wrestling / Columns

411’s Top 25 Wrestlers of the Last 25 Years (#15-#11)

July 13, 2011 | Posted by Larry Csonka

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the 411 wrestling section, and welcome to our latest feature, the top 25 wrestlers of the last 25 years. On Monday and Tuesday the countdown started, and I would like to thank those of you that took the time to read and comment on the articles. Today we continue the countdown, from #15-#10. As a reminder, every 411 writer had the opportunity to share their top 25, and after over 25 writers produced and shared their list, the grand list was then complied to make the top 25. Remember, everyone has different values. Some value workrate and match quality, while other look at influence in the business or how much money they drew. While people will always disagree, we at 411 felt that this was the fairest way to make the list, and we know that some people will be left out. Here are the men that just missed the cut, and the first official members of the list…

Just missing the cut…
* Terry Funk
* CM Punk
* Jushin Thunder Liger
* Roddy Piper
* Curt Hennig

The list thus far…
#25. Dusty Rhodes
#24. Toshiaki Kawada
#23. Rey Mysterio
#22. Chris Benoit
#21. Edge
#20. The Great Muta
#19. AJ Styles
#18. Kenta Kobashi
#17. Sting
#16. John Cena

Mike Campbell During the 1990’s, there was no better definition of being the top dog of the promotion than the stoic individual in the green and silver tights. Mitsuharu Misawa made his debut in 1981 in All Japan, and got his first push in 1984 upon returning from Mexico and donning a hood to become the second version of Tiger Mask. Over the next year, Tiger Mask would have a series of matches with “Tiger Hunter” Kuniaki Kobayashi, culminating in Tiger Mask winning the NWA Jr. Heavyweight Title. In 1986, Tiger Mask moved up to the heavyweight divison and tried to make his bones there as well. He wasn’t as successful, although he was able to win the PWF Tag Team Titles with top man Jumbo Tsuruta as well as winning the NWA International Title from Ted DiBiase.

On 5/14/90, Tiger Mask had tag team partner Toshiaki Kawada remove his mask to reveal Mitsuharu Misawa. Misawa attacked Jumbo Tsuruta and the great feud of the early 1990’s was put into motion, Tsuruta vs. Misawa. Over the next three years, Misawa and Tsuruta would meet countless times in singles, tags, and trios matches. Misawa would strike first blood by beating Tsuruta in a singles match on 6/8/90, and Tsuruta would avenge the loss three months later on 9/1/90. Misawa took another victory from Jumbo in September 1991, forcing him to submit to his facelock. In addition to his rivalry with Jumbo, Misawa also teamed with Kawada to challenge for the AJPW World Tag Titles, and he tried to wrest the Triple Crown away from Stan Hansen.

Misawa finally won the Triple Crown in 1992 from Hansen, but he never got his big blowoff with Tsuruta due to Tsuruta coming down with hepatitis. Misawa cemented his status as the undisputed top man in the company with a victory over Hansen in May 1993. Misawa was the top man for the rest of the decade, turning back challenges from former partner Kawada, as well as fending off challenges from Akira Taue, Kenta Kobashi, and the top gaijin contingent of Stan Hansen, Steve Williams, Vader, and others. Misawa’s 6/3/94 singles versus Kawada is considered to be the best singles match of all time, with the 1/20/97 match versus Kobashi not far behind. He was also part of legendary tag matches on 12/3/93 and 6/9/95 (with Kobashi vs. Kawada/Taue) and 12/6/93 (with Jun Akiyama vs. Kawada/Taue).

As the 1990’s became the 2000’s and age and injuries began piling up, due to the highly physical style that Misawa and the other All Japan wrestlers liked to use. Misawa recognized the need to phase himself out and crown a new king. But it proved to be easier said than done. The heir apparent was Kenta Kobashi, but it took nearly three years to accomplish due to Kobashi also having numerous injuries, especially to his knees. Misawa finally passed the torch on 3/1/03, losing the GHC Title to Kobashi. However, Kobashi’s health was still an ongoing issue, and Misawa was forced to make himself champion after the NOAH fans weren’t responsive to younger wrestlers like Takeishi Rikio and Naomichi Marufuji when they were made champion.

Tragedy struck on 6/13/2009 when Misawa was wrestling in a tag team match with Go Shiozaki opposite of Akitoshi Saito and Bison Smith, challenging for the GHC Tag Titles (hopefully to help rise Shiozaki’s stock in the eyes of the fans). Misawa took a backdrop suplex from Saito and all the years and wear, tear, and big bumps like that were just too much. Misawa suffered a cervical spinal chord injury and died on his way to the hospital.

Ryan Byers: Mitsuharu Misawa’s name will go down as being involved in one of the great tragedies of the professional wrestling industry. On June 13, 2009, at age 45, Misawa was wrestling a tag team match in Hiroshima. During the match, he took a backdrop suplex which appeared to be no more violent than hundreds of other suplexes that the Japanese star had taken during his career. Unfortunately, years of physical abuse took their toll, and this particular suplex landed Misawa in such a way that he essentially internally severed his brain from his spinal column. Misawa will always be remembered now, at least in part, for the way that he died. However, he shouldn’t just be remembered for the way that he died. He should also be remembered because, prior to that death, he had one of the most decorated and prestigious careers in puroresu, being one of Japan’s biggest box office attractions. Early in the twenty-five year period being considered for this column, he was the second Tiger Mask, a role that allowed him to showcase his in-ring skills against top level opponents but wasn’t necessarily going to allow him to main event. After several years performing under the hood, All Japan booker Giant Baba saw more potential in Misawa than what he would be able to display as the Tiger and set about making him a top star, moving him into the heavyweight division and having him compete under his real name. Misawa almost immediately found success, earning five reigns with the Triple Crown championship before splitting off from NJPW after Baba’s death and becoming the founder of Pro Wrestling NOAH, which remains one of the top three promotions in Japan to this day. This man had one hell of a career, and the only negative thing that can be said about it is that it ended in the manner it did.

Marc Elusive: Mankind, Dude Love, Cactus Jack or sometimes just Mick Foley, whatever incarnation you received, you always got 110% effort despite where on the card he was stuck. Foley occupies that story in pro wrestling, much like The Miz, where he chased his dream, through the minor leagues, WCW, ECW and finally the WWF, at the perfect time, that Attitude Era, where characters and storylines drove the business even more than in previous time periods. He finally achieved his goal through great psychological matches, insane hardcore brawls and sympathetic Butters-esque naïve situations, which was winning the WWF title and headlining (or merely being in the main event of) WrestleMania. From his humble beginnings, living in his car and training to be a wrestler on the weekends, while attending school and working a job; he is the definition of hard work and determination.

Some of his matches in WCW, Japan and ECW are legendary and then he took his unique style and made it safe for the über-cautious WWF (even back then). He also was part of one of if not the signature moment of the Attitude Era when the Undertaker pitched him off of the roof of Hell in a Cell and he flew down fifteen feet through the announce table; despite internal injuries and such he completed the match and became an instant star, he used that new-found fandom to propel himself to the WWF championship early the next year. Foley was a perfect example that if you bust your ass (literally) you will get noticed and achieving your dreams through sheer motivation.

Steve Cook: Cactus Jack emerged in WCW in the early 1990s and became known for his willingness to take copious amounts of abuse. Jack became very popular with the fans there and ended up in a main event program with Vader in 1993, but got tossed to the side in 1994 when Hulk Hogan & friends arrived. That was ok, Cactus made his way to IWA Japan & ECW, with ECW being the place where Mick Foley would learn how to become a true main event promo. Mankind arrived in the WWF in 1996 and immediately gained attention by being the first guy who could consistently defeat the Undertaker & always give him a tough match. It seemed as if Mankind wouldn’t be able to adjust to the Attitude Era for quite some time, but eventually Mick Foley came out and showed everything he had to offer, whether it was as Cactus Jack, Mankind, or even the carefree hippie/corporate stooge Dude Love. He became one of the most popular people in the WWF during its hottest business period of all time, and his best-selling books introduced people to his wit & humor. The last couple of years haven’t been kind to Mick‘s reputation among hardcore fans, but he still rates as one of the best of his era in & out of the ring.

Jack Bramma: Perhaps more than another other moment in the past 25 years of professional wrestling, Mankind’s victory over The Rock on January 4, 1999 for the WWF Championship felt “real” — not in terms of competition, but in the sense of heart and desire. Even if the outcome was and always has been predetermined, the passion and emotion was undeniable. That’s what made it so disgusting that Tony Schiavone would utter the infamous slight, “That’ll put butts in the seats!” — that Schiavone wasn’t so much badmouthing the competition as he was dismissing a man’s entire “body” of work. Foley had given so much of himself to wrestling — including multiple concussions, broken ribs, separated shoulders, front teeth, hundreds of stitches and burns, and half of an ear — that if anyone had ever earned a championship reign based on sheer blood, sweatsocks and tears, it was Mick Foley. But, as a performer, Foley is more than the sum of his sacrifices. From his “Cane Dewey!” promo advocating violence to lionizing Uncle Eric and “New York, New York” in ECW to bringing the inner Joker out of Edge in 2008, Foley is one of the best to ever hold a microphone. Alongside Terry Funk, he is one of the undisputed legends of hardcore wrestling and his home video audition for WWF and his dives through and off the HIAC inspired an entire generation of fans to hold their breath every time he started to climb. Whether it was writing the best wrestling book ever written, starring in “Beyond the Mat,” or winning the championship from The Rock, Foley has always defied the odds and achieved more than anyone ever thought he would.

Chad Nevett: Chris Jericho is the ultimate example of a guy who can use any bit of time in front of an audience or a television camera to get himself over. It’s a skill he learned and developed during his stint in WCW and it’s the reason he’s so loved by fans. He can turn any stupid angle or embarrassing moment to his advantage. He can walk into a ring, get humiliated, get his ass beaten, and, somehow, walk away better for it. He’s one of the best modern promo men and a true student of wrestling. His heel turn in 2008 was done in such a smart manner that he set the standard for heels in the WWE and there are still guys who are obviously doing Chris Jericho riffs. But, most of all, the guy can wrestle like no one’s business. He’s constantly inventive and his matches with an opponent only get better the more they wrestle, because he’s not content to do the same thing twice, because he knows you need to keep evolving and changing and using every opportunity to make the fans love or hate you all over again.

Michael Ornelas For some reason, Chris Jericho isn’t as high up on the list as I would have him. I really don’t think I overrate the guy though. He has been one of the most consistent talkers since the late 90s and really kicked things up a notch since his 2008 heel turn. Add that to the fact that he is a very solid in-ring performer, and you’ve got yourself an ideal superstar. Only thing Jericho lacks is size, but he carries himself like he’s 6’4″, 250 lbs with his attitude, and that’s almost as important as actually being that large. Jericho simply gets it. He knows how to work a crowd during both promos AND matches, and therefore ALWAYS finds a way to get heat. Jericho, probably more so than anyone, does not need to win very often to stay over and he’ll be the first person to admit that. He’s a very giving wrestler and has no problem putting over the younger crop of talent. Since I started watching wrestling in 2001, Jericho has always been in or near my favorite 5 wrestlers, and that is why Chris Jericho, without a doubt from me, absolutely deserves to be on this list.

Jeremy Thomas: How can you possibly talk about the greatest wrestlers of all time without talking about the Man of 1,004 Holds? That’s 1,000 holds more than Hulk Hogan and Goldberg knew, dammit! In all seriousness, Jericho is one of the great heels of the modern era. Sure, he was very, very good as a face, but when people think of Jericho they invariably think of him as a heel…and for good reason. Whether you think of his reign as WCW Cruiserweight Champion, his first appearance within WWF as Y2J, his reign as the first-ever Undisputed Champion or his feud of the year with Shawn Michaels and the greatness that followed that, Jericho has always made his greatest marks as a bad guy. He’s just so damned good at making you want to see him get his ass kicked. What’s more, he’s a guy who has the in-ring skills and mic work to back up that smarmy, condescending, asshole attitude. His accolades stand for himself; multiple-time World Champion, seven-time tag team champion, Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, a record nine Intercontinental Title reigns. In fact, you could easily say that Jericho has done more during his time than anyone else in rebuilding the reputation of the IC strap in the post-Attitude era. Without his work, that belt probably wouldn’t be worth the leather it’s riveted into. Jericho is the man, and when he returns (which I’m certain he will), I’m sure that his work will only push him higher up this list.

Chad Nevett: I’ve been a Triple H fan for a long time and you could probably call me a Triple H apologist. There will be many who wouldn’t want him this high on the list (or on the list at all) because of his backstage persona or because he married the boss’s daughter or because he doesn’t ‘deserve’ his spot or whatever. But, that’s crap. Triple H got his spot by being smart and being able to deliver in the ring. He’s not an instant five-star classic sort of wrestler, he just knows how to go out and entertain people. Sometimes, it’s the passionate serious sort of entertainment where he and some other guy wail on each other for twenty minutes in a display of violence unparalleled. Other times, it’s goofy comedy with Shawn Michaels that never quite gets out of the toilet, but sends the live crowd home happy. He’s delivered some of my favorite matches, promos, and memories. I don’t agree with everything he’s done to get to where he is, but I do agree with his spot on this list and I do think he earned it.

Jack Bramma: As Jim Cornette tells it in “The Write Stuff,” the road to becoming a booker use to take upwards of 20 years. You’d start out as a member of the ring crew and run errands before moving to trainee then jobber on to enhancement talent, etc etc on down the line until after thousands of miles on the road and hours in the ring, you MIGHT get a chance to have in input in the direction of the show. Therefore, it’s fitting that a man who will be a major creative and business force and ambassador for the industry in years to come is also one of the last to hoe the road of “The Write Stuff” and is one of the best technical wrestlers of the past 25 years. There’s something undeniably traditional and old school about the path Triple H’s career has taken: starting out at Killer Kowalski’s School of Wrestling to debuting as Terry Ryzing against Flying Tony Roy where they were hanging off the rafters in Burlington, Vermont to the Blueblood from Greenwich who lost the KOTR crown and a Hog Pin match to Henry Godwin because of the MSG incident to winning KOTR the following year, forming DX, becoming The Game and having an all time great feud with Mankind and making a believable title contender out of TAKA Michinoku, tearing a quad and returning, leading Evolution, tearing ANOTHER quad and returning, becoming The King of Kings, and collecting 10+ world titles along the way and counting. Regardless of whether you like him or his wife, it’s hard to argue that Triple H hasn’t earned his spot at the top of the mountain.

Tony Acero: Triple H is another wrestler on the list who has used the ability to reinvent himself to give his career more longevity then it may have originally had and with that, has become the future TOP GUY of the company. Trained by Killer Kowalski and close friends with Shawn Michaels, it’s really no secret that the guy has talent and it has shown in spades throughout his career. His most recent match with The Undertaker is already heralded by many as the Match of the Year for 2011. Triple H hit a bit of stagnancy with his continuous burial of wrestlers in 04 and garnered a lot of hatred from the IWC, but before that he was growing as a character and as a wrestler. Wrestlemania 2000 marks the first time a heel walked out of Wrestlemania with the title and that heel was Triple H. His relationship with Stephanie McMahon aside, Triple H was a great wrestler and a strong ring general. He knew how to put together a match and tell a story in doing so. The year or two that he had a stronghold on the RAW brand my not have been my cup of tea and I’m sure if he hadn’t had an injury that required him to change his game up a little bit, he’d be much higher on the list. Still, 12 isn’t anything to scoff at when you’re in the same grouping as some of these other men you will see.

Jack Bramma: In a business full of carnies and workers, Kurt Angle is one of the few that still possess the genuine ability, whether in the ring or on the microphone, to make professional wrestling seem legitimate. “The only Olympic Gold Medalist in the history of professional wrestling” is a phrase that still gives me goosebumps to this day and makes me appreciate every Kurt Angle match even more because we are witnessing one of the greatest to ever lace them up. Based on natural ability and real credentials, Angle is already one of the best wrestlers to ever live. However, he wasn’t satisfied at mastering amateur wrestling and winning a gold meal “with a broken freakin’ neck.” In the spirit of Leroy McGuirk, Danny Hodge, The Briscoes and Pat O’Connor, Kurt Angle made the commitment to learning and honing the art of professional wrestling. He started out as the comedy version of the Varsity Club with the three I’s of Intelligence, Integrity and Intensity but would go on to hold the European and Intercontinental Championships at the same time, win King of the Ring, defeat The Rock, Triple H, and Undertaker and win his first World Championship while in the business less than 2 years. He engenders such raw fanaticism among his supporters that, even though prior to a match with John Cena in 2006, he said wanted the US to lose the war in Iraq, he wasn’t a fan of “the black people,” and he wanted to travel back in time and make Jesus tap out, they still cheered him rabidly. His jump to TNA was the biggest coup since the Monday Night Wars and he has continued to excel including the memorable feuds with Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Desmond Wolfe, Matt Morgan, Jay Lethal, Sting, Jeff Jarrett and his fantastic “climb up the rankings” storyline. Whether it’s making you laugh by claiming he tears a quad every morning before he gets out of bed or by having a WOO-off with Ric Flair, making you salute when he talks about the soldiers he met on a tour of Afghanistan, making you mark out for a grapevining the leg on an anklelock, marking you lose your mind after seeing a moonsault off the top of a cage, or making you care after seeing his desire video set to “Clocks” by Coldplay, Kurt Angle makes you BELIEVE.

Michael Ornelas: Kurt’s pretty good at running his mouth and hyping himself up…but the guy won a gold freakin’ medal with a broken freakin’ neck. Sure he has an ego, but he can back it up in the ring. I’m constantly worried about his health and whether or not he should be putting on the kinds of matches that he is. He’s truly a great performer though. Starting with his annoying persona when he started with WWE through his transformation to badass that started at the beginning of 2006, he has entertained and played his role to perfection. I’ve heard some people say that he lacks psychology, but I disagree. Having a lot of suplexes in your arsenal doesn’t have any impact on your knowledge of psychology. I personally think Kurt’s moveset is the most fun to watch and other than concern for his well-being, I love watching Angle compete. He’s had several classics despite only being a pro for about 12 years. Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Desmond Wolfe, & even Ken Anderson have all had exceptional matches with Angle and it’s because Kurt can go. It’s true…you know the rest.

Jeremy Thomas: When you think about it, Kurt Angle’s situation is one that seemed set up to fail. Amateur wrestling and professional wrestling generally look at each other askance, after all; while an amateur background has of course helped a lot of guys in the business, the thought of an Olympic gold medalist competing in the WWF was pretty ludicrous at the time. There were a lot of people who felt that Angle was betraying the legitimacy of his accomplishments by stepping into the world of suplexes and bodyslams, and there were a lot who felt as if he was just another amateur guy who wouldn’t be able to cut it in the larger-than-life business. As it turns out, both groups were silences as Kurt managed to become one of the top names in the industry and keep his reputation more or less intact. Kurt is a guy who reminds me a lot of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and such; he can work great matches with almost anyone and he delivered a consistent quality of match. He’s also fearless, both in terms of what he can do inside the ring and what he’s willing to portray in his character. That’s an important thing; it’s difficult for a lot of people to let themselves be seen as goofy, or to take a risk in a character leap. Kurt has taken everything that’s been thrown at him, from ridiculous love triangles in both companies he’s worked for to being a mole within the Alliance, and made it work. He may not quite have the legacy of the Rock, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels or Hulk Hogan, but his position as one of the greats is indisputable.

AS IT STANDS:

Come on back tomorrow as we unveil #10-#6…

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