Pieces of My Mind 09.02.08: The Top Twenty (Part Two)

Posted by Geoff Eubanks on 09.02.2008

Last week we counted down the bottom ten of my top twenty favorite performers last week...now here's the top ten! Plus an important announcement!

Pieces of my Mind 09.02.08: The Top Twenty (Part Two)

IMPORTANT…PLEASE READ: THIS WILL BE THE FINAL EDITION OF PIECES OF MY MIND

I recently received an e-mail from a gentleman who apparently has been posting a professional wrestling blog for the past five or so years titled "Pieces of my Mind" elsewhere on the internet and has politely asked me to change the name of my column, and I intend to comply. As a matter of fact, this turn of events amuses me. When I first started writing POMM some four or so years ago, it was back on the Penguin's site TWTF (where Larry, Cook, TheGun, Crucial, and many others of us first met one another), I lifted the title of the column from a Suede B-side (Suede being my favorite band of all time, next to The Cure). Suede, for the uninitiated, were an English band in the ‘90s who basically were to the British music scene what Nirvana were to America, but were forced to change their name stateside because a shitty lounge act who'd managed to sell 75 copies of a home-produced demo already had the American rights to the name "Suede". Thus it amuses me that virtually the same issue's arisen here over the topic of professional wrestling, where the global spearhead of the industry, WWE, was forced to change its name from The WWF over a similar dispute.

BUT…I've no idea what to now rename this column. Any suggestions…?

Drama aside, with the bottom ten in the books, let's check out the (much more deliberately-placed) Top 10!

10. Triple H
I have a real love-hate relationship with HHH. As I've chronicled myriad times in The R's, I've been a fan of HHH since I first saw him jerking the curtain in WCW as Jean-Paul Levesque, so to see him jump to The WWF back in the early mid-‘90s to continue to develop his initial, WCW-given one-dimensional character was a delight.

Remember last week when I mentioned the match that opened Summerslam '95 featuring Sean Waltman (as The One-Two-Three Kid) and Jinsei Shinsaki (as Hakushi)? Well, also opening that show was the first PPV appearance by the then-undefeated "Greenwich Blue-Blood" Hunter Hearst-Helmsley going over Bob "Spark Plug" Holly in as functional a squash as you're likely to see. It was clearly Holly's job to give Hunter a solid five or-so minutes, and that's exactly what happened. The point at which I became a HHH fan "4 Life" was during this match. Both men were jockeying for position early on, HHH eventually gaining the advantage. At about the midway point, Hunter whipped Holly to the corner, Holly selling for Hunter with the conviction of a dozen men, body slamming into the corner with an audibly metallic-clang! that popped the crowd, Holly collapsing and writhing on the mat, Hunter arrogantly sauntering around the ring, savoring the growing disdain from the crowd as it gathered momentum…and then…just as it was about to start to die off, Hunter, in the center of the ring, glared out at the fans and favored them with a mocking curtsey, the sneer on his lips insinuating, "At your SERVICE, sir." After having been in the business for only three years, Hunter got heat off a fucking corner-whip.

Say what you will about HHH, a solid student of the game who studied tapes and talked the talk with (and learned from) the best, became a ring general, is a solid draw as either a face or heel who makes history like Vince Russo books a gimmick match and deserves every syllable of praise he receives, or that he's a modern-day Shane Douglas who'd rather bleed in a gimmick match as work traditional (because it hides the fact that he's not as good as he likes to claim he is), and had foresight enough to dump a loser like Joanie Laurer in favor of hooking up with, and eventually marrying the boss' daughter, therefore, basically guaranteeing him a say in running the company once Vince eventually moves on (and all this after riding Shawn Michaels coattails up the "ladder" until HBK managed to stop his own show, thus allowing HHH to ascend into HBK's spot). I think there's a lot of truth in the above paragraph and I also think there's a lot of popular IWC ignorance mixed up in there, too (and I, for the record, do not think Joanie Laurer is a loser).
I appreciate HHH's consistency as a performer, as well as his willingness to lead by example. HHH has suffered some awful injuries during the course of a match or two, yet he's always displayed the heart of a lion and finished the performance, even when the injury was career-threatening, and that's walking the way one talks, that's the way a MAN works.

He also has incredible breadth as a performer being able to perform as either a face or heel with fantastic precision and accuracy, able to work the crowd to whichever end he so pleases, and that's important. How many times have we seen him do his thing and thought to ourselves, "OMG, look at what he just did/said…HOW could I ever have loved/hated him?!"

HHH is and forever shall be a point of conjecture and rightfully so, as a result of his "spot"…and once Vince eventually allows then kids to take control of his juggernaut, what we see now could only be the tip of the iceberg. For now, though, HHH is as talented as he is controversial, but for those of us who got in close to the ground floor and have enjoyed watching this talent grow and mature into an amazing in-ring talent, someone who can hobnob without Mongo-level shame, with someone like Ric Flair, I'll be in his corner.

9. Owen Hart
Yup, cue the acrimony. Look, I do not over-eulogize; I shoot from the hip and speak from the heart. I was an Owen fan before I even knew who Owen was. I recall seeing the original Blue Blazer run and, although hated the gimmick, LOVED the high-flying talent the man under the mask employed. I also favored the talent of young Owen once he re-debuted out from under the mask. This is going to upset some, but I've always been of the mind that Owen was every bit as good as his legendary older brother in the ring in a pure wrestling capacity, in addition to incorporating an aerial arsenal Bret never explored (although, in fairness, Bret, in exchange, excelled into a "ring general" role for which Owen would never qualify).

And, this is just me, but I loved Owen's promos. Granted, Bret could handle the heavier stuff (which cemented his role as a legitimate tough guy, as well as his place in the main event), Owen was having fun. Who didn't laugh when he raised his arms and proclaimed, "I'm a WINNER!!! WOOOO!!!" It was his lack of killer instinct and desire to have fun and entertain (both the fans as well as his fellow wrestlers) that prevented him from climbing the proverbial ladder, but Owen never failed to entertain, whatever and wherever his spot. He was taken far too early, but I'll never forget the guy and I hope those close to him will never forget his memory.

8. Jake Roberts
I know I've given props to Jimmy Snuka as being the man to help me cultivate an interest in pro wrestling, as well as to Greg Valentine as the first performer whose technical ability I truly appreciated; however, Jake Roberts was the first wrestler in whom I truly believed. At a time when Hulkamania was a global phenomenon, it was "The Snake" who captured my imagination…mainly because he was the first performer to ever have captured my intellect, which appealed to my teenaged sensibilities a WHOLE hell of a lot more than any number of jacked-up, pandering do-gooders. Roberts needed neither a ripped physique nor even exceptional technical prowess to make a statement…he didn't even care much about winning or losing. No, once the buzz from the vitamins wore off and before the kiddies hit their knees to say their prayers, he wanted to make damn sure those prayers were said, at least in part, that they be protected from The Snake and what he carried in his devil bag. Long before Edge was tall enough to reach the stove, Roberts was stirring the pot, masterfully manipulating every situation to his own best end, clearly smarter than anyone facing him and what I truly appreciated about Roberts was, heel or face status notwithstanding, he played his character the same way, he didn't get soft and cuddly just because he was trying to move merchandise to those same little sheep he scared the hell out of when he was the dark heel.

Further in his favor, Roberts was an absolute master of psychology. Every movement, every glance and gesture had purpose and meaning, involving the fans, bringing them closer to him, whether that meant sharing the grief of losing his treasured friend Damien after The Earthquake squashed him to death or if it meant he exhaled cold breath from that icy grin as he made us anticipate his dropping the dreaded DDT on a fan favorite. He didn't need to speak a word to get across his intentions, however, his promos were absolutely unparalleled. He set himself apart at a time when the gullible required being screamed at by their hero to encourage them to rally by speaking with quiet, deliberate intensity; Roberts never insulted the intelligence of the fans, he simply laid it out there and those of us discerning enough to "get it" were welcome to join him. I guess you can come to your own conclusions what it says about me and my state of mind that a heel Jake Roberts appealed to me EONS more than Hulk Hogan ever did or could.

Obviously, I'd love to place Roberts higher on this list, but we all know of his difficulties, which have hindered his ability to be all that he could have been. It's a damn shame, too, because a character like The Snake could have been a license to print money back in The Attitude Era. He could still even be an invaluable guide on any creative team, too, had things been different. However, for what he was for as long as he was able to be such, Roberts is all-too-often swept under the rug and forgotten because of his addictions and I think that's a shame. Would I book him today if I were a promoter? Hell no. But will I ever forget his all-too-brief legacy in The WWF? FUCK no.

7. The Rock
This will likely piss off a few, but The Rock has to be given his due here. There are two things that basically ensure my undying allegiance: 1) If a performer instantly catches my eye and manages to maintain my interest, and 2) if a performer I originally dislike somehow causes me to change my mind and turns my opinion in his/her favor. The Rock falls into the latter category. I was right with the fans chanting "Die Rocky die" to the original Rocky Maivia. As we'll eventually get into when we discuss my LEAST favorite wrestlers (and I suppose it's implied by my love for Roberts), one of the reasons I found it so difficult to like many of the WWF performers in the ‘80s was because they were all so blatantly pandering to the audience and it disgusted me. Maivia was just such a personality…but in 1996! Even when he turned heel and eventually took over as leader of THE NATION, shortening his name to simply The Rock, I didn't buy it at first, but much of that had to do with the fact that THE NATION was feuding with degeneration-X, who remain my favorite stable of all time, so I was waaaaaaay too marked up to even see what was really going on with The Rock at first.

It wasn't until SURVIVOR SERIES: DEADLY GAME that I really came around in The Rock's regard. He was just really solidifying his new act, the fans BEGGING to cheer him, even though he shunned them. There was to be a new HWC crowned in a one-night tournament, the finals coming down to the renegade Rock versus Mr. McMahon-brain-washed CORPORATE puppet Mick Foley. The fans were rabid for The Rock and when he won the final match, it was the last great screw job the business has really seen (don't talk to me about Montreal), as the fans didn't even really understand or accept that Foley had been double-crossed until Vince himself dropped his puppet in the ring post-match, raising the hand of The Rock instead.

From then on, The Rock was clicking on all cylinders, dropping the most consistently entertaining and creative promos in the business and performing in the ring with such seamlessness, such fluidity, he resembled a gazelle. Sometimes he made it look so damned easy it was almost difficult to remember I was supposed to believing it was real.

Like Trish Straus, I respect his decision to leave the wrestling industry for the silver screen because he'd done it all, he escaped with his health, his youth and his good looks in tact…why not? Explore as many avenues as life allows because life is too damned short. Thanks for the memories, Rocky…knock em dead in Hollywood!

6. Kurt Angle
Speaking of people who can do it all, Angle is an absolute marvel. I've heard tales of the ease with which Jack Briscoe transitioned from amateur to professional wrestling and would value the opportunity to experience more of his legendary career; however, in my lifetime, I've never seen anyone accomplish so much in such a short amount of time as Kurt Angle and do it so well. Proud hero, self-absorbed heel, total goofball, mat wrestling, driven brawling, hardcore free-for-all, there's literally nothing Angle has proven he can't do and do masterfully.

It was always my own personal regret that Angle never got the opportunity to combine all facets of his ability into one cohesive, well-rounded character. Who's to say he couldn't be the "Adios, Mother Hubbard" wise-cracker in his promos, but when he came to the ring, be the intense, mouthpiece-wearing warrior who wrestled Chris Benoit to stalemate after stalemate or had a 30:00 hardcore brawl with Shane McMahon? Oh, I know who…Vince McMahon.

When Angle left WWE in controversial fashion, he claimed Vince cornered him into playing a goof whom the fans would have trouble taking seriously and I have to agree with that, even though, at this point in his career, I believe Angle wasn't speaking as a rational human being of sound mind, but rather a cornered addict whose company was forcing him to face certain iniquities in his personal character which encouraged him to leave for TNA, where he was told whatever he wanted to hear as long as he'd commit to their company, TNA believing a broken-down Angle would give the fledgling franchise tone and leverage as they continued their struggle for equality in the American industry.

You see, Angle used to be higher up on this list, but his recent actions have forced him down a peg or so. I don't like to be a drama queen and naysayer in these situations, but I am truly afraid for the health and welfare of Kurt Angle. If we are ever going to see a true tragedy in the ring in this decade, the smart money is on Angle snapping his neck in two on a TNA PPV, which is ridiculous for a couple reasons:

1) Angle should know better. I've said this a couple times in The R's, it's my assertion that one of the worst things Angle could ever have done was to have won that Olympic gold medal with a broken freakin neck, because it established a precedent in his mind that his will and desire as an athlete can supercede the limitations of his body; as a trained Olympic athlete with a young man's body, I believe that will and desire is absolutely part and parcel as to what sets apart the medallists from the rest, but that was 12 years and, what, five subsequent neck injuries (in varying degrees of severity) ago. In my estimation, a pro wrestler really begins to come into his own around 30, with some good years preceding, his best following. But Angle is 40 now, and knows only one direction, straight ahead and at full-bore.

2) Angle swore up and down upon joining the franchise that TNA's paramount concern for him was his health and that he'd be disallowed from performing should he find himself in questionable straits, however, more than once, we've seen that this apparently is not the case. And the talk of this jump to MMA is absolutely madness. However, if Angle's ability is trumped by anything, it's his stubbornness and poor judgment and it appears to me Dixie may need to step in and put her foot down to stop Angle from making a grave mistake in the near future (although I can understand her trepidation from so doing, because it was when Vince did so in WWE that Angle left).

5. Chris Jericho
I've long been an admirer of Y2J's ability in the ring, even when I didn't necessarily appreciate the shenanigans he got up to back in WCW (I just didn't get the whole Ralphus deal, although reading his autobiography cleared that up quite a bit). Yet again do we have a representative of a moderately statured performer championing the CruiserWeight style in the early ‘90s making good in the main event.

Believe it or not, I was initially displeased with the decision to award Jericho as the inaugural Undisputed Champion because he'd been flubbing his performances in the ring the two PPVs prior to that historic victory, as well as it seemed to me that it should have gone to someone who had more of a significant WCW and WWE presence (I was thinking Austin at the time), although I've come around and think it's fantastic that Y2J has this on his resume, that it's something that can never be taken away from this amazingly well-rounded performer.

Jericho has proven that he can bounce around like a CruiserWeight, but can still more than hang (if I dare say, OWN) a main event against virtually any performer he faces in strong and believable fashion. He can play it as real or as silly as you wanna see it (remember William Regal's "spot of pee"…?) and it's all different parts of the whole (see, this is what I wished they would have done with Angle), especially as we're seeing now in this phenomenal program with Shawn Michaels. And who can ever forget his verbal lambasting of Stephanie "Brutal, Nasty, Bottom-feeding Trash-Bag Ho" McMahon?

Chris Jericho is intensely talented on the mic, uniquely gifted in the ring and a hell of a professional, willing to put business FIRST and Jericho second and I appreciate this man and his presence in the industry greatly!

4. Eddie Guerrero
And here we have another example of a CruiserWeight wrestler climbing literally from the bottom of the card to the top, not as a result of ass-kissing or politicking, but because of talent, desire, commitment and professionalism…although, this applies to Eddie TWICE in his career because, as we know, although he'd made it to the WWF mid-card by the early part of this decade, his ultra-Horseman lifestyle forced him to make that climb not just the once, but twice as a result of having lost his job and family to drugs and alcohol. But, unlike others who could have made this list (and certainly, more importantly, made more of their careers and lives), Eddie realized what he'd thrown away, got straight and came back to claim the World Title, a success story if ever their was one. Of course, all actions have their consequences, and Eddie's partying did come back to haunt him as he was taken all too soon one morning in Minnesota when his heart simply gave out during the strenuous exercise of brushing his teeth.

However, the legacy Eddie left behind was one of triumph, hope and joy, a quality of love for life that was apparent to any who was lucky enough to see him perform live. I have to admit, I was never a big fan of Eddie's promos until very late in his career (sadly, his best work was accomplished inside of the worst program in which he was ever involved, the disgusting "Dominick has two daddies" story also involving Rey Mysterio, which, mercifully, yielded some wonderful matches); rather, although fluent in Spanish and English, Eddie's spoke the language of psychology better than either.

I recall the last time I saw him perform at the Staples Center at a SmackDown! house show, tagging with his nephew Chavo. He was riding the apron, Chavo the legal man, playing a beautiful face-in-peril, and Eddie, behind the ref's back, in an effort to more easily "legally" make the tag, untied the tag rope from the corner and slid it to the middle of the rope, the ref turning around and chastising the incredulous Latino Heat, who played to the crowd as if to say, "What?! I'm holding the tag rope…!"


I had the utter privilege of analyzing the last years of Eddie's career in The SmackDown! R's and it was my honor to have dubbed him the Mexican Ric Flair, because, for good and ill, it seemed, with one fatal difference, they walked a similar road to the top and were the same quality of performer. I can think of little bigger complement to bestow on such a talent and to one whom, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be a loving, giving man outside of the ring and one we shall all miss tremendously.

3. Ric Flair
And speaking of ‘Naitch…! I know, many are a blinking "TILT on the whole Flair overload lately what with all the hoohah surrounding his much-lauded retirement, but this is my personal favorite list and it wouldn't be complete without Slick Ric.

I've come clean about having come in quite late in Flair's legacy, even disliking him abjectly when I saw him back in the mid-to-late ‘80s, but I've learned my lesson…boy, have I!

I think it was when he came to The WWF that I really turned a corner in Flair's regard. I've chronicled that I missed the bulk of Flair's WWF run, and that's absolutely true…his programs with Roddy Piper, Bret Hart and Randy Savage went on without me; what I DID see, though, was the build Flair received via the incomparable Bobby Heenan…The REAL World's Champion, and, my favorite, FAIR TO FLAIR, had me totally going to see Naitch take The WWF by storm…and then I moved into the dorms. It was the wrestling equivalent to amazing foreplay with nothing to look forward to but blue-balls.

I'd later catch him back in WCW with his shorter hair (which I MUCH personally favored), a little older, but no less the passion, in fact concerned on more than one occasion that the vein on the right side of his forehead was going to burst open and pump blood all over the ring…talk about bleeding and paying the price! I'd NO idea on that final broadcast of Nitro that his opening speech was a work…he had me believing 1000% that his heart was breaking over the demise of WCW. Imagine my surprise to find his heart was on holiday as his mouth laid those words!

Of course, I grew to fall in love with Flair…I mean, how do you not? Once a wrestling fan decides s/he is tuned in for abject entertainment, for DECADES no one brought it like Flair and I regret GREATLY that I wasn't in on the ground floor for his entire career and I am in abject envy of those of you like my friend Christian who were lucky enough to have grown up watching the exploits of THE HORSEMEN (and I don't mean the bullshit Horsemen that had hacks like Mongo and Luger involved, either).

Especially at a time when so many have subsequently viewed this great industry simply as a career move, lazy athletes who took Home Ec for the "easy A" in school, it's refreshing to see someone who has such a wellspring of respect and love for what he does, and has worked his entire adult life to make the business better, not just for himself, but for those he respects and for those who respect him. What can be said, but, one more time, thank you, Ric!

2. Mick Foley
Remember what I said about guys I initially disliked who earned my respect when they proved me wrong? No one typifies that notion as completely as Mick Foley. I've mentioned my exposure to Cactus Jack on Bill Watts' UWF…but I neglected to mention that I didn't care for him. Here was a sloppy-looking, sloppy-wrestling mess missing teeth and was just the antithesis of anything I was looking for in a wrestling hero (I recall "Dr. Death" Steve Williams being my UWF favorite, but that's another story for another time). When I saw him much later in WCW, the story hadn't really changed in my mind, although I recall sitting up and taking notice one day, and forgive me if I'm getting this wrong, but I believe it was WCW Saturday Night when Cactus battled the ultra-scary Abdullah The Butcher out of the arena into the snow, Abby stalking him, huge tongue lolling out of his mouth, taped-up fork in hand (after having produced it from under his enormous tit-flap).

I had apparently JUST missed the Cactus Jack boat in ECW, too, which is a shame…still another amazing chunk of pro wrestling history with which I had to post-educate myself (but, on the bright side, at least it's available and I was able to check it out at a time when I'd truly appreciate it). Thus, it wasn't until Mankind debuted in The WWF, attacking The Undertaker in vicious fashion, that I really got a solid Foleycation, and the timing couldn't have been better, because I had just returned to Bakersfield and had started taping Raw, my own pre-TiVo, eef you wee-yull.

Well from then on, it's an easy story to tell, as Foley truly excelled, obviously becoming renowned for his willingness to put his physical well-being at HIGH risk, but lesser appreciated for the cerebral contributions and considerations he brought to everything he did in the company, his willingness to put over others, finally earning the uber-well-deserved reward of winning the WWF HWT, standing toe-to-toe with no less than The Rock in a legendary program where BOTH men came out the better for their considerable efforts.

Of course, by this time, I'd discovered some of Foley's earlier career accomplishments, the aforementioned noteworthy ECW run (where, as many will maintain, he conceived of and delivered some of the best promos in the history of the profession), as well as some of his death-defying work in Japan (although I STILL need to see the King of the Death Matches tournament with the explosives against Terry Funk…little help…?), and, of course, have enjoyed his chart-topping autobiography.

His willingness to return to become involved in high-profile, successful programs with younger talent in whom he believes with the sole interest of getting them over (Edge and Randy Orton) further displays Foley's selflessness, his "WWE parting gift" being his instrumental role in re-igniting crazy, hungry Edge has become a crucial facet in making Friday nights essential wrestling viewing…and it appears as if he may be headed to Orlando to weave the same magic in TNA (which reportedly has Vince fuming…but, why, Vince, if you don't regard TNA as viable competition…?). Mick Foley has proven himself multiple times over to be an unparalleled talent in every facet of the business, mind, body, spirit and voice and the face of professional wrestling today would not be the same without him.

2. Steve Austin
No, I didn't mis-number, we have a tie for the #2 spot.

I BARELY remember Steve Austin back in WCCW in his multi-colored, square-cut trunks as a surfer/beach bully character. I DO recall Stunning Steve Austin in WCW, as part of Paul Heyman and Medusa Micelli's DANGEROUS ALLIANCE holding the TVT, and most certainly recall THE HOLLYWOOD BLONDS, the tag team we discussed last week with Brian Pillman. Although he was never really pushed in WCW, Austin was one of the personalities I enjoyed the most and looked forward to seeing perform. He had a style that set itself apart from the performances that typified the era, especially in WCW, which, I suppose was his downfall in the eyes of WCW brass…he wasn't like everyone else and, being the stupid bastards they were, didn't have sense enough to recognize that he was actually ahead of his time.

Again, I missed his brief tenure in ECW where he would finally be allowed to display the fiery gift he had on the mic that he was never allowed to showcase in WCW, as he cut loose with all the vitriol he'd accumulated while in WCW, Paul Heyman allowing him the freedom to basically lay the blueprint that would become the Stone Cold character.

Again, Austin jumped to The WWF about the same time as did Foley, when I was primed to give a large portion of my attention to pro wrestling, so I was thrilled when he debuted at the 1996 ROYAL RUMBLE. My enthusiasm had convinced one of my roommates and her boyfriend to watch with me and I recall telling them, "The big hoopla is all about Vader jumping from WCW, but this Ringmaster guy, HE'S the one to watch, HE'S the one who's going to tear shit up!" I hate to say I was right but…

And, of course, we all know the story, and I was with Austin every step of the way. I have a little trouble with the times he walked out on WWE, because that's obviously unprofessional. I understand and appreciate that once one works in an industry for X amount of years and one becomes the best in that field that one can expect X amount of consideration from management in one's regard, but I think it also speaks to Austin's own issues of insecurity (read Flair's autobiography for more on that).


However, it appears that was a slight bump in the road of an otherwise stellar, storybook career, ending with Austin wisely accepting the fact that he has no more matches left in him and is attempting to use his talent in other venues where he may excel and find self-satisfaction…bottom line…you know why.

1. Rob Van Dam
Sorry, Coady, but you knew this was coming. Say what you will about Mr. PPV, but he is truly one of the most unique, exciting performers in the history of the business. The first time I ever experienced RVD was on the first ECW PPV, BARELY LEGAL when he faced off against and defeated a very green Lance Storm with an amazing offensive display the likes of which I'd never before seen, especially The VanDaminator. I was enthralled. THEN, he picked up the mic afterward and cut a promo where he complained about being chosen as a second-line wrestler because he was originally not scheduled to appear on the PPV and filled in for an injured Chris Candido, admitting he swallowed his pride in so doing because he's no second line ANYTHING. It wasn't The Rock, it wasn't Steve Austin, but it wasn't what he was reduced to when he made the move to WWE following the demise of ECW, so anyone bemoaning RVD's inability to cut a promo can roll that up and stuff it up their asses and come back to talk to me once they educate themselves.

RVD's ring work speaks for itself…you either dig it or you don't and if you don't, that's cool. I, for one, absolutely cannot get enough of watching The Whole Fucking Show perform. I'm amazed at his ingenuity and respect his willingness to cause himself harm to deliver pain to his opponent. I also admire greatly his non-politicking stance with respect to the manner in which he behaved backstage. RVD was of the notion that if a promoter couldn't see what was going on in the ring, hear the chants of the fans or ringing of the cash registers as his merchandise flew off the stands, then such promoter was losing his own money by not pushing RVD s far as the fans wanted to see him go.

Granted, RVD and Sabu made their beds and, to their credit, lied in them after the infamous pot bust, and you can say what you want about them, RVD especially, since he was a duel champion at the time, but when the hammer came down, he went out there the following Monday and dropped his WWET, then went out on Tuesday and dropped his WWECWT like a man, no complaints, no holding back, he still hit the ring and made his opponents look great and served his suspension without a cross word. In fact, he was pragmatic and optimistic about the whole situation, looking at it as, Hey, it brought to light that a professional athlete can toke up and still perform at a championship level…maybe that will help dispel some of the myths about marijuana use.

I also greatly appreciate his socio-political stance, which, if you've ever given his blog a read, you recognize that he's also a modern-day patriot for personal freedom. Anyone who mistakenly thinks he's just some pothead burnout needs to search a little deeply before making such a blanket statement…RVD subscribes to a whole different philosophy…it's not for everyone, granted, but the basics of which aren't too dissimilar from some of the beliefs upon which this country was supposedly founded.

Rob Van Dam is as unique an athlete as they come and my life, for one, is the better and happier for his being apart of it. It's my sincerest desire that, once his beautiful wife Sonya beats her cancer into absolute remission, that we'll see RVD Rolling that Thunder and Five-Star Frog-Splashing his way to the top once again.

1. Shawn Michaels
Yes, it's another tie at the top.

As I mentioned, late '95-early '96 was a real rebirth in my love for professional wrestling, and that's prime time for HBK to realize his boyhood dream and ascend to the top of the heap, staking his name as one of the best ever in the history of the business, and I was TOTALLY on board.

It's ironic for HBK to land here tied for the #1 spot because I grew up positively DETESTING him and (especially Marty Jannetty) in THE ROCKERS. They pretty well epitomized the whole "pandering face" thing I hated so much in the ‘80s, even though they had some flashy moves. I hated their music, I hated the little girls screaming for them, I hated their cheesy outfits…ugh. No wonder Bret was initially reviled.

But then came the day HBK "went solo" and Super-kicked Jannetty through a plate glass window and I suddenly sat up and took notice. HBK's gimmick was still cheesy, but it was fun cheesy…it was deliberate. Those ridiculous glasses, the silly Chippendale's outfits, the over-the-top entrance music…finally everything was coming into focus. By the time HBK rebounded from the Syracuse incident at the '96 RUMBLE, it was absolutely clear he was going straight to the top at WrestleMania 12. The new haircut, the confident sneering smile, the new nickname for his fans "The Kliq" (obviously a tongue-in-cheek reference to the backstage clique he'd formed with Hall, Nash, Hunter & The Kid)…it all pointed irrevocably to the boyhood dream being realized.

And, of course, it was and over the course of the next several months, WWF = HBK. He was unstoppable. Then came dX, for which, I've mentioned, I was an absolute MARK. I couldn't believe some of the stuff with which they managed! I was never at a loss for laughs and entertainment and I KNEW the nWo couldn't POSSIBLY be pulling as good a stuff as I was seeing on Raw. The continuing and escalating bad blood between HBK and Hart was compelling (trying to figure out what all those cryptic references meant during their thinly-veiled shoots was addicting!) and the manner in which it all tied in to HBK being responsible for The Undertaker dropping the HWT to Hart, leading to the first ever HBK/Taker program was inspired. And oh, that program. The first PPV match was chaotic enough, but the inaugural HELL IN THE CELL match was phenomenal.

Then came the casket match at the ROYAL RUMBLE (we all know what happened in Montreal), where HBK busted his back, the injury that would retire him in all of our eyes. The obvious pain he suffered that entire championship match at WrestleMania where he dropped the belt to Austin was excruciating to watch. I admired him all the more.

Of course, so much has come to light since this time about HBK's less-than-professional conduct backstage, dating back to when he was an ICC on through to the end of his career as we thought we knew it. It seems to me that Vince loves a challenge such as in HBK's regard and, although in stark contrast to the admirable manner in which RVD does business, RVD hasn't seen the dividends HBK has for his, shall we say, persistence in Vince's regard…and let's not forget, Vince doesn't have to take that kind of shit off of anyone, not now and not then. It doesn't make me respect HBK any more, but one does what one feels one must.

I'd be much less forgiving in HBK's regard if he's not gotten himself right during his time away from the ring and managed to make a triumphant return, no politicking, no bullshit, no pain killers…just a solid professional attitude and, quite frankly, the greatest set of work boots in any company at any time. There's a reason Flair hand-selected HBK to give him his final match at this year's WrestleMania, and that's because no one works as hard, as well or as interchangeably as Shawn Michaels.

This feels WAY too cut-and-dried for HBK, but we're almost at 6500 words and I'm TIRED OF TYPING! It comes to mind that, when all is said and done, we could be re-assessing our collective notion of best ever in the business to include Shawn Michaels at the top of that list.


RIP Killer Kowalski