Best Technical Wrestler in WWE history and WHY?

[briguywalboy]

your thoughts? An easy answer would be Brett Hart. IMO, overrated. I think THE most underrated wrestler in WWE history is Owen Hart. The man could flat out wrestle. He was IMO the best technical wrestler in WWE history. Never got a big push, always overshadowed by Brett. Your thought?

 

[Godfather]

while i do not condone anything this man has done outside of the ring....id say chris benoit. He was just a very technical,physical wrestler and i never got bored by his style of wrestling like I have with other people sometimes. cough ric flair cough.

 

[G3]

Technical?

Kurt Angle no doubt.

He is an Olympic gold medalist, nobody in the wrestling world is better at mat wrestling than Kurt Angle. I mean he wins by default. You can look and say all the other guys had hard training, but none harder than Kurt Angle. I've wrestled from 1'st to 8th grade and know what it is like on a kid's level. I don't exactly know what pro wrestling school is like but they defiantly did not teach them how to wrestle better than the college and olympic coaches.

The next person on my list is Chris Benoit. Frankly, he could wrestle damn good.

 

[kctoudouze]

I would hto say The Crippler Chris Benoit. With honorable mention to Owen Hart, Bret Hart, Lance Storm, and Dean Malenko. Benoit had both the technical prowess and the aggression to make him the best. His match against Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania X7 was one of the greatest examples of pure wrestling I have ever had the fortune to witness.

 

[DaGhost]

Are we including the WWF and the WWWF? Because I think you have to include Bob Backlund in any list of top technical wrestlers. I like the others mentioned. I am a huge Bret mark, and while he would be in my Top 5 list, I wouldn't put him first.

I would also include Dynamite Kid in any Top 5 list as well. Also, Kurt Angle is a great wrestler, without a doubt. In the pro game there are so many other aspects that you do not have in amateur wrestling. Not a lot of high flying amateur wrestling. Using the ropes is another.

For me maybe:

1. Bob Backlund
2. Dynamite Kid
3. Chris Benoit
4. Bret Hart
5. Kurt Angle

But I leave that list open as I'm sure someone will bring up a name I overlooked.

DaGhost

 

[teamextreme1015]

have to go with benoit. angle is a close 2nd gotta agree with kctoudouze the match they had at wmx7 was amazing and the main reason i continued to watch wrestling. i start watching just after the rumble in 2000 and i want impressed with the business up untill i saw that match.

 

[GOAT1216]

As good as Kurt was...does anyone remember the name Guerrero? By far, Eddie Guerrero was the greatest technical wrestler ever. Even in his early days in ECW, he was great. The WWE just enhanced the talent that was Eddie. Kurt would be an extremely close second, followed by Dean Malenko, Arn Anderson, and then give Bret his due and put him in this category as well

 

[byrnside]

I think as far as the most successful technical wrestlers go, it would have to be The Hitman, Bret Hart. Bret won just about every title there was to offer. But personally, my favorite is probably Chris Benoit. Kurt Angle is high on my list too, but for some reason I've just never really liked Kurt.

Dean Malenko is actually way up there for me, the Man of 1000 Holds. One of the best cruiserweights of all time, and one of the most underrated wrestlers as well. Wasn't too great on the mic though, I guess. Anyone remember his love affair with Lita?

But what about the Man of 1,001 holds, Chris Jericho? I haven't seen anyone mention his name yet. I guess it could be argued as technical isn't necessarily Jericho's style.

EDIT: Alright! I get it, it's 1,004 holds.

 

[2rowdy4u]

jamie noble. the guy can wrestle and iv seen tapes of him outside wwe. im not saying he is the best but i would put him in the top 5. i also think wwe is holding him back from showing us what he really has

 

[Acid]

I believe I mentioned Jericho in my first post. Also he is the man of 1004 holds and not 1001. LOL. Yes I remember Malenko's thing for Lita. He was really great in those segments. I think Charlie Haas is pretty good, but underrated.

 

[XgringolocoX]

Bret Hart overrated? LOL that's just too damn funny!
I think the cream of the crop has been mentioned but I'm not sure what order they belong in. Backlund, BRET HART, Benoit, Lance Storm (UNDER RATED!!), HBK (yes, he can go with the best), Angle, Brock Lesner (though we didn't get to see to much of it).

There's more for sure but these are the top of my list. Good topic.

I think we all forgot about Regal. This guy can wrestle anyone. proabably knows more ways to twist someone up on the roster today.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

Dynamite Kid. He would make Kurt squeal like a little girl. No offense to Kurt because I feel he is arguably one of the best. DK was a nasty bastard who knew how to wrestle or just kick your ass many different ways. Tough as fucking nails.

I don't understand the Bret Hart overrated comment. Easily one of the best IMO.

 

[PEP3]

First of all, I can't believe anyone would legitimately say Owen Hart never received a "big push" or that he was overshadowed by his brother. Once he moved past his tag team days with Jim Neidhardt, he received an INCREDIBLE push!

While Owen did play second-fiddle to Bret in their matches, that was part of the feud's (and Owen's) gimmick. Those matches also established "The Blackheart" as a championship caliber performer in his own right. My firm belief is that, had he not been killed in that stupid and freak accident, Owen would have been a multiple-time World Heavyweight Champion right now. As it stands, he went down in history as a two-time IC champ, former European champ, multiple-time tag champ and a King of the Ring.

Anyway, as for the best technical wrestlers in WWF/WWE history, many people come to mind. Bob Backlund, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho all come to mind.

And, I'll be honest, while I think Bret Hart is a great technician, I do think he is over-rated. He took on and popularized a catchphrase people bought into, but while I think he's a great competitor, and very technically sound, I simply don't believe he's "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be."

 

[SSJPhenom]

So many names come to mind. So many......

When judging something like this, I have to think about how technical the wrestler actually was during their matches. If I use this logic then I have to say that Chris Benoit was the greatest technical wrestler in WWE history. Let me explain.....

Benoit was intense and in your face. He did things to perfection. From his german suplexes, snap suplexes, and other suplexes. To his many wrestling holds that he would use in the course of the match. How he would put people in the Crossface was always fun for me to watch. He would turn a clothesline, a punch, a chokeslam, and many other things into a Crossface. I also distinctly remember the endings of his matches and how intense and suspenseful they were. Remember WM 20? The ending to that match was very suspenseful. I will never forget wondering if HHH was going to tap or not. A lot of his matches went like that. He was just a joy to watch in the ring. I still call his match with Kurt Angle at WM 17 the greatest technical wrestling match the WWE has ever had.

Despite what happened to Chris Benoit, he should be remembered for his place in wrestling history. As long as there are fans like us, however, he will be remembered.

 

[Southwind]

He may have not been the very best but I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Benoit and his ferocious technical style, as well as the real life intensity he brought to the match.

The chops looked like they hurt and he mastered the triple German Suplex as well as the Crossface and Sharpshooter.

When was the last time anybody even saw a german or any other suplex in the WWE anyways ?

 

[spinningtorturerack]

I think taz was a brilliant technical wrestler (the suplex machine) but i'm kinda suprised no one has mentioned steve blackman or ken shamrock.

Sure they were ushered into a hardcore scene but you watch some matches and there are some pretty awesome holds going on!

 

[zone3og]

I would have to say Benoit is the best. Anybody remember that classic Royal Rumble 2003 match with Angle easily the best match they ever had and they had some classics. Then I would have to say Mr. Perfect and what about Harley Race.

 

[richiereed79]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Curt Hennig! C'mon how can you call Jericho a great technical wrestler...oh wait I mean Sports Entertainer...oh wait now it's superstar...before Mr. Perfect,.....DAMN

Mr Perfect (Curt Hennig) was by far the best technical wrestler the WWE has ever seen, he paved, along with bret hart and HBK paved the way for the like's of Jericho and Benoit when the WWE was full of oversized "superstars" like earthquake, Hogan etc who could'nt wrestle. thers a lot to be said for HBK and Pre- TNA Kurt Angle

 

[Loveless]

For anyone that had said Benoit, Tom Billington was superior in every way.
It's difficult to say really because the technical style wasn't allowed to flourish for a long time so who is to say whether it's Kurt Hennig/Angle/Billington. I wouldn't consider Hart, he was solid but nowhere near as quick as the 3 above.
Nope, personal preference has me saying it's Billington. Go watch the Tiger Mask matches and there won't be any argument.

 

[RATED R CHAMPION]

I KNOW BRET HART IS OVERRATED IN TERMS OF HIS "SUPERSTAR" CHARACTER, BUT AS A WRESTLER PERSE HE'S THE BEST TECHNICAL IN HISTORY.

CHRIS BENOIT, KURT ANGLE, DEAN MALENKO, MR. PERFECT, PAT PATTERSON, EVEN FLAIR ARE OTHER NAMES THAT REALLY COULD BE # 1 FOR ANYONE. BUT BRET USED HIS TECHNIQUE IN EVERY MATCH HE HAD AND HIS BOUTS ARE PURE TECHNIQUE INDEED, BENOIT AND THE OTHERS USE MORE VARIATIONS AND OTHER RING STYLES, BUT TECHNICAL PURE TECHNICAL IS BRET NO DOUBT.

MY LIST WOULD BE LIKE THIS:

1)BRET HART
2)CHRIS BENOIT
3)KURT ANGLE......

 

[EGfan4life]

Beniot was the best in the world at what he did. Wrestlemania 20's main event was THE greatest match I've ever seen, not only because he won it, but because of the content in the match. Beniot put on quite a show.

Kurt Angle and Shelton Benjamin follow Beniot, because they have similar styles.

 

[Lee]

YOU MUST GIVE REASONS AS TO WHY YOU THINK THAT. ANYONE ELSE WHO DOES IT IN THIS THREAD WILL BE INFRACTED WITHOUT A WARNING.

 

[reddevil69]

your thoughts? An easy answer would be Brett Hart. IMO, overrated. I think THE most underrated wrestler in WWE history is Owen Hart. The man could flat out wrestle. He was IMO the best technical wrestler in WWE history. Never got a big push, always overshadowed by Brett. Your thought?

I don't see where you come up with Bret being overrated. That's like saying Bret Favre or Joe Montana are overrated. Bret Hart brought technical wrestling to the fore-front of WWF in a time when the big main events were dominated by slow,plodding guys like Hogan,Warrior,Earthquake,and Sid. He was the first guy to do many different things technically in the ring on WWF tv and that was the key factor in his rise to the top. He also got results, he was the WWF Champ on five different occasions in a time when the belt meant something and wasn't just a prop that was juggled from PPV to PPV.Owen was great no doubt, but he was not leaps and bounds better than Bret. Owen did not have all the factors in place to be a main eventer, he was gifted athletically but he was lame on the stick and he looked like a dork. Bret could work, he had a great look that never changed from 1986 onward and he had enough presence on the mic to be believable.Just watch his promos versus Owen's promos during their feud in 1994.

Bret being the best technical wrestler ever is a matter of opinion. Benoit for my money was the best I ever saw, and Angle was tremendous as well. They also peaked at a time when their was alot more risks being taken in wrestling than ever before and did some very crazy stuff that, while it looked great and wowed fans, it also fucked them up physically and led them down a road of pills and painkillers...not smart in the long run.

Bret could have had some of the chart matches with both of those guys had he been able to wrestle them in his prime.Both guys have cited Bret as a huge influence as well, Angle has said that Bret was the guy that made him actually consider trying pro-wrestling in the first place. The fact that he had an impact and inspired other guys to up their technical game also needs to be considered when ranking the best workers. Trying to emulate a guy like Bret and take it to another level is what made alot of the great workers of the late 90's up until now step up their game to get noticed. Undertaker has said the same thing, that his matches with Bret pushed him to up his game and showed that he could actually wrestle hold for hold a great technical wrestler like Bret.

 

[tsull2121]

Beniot was the best in the world at what he did. Wrestlemania 20's main event was THE greatest match I've ever seen, not only because he won it, but because of the content in the match. Beniot put on quite a show.

Kurt Angle and Shelton Benjamin follow Beniot, because they have similar styles.

in no particular order.. and by TECHNICAL WRESTLER i am assuming you mean skill and knowledge of the wrestling world... and i mean COUNTER MOVES and SUBMISSIONS and PURE WRESTLING ABILITY.. not the "pro wrestling" aspect of showmanship etc. an argument can be made for ric flair to be on ANY list like this.. but aside from teh firugre four, some chops and some armbars/chokeholds etc.. what MAT WRESTLING SKILLS has he really shown over his career?

kurt angle, brock lesnar, bret hart, benoit, owen hart, dynamite kid, davey boy smith (he never showed it much but the man can get it done!) william regal, beth phoenix is a TREMENDOUS talent in the womens aspect of pro wrestling, shelton benjamin, charlie haas, gregory helms is amazing if they let him work, tiger mask of ANY number, antonio inoki was PHENOMENAL, any of the malenko's, bull nakano was INCREDIBLE to watch, minami toyota.. who during the late 90's was considered the BEST WRESTLER POUND FOR POUND in the world.. male or female, akira hokuto, her husband kensuke sasaki, the great sasuke, taka michinoku, jushin thunder liger, the great muta, psicosis, juventud guerrera, ultimo dragon, FINLAY...

theres no denying the talent of ANY of the people i listed.. and there are TONS more than i have forgotten to put down.. but you need to "stray from teh big names" since MOST of the "household names in pro wrestling" couldnt wrestle a lick and were more brawlers, or made their marks during interviews and ring psychology etc. while some were great WRESTLERS.. for me, the ones listed above have the WRESTLING SKILL.. not PRO wrestling but WRESTLING skills.. to set them apart from any of the other current performers.

Bryan Danielson is excellent in the ring, but has he ever been an amateur wrestler? i dont know about that but by seeing some footage of his matches i would probably put him up in that list too.

 

[Pepper Wadman]

Okay WITH REASONS here are my 5 picks for the best technical wrestler(s) in the WWE. (this worked out anyway because I wanted to modify it):

5. Owen Hart
4. Dean Malenko
3. Bret Hart
2. Chris Benoit
1. Kurt Angle

Why I should list reasons is beyond me as it is pretty clear why I would put these people in a list in reference to the best technical wrestler(mod note, because it's the rules of the forum, read them and you'll go far )... but anyway.... here goes:

To begin I listed Malenko and Owen closer to the end of the list because: while I feel Owen was great, his time was cut short and could have had even more memorable matches that would have placed him higher on my list. I just have not seen enough for him to be any higher.

Malenko was dangerous. I believe he actually came up with the crippler crossface. However, the reason I put him lower on the list is because I feel guys like Angle and Benoit were not only technical in the sense that they had incredible knowledge of wrestling holds and the sport itself, they also were more modern and were used better in the sport when it became more sports entertainment as opposed to simply a sport.

Bret Hart, I think, had a bit over his brother Owen because he had more time to show his skills. I know it wasn't long before his time (due to injuries) in the ring would also be cut short but I still have more memories of Bret and his technical skill as opposed to Owen.

^^^go far on the internet? Wow thanks for the tip!