Wrestling is a huge sport with amounts of loyalty and dedication from its fans, only few other sports see. This sport is as much about the characters and plot as it is about the in-ring action. And, yes, the action is huge! Here are 20 of the top wrestlers of all time, and there are some definite personalities which have kept audiences on the edge of their seats and crying for more each and every match.
20. Kurt Angle
A pro wrestling champion who competed in the Olympics and took home the gold, Kurt Angle ended up taking six World Championships with the WWE and made history with Brock Lesnar and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania. Loved by his fans as a hero as well as by some for being an arrogant narcissist, Kurt is an All-American Olympian to audiences everywhere and has a huge draw because of it. After the WWE, he went on to become a TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
Kurt Winning The TNA World Heavyweight Championship
19. Sting
Multiple-time World Champion in WCW as well as reigning Champion in TNA, Sting has a career spanning nearly 30 years and a loyal following because of his consistent in-ring deliveries over that time. Many had been thrilled at the notion of Sting going up against the Undertaker at WrestleMania even though he has never fought in the WWE. Now known as the “Scorpion”, Sting’s daunting image have made him a unique character audiences love.
18. Triple H
As if the photo didn’t say enough, Triple H is otherwise known as the “King of Kings” and is famous for having ushered in the “Attitude Era” along with fellow wrestler Shawn Michaels. WWE’s second ever Grand Slam winner with 13 World title victories under his belt, Triple H has much more than just a threatening look and demeanor. Fans say he is an “intellectual killer” because of how he plays mind games to defeat his opponents with ease.
17. Brock Lesnar
You definitely don’t want to be over the shoulders of this guy. The youngest WWE Heavyweight Champion at one point, audiences everywhere were ready for great things from this fighter. Switching over to MMA and then on to UFC after that, Lesnar was out of the ring altogether due to health issues. After 8 years away from WWE, Lesnar returned in 2012 as a huge media sensation. He will always be considered one of the best wrestlers of all time.
16.Edge
Male model, rock star, or wrestler? Actually, The Rated R Superstar has more championships titles than anyone else in WWE history. That’s 11 world title reigns and a record 12 tag title victories. No longer with the WWE, fans as well as the company miss him big time with nobody around to fill the role of the threatening, sadistic heel he played so well. Never making it as well as a babyface, he still did help revolutionize tag-team wrestling with the intro of the TLC match.
15. Ric Flair
Known as the “Man” in professional wrestling, we can’t help but think this guy looks more like some sort of Jesus wannabe. Check out the purple butterflies! Nevertheless, Ric had 16 World Championships and over 40 years of TV show times. “Nature Boy” was no humble man. With an arrogant attitude and opulent lifestyle he happily flaunted in the face of those beneath him. Though a pro with the mic promos, he still was faulted for his inability to tell a story in the ring, a vital component in the wrestling world.
14. Mr. Perfect
A success with both the WWF as well as WCW, Mr. Perfect was the AWA World Champion even though he never won a world title. A character to the last with that smile and build (though he looks pretty scary in the above pic), opponents consistently spoke highly of Mr. Perfect, and he was known for always making those he was fighting look better than they actually were. With his natural mic skills, the WWF even decided to put him on the Primetime panel alongside Bobby Heenan at one point. Mr. Perfect, whose real name was Curt Henning, passed away in 2003 from a drug overdose.
13. Mick Foley
A 3 time WWF Champion, Foley was a hardcore wrestler known for his Hell In A Cell matches. That sounds about as bad as his teeth look! “Mankind” actually had two other alter-egos, but this was his most successful with the clothing and overall image perfect for his underdog portrayal fans loved. Not exactly known for being in the best of shape, people never minded since he was a pro at the storytelling side of the biz. The guy has even written books on the art of his promo!
12. Ted DiBiase
“The Million Dollar Man” was the WWF’s top heel in the 1980s, mostly due to being hated so much which in turn made him a huge draw with the audiences. His obnoxiously arrogant rich guy character was fine-tuned with a signature laugh that made audiences cringe. He was also known to stick notes in his opponent’s mouth; from top to bottom, Ted was easy to hate. A memorable feuder, he also headlined WrestleMania IV with the “Macho Man.”
11. Shawn Michaels
It’s hard to believe but Shawn was never a big draw for his matches given his scrawny build compared to others in the company; in fact he is one of the lowest drawing champs in WWE history. Yet he is still a multiple-time World Champion and fought into his 40s. His charisma and verbal antics always made him stand out nevertheless, and he has gone down as a revolutionary for the tag team division with the Rockers as well as for the wrestling business overall with Degeneration-X.
Can you guess who’s are the Top 10 wrestlers ever?
10. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Piper never took a WWF title but was the babyface Intercontinental Champion for some time. Looking rather normal compared to the freakish demeanors of his fellow wrestlers, Piper made up for it with his own natural star power. Almost as famous for his verbal mic skills as for his in-ring shows, Piper would eventually be given his very own segments on talk shows and let the world know just why he was nicknamed the Hot Rod. Piper died in his sleep from a heart attack in 2015 at the age of 61. He will go down as one of the all-time greats!
9. Andre The Giant
Always second to Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant had an incredibly long career with the WWF and was immensely popular. Standing 7’4″ and weighing 540 pounds, one may have thought that Andre would have always dominated in any match, but in fact he only ever held the title for a few minutes. His size and speed were in fact weak points for Andre but he made up for it with an overwhelming presence and preference for in-ring banter. He could be tough to understand as a foreigner, but fans loved him, especially after his role in The Princess Bride ! Andre passed away in 1993, but is still popular, starring in modern artist Shepard Fairey’s Obey artworks and T-Shirts.
8. Chris Jericho
When Chris Jericho beat The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin the same night in 2001, he became the first ever Undisputed Champion of the WWE. Over the years since, he has become one of the WWE’s most popular and colorful characters with a return run from 2007 to 2010 solidifying him in fans’ hearts as a wrestling hero. The “Ayatollah of Rock ‘N Rollah” is presently on another hiatus rocking with his metal band “Fozzy”, but many hope he may come back to take on Sin Cara.
7. Bret “The Hitman” Hart
What a name! This five-time WWF Champion ruled during the 1990s and fans loved his pink and black outfits and signature shades. Some of his most popular matches included those with Curt Hennig and Randy Savage as well as the iconic British Bulldog showdown at SummerSlam. Hailing from Canada, Bret enjoyed global fame with people flocking to see him on the WWF’s European tours. It is said that at one point in time, he was receiving more fan mail than Hulk Hogan!
6. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
With multiple World titles and a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Stone Cold Steve Austin is a wrestler with a huge fan base making him one of wrestling’s most popular characters. Naming himself the “toughest SOB,” Steve’s aggressivity and intense style had audiences mesmerized with his matches against Bret Hart and The Rock being two of his most acclaimed. Steve also enjoyed the highest pay-per-view buy-rates and television ratings in wrestling history, and became the ultimate fighter during the “Attitude Era.”
5. John Cena
Must be tough to wrestle in jeans, but Cena managed somehow. A headliner at WrestleMania on numerous occasions, Cena is as well known for his feuding outside the ring as his action inside of it. Presently, fans are enjoying a massive war between him and The Rock. Famed for his extreme strength and ability to slam bigger opponents with ease, Cena has also been called too predictable in his moves. Nevertheless, this guy has sold more merchandise than any other wrestler and has been a huge role model for the PG era.
4. Randy “Macho Man” Savage
Here’s a guy with a serious personality. Dominant in the 1980s, Savage was a long-reigning WWF Champion and was voted by the WWE the “greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.” Flamboyant even for a wrestler, Savage will go down in history for his WrestleMania III match with Ricky Steamboat. And then there were his many feuds, the most memorable of these being with Hulk Hogan, the only wrestler who enjoyed a higher popularity than him. And of course, aside from the outfits, there was his catchphrase, “oh yeah!” Randy passed away in 2011 at the age of 58 from a heart attack. RIP Macho Man.
3. The Undertaker
The Undertaker is like Ozzy Osbourne on steroids. Having wrestled now for 20 years, he has the longest career presently with the WWE. Covering both the “Attitude Era” and the “PG era,” The Undertaker gained a reputation for being as fast and athletic as he was entertaining. A massive presence in the ring and always accompanied by his famous gong hits, his bouts with Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart were monumental. The “Taker” still dominates to this day and fans will continue to love him.
2. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
The “Brahma Bull” was only a full-time wrestler for 7 years, but his effect on the world of wrestling was monumental. A 3rd generation wrestler, Rocky Maivia always showed his superior training in the ring as well as his incredible way with words outside of it. Known as the “most electrifying man in sports entertainment,” it is no surprise Hollywood came calling, but he always seems to return home to the ring that made him a star. And he will always be best known as “The People’s Champion.”
1. Hulk Hogan
And here he is, “Hulkamania!” The greatest wrestling star ever, the “Hulkster” was a superhero to kids all over the world and the biggest moneymaker in the business. Never known for his in-ring skills, Hulk’s 300-pound frame and blonde locks still made him the ideal role model who went up against the villains, Iron Sheik and the anti-patriotic Sergeant Slaughter. And there is the fact that he told kids to “say their prayers, do their training and eat their vitamins.” What more could you ask from a superhero?
