an iron fist. This was also the time where NWA unveiled a new World Title, commonly known as "The Big Gold Belt" that we know and have respected for years. By 1987, Flair had a series of matches with future Horseman Barry Windham. Flair dropped the belt to Ron Garvin in Detroit that year. However, Ric Flair would regain it later that year in a cage match at Starrcade '87 in Chicago. By 1988, Flair faced an exciting new challenger and a future rival named Sting. Their match at Clash of the Champions I put Sting on the map as the future. The match ended in a 45-minute draw. In 1989, Flair would have a legendary trilogy of matches with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. (Chi-Town Rumble, Clash of the Champions VI, WrestleWar) Steamboat defeated Flair at Chi-Town Rumble in Chicago (2/20/1989) for the NWA Title. However, Flair regained the belt at WrestleWar (5/7/1989) Right after the match, Terry Funk attacked Flair by giving him a Piledriver through the table. Funk was the guest color commentator during the match. Things started when Flair refused to recognize Funk as a true contender. This later led to a brutal match at Great American Bash 1989. The feud reached its peak when they wrestled in an "I Quit Match" at Clash of the Champions IX. Ric Flair retained the NWA title by making Terry Funk say "I Quit" in a Figure Four Leglock. Flair and Sting picked up where they left off, leading to an awesome match at The Great American Bash. (7/7/1990) Sting defeated Flair for the gold. However, Flair defeated Sting to regain the title on January 11, 1991 after revealing himself as the Black Scorpion. During this time, Flair was subsequently recognized as WCW's first Heavyweight Champion, while still being the NWA Champion. For years, there has been confusion about these title reigns. Some are recognized, while others are not. This was in large part, because WCW and NWA were becoming separate. By spring 1991, there was a very nasty dispute between Flair and WCW president Jim Herd. Herd wanted to reduce Flair's role to "keep up with the times". After Flair disagreed, he was fired two weeks before The Great American Bash, causing the title to be vacated. However, when Flair was fired, he was still considered the "NWA World Heavyweight Champion" even when he made his WWF debut on September 8, 1991. Flair came to WWF with the World Title, proclaiming to be "The Real World's Champion". WCW also sued him to reclaim their belt. Flair claims that he owned the NWA belt as a result of the $25,000 deposit that champions pay upon winning the title. He also claims that to this day, the deposit was never paid back to him. Flair came with major momentum, challenging Rowdy Roddy Piper, and the King of the WWF, Hulk Hogan. Flair went on win the 1992 Royal Rumble to become the Undisputed WWF Champion. This was the perfect time to set up the Ultimate Dream Match at WrestleMania 8, between Hogan and Flair to determine the "Real World Champion". However, egos clashed and WWF blew a great opportunity and the biggest payoff for Flair. Instead, he feuded with Macho Man Randy Savage over Miss Elizabeth, and the WWF Title. Savage defeated Flair for the WWF Title. The match at WM 8 was still great overall, but we will always be guessing "What If?". Flair had a pretty solid run as WWF Champion with Bobby Heenan as his "financial advisor" and Mr. Perfect as his "executive consultant". Flair himself has even said that this was one of his favorite runs of his career. However, after regaining the title from Savage in September, Flair would drop the belt to Bret "The Hitman" Hart on October 12, 1992. Shortly thereafter, Ric Flair returned to WCW in early 1993. When he returned, Flair would defeat Barry Windham at Beach Blast to reclaim another "NWA/WCW" World Title before the official split from NWA in September. At Starrcade 1993, Ric Flair defeated the monster Big Van Vader for the "WCW" Title in a brawl. During the rest of the decade, Flair would battle for the title with Sting, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage and others. Flair returned to WWF (later WWE) after WCW was purchased by Vince McMahon. From 2002-2008, Flair was clearly a shell of who he once was. During this time, he was the elder member of Evolution. In 2008, he finally had his retirement match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV. Ric Flair's body of work speaks for itself. Legends like Shawn Michaels and Triple H are merely chapters in the book that Ric Flair wrote. His passion, endurance, classic matches, and prestigious title reigns speak for themselves. In order to clarify his title reigns as 16, I would like to put them in this perspective (8-NWA, 2,-WWF, 6-WCW). There are other sources that say 21. Regardless, Ric Flair is a Legend and an Icon. "To be the man, you got to beat the man." Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair. Whoooooo!!!
Accomplishments:
National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling:
3-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion
3-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion (1-Rip Hawk, 1-Greg Valentine, 1-Big John Studd)
2-time NWA (Mid Atlantic)/NWA Television Champion
6-time NWA (Mid Atlantic)/WCW United States Heavyweight Champion
8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion
3-time NWA World Tag Team Championship (2-Greg Valentine, 1-Blackjack Mulligan)
2-time WCW International World Heavyweight Champion
6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
First WCW Triple Crown Champion
NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI ranked him #2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
PWI ranked him #3 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991, 1992, and 1994
PWI Feud of the Year (1987) Four Horsemen vs. Super Powers and Road Warriors
PWI Feud of the Year (1988, 1990) vs. Lex Luger
PWI Feud of the Year (1989) vs. Terry Funk
PWI Match of the Year (1983) vs. Harley Race (June 10)
PWI Match of the Year (1984) vs. Kerry Von Erich at Parade of Champions 1
PWI Match of the Year (1986) vs. Dusty Rhodes at The Great American Bash in a steel cage match
PWI Match of the Year (1989) vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleWar
PWI Match of the Year (2008) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV
PWI Match of the Decade (2000–2009) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV
Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1978, 1987)
Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2008)
Rookie of the Year (1975))
Wrestler of the Year (1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992)
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum:
Class of 2006
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment:
2-time WWF Champion
3-time World Tag Team Championship (2-Batista, 1-Rowdy Roddy Piper)
1-time WWE Intercontinental Championship
Royal Rumble Winner (1992)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2012) – with Four Horsemen
Thirteenth Triple Crown Champion
Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2008) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV
Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
Best Heel (1990)
Best Interviews (1991, 1992, 1994)
Feud of the Year (1989) vs. Terry Funk
Match of the Year (1983) vs. Harley Race in a steel cage match at Starrcade
Match of the Year (1986) vs. Barry Windham at Battle of the Belts II on February 14
Match of the Year (1988) vs. Sting at Clash of the Champions I
Match of the Year (1989) vs. Ricky Steamboat at Clash of the Champions VI: Rajin' Cajun
Most Charismatic (1980, 1982–1984, 1993)
Most Outstanding (1986, 1987, 1989)
Readers' Favorite Wrestler (1984–1993, 1996)
Wrestler of the Year (1982–1986, 1989, 1990, 1992)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Finishing Moves:
Figure Four Leglock
Signature Moves:
Chop Block
Elbow Drop
Knife-Edge Chop
Low-Blow
Piledriver
Running Knee Drop
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6. Shawn Michaels- The Heartbreak Kid, The Showstopper, The Main Event, The Icon, Mr. WrestleMania. These are each monikers that Shawn Michaels has given himself, and he has more than lived up to them. Michaels first made his rise to stardom in the AWA, as a member of "The Rockers" with Marty Jannetty. Their tag team fluidity, chemistry, high-flying and innovation was completely out of the box for that time, which was dominated by big men. They were clearly influenced by the Midnight Express, and especially the Rock N Roll Express, thus the name "Midnight Rockers". During this time, the AWA was fledging, including the Tag Team Division there. Michaels and Jannetty were the hottest ticket in town at the time. Therefore, the main team that they battled were Buddy Rose and Doug Somers for the AWA World Tag Team Titles. Finally, after a long wait, The Rockers finally defeated Rose & Somers to become the AWA World Tag Team Champions. After they ran their course in the AWA, The Rockers took their high-flying act from Minnesota to New York to join Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation in the Summer of 1988. The Rockers were even a breath of fresh air in the WWF, as they delivered great matches even against larger teams. The only other smaller workhorse tag teams in the WWF at the time were the Hart Foundation, Brititsh Bulldogs and Brainbusters. The Rockers were mainstays at the midcard spot, as they mixed up with Arn Anderson in 1989, and then the Hart Foundation themselves later that year. The chemistry that these teams had together was brilliant. In October 1990, the Rockers finally got their big break as they faced the Hart Foundation for the WWF Tag Team Titles on the Main Event in a 2-out of-3 falls match. The Rockers were declared the new WWF Tag Team Champions. However, the decision was reversed because it was revealed that the turnbuckle collapsed during the match. Plus, the decision was never broadcast on television. Therefore, the Hart Foundation were still considered the WWF Tag Team Champions. The Rockers continued their partnership until the end of 1991. The January 1992 segment of Brutus Beefcake's Barbershop talk show became the most famous segment of that show's history. This marked the official end of the Rockers. When it looked like both men reconciled, Shawn Michaels caught everyone off guard by giving Marty Jannetty the Superkick. After that, he threw Jannetty through the glass window of Beefacke's Barbershop window. This is where Shawn's career officially launched as The Heartbreak Kid. As Jannetty's career floundered, Michaels rose to superstardom and never looked back.After Mr. Perfect gave him the nickname "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn's run as a heel got off to a strong start. He was paired with "Sensational" Sherri Martel, who managed more established heels "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. This further accelerated Shawn's growth as a singles star, because of his affiliation with her. Sherri would accompany Shawn to the ring with a mirror to further enhance his image as a conceited villain. Sherri even sang the first version of Shawn's "Sexy Boy" theme song. Whenever Shawn left the ring, it would be announced "Shawn Michaels has left the building" like he was Elvis Presley. Shawn did not waste time at all making his name as in the singles division by facing the likes of Roddy Piper for the IC Title, and Texas Tornado Kerry Von Erich. At the 1992 Royal Rumble, Shawn held his own as well. At WrestleMania VIII, Shawn Michaels defeated "El Matador" Tito Santana. By this point, Shawn had firmly placed himself among the top contenders for championships. Michaels even wrestled Randy Savage at UK Rampage for the WWF Title, with Savage winning and retaining. During the summer, Shawn started his series of matches with his greatest rival, Bret "The Hitman" Hart over the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Like Bret, Shawn was a rising singles wrestler that split from a famous tag team. Bret was the rising leader of the WWF at the time, and Shawn proved to himself, Vince, Bret, and everyone else that he could hang with the best. On July 21, 1992 Bret and Shawn wrestled each other in the first ladder match in WWF History for the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestling Challenge on Coliseum Video. Even though Michaels lost that night, he would go on to capture the title from The British Bulldog at Saturday Night's Main Event (10/27/1992). Shawn later challenged newly crowned WWF Champion Bret Hart for his championship in the main event at Survivor Series 1992. The match was indeed a classic, and a very underrated match in the Hitman-HBK saga. Shawn's meteoric rise among the top singles stars shall be held among the best runs of all-time, because of the big names that Shawn danced with to get off the ground (Bret, Savage, Piper, Santana, Von Erich). At this time, Shawn split from Sherri and started his feud with ex-tag partner Marty Jannetty for the WWF Intercontinental Championship at the 1993 Royal Rumble. Sherri was in Marty's corner during the match, as Shawn retained the title. After successfully defending against Tatanka at WrestleMania IX, Michaels lost the belt to Jannetty on the May 17 episode of RAW. However, Michaels regained the title from Jannetty on June 6 with the help of his brand new "bodyguard" Big Daddy Cool" Diesel (Kevin Nash). In September 1993, Shawn Michaels was stripped of the Intercontinental Title, and suspended after testing positive for anabolic steroids. During his suspension, there was a Battle Royal for the vacated Intercontinental Championship, which Razor Ramon won. When Shawn returned, he walked around wearing his own version of the title, claiming that he never truly lost it. Therefore, the story line for their feud was based on "Who was the real Intercontinental Champion?". The rivalry culminated in a legendary Ladder Match at WrestleMania X. This is was Shawn's first major WM match. This is the night where "Mr. Wrestlemania" was born, because HBK and Razor tore the house down that night at the Garden. The match won the "PWI Match of the Year" Award for Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Wrestling Observer also gave this match 5-stars, along with their own "Match of the Year" Award. Shawn Michaels officially put everyone on notice that night, as he also put himself on the map even more with this thrilling performance. The night after WM X, Shawn started his own talk show segment "The Heartbreak Hotel", which was mainly shown on WWF Superstars. On August 28, 1994, Shawn Michaels and Diesel defeated The Headshrinkers (Samu & Fatu) to become the WWF Tag Team Champions. However, the next night at Summerslam, Razor Ramon regained the IC Championship after HBK accidentally superkicked Diesel. This marked the beginning of a split between HBK and Diesel which boiled over into their split at Survivor Series 1994. After Diesel defeated Bob Backlund for the WWF Title, the feud continued to build when HBK won the 1995 Royal Rumble after entering number 1. Michaels became the first in history to enter #1 and win the entire Rumble. This led to him becoming the No. 1 Contender for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XI. Shawn recruited Psycho Sid as his bodyguard. Michaels delivered another great performance, even though Diesel remained the WWF Champion. The Match won the "PWI Match of the Year" Award. The following night, Michaels was attacked by Sid, which made him a fan favorite. On July 23, 1995 at WWF In Your House, Shawn Michaels defeated "Double J" Jeff Jarrett for his third and final WWF Intercontinental Championship. Michaels and Razor had a rematch for the IC Championship at Summerslam 1995 in another Ladder Match. This time, Shawn Michaels won. During this time, Shawn became the leader of the infamous backstage group called "The Kliq". The group was perceived as power hungry by the rest of the locker room. However, Vince had no problem with them. Shawn even named his fan base "The Kliq". Unfortunately, Shawn had to vacated the IC Title in October due to injuries after being attacked in a bar in Syracuse, NY. In November 1995 on an episode of Monday Night RAW, Shawn suffered a "concussion" at the hands of an Owen Hart enzuigiri kick. Michaels went on to win, but collapsed afterwards. When Shawn recovered, he returned to win the 1996 Royal Rumble which made him the number 1 contender for Bret Hart's WWF Championship at WrestleMania XII. The match would be one for the ages, as it marked the very first 60-minute Iron Man Match in WWF/E History. Both Shawn and Bret went non-stop for all 60-minutes. However, there was no pinfall or submission in that time, which led to "sudden death overtime". This is where an exhausted HBK pulled his strength together to deliver two superkicks to defeat Bret Hart and become the new World Wrestling Federation Champion! The match earned HBK his fourth straight "PWI Match of the Year" Award, along with the title of the "Leader of the New Generation". Shawn went on to have great matches with the likes of Mankind, Diesel, and British Bulldog to name a few. However, Michaels and the Kliq would shatter the traditional mold of kayfabe with the "Curtain Call" at MSG on May 19, 1996. After the match, HBK, HHH, Nash, and Hall each broke character and gave each other a hug, because Hall & Nash were going to WCW. This moment blew the business away completely, and uncovered wrestling behind the scenes. When they both left for WCW, that is when things began to unravel even more for the WWF. This was one of the darkest periods in WWF history, because when Shawn carried the company on his shoulders, they were dominated by the WCW machine. (NWO, Sting, Flair, Cruiserweights, etc) Although many give Shawn Michaels extra credit for holding things together during this time, he was not a very transcendent champion to build around. This has been one of the biggest knocks on HBK, because even though he held things together as much as possible, business was not at the best stage in much of '96. I will give credit and say that it was better than '95 at least. In spite of his great matches, HBK was not as majorly impactful as so many want to paint him out to be. Taker was still there as the spine of WWF. Bret Hart was on a break, and Stone Cold was still in the early stages of being built. Shawn held the belt for most of the year until he lost to Psycho Sid at Survivor Series 1996. However, Michaels recaptured the WWF Title from Psycho Sid at the 1997 Royal Rumble in his hometown of San Antonio Texas. On a special Thursday night episode of RAW, Shawn Michaels vacated the title because of an injury. This is where he "lost his smile". During this time, the personal animosity between Bret and Shawn escalated like never before. Tension continued to boil at Summerslam 1997, when Shawn was guest referee for the WWF Championship match between Bret & Undertaker. Michaels accidentally hit Undertaker with a steel chair, causing Bret to recapture the WWF Title. In between, Michaels went on to defeat the British Bulldog for the WWF European Championship. HBK became the first Grand Slam Champion in WWF History, becoming the first wrestler to win every available title, in this case all four titles. (WWF Heavyweight, Intercontinental, Tag Team, European) During this time, HBK and Triple H formed the renegade group D-Generation-X with Chyna & Ravishing Rick Rude. Michaels settled his business with The Undertaker in the very first Hell in A Cell Match at Badd Blood in October 1997. Michaels prevailed in this brutal, revolutionary match. Wrestling Observer gave the match 5 Stars. Michaels regained the WWF Title from Bret Hart at Survivor Series in an event that has divided wrestling fans like never before, the notorious "Montreal Screwjob". This match changed the perception of both Shawn and Bret's careers for a very long time. Michaels would go on to defeat The Undertaker in a Casket Match at the Royal Rumble to retain the title, in spite of a back injury during;the match. Michaels would go on to lose the WWF Title to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV. After a 4-year hiatus, Michaels was reborn and rejuvenated, thus ready for a return in 2002. Michaels jumped right into a great feud with Triple H with a win at Summerslam 2002. Michaels went on to win the World Heavyweight Title at Survivor Series 2002 in the first ever Elimination Chamber. Even though he was physically past his prime at this point, HBK would go onto have some of the best matches of his career with the best quality opponents from Chris Jericho, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Edge, John Cena and of course closing out his career with two spectacular WM matches with Undertaker (WM XXV, XXVI). Shawn's second run has become a more critical success than before, and time will continue to show that. Michaels won most of his "Match of the Year" Awards during this time. HBK has influenced future generations of wrestlers from Chris Jericho, Edge and John Morrison. Michaels was extremely versatile with his terrific athleticism, great durability as well as technique. His storied career had a perfect ending. HBK was certainly a revolutionary of specialty matches (Ladder, HIAC, Elimination Chamber). The fact that Shawn Michaels has won the PWI "Match of the Year" 11 times is a testament to what kind of artist he was in the ring, and how creative he was. This is why HBK will always be "Mr. WrestleMania" and indeed a "Showstopper".
Accomplishments:
American Wrestling Association:
2-time AWA World Tag Team Champion (with Marty Jannetty)
Central States Wrestling:
1-time NWA Central States Tag Team Champion (with Marty Jannetty)
Continental Wrestling Association:
2-time AWA Southern Tag Team Champion (with Marty Jannetty)
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment:
3-time WWF Champion
1-time World Heavyweight Champion
1-time WWF European Champion
3-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
5-time WWF/E World Tag Team Champion (2-Diesel, 1-Steve Austin, 1-John Cena, 1-Triple H)
1-time WWE Tag Team Champion (with Triple H)
2-time Royal Rumble Winner(1995, 1996)
Fourth Triple Crown Champion
First Grand Slam Champion
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)
Slammy Award for Best Slammin' Jammin' Entrance (1996)
Slammy Award for Best Threads (1996)
Slammy Award for Squared Circle Shocker (1996) Won for collapsing; Owen Hart accepts the award for making Michaels collapseSlammy Award for Master of Mat Mechanics (1996)
Slammy Award for Match of the Year (1996) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at SummerSlamSlammy Award for Leader of the New Generation (1996)
Slammy Award for Best Finisher (1997)
Slammy Award for Match of the Year (1997) vs. Bret Hart in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XIISlammy Award for Match of the Year (2008) vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIVSlammy Award for Match of the Year (2009) vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVSlammy Award for Moment of the Year (2010) vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI Feud of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho
PWI Match of the Year (1993) vs. Marty Jannetty on Monday Night Raw on May 17
PWI Match of the Year (1994) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at WrestleMania X
PWI Match of the Year (1995) vs. Diesel at WrestleMania XI
PWI Match of the Year (1996) vs. Bret Hart in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII
PWI Match of the Year (2004) vs. Chris Benoit and Triple H at WrestleMania XX
PWI Match of the Year (2005) vs. Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21
PWI Match of the Year (2006) vs. Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22
PWI Match of the Year (2007) vs. John Cena on Raw on April 23
PWI Match of the Year (2008) vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV
PWI Match of the Year (2009) vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV
PWI Match of the Year (2010) vs. The Undertaker in a Career vs. Streak match at WrestleMania XXVI
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2010)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1995, 1996)
PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1996
PWI ranked him #10 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
PWI ranked him #33 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Marty Jannetty in 2003
Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
5 Star Match (1994) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at WrestleMania X.
5 Star Match (1997) vs. The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell at Badd Blood.Best Babyface (1996)
Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Triple H and Chris Benoit
Feud of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho
Match of the Year (1994) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at WrestleMania X
Match of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho in a Ladder match at No Mercy
Match of the Year (2009) vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV
Match of the Year (2010) vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI
Most Charismatic (1995, 1996)
Tag Team of the Year (1989) with Marty Jannetty as The Rockers
Hall of Fame (Class of 2003)
Finishing moves:
Sweet Chin Music (Superkick, with theatrics)
Modified figure four leglock – was used rarely after 2008
Teardrop Suplex (Leg hook Saito suplex) – 1992–1993
Signature moves:
Arm trap crossface – 2007–2010
Backhand chop
Belly to back suplex
Diving double axe handle
Diving elbow drop, with theatrics
Dropkick
Figure-four leglock
Flying forearm smash followed by a kip-up
Inverted atomic drop
Moonsault, sometimes while springboarding to the outside
Skin the cat
Slingshot crossbody
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7 . Bret “The Hitman” Hart- Greatest Technical Wrestler in History. Greatest Submission move in Wrestling History (Sharpshooter). Brought completely new meaning to the term “Excellence of Execution” with a scientific style that was hard to counter or match, along with a decent balance of quickness to defeat larger opponents. He could take on any opponent, no matter what size. Greatest Canadian Wrestler of all-time. Bret "The Hitman" Hart has become the most accomplished member of the Hart Family Dungeon. What Bret lacked in mic skills or charisma, he more than made up for in his wrestling ability. Bret Hart personified wrestling in its absolute purest form. His job was to tell a story and create art in the ring, and he did it very well. If Hulk Hogan is the Elvis or wrestling, Bret would certainly be the Robert De Niro of the sport. He was also the Tim Duncan of pro wrestling. Whatever he lacked in style, he had the strategy, substance and IQ to pick opponents apart. Hart was the ultimate ring general, who raised the bar for others to follow such as Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho and others. As a student of his father Stu Hart's Dungeon, Bret learned an old school, discipline straight forward mat style of wrestling. This style also combined a combination of submission holds that stretched the opponent beyond their limits. Bret could also control the pace with his great in-ring psychology and rest holds to keep things in his favor. This amateur style that Bret brought to the table was very influential for the time. Hart's experience in Japan helped him grow even more, as he had great high-impact matches with the likes of Dynamite Kid, and Tiger Mask. After establishing himself as one of the top International Wrestlers (Stampede, NJPW), Hart joined WWF in 1984 after Stampede Wrestling was bought out by Vince McMahon, Jr. Soon in 1985, Hart became "The Hitman" and teamed with Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart to form one of the greatest Tag Teams in wrestling history "The Hart Foundation". The duo was also managed by "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart (no relation). Hart's agile, technical brand of wrestling earned him the name "Excellence of Execution". When you combine that with Anvil's power style, along with Jimmy Hart as the mouthpiece, they were groundbreaking. Even as a Tag Team wrestler, Bret also got his feet wet in the Singles division facing Ricky Steamboat, Randy Savage, and even Andre The Giant to name a few. Hart was even the last man eliminated by Andre in the WrestleMania 2 Battle Royal. This was merely a sign of things to come. On February 7, 1987, Bret had his first taste of gold as the Hart Foundation defeated the British Bulldogs for the WWF Tag Team Championships on Superstars. This was also the same time that they switched to their trademark Pink & Black. (Which Bret would continue to use) The Hart Foundation danced with the best of the best in the Tag Division. (Bulldogs, Rockers, Demolition, etc) During their peak, Bret was so over that they had to become face. Bret was so over that he even challenged Honky Tonk Man for the IC Title on Prime Time Wrestling (7/7/1988) The Hart Foundation won their second and final Tag Team Titles, when they defeated Demolition at Summerslam 1990 in a 2-out of-3 falls match. The Hart Foundation would officially make their split, after they lost the titles to the Nasty Boys at WrestleMania VII. Bret was able to fully focus on his singles career, and he immediately set his sights on the WWF Intercontinental Championship, held by Mr. Perfect. This was also the time where Bret tapped into his submission background that he learned from Japan, by using the Sharpshooter. Bret defeated Mr. Perfect with that move at Summerslam 1991 to win his first WWF IC Championship. Hart would hold on to the title until he lost it to The Mountie on January 17, 1992. After Roddy Piper won the IC title at the 1992 Royal Rumble, Hart would regain it at WrestleMania VIII. 1992 was a pivotal year in Bret Hart's career. Wrestling was under a very heavy cloud of controversy surrounding steroids, and Vince McMahon needed to change his company's image. The WWF was making a major change, from promoting stars with bodybuilder physiques (Hogan, Warrior) to building smaller, technical workers that could deliver more realistic, faster pace matches. Bret was perfect for that new image, as Vince decided to focus more on the pure wrestling aspect instead of pure gimmicks. Bret was the leader of that change, and his grassroots following made an incredible rise during that time. That year, Bret was involved in higher profile, quality matches, which started at WM VIII. During this time, Bret would also start his series of matches with archrival Shawn Michaels for the IC Title. They would also compete in the first Ladder match in WWF/E History. (7/21/1992, Coliseum Video) Bret also headlined his first PPV, when he defended the WWF Intercontinental Championship against brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith at Summerslam 1992. (Wembley Stadium- Manchester, England UK) Hart delivered a fantastic match as he dropped the IC Title to Davey Boy in front of 80,000 fans that night. This match is also considered to be the greatest Summerlam match in WWF/E history. Hart's momentum reached an incredible peak after this match, which resulted in him going to the next level for the WWF Title. On October 12, 1992 Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair for his first WWF Championship in front of his hometown fans in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada. Even though the match was not televised, this was the official stamp to say that Bret was the Franchise Star of the WWF. Bret was the definition of a true fighting champion. Bret's rise as the champ came at a perfect time, because the climate of the business was changing. The previous top stars were on the way out. Hogan was gone, along with Warrior. Perfect had back problems. Piper had hip problems. Jake Roberts left. Slaughter retired. Flair was headed back to WCW, and he and Savage were not getting any younger. It was no longer about cartoon characters and gimmicks. Instead, it was about realistic personalities and pure wrestlers. It was no longer about "Red & Yellow", but about the "Pink & Black Attack". Bret took on whatever contenders they had for him, and he conquered. After successfully defending in a rematch with Flair, along with defeating the likes of Papa Shango, etc, Bret's best opponent of that first reign would be Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1992. Bret would go on to have another successful defense against Razor Ramon at Royal Rumble 1993, before dropping the belt at WrestleMania IX. Bret would go on to win the 1993 King of the Ring. In the tournament, he defeated the likes of Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect, and Bam Bam Bigelow. After winning the 1994 Royal Rumble, Bret Hart would go on to regain the WWF Title at WrestleMania X. This run also included a great match with his brother Owen at Summerslam 1994. Bret Hart's run from 1992-95 was phenomenal. By the time he entered WrestleMania XII (1996), Bret Hart had reached legend status. His Ironman Match with HBK was truly epic to say the least. (3x WWF Champ, 2x IC Champ, 2x Tag Champ, etc) He would return later that year to start his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, which led to their greatest match at WM 13 (Submission Match). After being run out from the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Bret would migrate to WCW. Even though he was not the same wrestler as before, he was still effective. Bret Hart's body of work and quality of matches speak for themselves. When it came to scientific, technical wrestling at it's purest, Bret Hart truly was "The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be". Mr. Bret Hart is truly a Legend and an Icon of Wrestling.
Accomplishments:
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI Comeback of the Year (1997)
PWI Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Jerry Lawler
PWI Feud of the Year (1994) vs. Owen Hart
PWI Match of the Year (1992) vs. British Bulldog at SummerSlam
PWI Match of the Year (1996) vs. Shawn Michaels in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII
PWI Match of the Year (1997) vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1997)
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1994)
PWI Stanley Weston Award (2003)
PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1993 and 1994
PWI ranked him #4 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
PWI ranked him #37 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Jim Neidhart in 2003
Stampede Wrestling:
5-time NWA International Tag Team Champion (Calgary version) (4- Keith Hart , 1- Leo Burke)
3-time Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Champion
6-time Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion
Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment:
5-time WWF Champion
2-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
2-time WWF Tag Team Champion (w/Jim Neidhart)
1-time WWE US Champion
King of the Ring (1991, 1993)
WWF Superstar of the Year (1993)
Royal Rumble Winner (1994)
Second Triple Crown Champion
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)
Slammy Award for Match of the Year (vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII) (1996)
World Championship Wrestling:
2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
4-time WCW United States Champion
1-time WCW World Tag Team Champion (w/Bill Goldberg)
Fifth Triple Crown Champion
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:
5 Star Match (1994) vs. Owen Hart in a cage match at SummerSlam
5 Star Match (1997) vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
Best Pro Wrestling Book (2007) Hitman
Best Pro Wrestling DVD (2006) Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be
Best Pro Wrestling DVD (2011) WWE Greatast Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart
Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Jerry Lawler
Feud of the Year (1997) with Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman vs. Steve Austin
Match of the Year (1997) vs. Steve Austin in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Finishing Move:
Sharpshooter
Hart Attack (w/Jim Neidhart)
Signature Moves:
Piledriver
Russian Leg Sweep
Bulldog
DDT
Figure Four Leglock
Figure Four on Ringpost
European Uppercut
SnapmareArmbar
Pendulum Backbreaker
Second rope axe handle elbow dropSide headlock
Crucifix pin
SleeperSecond rope Clothesline
German Suplex
Belly to Back Suplex
8. Sting- This man was the "Franchise" of WCW during the 1990's. He was the building block for the company after Ric Flair passed the torch to him, and even when Flair left for the WWF. The Stinger's greatest claim among wrestling fans is the fact that he became a legend WITHOUT stepping into Vince McMahon's ring. After being a member of the Bladerunners in the mid-80's with fellow future star Ultimate Warrior in the United Wrestling Federation (UWF), Sting soon migrates to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 1987. Sting established himself as a rising star very early on in the company. At Starrcade '87, Sting teamed up with Michael P.S. Hayes, and Jimmy Garvin to take on Rick Steiner, Larry Zbysko, and Eddie Gilbert. Even though the match ended in a draw, bigger things were ahead for Sting. At Clash of the Champions I (3/27/1988), Sting wrestled "Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The match won the PWI "Match of the Year" Award, as both Flair and Sting tore the house down. Even though this 45-minute classic ended in another draw, this was the match that put Sting on the map. This particular match will always be considered the benchmark of Sting's rise to superstardom, as greater things were in store for him. This also marked the beginning of his feud with his greatest rival, Ric Flair. Sting later teamed up with Nikita Koloff to challenge the other Horsemen Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championships. However, Blanchard and Anderson retained the titles. That year, Sting would go on to set his sights towards singles gold, facing the likes of United States Champion Barry Windham, and TV Champion Mike Rotundo (later IRS in WWF). After being attacked by the Road Warriors, Sting teamed with Dusty Rhodes to challenge them for the NWA World Tag Titles at Starrcade 1988. After his first great full-year in NWA, Sting won PWI's "Most Improved Wrestler" Award for 1988. This incredible run also earned Sting the "Most Improved Wrestler" Award by Wrestling Observer that year as well. This was indeed Sting's first flagship year. After starting off 1989 facing Ric Flair at The Omni on New Year's Day, Sting went on his first tour to Japan (All-Japan Pro Wrestling). When Sting returned to the United States, his long push culminated in winning his first title by defeating Mike Rotundo for the NWA World Television Title. Sting's first big title defense came against The Great Muta at the 1989 Great American Bash. (7/23/1989) The match was absolutely brilliant, displaying the great chemistry between Sting and Muta. This would lead to a fantastic series of matches between the two, with their great athleticism telling different stories. However, after Sting was declared the winner by pinfall, the replay showed Muta's shoulder up at the two count. Therefore, the title was vacated. After every rematch ended in disqualification, Muta finally defeated Sting in a NO-DQ match in September 1989 to finally win the title, with a blackjack. Sting's rivalry with Muta clashed with Ric Flair's feud with Terry Funk (Dual Rivalry). This led to Sting teaming up with Flair to take on Muta & Funk in a Thunderdome Steel Cage Match at Halloween Havoc '89 (10/23/1989). Sting and Flair emerged victorious with Flair's figure four on Funk. This led to a brief alliance for Sting & the Horsemen. However, the union was short lived, as Sting won the Iron Man Tournament at Starrcade '89. After defeating Flair in the final match of the night, Sting naturally became the number one contender for his NWA World Title, which automatically led to tension within the group between the two. At Clash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout (2/6/1990) after refusing to give up his title shot, Sting was attacked by Flair, Ole and Arn Anderson, thus being kicked out of the Four Horsemen. Sting also suffered a knee injury that night in a cage match. After recovering from his injury, Sting finally defeated Ric Flair at Great American Bash '90 (7/7/1990) to win his first NWA/WCW World Heavyweight Championship. This match was WCW's version of Hogan vs Warrior (WM VI). The story behind the match was tremendous. During the match, Sting countered Flair's figurefour leglock into a small package pin to win the title. In this case, Flair was symbolically passing the torch to Sting to be the face of WCW for the future. Sting would not only continue to defend the title against Flair, but also new contender Sid Vicious. At Halloween Havoc '90, when Sid defeated an impostor Sting (Barry Windham), the real Sting attacked Vicious and pinned him to retain the NWA/WCW title. After defeating "The Black Scorpion" at Starrcade '90, Sting unmasked him to reveal that he was Ric Flair. Sting enjoyed another flagship year in 1990, which earned him both the PWI "Wrestler of the Year" and "Inspirational Wrestler of the Year" awards. After losing the title to Ric Flair on January 11, 1991, WCW made it's full separation from NWA by making a full fledged WCW World Title. After this, Sting teamed up with Lex Luger to have a terrific match with The Steiner Brothers at SuperBrawl I, which was named "Match of the Year" by PWI. Sting defeated "Stunning" Steve Austin in a tournament to win the vacated WCW U.S. Heavyweight Title. He would go on to hold the title until he lost it to Rick Rude at Clash of the Champions XVII (11/19/91). Sting would go on to win the Battlebowl Battle Royal at Starrcade '91. Sting went on to have another fantastic run in 1992, as he continued to cement himself as the "Franchise" of WCW. Sting feuded with the biggest star of the Dangerous Alliance, "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Sting was also involved in a feud with Lex Luger. At SuperBrawl II (2/29/1992), Sting defeated Lex Luger for the first of six "WCW" World Heavyweight Titles. The feud with the Alliance came to a climactic ending in a WarGames match at WrestleWar (5/17/1992). In this match, Sting teamed up with Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Nikita Koloff to defeat the Dangerous Alliance of Rude, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Zbysko, and Bobby Eaton. Wrestling Observer gave it 5 stars. When the dust finally settled with his feud with the Dangerous Alliance, Sting's most fierce battle was right around the corner with the 450-pound mammoth Vader. When Sting defended his WCW Title against Vader at the Omni (4/12/1992), Vader cracked three of his ribs with a splash, which also ruptured his spleen. After recovering from the injuries, Sting defended the WCW World Title against Vader at the 1992 Great American Bash. After missing a Stinger Splash, Sting hit his head on the ringpost, thus losing the belt after a Powerbomb from Vader. After defeating Cactus Jack in a Falls Count Anywhere Match at Beach Blast, Sting faced another new rival in newcomer Jake "The Snake" Roberts. The feud led to a Coal Miner's Glove Match at Halloween Havoc 1992. After defeating Roberts, Sting went on to win the King of Cable Tournament at the 1992 Starrcade by defeating Vader in the final match. Vader had lost the title in August. This match would propel their feud into 1993, after Vader regained the WCW Title from Ron Simmons. Sting and Vader would battle in a brutal strap match at SuperBrawl III (2/21/1993). Vader would retain the championship after Sting propelled him into the fourth corner. Sting would get his revenge the following month in London, England, when he defeated Vader to regain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. After Flair defeated Vader for the WCW Title at Starrcade '93, Sting congratulated him. Sting extended his feud with Vader into the first half of 1994, while also re-starting his feud with Rick Rude. Sting defeated Rude for the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship. Rude was declared the champion on May 1 in Japan. However, the decision was reversed when it was shown that Rude hit sting with the belt. After Rude retired from his back injury, Sting defeated Vader for the vacated WCW International Championship at Slamboree. Sting would end 1994, and head into 1995 feuding with the likes of Ric Flair and the Three Faces of Fear (Kevin Sullivan, The Butcher, Avalanche), while teaming with new WCW arrival Hulk Hogan. Sting feuded with the new incarnation of the Horsemen that included Chris Benoit and Brian Pillman. Sting also defeated Meng to win his second WCW U.S. Championship. After defeating Flair on an episode of Nitro, Sting defeated Flair at World War 3 (11/26/1995). Sting also competed in the World War 3 Battle Royal for the WCW World Title later that night, which was won by Randy Savage. Sting's reign as U.S. Champion lasted until November 13, 1995 where he dropped the title to Kensuke Sasaki at a show for New Japan Pro Wrestling. At Starrcade 1994, Sting defeated Sasaki (NJPW) to win the World Wrestling Cup for WCW. By 1996, Sting started to make a gradual, but drastic change. His hair color changed from the traditional bleach blonde to dark brown. His hair also grew longer from the standard flat top crew cut to medium length. He also started to wear mostly black tights with a multi-colored scorpion. Sting teamed with Lex Luger to defeat Harlem Heat for the WCW Tag Team Titles. During the tag title run, Sting earned a World Title Shot against the Giant at Slamboree '96, but lost from Luger's accidental interference. That summer, when the nWo formed to invade WCW, Sting stood up as one of the leaders to stand up against the heel faction. However, the nWo used an impostor Sting to trick WCW, which caused everyone to have trust issues with the real Sting. Soon after that on Nitro, Sting delivered an angry promo about how everyone doubted him, and did not believe in him. He turned his back to the camera the entire time. He considered himself a "free agent". As the nWo continued to destroy WCW, Sting returned in black & white with a long black trench coat inspired by the 1994 movie "The Crow". Sting would wear black tights with a giant scorpion in the middle, along with a black baseball bat. WCW would look to Sting as their ultimate hero to save them. During this time, Sting would appear in the rafters in vignettes, and even on Nitro itself to come from a zip-line to attack the nWo. He would come in and give someone the Stinger Splash, and the Scorpion Death Drop, along with using the bat. The angle and character change rejuvenated Sting's image. This was also very instrumental to help strengthen the advantage that WCW had over WWF in the Monday Night Wars. The big payoff finally came when Sting earned his shot at Hollywood Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Title at Starrcade '97. Sting defeated Hogan with the Scorpion Deathlock to recapture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Sting would go on to battle for the WCW Title with the likes of Hogan, Savage, DDP, Bret Hart, Goldberg, etc, along with an Alliance with the Wolfpac. Sting was the very embodiment of WCW coming out of the NWA era, and was the centerpiece during a pivotal point in wrestling history. Sting was a great combination of strength, agility, speed, technique, power and charisma. It may sound cliche, but it was true in his case. His run as the top star in a smaller promotion (WCW), through the good and the bad is very significant in the history of wrestling. This is why Sting will forever be a Legend, Icon, and a TRUE Wrestling Hall of Famer.
Accomplishments:
Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling:
NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
NWA World Television Championship (1 time)
WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WCW World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
WCW United States Championship (2 times)
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Lex Luger (1), The Giant (1), and Kevin Nash (1)
Battlebowl Battle Royal (1991)
European Cup (1994, 2000)
Iron Man Tournament (1989)
Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup (1988) – with Lex Luger
King of Cable Tournament (1992)
Third WCW Triple Crown Champion
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI Comeback of the Year (2006, 2011)
PWI Match of the Year (1991) with Lex Luger vs. the Steiner Brothers at SuperBrawl
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1988)
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1990)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1991, 1992, 1994, 1997)
PWI Wrestler of the Year (1990)
PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
PWI ranked him #15 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
PWI ranked him #52 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Lex Luger in 2003
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:
Best Babyface (1992)
5 Star Match (1991) with Brian Pillman, Rick Steiner, and Scott Steiner vs. Ric Flair, Larry Zbyszko, Barry Windham, and Sid Vicious (February 24, WarGames match, WrestleWar)
5 Star Match (1992) with Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham, & Dustin Rhodes vs. Arn Anderson, Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton, & Larry Zbyszko (May 17, WarGames match, WrestleWar)
Match of the Year (1988) vs. Ric Flair at Clash of the Champions I
Most Charismatic (1988, 1992)
Most Improved (1988)
Finishing Moves:
Scorpion Death Drop
Scorpion Deathlock
Signature Moves:
Stinger Splash
Diving Clothlesline
DDT
Tombstone Piledriver
Military Press Slam
9. "Macho Man" Randy Savage- The Macho Man was truly the man with the Madness. Randy Savage was truly a building block in wrestling with his incredible charisma, in-ring ability, phenomenal promos, and main event impact. Savage was one of the key stars of the 80's, not just for WWF, but wrestling in general at the time. After starting out in Georgia Championship wrestling, and International Championship Wrestling, Randy got his first big break in the Memphis Territory with Continental Wrestling Association. The highlight of Savage's run was his feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler over the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. Randy took a break from his battles with Lawler to team up with his brother "Leaping" Lanny Poffo (The Genius in WWF) to battle with The Rock-N-Roll Express. During a match on June 25, 1984, Macho Man injured Ricky Morton with a piledriver through the timekeeper's table, leading to a win for the Express by DQ (It was later confirmed that Morton was not injured). After briefly turning face to be an ally with Lawler to battle Jimmy Hart's First Family, Randy turned on Lawler to pick up where they left off at the start of 1985. On June 8 1985, Lawler beat Savage in a "Loser Leaves Town" match. Savage joined WWF that same month, and was billed as "The top free agent in wrestling". Macho Man was in very high demand during his arrival, as established managers such as Classy Freddie Blassie, Bobby Heenan, and Jimmy Hart each offered their services to Savage. However, Macho Man introduced the first female manager in wrestling history, as he presented Miss Elizabeth as his choice. Savage did not disappoint at all in his debut in a 16-man Tournament at The Wrestling Classic (11/7/1985). Macho Man was very impressive, as he defeated, Ivan Putski, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and Dynamite Kid before losing to The Junkyard Dog in the finals by countout. During this time, Macho Man started a feud with Tito Santana for the WWF Intercontinental Title. In their first title match on Saturday Night's Main Event (11/2/1985) Santana retained the championship even though Savage won by countout. On the February 24, 1986 edition of Prime Time Wrestling in Boston Garden, Macho Man used brass knuckles to defeat Tito Santana in a rematch to become the new WWF Intercontinental Champion. During this time in his career, Savage not only scored countout victories over WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, but he also started feuds with Bruno Sammartino and George "The Animal" Steele. Savage's feud with Steele began after Steele developed a crush on Eliabeth, which led to a match at Wrestlemania 2 for Savage's Intercontinental Title. Macho Man defeated Steele to remain IC Champion. Savage would defeat Steele in two more IC title matches heading into early 1987. Savage also defended against the likes of Jake Roberts. During this point, Macho Man focused his attention on a new challenger, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Steamboat won a shot at Savage's title on a November 22, 1986 edition of Superstars. Steamboat lost to Savage by countout, but what happened after the match is what brought their feud to a boiling point. During his post-match assault, Savage took the timekeeper's bell, climbed to the top of the rope, and did his signature elbow drop using the bell to crush Steamboat's larynx. When Steamboat returned, the stage was set for a Battle for the Ages at WrestleMania III (3/29/1987) at the Pontiac Silverdome for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Savage and Steamboat delivered an electrifying match (no pun intended to Rock), as it was comparable to Hagler-Hearns and Leonard-Hearns I. The match has been talked about for years to come, and influenced future generations of wrestlers. After 19-two counts, Savage's 14-month reign (414 days) as Intercontinental Champion came to an end as he lost the title to Steamboat by pinfall. It overshadowed the main event of Hogan vs. Andre later that night, and was also named "Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer for 1987. Savage's tenure as Intercontinental Champion is considered one of the most impactful runs in history, because of the incredible draw that he was. He brought a new found level of main event credibility to that title. After losing the IC title, Savage won the King of the Ring Tournament (9/4/1987) as he defeated King Kong Bundy in the Final. (The Tournament was not on PPV at the time). During this time, Macho Man started a change in character, and became more popular with the fans. When Honky Tonk Man declared himself as "The Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All-Time", Savage started a feud with him to regain the title. This made him a fan favorite in the process. On the October 3, 1987 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Macho Man got his shot at the Intercontinental Title, but lost because of interference from the Hart Foundation. After being rescued by Hulk Hogan, Savage and Hogan formed the legendary All-Star team "The MegaPowers". After the WWF title was vacated, Macho Man competed in a Tournament at Wrestlemania IV. Savage defeated "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in the Finals with an Elbow Drop to become the new WWF Champion. The MegaPowers continued to have success and chemistry, until tension began to boil underneath over Miss Elizabeth. During a tag match against The Big Bossman & Akeem on the February 3, 1989 episode of WWF Superstars, Savage abandoned Hogan to pick up the win on his own. Macho Man grew so jealous and suspicious that Hogan wanted Elizabeth, that he attacked Hogan with the belt. The Mega Powers finally exploded, which led to their collision at WrestleMania V for the WWF Title. The match did not disappoint at all. After losing the title to Hogan, Savage would become the "Macho King" with "Sensational Queen" Sherri by his side in September 1989. On the night of his coronation, Ted DiBiase gave Savage a scepter. Savage would use this as a weapon. Savage and Hogan would clash one last time for the title at The Main Event (2/23/1990). After a brief feud with Dusty Rhodes in early 1990, Savage set his sights on The Ultimate Warrior. After Warrior refused to give Macho Man a title shot, Savage attacked him with a scepter, costing him the title to Sgt. Slaughter at Royal Rumble 1991. The attack from the Rumble led to their classic "Career-Ending" match at WrestleMania VII. The highlight of the match is when Savage delivered an incredible FIVE Elbow Drops to the Warrior. After a brief feud with Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Savage set his sights on Ric Flair for the WWF Title. The feud started when Flair said that he had an affair with Miss Elizabeth. Flair threatened to show a centerfold of him and Elizabeth together in front of everyone at WM VIII after he defeated him. Macho Man and the Nature Boy clashed at WrestleMania VIII for the WWF Championship. Savage became the WWF Champion for the second time. Macho Man would go on to lose the belt back to Flair in September of 1992, before phasing into a commentary role for most of his time before leaving in 1994. His final WM match was a win against Crush at WM X. Randy Savage's career reached a new horizon when he joined Hulk Hogan in WCW at the end of 1994. Macho Man's impact was felt immediately as he restarted his feud with Ric Flair. Savage also won the World War 3 60-man battle royal to win his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Savage would lose the title back to Flair at Starrcade 1995. Savage regained the WCW Title from Flair on Nitro (1/22/1996), before Flair regained it in a steel cage match at SuperBrawl VI. The feud with Flair lasted until June 1996. Savage would later feud with Hollywood Hogan to renew their rivalry from the WWF. Macho Man would join the nWo for a period of time while still feuding with Hogan, along with Lex Luger, DDP, and others. Macho Man Randy Savage is truly a pioneer and an iconic figure in wrestling and a true legend of the sport. OOOOHHH YEEAAHHH!!!
Continental Wrestling Association:
2-time AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion
1-time CWA International Heavyweight Champion
3-time NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Champion
Grand Prix Wrestling:
2-time GPW International Heavyweight Champion
Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling:
1-time NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Champion (with Lanny Poffo)
International Championship Wrestling:
3-time ICW World Heavyweight Champion
Pro Wrestling Illustrated:
PWI Comeback of the Year (1995)
PWI Feud of the Year (1997) vs. Diamond Dallas Page
PWI Match of the Year (1987) vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1989)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1988)
PWI Wrestler of the Year (1988)
Stanley Weston Award (2011)
PWI ranked him No.2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
PWI ranked him No.9 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
PWI ranked him No.57 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Hulk Hogan in 2003
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame:
Class of 2009
United States Wrestling Association:
1-time USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion
World Championship Wrestling:
4-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
WCW World War 3 (1995)
King of Cable Tournament (1995)
World Wrestling Council:
1-time WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment:
2-time WWF Champion
1-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
King of the Ring (1987)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:
Match of the Year (1987) vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III
Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Best Pro Wrestling DVD (2009) Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
Finishing moves
Diving elbow drop
Signature moves
Alternating jabs to the opponent's chest and head
Atomic drop
Chokehold
Diving crossbody
Diving double axe handle, sometimes to an opponent outside the ring
Gutwrench suplex
Hair-pull hangman
High knee
Jumping knee drop
Lariat takedown
Piledriver
Scoop slam
Snake Eyes
Snapmare
Various elbow strikes
Vertical suplex
10. John Cena- This man is one of the most polarizing figures in wrestling history. His name alone brings a split reaction. On one side, you have his faithful, loyal supporters. On the other side, you have those who revile and despise him. However, there is no other way around respecting what this man has done. Cena was at one point, one of the most important figures of the Ruthless Aggression Era. John Cena has truly earned his stripes through his consistency, and loyalty to the WWE. Cena made his start in OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling) under the WWE Developmental System under the name Prototype in 2000. In 2002, John Cena made his debut on the WWE main roster with a loaded rookie class (Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Batista). Cena scored impressive victories over veterans like Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho in the early stages of his career. In his first match, Cena defeated Angle after countering the Angle Slam. Cena defeated Y2J at Vengeance. In October of 2002, Cena developed a new character: "Dr. of Thuganomics". From that point, he was on the rise. During this time, John Cena was a heel. The Thuganomics character was born on a Halloween episode of Smackdown, when Cena freestyled while dressed as Vanilla Ice. This became a part of his newfound persona, as he started his matches insulting his opponents with a freestyle promo. Cena would also come to the ring wearing Throwback Jerseys. Cena would also wear hats and shirts with the classic WWF Logo, but without the "F" as his signature logo with his catchphrasse Word Life. For a short time, Cena also had enforcers like Bull Buchanan (B2). Buchanan was replaced by Red Dogg, before he himself was sent to Raw in February. For the first half of 2003, Cena set his vision on the WWE Championship, as he challenged Champion Brock Lesnar through his freestyles. This feud was where Cena's finishing move, "The F-U: Fireman's Carry PowerSlam" was born to mock Lesnar's "F-5". Cena won a number one contender's tournament defeating Brock at Backlash. However, Brock defeated him to retain the championship. Cena also lost to The Undertaker at Vengeance. By the end of the year, Cena's popularity increased as he teamed with Kurt Angle at Survivor Series. In early 2004, John Cena was involved in the Royal Rumble Match. John made it to the final six before being eliminated by Chris Benoit and Big Show. John Cena wrestled Kurt Angle and The Big Show in a Triple Threat Number 1 Contender's match at No Way Out for a shot at the WWE Championship. Angle won by making Cena submit to the Ankle Lock. This was in the midst of Cena's feud with Big Show for the United States Championship. At WrestleMania XX, John Cena won his first championship by defeating Big Show to become the U.S. Champion. During his first reign, Cena came to blows with acting GM of Smackdown Kurt Angle involving Rene Dupree and Torrie Wilson. Cena's reign came to an end on July 8, 2004 when he was stripped of the title after accidentally knocking Angle down, thus attacking an official. John Cena regained the U.S. Championship by defeating Booker T. in a Best of-5 Series at No Mercy. During Cena's second run as champion, he would feud with a rising new star named Carlito Carribean Cool. In Carlito's debut, he defeated John Cena to become the new U.S. Champion, when he knocked out Cena with his own chain. The feud really started when Cena was stabbed in the kidney by Carlito's bodyguard at a Boston Nightclub. This was the way of keeping Cena out for the month that he was filming The Marine. When Cena regained the championship, he customized it with a Spinner Design. In 2005, John Cena took part in the Royal Rumble, as he made the final two with Dave Batista. After Cena and Batista were eliminated together, Vince McMahon came out to restart the match with "sudden death" rules. When the match was restarted, Batista won the Rumble. However, John Cena would go on to become the number one contender for John Bradshaw Layfield's WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21, by defeating Kurt Angle. Cena feuded with JBL and his cabinet, as he would lose the U.S. Title to Orlando Jordan. JBL and his cabinet would come on Smackdown to "blow up" Cena's Spinner U.S. Championship belt to return to the traditional style. At WrestleMania 21, John Cena defeated JBL for the WWE Championship making this his first world title. This is when the Spinner WWE Championship was born. JBL took the original belt claiming he was still the "real" champion, before Cena defeated him at Judgment Day to reclaim the original belt. From that point, WWE continued to use the Spinner belt. After his feud with JBL concluded, John Cena was drafted to RAW as the first overall pick. Cena made his first RAW appearance on June 6, 2005 as a guest on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel. Cena immediately started to feud with RAW GM Eric Bischoff after he refused to take part in the return of ECW One Night Stand. Bischoff's first hired weapon to take away Cena's WWE Championship was Chris Jericho himself. Y2J and Cena even had a "Battle of the Bands" on RAW, where Jericho refused to perform. During this feud, this is where the animosity for Cena slowly started. Even though Cena was painted as champion, Y2J still received his fair share of cheers as a villain. John Cena defeated Chris Jericho at Summerslam to retain his WWE Championship. Much of the crowd was split between Cena and Jericho. The next night on RAW, Cena defeated Jericho again in a "You're Fired" match where Jericho was "fired" (he was really taking a break). Immediately after Y2J was carried away by Security, Kurt Angle attacked Cena from behind. Angle was revealed as Cena's next challenger for the WWE Championship. As the feud went on, the distain for Cena grew even more as he defeated Angle at Unforgiven and Survivor Series to retain the WWE Title. This is also the time where John Cena revealed a new weapon to his arsenal: The STFU (His version of the STF). Cena added a submission hold to his repetoire of moves that many fans use as a punchline called "The Five Moves of Doom". However, Cena's first reign as champion came to an end at the start of 2006. At New Year's Revolution, after John Cena successfully defended his WWE Championship he was weakened and covered with blood. His next challenger was revealed as Edge came out to cash in his Money In The Bank contract. Edge successfully cashed in his MITB briefcase as he defeated John Cena with the Spear to become WWE Champion. Cena regained the championship at the Royal Rumble before feuding with Triple H. The Chicago crowd booed Cena even more, while they cheered for Triple H. After defeating Triple H at WrestleMania 22, the negativity towards Cena escalated as he entered a feud with Rob Van Dam. The hatred for Cena reached a breaking point at ECW One Night Stand 2006 in Philadelphia. When Cena threw his hat at the ECW crowd, they threw it back at him. During the match, Edge speared Cena through a table as RVD became the new WWE Champion. After Edge defeated Cena and RVD in a Triple Threat Match for the title, Edge and Cena reignited what they started at the beginning of the year. After Edge defeated Cena at Summerslam with brass knuckles, he introduced his own custom spinner belt with the "Rated R" logo in the center. Edge put the title on the line against Cena at Unforgiven in a match of his choice: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. John Cena defeated Edge for the WWE Championship in Edge's hometown of Toronto in his specialty match of TLC. Once the feud with Edge cleared, Cena was placed in an inter-brand angle to determine the "Champion of Champions" to see who was the most dominant champion of the three brands. Cena:WWE Champion, Booker T: World Heavyweight Champion, Big Show: ECW Champion. There was a Triple Threat Match between all three champions at Cyber Sunday, which Booker T won thanks to interference from Kevin Federline. Cena was placed in a miniscule story with Kevin, before ending the year feuding with Umaga. The night after the Royal Rumble, an impromptu tag team of John Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Rated RKO to win the World Tag Team Championships. HBK was revealed to be Cena's next challenger for the WWE Title after Triple H went down to injury. John Cena defeated Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 23 in a Showstopper (no pun intended) to retain his WWE Championship. The night after WM 23 (April 1, 2007), Michaels turned on Cena in an elimination tag team battle royal by throwing him over the top rope (The Hardys became new champions). For the rest of April, Cena feuded with HBK, Edge and Orton. Cena defeated them at Backlash in a Fatal 4 Way to retain his WWE Championship. In the summer of 2007, Randy Orton became the new number 1 contender for the WWE Championship. Heading into Summerslam, Orton delivered a number of sneak attacks on Cena, performing three RKO's. However, Cena won at Summerslam. At Unforgiven, Cena kept the title after being DQ'ed. Then, in October of 2007 Cena suffers one of his biggest injuries. During a match with Mr. Kennedy, Cena tore his pectoral muscle while doing a hip toss. After the match, Orton attacked Cena with an RKO on a steel chair to further enhance the injury. Cena was required to go have surgery and rehabilitation, which was projected to put him out of action for over a year. As a result, Vince McMahon officially stripped John Cena of the WWE Title and presented it to Randy Orton. This ended the longest title reigns in 19 years. However, Cena's recovery time was faster than expected as he returned to win the 2008 Royal Rumble for a shot to reclaim the WWE Title. 2008 was not quite a flagship year by Cena's standards. After falling short to Orton in a series of matches (No Way Out, WM XXIV, Backlash) that included Triple H, Cena won the World Tag Team Championships with Batista after defeating Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase, Jr. However, they lost the titles to the former champs the next week which led to a match between Cena and Batista at Summerslam. Batista emerged victorious at Summerslam to become number one contender for the WHC at Unforgiven. Batista was replaced by Rey Mysterio after Cena suffered a herniated disk in his neck that needed surgery. 2008 ended on a high note for John Cena, as he returned form injury to defeat Chris Jericho in his return match at Survivor Series 2008 to become World Heavyweight Champion. Cena retained the title by defeating Y2J at Armageddon, before losing it to Edge at No Way Out to restart their feud. Cena defeated Edge and Big Show at WM XXV in a Triple Threat Match to become Champion again. Edge regained the WHC by defeating Cena at Backlash in a Last Man Standing Match with Big Show's interference. After defeating Big Show at Judgment Day in an Extreme Rules match, Cena refocused on the WWE Championship as he reignited his feud with Randy Orton. After losing in a Triple Threat match at Night of Champions to Orton and Triple H, Cena and Orton battled in a series of classic matches exchanging the title (Breaking Point: I Quit Match, Hell in a Cell, Bragging Rights: 60-min Iron Man Match). Cena won the war after defeating Orton at Breaking Point to reclaim the WWE Title. After defeating HHH & HBK in a Triple Threat at Survivor Series, Cena lost the title to Sheamus at TLC. However, Cena regained it at the Elimination Chamber. Shortly after, Vince McMahon forced him to defend against Batista, where he lost. At WrestleMania XXVI, John Cena defeated Batista to regain the WWE Championship. Cena would defeat Batista in two more matches to finish their feud (Extreme Rules, Over The Limit), before spending time in a feud with the Nexus. Cena spent time away from the title picture during this time, before eventually turning his focus on the return of The Rock in February 2011. Cena had become number one contender for the Miz's WWE Championship at WM XXVII. During the match, The Rock drilled Cena with The Rock Bottom, helping Miz hold on to the title. Leading to the PPV, Miz was the afterthought to Rock/Cena, as John Cena challenged The Rock to a match for WM XXVIII the next night on RAW. The Rock accepted, as their feud was a battle of words for most of the year heading into Mania. In between this time, Cena was involved in an in-ring feud with CM Punk during the summer as Punk challenged him for the WWE Title at Money In The Bank. Punk was leaving the company, and was enraged about Cena's popularity and delivered the famous "Pipe-Bomb" promo. After Punk defeated Cena at MITB, he left with the title. Another WWE Title was brought in as Cena defeated Rey Mysterio to become a nine-time world champion. When Punk returned, he challenged Cena to a Title-Unification match at Summerslam and won. After Alberto Del Rio had become champion, Cena defeated him at Night of Champions to win his 10 WWE Championship. However, he lost it back to ADR. Tension built even more at Survivor Series, when Rock and Cena teamed together to face Miz and R-Truth. After winning the match, The Rock gave Cena The Rock Bottom to build for the Showdown at WrestleMania. WrestleMania XXVIII was held in The Rock's hometown of Miami, FL., and it was promoted as the "Once In A Lifetime" Match as The Rock emerged victorious. The night after WM, Cena admitted his defeat only claiming that he defeated himself. Suddenly, Brock Lesnar returned to give him an F-5. This led to a feud with Lesnar, where Cena snatched the victory at Extreme Rules. By this point, Super Cena had gone into full overdrive. During this entire year of 2012, John Cena had not held the WWE Title at all. On January 27, 2013, John Cena won his second Royal Rumble making him the fourth wrestler in history to win the Rumble multiple times. (Hulk Hogan: 90-91, Shawn Michaels: 95-96, Stone Cold Steve Austin: 97, 98, 2001) This was the same night that The Rock himself defeated CM Punk for the WWE Title, which only made sense to have a rematch. The next night on RAW, Cena announced he would challenge The Rock at WM 29 for the title. At WrestleMania 29, John Cena defeated The Rock to win his 11th WWE Championship (13th World Title Overall). After defeating challengers like Ryback and Mark Henry, John Cena dropped the WWE Title to Daniel Bryan at Summerslam after suffering a tricep injury, ending his 133 day reign. Cena returned two months later at HIAC when he defeated Alberto Del Rio to win his third World Heavyweight Championship. Cena's time as champion soon ended as he lost to Randy Orton in a Title Unification match at TLC. Orton retained the title at Royal Rumble, thanks to the Wyatt Family. Cena has just finished a feud with Bray Wyatt, as he has defeated him in every PPV Match (WM XXX, Extreme Rules, Payback). Recently, John Cena won his 12th WWE Championship (15th Overall), at MITB to become the Unified WWE/World Heavyweight Champion. Now that Cena is a 15-time Champion, he is on the verge of breaking Ric Flair's record of 16-World Titles. The biggest issue with Cena's legacy is the oversaturation of his gimmick that draws more parallels to Hulk Hogan lately. The SuperCena character has become a running punch line amongst fans. Recently, Cena has become the United States Champion, as he has stepped down from the Main Event to bring prestige back to that title. He has used his "Open Challenges" to elevate younger talent. However, there is no denying the impact and contributions that he has made on the business.
Accomplishments:
Ohio Valley Wrestling
- OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rico Constantino
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2006) vs. Edge
- PWI Feud of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk
- PWI Match of the Year (2007) vs. Shawn Michaels on Raw on April 23
- PWI Match of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank
- PWI Match of the Year (2013) vs. Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2003)
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012)
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2006, 2007)
- PWI ranked #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006, 2007, and 2013
Ultimate Pro Wrestling
- UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
- WWE Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship (12 times, current)
- World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- WWE United States Championship (3 times)
- WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with The Miz (1) and David Otunga (1)
- World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Batista (1) and Shawn Michaels (1)
- Money in the Bank (2012 - WWE Championship contract)
- Royal Rumble (2008, 2013)
- Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year – 2009, 2010, and 2012
- Slammy Award for Holy $#!+ Move of the Year (2010) – Sends Batista through the stage with an Attitude Adjustment.
- Slammy Award for Game Changer of the Year (2011) – with The Rock
- Slammy Award for Insult of the Year (2012) - To Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero: "You're the exact opposite. One enjoys eating a lot of nuts and the other is still trying to find his."
- Slammy Award for Kiss of the Year (2012) – with AJ Lee
- Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2013) - vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 5 Star Match (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank on July 17
- Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2010)
- Best Box Office Draw (2007)
- Best Gimmick (2003)
- Best on Interviews (2007)
- Feud of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk
- Match of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank on July 17
- Most Charismatic (2006–2010)
- Most Charismatic of the Decade (2000–2009)
- Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2010)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- AA – Attitude Adjustment / FU (Standing fireman's carry transitioned into a kneeling takeover, sometimes from an elevated position) – 2003–present
- Killswitch / Protobomb / Protoplex (Spin-out powerbomb) (OVW / UPW)
- STF / STFU (Stepover toehold facelock or a sleeper hold lock) – 2005–present
Signature moves
- DDT
- Diving crossbody
- Diving leg drop bulldog
- Dropkick, sometimes from the top rope
- Elbow drop
- Emerald Flowsion
- Five Knuckle Shuffle (Running delayed fist drop, with "U ₡ ME" theatrics, sometimes diving from the top rope)
- Half nelson dropped into a neckbreaker
- Hurricanrana
- Lariat
- Monkey flip
- Multiple suplex variations
- Belly-to-back
- Fisherman
- Gutwrench
- Side belly-to-belly
- Vertical, sometimes while delaying
- Running leaping shoulder block
- Running one–handed bulldog
- Sitout hip toss
- Sitout powerbomb
- Spinebuster – 2002–2005; used rarely thereafter
- Spin-out powerbomb
- Throwback (Running neck snap to a bent–over opponent) – 2002–2011
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