The 411 Wrestling Top 5 12.16.09: Week 53 – Wrestling Siblings

Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions.

So, on to this week’s topic…

THE TOP 5 WRESTLING SIBLINGS

To quote an overplayed song from the seventies… “We are Family!”

So what did our group of writers select? Let’s find out…

THE Larry Csonka

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Rougeau Brothers – A damn fun tag team, they make me think of happy times…

The Armstrong Brothers (Brad, Scott, Steve, Brian) – Screw the curse, the brothers were good workers, well, Brian could hang but he did get the mic skills and charisma.

The Steiner Brothers – Tag team Gods.

5. The Hart Brothers – While Bruce and Keith did not accomplish the mainstream success of Bret and Owen, they are a part of the Hart legacy through their time in Stampede and the Hart Wrestling Academy. Owen saw a lot of midcard and tag team success, and always put on good matches, but ever won the big one. Bret was easily the most successful, triple crown in WWF and WCW, and internationally was treated as a God.

4. Los Villanos – The sons of Ray Mendoza, better known to American wrestling fans as “The Villanos” of WCW fame are one of my favorite brother combos of all time. Unfortunately most only know then from their WCW run, but their run in Mexico was a blast. Los Villanos most famous feud, in my eyes, was against Los Brazos, who lost their masks to Los Villanos.

3. The Von Erichs – In theory, the Von Erichs brothers (mainly Kevin, Kerry and David) should have gone down in wrestling history as the greatest brothers of all time. David was supposed to carry the NWA gold, but passed way too soon. Kerry did get the big belt once, but the fact that he couldn’t keep clean stopped that. And then there was Kevin, maybe the most talented of them all in the ring, but was always overlooked and eventually just walked away due to all of the tragedy. Kevin, Kerry and David were some of the most talented guys in the business, Vince wanted them, the NWA wanted them, and they drew money and ratings out the ass for World Class.

2. Jack and Gerald Brisco – Jack and Gerald Brisco are easily one of the best sets of brothers ever. Numerous tag team titles, Jack won the NWA Title on two occasions, they promoted and were mainstays of the NWA in the 1970’s. And who can forget the Brisco Brothers Body Shop?

1. Terry and Dory Funk – And to top off my list, I have to pick Terry and Dory Funk. Both brothers won the NWA World Title, they were mainstays in the NWA and were a force in the tag team divisions, winning numerous titles. They had great success as a team in Japan, and were treated as legends even before the general wrestling public treated them as such. Terry may have overstayed his welcome to some, but the run he had in ECW not only added to his legacy, but also helped ECW more than most people know. They easily take the top spot on my list.

Aaron Hubbard

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Shane McMahon & Stephanie McMahon – While only Shane wrestled on several occasions, no siblings have contributed as much to the wrestling business OUTSIDE of the ring as these two.

Booker T & Stevie Ray – Ten time World Tag Team Champions and one member who became a six time World Champion and a success in the two biggest companies in wrestling history.

Scott & Rick Steiner – In their prime, probably the best tag team ever. Scott was also a World Champion in WCW.

5.Matt & Jeff Hardy – The brothers Hardy revolutionized tag team wrestling in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Since then, they have grown into singles stars with different levels of success. Matt, the more conservative of the two, was able to stay with WWE longer and achieved a cult following after his private issues with Lita became very public. He become ECW Champion. Jeff, the more extreme of the two, has dealt with drug issues that kept him out of the limelight for three years, but his popularity was undeniable and he became WWE Champion and World Champion. Without a doubt, these two have been the most successful brothers of the modern era.

4.Eddie Guerrero & Chavo Guerrero, Sr. – This pair is unique because the age difference is so large that they never really achieved any great success together. Chavo is old enough to be Eddie’s father, so the chances of them teaming together were virtually nil. Still, they achieved great individual success. Chavo was a pioneer of the Cruiserweight style and held many Jr. Heavyweight titles wherever he went, be it Japan, Mexico, or the United States. Eddie followed in his footsteps, having great success in Mexico and Japan, but it would be the United States where he achieved his greatest fame. Eddie would benefit from the Monday Night Wars and his tremendous talent made him the most famous Guerrero by nature of being on WCW Nitro. Later, he would be signed by WWE and would eventually become the WWE Champion, the crown jewel on a resume that runs longer than Moby Dick. It is difficult to find a more talented and successful pair of siblings.

3.Jack & Jerry Brisco – The Briscoes were the greatest team of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. There are some that gave them a run for their money (The Blackjacks, The Crusher & Dick the Bruiser), but they were the best. They held 20 different tag team titles throughout their career. Before getting into pro wrestling, they dominated highschool and college wrestling and accomplished feats that would make your jaw drop. Jack held the highest honor in wrestling, as he was the NWA Champion when that was the undisputed top title in the business. Jerry would never get that on his resume, but he would become a famous part of the attitude era as Vince McMahon’s stooge. But perhaps their greatest success was convincing shareholders to sell Georgia Championship Wrestling to McMahon, allowing him to continue his rise to dominance. Successful in the ring and out of the ring, both together and individually, the Briscoes deserve a place in every Hall of Fame.

2.Bret & Owen Hart – Bret and Owen are the only two Hart brothers to achieve any amount of fame outside of Stampede Wrestling. Bret was one of the most successful wrestlers of all time, becoming a multiple time World Champion in WWE and WCW. During a career that lasted well over twenty years, Bret put together a resume of matches that most wrestlers could only dream of. He is considered by some to be the Greatest Wrestler of All Time. Owen was perhaps even more talented and was certainly more charismatic. Although he never achieved the same success as Bret, many believe he would have if it had not been for his tragic death in 1999. The Harts are an interesting pair as they achieved their greatest fame as brothers that feuded rather than brothers that teamed.

1.Terry & Dory Funk Jr – Whereas with all the previous teams have one member that definitely achieved more success, both of the Funks were tremendously successful, both as a team and as singles wrestlers. Both held the NWA Championship in the prime of its life and were recognized as the top wrestler in the world. They are the only brothers to accomplish that feat. Together, they achieved great success, especially overseas in All Japan Pro Wrestling, where their wars with Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen are the stuff of legend. Amazing technical wrestlers and accomplished brawlers, there was nothing they couldn’t do. Terry would go on to have a career resurgence in 1989 with an incredible feud with Ric Flair. In the 1990’s he would reinvent himself as the Hardcore Legend of ECW and hold the ECW Championship. The extra years in the semi-mainstream have undoubtedly made Terry the greater in most fans minds, but when Dory Funk is the second best, all other siblings are left in the dust.

Jeremy Thomas

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Hardys – It would be difficult to make a Wrestling Siblings list and not include the most prominent siblings of this decade. Matt and Jeff don’t stack up to top five on this list, but they certainly deserve a spot somewhere.

The Brisco Brothers – Jack and Jerry, not Mark and Jay. While the younger Briscoes might grace such a list down the line, they aren’t there yet and Jack & Jerry’s Hall of Fame status, 20 tag team title reigns and classic feud with the Funks gets them a mention for me.

The Funks – Much like the Brisco Brothers, the Funks had a hell of a legacy in professional wrestling. They’re WWE Hall of Famers who did a lot as a tag team; they achieved even more separately. As much as I wanted to push them into the top five, I just felt they were overshadowed by some other names.

5.The Steiners – As one of the top tag teams in professional wrestling history, Rick and Scott Steiner easily deserve a spot on this list. Do we really need to go through all that they’ve accomplished? They’ve won tag team titles on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, innovated the game of tag wrestling and made history time and again. The only thing that keeps them at number five is the fact that they didn’t accomplish as much individually as they did in a team; obviously, Scott did more than Rick did, but they will always be remembered more as a tag team and I think that overshadowed what they could have done as singles guys. Still, they’re awesome and this list would be remiss without their presence.

4.The McMahon Children – Scoff all you want, and they may not be professional wrestlers, but the influence that Stephanie and Shane McMahon have had on the industry in the last twelve years has been undeniable. In fact, let’s look at the wrestling first. No one’s going to try to say Stephanie is a wrestler–Women’s Title reign or not–but Shane built his name on being willing to go out and bust his ass, and whenever you see a of WWE clip compilation of insane moves, you can be sure that Shane-O Mac is going to be in there. But let’s just move beyond that. Sure, Shane’s left the company, but while he was there he was a great on-screen persona when he wanted to be and a driving force for the business side of the company the rest of the time. I still say that Stephanie’s work as a heel is highly underrated, and that she’s far better than Vickie Guerrero who all the kids seem to love for the same reason they hated Steph. Meanwhile, she’s a driving force for Creative backstage–and yes, you can bitch about all the stupid stuff she’s booked, or how she’s kept her husband on top. But she’s also been responsible for some fantastic feuds and storylines, and I defy you to tell me any long-term booker who hasn’t done almost as many dumb things as they’ve done right. Believe me, the McMahon children deserve their place on this list.

3.The Von Erichs – If not for tragedy, the Von Erichs could have been so much more; what they actually became was impressive all on its own, though. The sons of Fritz Von Erich–Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris–were part of the most storied feud in the famous World Class Championship Wrestling promotion against the Fabulous Freebirds. The damn thing was brutal and captivating, and went on and on and on without losing any steam. Kerry made it to the WWF and had an Intercontinental Title reign as the Texas Tornado; the others never went quite that far but their legacy in Texas and in the NWA are cemented strongly. Eighty-six title reigns in WCCW alone would be enough for that, and you can put on in the fact that Fritz owned the company…but the fans bought into it completely, and that takes more than a strong case of nepotism.

2. The Harts – There’s no way that the Harts weren’t making it on this list. If you only included Bret and Owen, they would still make the list. However, you also have Keith and Bruce, who dominated Stampede Wrestling for quite a while, and Ross who was a producer and occasional wrestler. They would only show to nationwide crowds during the Bret/Owen feud, but those who love regional wrestling know how great they all were. Owen, of course, would become a hell of a tag team and midcard guy, including his feud with his brother that culminated in his biggest win ever at ‘Mania X, and then there’s Bret whose accomplishments don’t need to be detailed. The Harts are probably the most famous family in professional wrestling and they very nearly earn their spot at the top of my list.

1. The Guerreros – When most people think of the name “Guerrero” in professional wrestling, they think of Eddie and Chavo (and these days, Vickie). Others think of Chavo Sr., by virtue of his time as Chavo Jr.’s manager in the ‘E. Those who remember further think of Eddie, Chavo Sr., Hector and Mando and the profound impact they had on the industry. You want titles? They garnered (by my count) nearly a hundred title reigns between the four of them. They dominated promotions all over the place from the 1970’s all the way through to the modern era. They trained a host of future stars, and to put it simply they have an untouchable legacy both in Mexico and in the United States. It’s tough to top a set of siblings like that.

Shawn S. Lealos

5. Rick and Scott Steiner – This tag team was, in my opinion, the greatest of their era. The Road Warriors, Midnight Express and Rock n Roll Express were all hitting the later stages of their career and the brother’s Steiner tore up the house in the NWA, WWF and WCW. I was a minor fan of Rick when he was in Hot Stuff International but his work with Scott was amazing. And Scott – forget his work in the ring over the last decade. Scott Steiner was one of the best in-ring competitors to step into the ring in the nineties. The first time I saw him hit the Frankensteiner was jaw dropping. Separate, Rick dropped out of sight, so they remain only fifth on my list.

4. Matt and Jeff Hardy – I still remember when the brothers were starting out in the WWF. I saw them on the B-shows getting beat up by everyone else but always showing heart and desire. They were jobbers but they worked their asses off and it paid off. Their series of matches against Edge & Christian and the Dudleys were the best tag team wrestling I have ever seen in the WWF. The brothers won 7 tag team titles while in the WWF/WWE. Then when they split up I figured Jeff would be Shawn Michaels and Matt would be Marty Janetty. However, they both found success in the single’s ranks. Jeff won the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, , the European Championship, 3 Hardcore Championships, 4 Intercontinental Championships and the Light Heavyweight belt before burning out in a mess of his own making. Matt is nowhere near as successful but had a great reign as ECW Champion while also holding the European Championship, Hardcore belt, Cruiserweight title and United States Championship. Jeff’s personal demons and Matt’s lackluster performances as of late keep me from ranking these siblings higher.

3. Bret and Owen Hart – Bret Hart was just namedropped on Raw, so he is still fresh in the kid’s minds. The Canadian native was widely considered the best wrestler in the world from about 1993-1997. The guy made Steve Austin a star. He was involved in some of the best matches in Shawn Michaels’ career. He held 5 WWF World Championships and 2 WCW World Championships. He held the WWF Tag Team Championship with his brother in law Jim Neidhart 2 times, the Intercontinental belt twice, the United States Championship four times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship once. He brother could have been a bar of soap and he might still have made this list. Luckily, his brother was the great Owen Hart. I remember being so excited when the WWF finally brought Owen in, only to hide him under a mask. When he finally came out from under the mask, he put on some of the best matches against his own brother I have ever seen. He eventually died in an unfortunate accident, but left a legacy along the way. He held the tag team belts four times, with three different partners. He was the European Champion and a 2-time Intercontinental Champion. He was the King of the Rung in 1994 and is one of the most memorable Slammy winners I can remember. These two were amazing and there were more siblings, but when you ahve Bret and Owen, everyone else is just a footnote.

2. Terry and Dory Funk – Terry was the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion. He held the ECW TV Title, United States Championship, and WWF World Tag Team Championship. He fought some of the most memorable matches in wrestling, including an amazing I-Quit match with Ric Flair and continued to have matches that someone his age should never have been involved in as recent as this decade. Dory held the NWA World Championship and was involved in amazing feuds with Jack Brisco and Harley Race during this run. The Funk is a name that remains highly regarded in professional wrestling royalty and these two brothers are the reason. (Jimmy Jack Funk was an Oregon wrestler named Jesse Barr and was no relation to the Funk’s).

1. David, Kerry and Kevin Von Erich – I am leaving out Mike and Chris because they were never the level of competitors as their brothers, pushed to the top because of their name, and couldn’t handle the pressure as a result. Those are two of the tragedies of the Von Erich family and that is what makes my number one such a sad choice. Kerry was always my favorite wrestler back in the day where the Internet couldn’t tell me he was snorting his life away. Kevin was always my mom’s favorite wrestler and, while hindsight is 20/20, he is truly the best of the brothers. David died when I was first getting into wrestling so I don’t know much about him in-ring except he was supposed to be The Star. Either way, they were my favorite wrestling family as a kid, when the sport actually meant something to me on more than just an entertainment level, and they remain number one today if only in my memories.

Chad Nevett

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Goldust and Cody Rhodes – How often do you get brothers who span two different generations like Dustin and Cody have? Usually, brothers have to compete with one another (first as a team and then as rivals), but these two get a chance to shine on their own, though Cody’s best days are (hopefully) ahead of him, while Dustin’s are behind him.

Booker T and Stevie Ray – Booker T and Stevie Ray were a great brothers tag team as Harlem Heat, but only Booker really went on to singles success. A sentimental pick since I loved Harlem Heat as a kid.

The Hardy Brothers – I’m not a fan of the Hardys really, but it’s hard to deny the impact they’ve had over the past decade, holding nearly every belt the WWE has between them at one point or another.

5.The Steiner Brothers – When it comes to sibling tag teams, the Steiner Brothers top my list no question. Whether in NWA/WCW or the WWE, the Steiners made an impact with Scott as the powerhouse and Rick as the more technically-sound brother. They put on plenty of classic matches and while Scott has found a lot of solo success, it’s never really lived up to the sucess the two had together.

4.Shane and Stephanie McMahon – As others have stated, Stephanie’s wrestling accomplishments may not be extensive, but Shane has certainly proven himself in the ring. However, it’s the influence these two have had on the business outside of the ring that lands them this high on my list, particularly Stephanie’s role in the creative team in recent years. Both have acted in a variety of roles and continue to shape the biggest promotion in North America, though Shane’s departure marks an end to that.

3.The Guerrero Brothers – Like the aforementioned Runnels brothers, Chavo, Sr. and Eddie were far enough apart in age that they didn’t compete much against or with one another, but, unlike the Runnels, both went on to greater heights of success. Chavo held numerous belts around the world while Eddie followed in his footsteps, acheiving even greater heights thanks to his work in WCW and the WWE where Chavo eventually followed in a somewhat limited fashion. Both Guerrero brothers cast a giant shadow on the cruiserweight element of wrestling and rightfully so.

2.The Funk Brothers – Unlike a lot of pairs of brothers, both Funk brothers went on to have great singles sucess when not teaming with one another. They were a little before my time, but even my lack of personal ties to the duo can’t overcome the number of accomplishments they had all over the world in the US, Japan, and Mexico. Terry’s involvement in cementing ECW as a legitimate North American promotion to compete with the WWE and WCW is just icing on the cake after their storied and great careers.

1.The Hart Brothers – On just Bret and Owen alone, the Harts would have a place in the top five (or, at least, my top five), but including their other brothers, the Hart brothers come out on top. While the list of accomplishments and titles are rivaled by other groups of siblings, the influence that the Hart brothers have had on professional wrestling is just so extensive whether through acting as inspiration in Stampede Wrestling, the WWE, or WCW, or through teaching young wrestlers in some fashion or another. Looking at the current generation of wrestlers, so many of the best and brightest wouldn’t be here without the Hart brothers, more so, I’d argue, than any other group of siblings.

Julian Bond

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Harlem Heat – As a brotherly tag team in WCW, they had a whopping 10 tag team title reigns…that’s impressive enough.

Carlito/Primo – Briscoe Brothers (ROH) TIE – I had to mention thsese two newer tag teams cause they are/were the best brotherly duos seen in recent times. The Briscoe Brothers have and still are putting on a nice resume of good to great tag matches in ROH and Carlito/Primo, while only together for a very brief time, put on very awesome matches mainly with their excellent series with Miz and Morrison.

Stephanie and Shane McMahon – Sure these are “wrestlers” here like everyone on the list, but their crazy, insane and straight up goofy antics together as constantly feuding siblings or unitedly evil brother and sister made for some pretty memorable sights on TV.

5.The Von Erichs – This group of brothers did amazing things in the ring back in the day, but sadly tragedy took away from the super potential that they could of had for hopefully many years after as a close knit group in the ring.

4.The Hardys – When you mention the words wrestling siblings to any more modern and younger wrestling fan, they would assumingly quickly say the Hardys. Throughout the Attitute Era even up to a couple of years ago, these two were a well-known brotherly unit. Definitely one of the best also due to their excellent in-ring work as a great tag-team.

3.The Brisco Brothers – Honestly I didn’t grow up watching these two due to only becoming a major watcher of wrestling until the early 90s. But with all of the footage that I seen of the two, they seemed like one of the first major brother duos to really make a mark in the ring.

2.The Steiner Brothers – The Steiners to me as kid were awesome as hell as a tag team. You heard the theme song, see their crazy “real wrestling” poses and moves, and you automatically think of the brothers known as Steiner. They to me are above the rest of these teams because they seemed like they could never really be apart ring-wise and were great as a team.

1.Owen/Bret Hart – I’m not going to say too much here cause to me there were the best sibling wrestling team cause they were great in the ring as an unit and even crazier going against each other. You say Owen and Bret, one automatically think of awesome siblings in the ring.