10. Triple H
Triple H takes a lot of flack for marrying into the McMahon family, and pulling a ton of strings backstage, but as a performer - as "The Game" - he's nothing short of a ring general, capable of turning the dial up to freakin' eleven and delivering some of the most timeless, brutal matches that we've ever seen in the WWE. A total "all-rounder," Triple H worked his way up from being WCW's Jean Paul Levesque and the WWF's Hunter "Hogpen Match" Helmsley and landed a prime spot in Shawn Michaels' fledgling Degeneration X, along with Chyna and Rick Rude. Later, after HBK left the business for a while, Hunter would take over as leader of D-X and helped the WWE lead the bawdy charge against WCW during the Monday Night Wars. Extremely over as both a babyface and a heel, Triple H could lead stables like Evolution, go to-to-toe against Mick Foley in Hell in a Cell matches, and was the first heel to ever win a WrestleMania Main Event (it was almost Yokozuna) when he pinned The Rock at 'Mania 2000.
9
Randy Savage
On paper, nothing about the way Randy Savage looked, dressed or acted should have worked. Billed as "The Macho Man," Savage's stringy hair was tucked behind giant sunglasses and bandanas while he wore custom bedazzled and tassled robes, pink trunks and spoke in a gravely, spasmodic voice. But somehow we were given one of the most instantly recognizable and idolized performers the world had ever seen. An immortal character that transcended the industry. Savage, with the lovely and delicate Miss Elizabeth at his side, was also part of of wrestling's premiere power couple. As an athlete, Savage's top rope dives and Flying Elbow Drop still influence wrestlers today.
8
Sting
You don't garner universal respect, or the title "Icon," if you don't, say, have more iconic qualities than non-iconic qualities. Sting was the "Hulk Hogan" you may not have known about growing up. As a huge hero over in WCW, Sting battled Flair and The Four Horsemen, The Great Muta, Cactus Jack, Rick Rude, Jake Roberts, Vader and Lex Luger all before changing his gimmick entirely and going "Crow" on Hulk Hogan and the NWO during the Monday Night Wars. Forging his own path, and never signing with the WWE during his almost-30 years in the business, Sting has been one of the main faces of TNA for the past decade and continues to wrestle in his early 50s.
7
The Rock
Maybe, in the end, it does matter what you think.
It's the jabroni-beating, pie-eating, high-flying, electrifying, elbow-droppin', spine-poppin', eyebrow raising, People's Champ! Look, The Rock is great in the ring, and he's given us some truly memorable showdowns with Triple H, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan and, now, John Cena. He's freakin' aces! But Rocky's best asset, and the number one tool in his shed, is his ability to entertain his millions (and millions!) on the mic. Once Rock steps through those ropes and grabs the microphone, you know you're in for a legitimate, hilarious, instantly-quotable treat. The Rock's over-abundance of charisma has allowed him to cross-over into Hollywood and become an honest-to-goodness movie star, something many other wrestlers have tried to do with little success. And he's still so tremendously popular that he can return to the WWE after seven freakin' years, take the title of Prom King, and whoop John Cena's candy ass at WrestleMania XXVIII!
6
Ric Flair
"I am limousine-ridin', jet-flyin', kiss-stealin', wheelin' dealin', son of a gun!"
Nowadays, with Triple H being a 13-time World Champ and John Cena being a 12-time World Champ, Ric Flair's stranglehold on being a 16-time World Champion might not seem overly impressive. But at the time that Flair topped off his career with number 16, it was a watershed moment. Totally unheard of. A true measuring stick. Flair, quite frankly, over his 40 year career was arguably the best wrestler alive or dead. Borrowing Buddy Rogers packaged gimmick (robes, hair, Figure Four and all), Flair perfected the art of the wealthy, playboy heel and popularized the concept of the suited-up, well-manicured wrestling stable with The Four Horsemen. He was the top technician, cheater and bleeder in the game and it's hard to find a single wrestler out there who doesn't say that he was one of, if not the best of all time.
WOOOOOOOO!
5
Bret Hart
It's hard to think about Bret Hart without wallowing a bit in all the tragedy that's befallen the Hart family over the years - including Bret's own premature retirement due to a concussion suffered in 1999. And it would have been amazing to see Bret's career extend on into the new millennium. But despite having his ring career cut down in its prime, no one can take away a single ounce of acclaim for "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be." After Bret beat Ric Flair for the WWE Championship in 1992, it changed the entire industry, re-setting the WWF back to the days of technical wizardry and reshaping all our notions of what a great wrestling match should actually look and feel like. From his time as a Tag Team Champion with Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart to his storied singles career, Bret truly was the "Excellence of Execution."
4
Steve Austin
Gimme a "Hell Yeah!"
When it comes right down to it, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wasn't born with enough middle fingers. And yes, it's ironic that Austin became the most popular and profitable wrestler in WWE history after he suffered what could have been a career busting neck injury in 1997, which wound up severely limiting his in-ring abilities. Before Austin vs. McMahon launched WWE RAW back to the top, after losing to WCW's Nitro in the ratings for almost two years, Austin was a superb technician. Austin cut his teeth in WCCW and the USWA before heading to WCW as "Stunning" Steve Austin and becoming a member of Paul Heyman's Dangerous Alliance. Heyman, knowing that Austin was great, but never used, on the mic, gave him an opportunity to cut some promos in ECW after getting fired from WCW and the rest is legend. An "Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass" later, and a mega-star was born. Austin was so wildly chaotic and malicious that the anti-hero loving crowd began cheering him over Bret Hart, leading to a complete role-reversal. From there on out, it was a Stunner for Vince! A Stunner for The Rock! One for Undertaker, Kane, Mick Foley and Kurt Angle. Not to mention, Shane, Stephanie and even Linda McMahon! It was a time of beer baths and mayhem.
3
Hulk Hogan
In one of those word Jungian word association tests, if the shrink said "pro-wrestling," 99.9% of the world would follow it up with "Hulk Hogan." Hogan is the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the '80s. His mass-acceptance and enormous popularity gave birth to WrestleMania and the wrestling Pay-Per-View while also allowing him to become the first wrestler to become a successful mainstream merchandising franchise; with everything from cereal to action figures to Saturday morning cartoons in the mix. Yes, "Hulkamania" was an actual diagnosed "mania." Then, in 1996, Hogan shocked the world and turned heel, kicking off another giant money-making era; this time for WCW with the NWO storyline. So say your prayers, eat your vitamins and give some serious though as to what you might perhaps do when Hulkamania runs wild on you.
2
The Undertaker
When "Mean" Mark Calaway, an impressive cast-off from WCW, joined the WWE and was repackaged as the morbid, zombie-like Undertaker, he hit the gimmick lottery jackpot. From his debut at Survivor Series 1990 all the way to last WrestleMania's Hell in a Cell match against Triple H, Undertaker's mere presence makes one's jaw drop. From his spectacularly dark, chilling and methodical entrance to his astonishing cruiserweight-style moves (he's 6'10"), no one puts on a show like Taker. He's remained one of the the most respected wrestlers, and characters, in the business; treated with actual reverence. Like a cherished, invaluable artifact. Even now, with his limited physical capabilities, Undertaker still shows up every WrestleMania to steal the show. His undefeated WrestleMania streak, as a booked accomplishment, means more than any world title reign. And his 'Mania matches, over the last decade, against Randy Orton, Batista, Edge, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, have been some of the most entertaining and dramatic matches ever held.
1
Shawn Michaels
When Shawn Michaels felt pain in the ring, we felt pain. No one sold agony, heartache or triumph like The Heartbreak Kid. Michaels was the most athletic, inspired and daring storyteller in the business; raising the bar for the entire industry with each match. We don't have to look much farther than the descriptors "The Showstopper," "The Headliner" and "Mr. WrestleMania" to know that HBK was someone who has performed above and beyond. As the WWE's first ever Grand Slam Champion, Michaels competed in more PWI Match of the Years (11!) than anyone in history while also birthing the Ladder Match, Hell in a Cell and Degeneration X. The emotion one felt while watching a Shawn Michaels match was unlike anything else. There was one man Ric Flair himself wanted to end his career in the WWE with - HBK.
Michaels created art in that ring. He was a gifted performer who took wrestling to athletic heights never imagined. And his legacy is made all the sweeter knowing that it was almost all over for him in 1998 when he retired due to two herniated (and one crushed) discs in his back. He returned to the ring five years later and faced Triple H at SummerSlam. Not. Missing. A. Single. Step.
Thank you, Shawn Michaels. We felt your wounds and basked in your glory.
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