Hierarchy of wrestling greats

[Slyfox696]

In the WWE forums, I just made a thread about where John Cena would fall among the greats in the wrestling business. In that post, I noted that Austin and Hogan were on a separate level from everyone, and that Flair and Hart were on a tier beneath. KB disagreed. So, how you label a hierarchy of wrestling's greatest superstars? Feel free to exclude or include anyone that may have been before your time.

For example:

Tier 1
Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin - I think the fact that these two completely transformed the business gives them the right to be in tier 1. While they may have done it in completely separate fashions, the fact is that they are the ones who have revolutionized the business in the last 30 years.

Tier 2

Andre the Giant, The Rock - Here are two guys who helped transform the business, but more importantly, transcended the business. They fall on a level lower than Hogan and Austin because they never changed the business like the two of them did, but both helped transform the business into what it is today. But, more importantly for them, they were larger than the business. Andre the Giant is a name that is known and spoken even today, to illustrate people of very large size. The Rock, of course, is now a major movie star.

Tier 3

Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels - These are wrestling legends, guys whom every wrestling fan knows. But, they're known ONLY by wrestling fans, and their accomplishments rest solely upon championships, not shifting of business. They were all great at what they did, but not one of them can claim to be larger than the business, which is why they fall to Tier 3.




The above is an example, albeit an honest (and incomplete) one, of how I would rank the wrestling greats. How would you?

 

[klunderbunker]

Level 1-Austin, Hogan, Flair

Austin/Hogan-no need to explain as these are the two biggest stars in the history of professional wrestling.

Flair-He's the Hulk Hogan of WCW. The first 8 Starrcades are headlined by this guy. Not even Hogan main evented 9 straight biggest shows of the year. Flair was the NWA, plain and simple. He was the biggest star, he was the biggest draw, he had great matches. The thing is, he did it in a much different style and his early greatness is often forgotten by his inability to simply retire and let go. I think the problem is that he's remembered more for his bad times than his greatness, which is soemthing that Hogan and Austin also had but they left in time. I could certainly see how Flair could go either way here, but I can't put him beneath Austin and Hogan.

Level 2-Sting, Hart, HBK, Rock (in no order)

These guys are certainly all time greats, but they're just not in the league of the other three. Hart and HBK simply did not draw well in America at all. Ther'es no debating that.

Rock was great, but without Austin, he's nowhere near the level of greatness he's at now. Austin pulled Rock up to his level.

Steve was there first. Sting....how can he not be way up here? When you look back at early 90s WCW, the basic booking was this: Sting fights everyone. He's been in the main event longer than just about anyone and has never looked back once. He's almost an enigma in wrestling, but his numbers and longevity don't lie.

Level 3-Savage, Taker, HHH

Savage is just amazing to say the least, but he was never the sole focus of a company. IN the late 80s, it was more about Hogan and everyone knows it. In 92, he barely wrestled as champion, and in WCW, it was more about Hogan and Flair.

Taker, much like Sting, never gets the credit he deserves. he's the guy that you take for granted as he's rarely ever talked badly about, but his resume is unearthly. 17 wins at Mania. Has anyone else even wrestled at 12? Hogan and HBK have wrestled at what, maybe 13 each? That is never going to be topped, period. 5 world titles, again, all overlooked. I could easily go on for a long tiem about why he's great, but I'll save it for a new thread.

HHH I see as the Barry Bonds of wrestling. Yes, he was great before Stephanie so save those arguments. They're old and they simply don't hold up. However, the question remains, what would he have been had she not been a factor? Certainly he would have been world champion, but I can't imagine he'd have as many as he does now. Great, but not on the highest level.

Thinking about it past this is just too hard to do in this amount of time. You'll notice no Andre, and it's not because I think all of those others are better. I think with Andre, he's in a category of his own. He's simply not like other wrestlers and it's not fair to grade him on the same scale in my eyes.

 

[RockFan89]

As my name gives away, I am a Rock fan and I would definitely put him in the top tier. The average person in America knows that Dwayne Johnson is the Rock just as well as they know the name Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin may have brought in a lot of viewers, but the Rock kept them. In my opinion, no one could cut a promo/give an interview like the Rock. The Rock is the reason I kept watching the WWE, even after he left, just the hope of seeing him again kept me glued to the set.

 

[jericho3150]

I would think Hogan..Austin would top any list...Both became iconic for their generations and crossed over into the mainstream to become household names.

2nd tier...Ric Flair...Shawn Michaels..The Rock..Bret Hart
Sadly these are the guys that many feel should be on the top of anyones list and although they all had enormous success and regarded by their peers as some of the greatest of all time they never had that mainstream appeal or attention which keeps them on the 2nd level. Flair HBK and Hart are considered by some to be some of the very best in ring performers ever.. and Flair HBK and Rock are considered some of the talkers of all time.

3rd Taker...Mick Foley.. Savage...HHH...
These guys had brilliant careers but couldn't live up to the likes of tier 2..

Has anyone else even wrestled at 12? Hogan and HBK have wrestled at what, maybe 13 each? That is never going to be topped, period.

Hulk Hogan wrestled 11 WM;s ..Shawn Michael has wrestled 16 manias.. 5-12..14...19-25

 

[The Catacomb]

In the WWE forums, I just made a thread about where John Cena would fall among the greats in the wrestling business. In that post, I noted that Austin and Hogan were on a separate level from everyone, and that Flair and Hart were on a tier beneath. KB disagreed. So, how you label a hierarchy of wrestling's greatest superstars? Feel free to exclude or include anyone that may have been before your time.

For example:

Tier 1
Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin - I think the fact that these two completely transformed the business gives them the right to be in tier 1. While they may have done it in completely separate fashions, the fact is that they are the ones who have revolutionized the business in the last 30 years.

Tier 2

Andre the Giant, The Rock - Here are two guys who helped transform the business, but more importantly, transcended the business. They fall on a level lower than Hogan and Austin because they never changed the business like the two of them did, but both helped transform the business into what it is today. But, more importantly for them, they were larger than the business. Andre the Giant is a name that is known and spoken even today, to illustrate people of very large size. The Rock, of course, is now a major movie star.

Tier 3

Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels - These are wrestling legends, guys whom every wrestling fan knows. But, they're known ONLY by wrestling fans, and their accomplishments rest solely upon championships, not shifting of business. They were all great at what they did, but not one of them can claim to be larger than the business, which is why they fall to Tier 3.




The above is an example, albeit an honest (and incomplete) one, of how I would rank the wrestling greats. How would you?

Huh? That's weird. Not one mention of Sting on your top 3 tiers when you just bashed everyone for taking Austin over Sting in the "Who's Better #2 poll". Don't try to argue over this one 'cause you've been caught with your stupid hanging out. Every time Jericho says the word "hypocrite", he means you, buddy. You're probably a sycophant too, if only I were smart enough to know what that means. Anyway, after that less than serious rant...

IMO...
Tier 1: Stone Cold and Hulk Hogan. It's already been said. They've revolutionized the business and brought it to the main stream.

Tier 2: Undertaker, Flair, and the Rock, NWO. Taker always seems to be over with the crowd and he has one of the greatest streaks going. Flair has his own records and has been one of the top men for so many years. The Rock brought huge ratings and pretty much connected the WWE to Hollywood better than any "guest" that the WWE has brought in. The NWO as a separate entity was the reason why WCW had major success. Without the collective members of the NWO (the early stages), WCW wouldn't have even challenged the WWF.


Tier 3: Shawn Michaels, Sting, Roddy Piper, Bret Hart. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and Sting are true "in the ring" entertainers. Michaels seems to bring any opponent of his to a higher level performance wise and you can't say enough about that. Hart and Sting bring such passion out of themselves and they're fans so easily that most other wrestlers look to these two to emulate. And I, in my humble opinion, don't think there would have been such a success in Hulk Hogan if it weren't for Rowdy (and Andre too). I remember as a kid hating Piper so fucking much for fucking with Hogan and other "good" guys. Now today, I see the brilliance of how Roddy Piper played his character. I think all wrestlers who want to be heels should study what he did in the 80's and early 90's.

Tier 4: Triple H, Cena, Jericho, Goldberg, Lesnar, Angle, Kane, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, DX. I'm not going to give details 'cause this post is already too long. Very good thread though, I must admit, even though I think Slyfox is a tool. Ha!Ha! Settle down Slyfox, i'm just fucking with ya.

 

[Slyfox696]

Huh? That's weird. Not one mention of Sting on your top 3 tiers when you just bashed everyone for taking Austin over Sting in the "Who's Better #2 poll". Don't try to argue over this one 'cause you've been caught with your stupid hanging out.

I find your mention of "caught with your stupid hanging out" to be quite ironic. Why? Let's explore:

The above is an example, albeit an honest (and incomplete) one

Now see, most people, with an ounce of reading comprehension ability, would look at that and say "hey, he just gave us a quick example, and didn't go through and list every wrestler ever on that list. Perhaps that's what he meant by 'incomplete' right?". But no, not you. Despite it being at the very end of my post, clearly separated where no one can miss it, you still seemed unable to grasp the meaning of that sentence.

You're right, I didn't mention Sting on my Top 3 tiers. Just like I didn't Randy Savage, Bruno Sammartino, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, John Cena, Triple H, Bob Backlund, Antonio Inoki, Mitsuharu Misawa, Jushin Liger, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Verne Gagne, Gorgeous George, Lou Thesz, Harley Race, Terry Funk, or the many many other guys who could conceivably fall into Tier 3 or even a Tier 4. Would all of those guys make it in the Top 3 tiers? Probably not, but for sure, some of them would.

Perhaps it wasn't ME who was caught with his stupid hanging out. What do you think?

Anyway, after that less than serious rant...

Yes, what he said.

IMO...
Tier 1: Stone Cold and Hulk Hogan. It's already been said. They've revolutionized the business and brought it to the main stream.

Tier 2: Undertaker, Flair, and the Rock, NWO. Taker always seems to be over with the crowd and he has one of the greatest streaks going. Flair has his own records and has been one of the top men for so many years. The Rock brought huge ratings and pretty much connected the WWE to Hollywood better than any "guest" that the WWE has brought in. The NWO as a separate entity was the reason why WCW had major success. Without the collective members of the NWO (the early stages), WCW wouldn't have even challenged the WWF.

In what way does the nWo without Hogan make this list? Furthermore, the Rock was one of the largest draws in wrestling history, how does he get placed with two guys in Flair and Undertaker who have been PROVEN as small-time draws?

I fail to see the logic.

 

[Captain Bean]

Tier 1 - Hogan, Austin, The Rock - These 3 are the biggest 3 names to come out of wrestling ever. They are household names who are known outside of wrestling fan circles. They transformed the industry and despite what a lot of people think about The Rock not being on a par with Austin - he was IMO. He carried the WWF during their most successful year of 2000 when Austin was injured.

Tier 2 - Flair, Andre, HBK, Taker, Hart - Never transformed an industry but all very significant parts of it for a long period of time. Great matches, title reigns, memorable moments etc.

Tier 3 - HHH, Cena, *more to come e.g. possibly Orton in the future* - These are the current performers who will probably reach Tier 2 due to their length in the business and title reigs etc. NO CHANCE of Tier 1 for HHH, possibly for Cena, but doubt it

 

[DMan23]

Obviously Hogan and Austin are at the top. I would put Rock up there too because he was just as popular as Austin in '99-'00, especially when Austin was out for that year. It's all about impact and no three men had more of an impact on audiences than these guys.

 

[taker_for_life]

Tier 1 It has to be Hogan, Ausin Flair and The rock 'taker,. Now i wasnt watching wrestling When these guys were around, started just after they left, well not flair but the other 3, I think. But I cant Knock what they did for the bussines. I would dearly love to put the Undertaker with them But i think if there is a Tier 1.1 then he is in that but i will put him here. Now with Flair IMO we wouldn't have the same WWE we ahve today with out flair. Ok today you put flair on a card or before he retired from WWE and u dont get shit all for it, but if u put his name on a card 40 years ago you get a hell of a lot for it.

Tier 2
Ok so lets start with Andre( have to mention him but think he needs a list of his own, like greatest big men of all time), bruno, randy(savage not orton), Four horse men, sting, bret hart and HBK. Now all of these guys were pivatol in the success of the wrestling industry over the last 50 years, or atleast one of the best of there time.

Tier 3
Ok so now this is ppl who are around today and have a chance of going to Tier 2 or even 1. Triple H, Orton, Edge, Cena and Jeff Hardy. Ok so i beleive cena is just V.2 of Hogan but he didnt change the bussines more continued the work and to some extent took the place of him. I also beleive he doesnt belong in tier 1 but will proberly be there in most ppl's eys when he retires( he may have earnt it but i higly doubt it). With Orton and Edge i belevie they are easily candidates if they keep up they way they are going but think Edge will fall through. He may have more title reigns now but i think Orton is the star of the next couple of years. Now Jeff Hardy wasnt a type "O" he is just as over with the crowd as cena IMO but doesn't get eveything handed to him, he is coming over from being part of one of the best tag teams in history and he has made it as a singles wrestler. He should be Tier 2 hopefuly 1 when he retires. this is all if he stays now and doesnt leave.

In what way does the nWo without Hogan make this list? Furthermore, the Rock was one of the largest draws in wrestling history, how does he get placed with two guys in Flair and Undertaker who have been PROVEN as small-time draws?

I fail to see the logic.

Ok iv got no problem with the NWO part but i think he meant with hogan although i may be wrong as i don't think he was there at the start. But Flair and 'taker not bug draw cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you been to a live show with Cena AND 'taker?? I have. crowd gave a BIGGER pop to 'taker than Cena and I hear that's normal. Also as i said earlyer, Now with flair IMO we wouldn't have the same WWE we ahve today with out flair. Ok today you put flair on a card or before he retired from WWE and u dont get shit all for it, but if u put his name on a card 40 years ago you get a hell of a lot for it.( thats just copy and past from above). And I personaly along with a Majority of the others i know who brough it) brought WM 25 to see 'Taker VS HBK not CENA in a crap fest title match. Oh and just incase i haven't been direct enough with it. Ye s the Rock may bahe been a slightly or reasonably bigger draw but thats not what this list it to look at its the order of legends. Now u dont just go by draw u have to go on others aswell. like longevity, adaptmentability, dominance and skill. now that's how the Undertaker and Rick Flair get put with him in Tier 1 and i think others could, Shouls or would to if a realy detailed list was made.

Obviously Hogan and Austin are at the top. I would put Rock up there too because he was just as popular as Austin in '99-'00, especially when Austin was out for that year. It's all about impact and no three men had more of an impact on audiences than these guys.

Now this one will be quick. You can't base a list on the fact that they were popular in '99 and '00 its like making best NFL team in history nad saying well these guys would be in it because they were dominant in the prime of the sport. You have to look at dominance and skill for there time not just the hay-day or prime of it.

vive la révolution de catch

 

[The Catacomb]

I find your mention of "caught with your stupid hanging out" to be quite ironic. Why? Let's explore:


Now see, most people, with an ounce of reading comprehension ability, would look at that and say "hey, he just gave us a quick example, and didn't go through and list every wrestler ever on that list. Perhaps that's what he meant by 'incomplete' right?". But no, not you. Despite it being at the very end of my post, clearly separated where no one can miss it, you still seemed unable to grasp the meaning of that sentence.

You're right, I didn't mention Sting on my Top 3 tiers. Just like I didn't Randy Savage, Bruno Sammartino, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, John Cena, Triple H, Bob Backlund, Antonio Inoki, Mitsuharu Misawa, Jushin Liger, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Verne Gagne, Gorgeous George, Lou Thesz, Harley Race, Terry Funk, or the many many other guys who could conceivably fall into Tier 3 or even a Tier 4. Would all of those guys make it in the Top 3 tiers? Probably not, but for sure, some of them would.

Perhaps it wasn't ME who was caught with his stupid hanging out. What do you think?

Yes, what he said.

In what way does the nWo without Hogan make this list? Furthermore, the Rock was one of the largest draws in wrestling history, how does he get placed with two guys in Flair and Undertaker who have been PROVEN as small-time draws?

I fail to see the logic.

Ha! I knew you'd get your panties in a bundle about this. So you say you have an incomplete list. That's your excuse. So, if your list is incomplete, does that mean you're gonna put Sting on tier 1 with Austin and Hogan. "cause in that other poll, you put Sing ahead of Austin. Just saying.
Also, the NWO I listed IS with Hogan in it. I have no idea why you think it was a NWO without Hogan. Are you twisting words again or ******ed?
Lastly, this poll is who I think, IN MY OPINION, the top tiers would be. What Taker and Flair have done over their long years of top notch entertainment equals Rock's 6-7 years. It's not that i'm lowering Rock to Taker's and Flair's level, it's that i'm raising them to Rock's with their overall body of work IN MY OPINION. You may fail to see the logic, but, I don't really give a flying fuck.

 

[Slyfox696]

Ha! I knew you'd get your panties in a bundle about this.

Yes, you're just so clever and manipulative, getting me to increase traffic in a thread I created. Well done.

So you say you have an incomplete list. That's your excuse.

Yes, and I said that in the opening post. In fact, my opening post was merely an example, not a full representation.

So, if your list is incomplete, does that mean you're gonna put Sting on tier 1 with Austin and Hogan. "cause in that other poll, you put Sing ahead of Austin. Just saying.

These are entirely different questions, relating to different things. Even if I think Sting was the better pro wrestler, that doesn't necessarily mean he is the greater one.

Also, the NWO I listed IS with Hogan in it. I have no idea why you think it was a NWO without Hogan. Are you twisting words again or ******ed?

Wait, so you have Hogan on your list twice, and you're calling me ******ed?

You do realize that Hulk Hogan and Hollywood Hogan were the same person right? I didn't think I'd have to explain that to you.

Lastly, this poll is who I think, IN MY OPINION, the top tiers would be.

Actually, it's not, if I don't want it to be. This was my thread, so really, I can make it be whatever I want to.

But sure, we'll say it's your opinion. That doesn't change the fact that your opinion can be completely stupid...you know, like saying Hogan was two different people?

 

[The Catacomb]

Yes, you're just so clever and manipulative, getting me to increase traffic in a thread I created. Well done.

Yes, and I said that in the opening post. In fact, my opening post was merely an example, not a full representation.

These are entirely different questions, relating to different things. Even if I think Sting was the better pro wrestler, that doesn't necessarily mean he is the greater one.

Wait, so you have Hogan on your list twice, and you're calling me ******ed?

You do realize that Hulk Hogan and Hollywood Hogan were the same person right? I didn't think I'd have to explain that to you.

Actually, it's not, if I don't want it to be. This was my thread, so really, I can make it be whatever I want to.

But sure, we'll say it's your opinion. That doesn't change the fact that your opinion can be completely stupid...you know, like saying Hogan was two different people?

#1. It says on my list "the NWO as a separate entity". You figure it out.
#2. That poll meant the better wrestler all around, not just mat wise. That's what I took from it.
#3. I apologize for calling you ******ed. Some people, including me, take things way too personal sometimes. Whatever. Good dueling with ya.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

What are your criteria for the rankings, Slyfox? Is this based off of nothing more than drawing power, or are we taking other factors into account? If I had to base this off of drawing power, then my scheme would probably look something like this:

Tier 1: Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock, Antonio Inoki, and Ric Flair (there's a lot of room here; this tier is akin to an income bracket with a $100,000 span).

Tier 2: Sting, Andre The Giant (unfortunately), Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, Randy Savage, The Great Muta, and Kenta Kobashi.

Tier 3: Mitsuharu Misawa, Bret Hart, Bruiser Brody, John Cena (I'd say he's close to moving up to Tier 3), and Roddy Piper.

I don't know that much about the drawing abilities of Terry Funk and Harley Race, but I'd imagine people would make a case for them being in one of these three brackets. Also, where do we put such short-lived sensations as Goldberg and The Ultimate Warrior?

I won't include such people as HHH, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker, because I don't think they've ever really been big draws. World champions? Sure. Financially reliable anchors of a company? No way.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Okay, Sly, terrific thread here. Let me take a stab at it. I'll even give the numbered tiers "titles."

Tier One - All Time Greats

Hulk / Hollywood / Mr. America / Hogan, Steve Austin, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Antonio Inoki, Lou Thesz.

I look at tier one to be the inspirations of future generations, the men who carried entire promotions on their backs, and the ones whose contributions to wrestling go beyond titles and matches. I'd even consider Vince McMahon, since it was his in-ring work as "Mr. McMahon" that helped launch the Austin era, not so much his board room true-self.

Tier Two - Sure Fire Hall of Famers

Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Sting, The Rock, Randy Savage, Mil Mascaras.

These men didn't have the raw impact as the men in tier one, but for a time may have carried a promotion, earned serious main-stream credibility, taken notoriety or fame across multiple promotions without losing a step, etc.

Tier Three - Era Greats and Fan Favorites

The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Triple H, John Cena, Roddy Piper, Ted DiBiase, Kurt Angle, Great Muta, Misawa, El Canek, Terry Funk.

Probably in the HOF, but not with the top billing the tier 2 guys get. Main eventers, some of the champions, all of them with memorable moments, none of them defining an era or setting the world on fire.

 

[Motor City Mayhem]

I brought this up in a reply on the thread about Edge recently and I thought Id post something about it as well.
In WWE There are many different tiers/levels a superstar will become before he retires and thats what we will judge him on.
So in this thread you have X tiers, You put your #1 guy for that tier and say why then just list 1-3 more people in that level or to become that level
Here are the Levels:

1. The Pioneers/Revolutionaries
Stone Cold Steve Austin:He changed WWE and led it into the Attitude Era. He made WWE what it was in the 90s. Without him I dont think the Attitude Era would have been what it was.
Hulk Hogan

2. The Money Makers
John Cena: He is the Ultimate Money Maker, he is the 1 man in WWE that, although constantly critisized by many, continues to make money, he is Go-To guy for Vince, he is the Face of The Company, He is the Company.
The Rock

3.The Icons
The Undertaker: Obvious choice, he is the most respected wrestler in WWE, his gimmick is amazing, his In-Ring work is good, he is 17-0 at WM and will probobly go X-0 for his career at WM.(X being any number)
Shawn Micheals; Ric Flair

4. The Loved Main Eventers
Triple H: He is a 14 time World Champ, will probobly be given the all time record by 2012, he is a superstar that was changed from Heel to Face because the Fans just continued to cheer him no matter what he did, he created 2 Great Stables in D-Generation X and Evolution.
Chris Jericho; Bret Hart

5. The Upper to Above Mid Carders
Edge:He is the Ultimate Upper Mid Carder turned Main Eventer EVER. He is a Transitional Champ, he dosnt have long runs, 2- 2 and half month long reigns are his title reigns, hes an amazing Upperm Mid Card, Average Main Eventer who is Loved By Vince.
Rey Mysterio; CM Punk; Jeff Hardy

6. The Shoulda Coulda Woulda's
Christian:Has the skill the Mic skill the popularity but dosnt have the Go-To feeling from Vince that Edge has and I think because Edge moved ahead that Christian got the raw end of the deal and got pushed aside by Vince.
RVD; Brock Lesnar; Shelton Benjamin

 

[King Patrick Star]

In my humble opinion…

Tier 1: Hulk Hogan
There is not one Pro Wrestler / Sports Entertainer more popular than the Incredible, Immortal Icon of Professional Wrestling. No one!! People know who Hulk Hogan is. People who don’t watch wrestling know who Hulk Hogan is. Hulk Hogan is to Pro Wrestling, what Michael Jackson is to music, what Michael Jordan is to basketball, what Bugs Bunny is to cartoons, an Icon. Yes, there were greats, yes there were legends, but there is only one Hulk Hogan. If you were to take a walk around your neighborhood right now and asked people if they know who Stone Cold is, or who the Rock is, you may get a “Yes” 88% of the time, but if you asked them if they know who Hogan is, 100% guaranteed, people will know.

Tier 2: Stone Cold, The Rock, Ric Flair (no order)
To me, these three men revolutionized and carried the business on their backs, but I place them down a step from Hollywood, because without Hulk, there would be no business to revolutionize and carry on their backs. Flair was great, but this would be like comparing Superman to Lex Luthor.

Tier 3: The Main Eventers
This list could go on and on, and there’s probably sub – categories for this tier. Basically, what I mean is, any Wrestler that has held the World Title, except of course the fluke Champions. If a company has enough trust in you to give you the “lead role”, then 9 out of 10 times, there must be something there.

Tier 4: Everyone else who, at the very least, got on TV

Tier 5: The ones we’ll never know.

I don’t really have an explanation for Tier 4 and 5, but they should be self explanatory.

 

[Milkyway!]

Huh? That's weird. Not one mention of Sting on your top 3 tiers when you just bashed everyone for taking Austin over Sting in the "Who's Better #2 poll". Don't try to argue over this one 'cause you've been caught with your stupid hanging out. Every time Jericho says the word "hypocrite", he means you, buddy. You're probably a sycophant too, if only I were smart enough to know what that means. Anyway, after that less than serious rant...

IMO...
Tier 1: Stone Cold and Hulk Hogan. It's already been said. They've revolutionized the business and brought it to the main stream.

Tier 2: Undertaker, Flair, and the Rock, NWO. Taker always seems to be over with the crowd and he has one of the greatest streaks going. Flair has his own records and has been one of the top men for so many years. The Rock brought huge ratings and pretty much connected the WWE to Hollywood better than any "guest" that the WWE has brought in. The NWO as a separate entity was the reason why WCW had major success. Without the collective members of the NWO (the early stages), WCW wouldn't have even challenged the WWF.


Tier 3: Shawn Michaels, Sting, Roddy Piper, Bret Hart. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and Sting are true "in the ring" entertainers. Michaels seems to bring any opponent of his to a higher level performance wise and you can't say enough about that. Hart and Sting bring such passion out of themselves and they're fans so easily that most other wrestlers look to these two to emulate. And I, in my humble opinion, don't think there would have been such a success in Hulk Hogan if it weren't for Rowdy (and Andre too). I remember as a kid hating Piper so fucking much for fucking with Hogan and other "good" guys. Now today, I see the brilliance of how Roddy Piper played his character. I think all wrestlers who want to be heels should study what he did in the 80's and early 90's.

Tier 4: Triple H, Cena, Jericho, Goldberg, Lesnar, Angle, Kane, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, DX. I'm not going to give details 'cause this post is already too long. Very good thread though, I must admit, even though I think Slyfox is a tool. Ha!Ha! Settle down Slyfox, i'm just fucking with ya.

WAIT A MINUTE. You are aware that the NWO is possibly the WORST stable ever? Correct? At least the Job Squad put people over. Do you even know the point to a stable? Lets go over some of the top wrestling stables ever, shall we?

Each of the stables below that I am mentioning have a certain quality about them, to really put them over the top in making it the greatest stables of all time.

DX - DX was formed during the Attitude Era, and served its purpose by helping to spark the Attitude era. This took Hunter Hurst Helmsley, WWF's own bureaucrat, and turned him in Triple H. WWf's own badass. This kept Shawn in the title picture. Sparked the forming of storylines to come, etc. The point to a stable is to spark storylines. DX sparked storylines for 3 years, and recently 2 more years as well.

The Ministry - Undertaker took about 5 superstars under his wing, and really created them in the future to come. The stars really were Edge and Christian, and you can see where they are today. The point to a stable is to hope a breakout star is made.

Evolution - Evolution is all around one of the best stables in the world. They created stars, storylines, and money. The creation of Batista, and Randy Orton came from Randy Orton. While Orton really did suffer a small bump in his career without Evolution at first, today the benifits of Evolution are running wild.

The Four Horseman - Do I even need to mention the reasons why the Horseman? The Four Horseman put people over, giving massive rubs to anyone they crossed paths with. They created cash. They created 4 breakout stars in Flair, The Anderson's, and Tully all. The Horseman are household names, in which put people over, while staying over themselves. To be a good stable you have to put people over.

The Hart Foundation - Another great stable I shouldn't have to list reasons for. The Hart Foundation created Owen, Bret (The first hart foundation), The Anvil, and Davey boy Smith. They kept eachother over, gave great reason for Bret to hold the title, supporting him.

In all reality the nWo sucked. As you said "(The early years)" had people talking, and they were making money. But the refusal to put anyone over, overall hurt the company, and actually destroyed the company in the end. Hulk Hogan had way too many creative rights in his contract, and he utilized them to make himself look like an undeafeatable 50 year old man. They didn't create any breakout stars, just themselves. They did nothing that a good stable should do. They were greedy, and were power hungry fiends. Ultimately killing their company, making them one of the worst stables ever.

 

[Miko]

I'll try to be unbiased.

Teir 1:

Hogan + Austin, Hogan's on an entire different pedestal really, but in the interest of these teirs then I'll put them in the same area, they both revolutionised the business and all that. Both men (especially Hogan) have had success that is likely to never ever be equalled.

Teir 2:

The Rock, Warrior, Flair and Sting

Why do I choose these, well Flair because while I think he's crap he has done a lot in the wrestling business, but I think that Flairs a successfull wrestler, he didnt make wrestling successful like Hogan and Austin did.

Rock, Warrior and Sting all for the same reason, I think they were the men who should've or did continue what the originals started, Hogan was the most popular wrestler in the world, until Warrior came along, Austin was the most popular wrestler in the world, until the Rock came along. Sting was the face of WCW, because of hogan making it great.

Teir 3:

Hart, HBK and other supporting players, that means guys who have had main event success, maybe even carried their respective company's for a while but didnt have the impact that Hogan did, didnt make the impact that The Rock did. Not to bash these people, you've made it beyond what 99% of most other wrestlers ever will if you make teir 3. No shame in it.

Well that's how I'd rank it anyway.

 

[Skillz]

Mine would be something like this:

1
Hogan, Austin

2
Andre, Rock, Cena

3
Hart, Savage, Sting, HBK, Flair

4
Taker, HHH, Piper, Warrior, Foley, Muta, Goldberg

5
Angle, Benoit, Jericho, Eddie, Mysterio, Edge, Orton, Batista, Lesnar, DiBiase, Nash, Vader, Luger, Steamboat​

Hogan and Austin in Tier 1 is pretty much self explanatory. As is Andre and Rock in Tier 2. I've also put Cena in Tier 2 because I think he has truly established himself as one of the all time greats. If he is not in Tier 2 yet, he certainly will be in the future. Everyone in Tiers 1 and 2 have carried companies to great heights, and have had huge mainstream appeal.

Tier 3 includes wrestlers who have had great legacies and made big impacts, but just weren't big enough draws to be higher. There is absolutely no way Flair goes into Tier 1 like some people are saying. He is just nowhere near a big enough draw compared to the wrestlers in Tiers 1 and 2.

Tier 4 includes wrestlers who may not have been as great as the wrestlers in Tier 3, but still very good. Guys like Warrior and Goldberg were only around for a short time, but they made a big impact. Because of this, they deserve to be alongside names such as Taker and HHH, who never really made much of an impact, but were successful for a long time.

Everyone in Tier 5 have been top stars, main eventers, and even world champions. But they were never impact players like the wrestlers in the top 4 Tiers.

I'd say that everyone in Tiers 1 to 5 can be considered true greats of professional wrestling. There are obviously many more names that I could have mentioned that deserve to be in the top 5 Tiers, but I'm not going to sit here and list every single one of them. There's probably two more Tiers that I didn't bother to include. Obviously the lower the Tier, the more wrestlers will be included. I'd have someone like Jeff Hardy in Tier 6, who is on the cusp of being a big star, but not quite there yet. Or someone like Booker T, who even though has won many titles, has never really done anything of great quality. And then Tier 7 would include everyone else, ranging from The Great Khali to Doink the Clown.

 

[The Catacomb]

WAIT A MINUTE. You are aware that the NWO is possibly the WORST stable ever? Correct? At least the Job Squad put people over. Do you even know the point to a stable? Lets go over some of the top wrestling stables ever, shall we?

Each of the stables below that I am mentioning have a certain quality about them, to really put them over the top in making it the greatest stables of all time.

DX - DX was formed during the Attitude Era, and served its purpose by helping to spark the Attitude era. This took Hunter Hurst Helmsley, WWF's own bureaucrat, and turned him in Triple H. WWf's own badass. This kept Shawn in the title picture. Sparked the forming of storylines to come, etc. The point to a stable is to spark storylines. DX sparked storylines for 3 years, and recently 2 more years as well.

The Ministry - Undertaker took about 5 superstars under his wing, and really created them in the future to come. The stars really were Edge and Christian, and you can see where they are today. The point to a stable is to hope a breakout star is made.

Evolution - Evolution is all around one of the best stables in the world. They created stars, storylines, and money. The creation of Batista, and Randy Orton came from Randy Orton. While Orton really did suffer a small bump in his career without Evolution at first, today the benifits of Evolution are running wild.

The Four Horseman - Do I even need to mention the reasons why the Horseman? The Four Horseman put people over, giving massive rubs to anyone they crossed paths with. They created cash. They created 4 breakout stars in Flair, The Anderson's, and Tully all. The Horseman are household names, in which put people over, while staying over themselves. To be a good stable you have to put people over.

The Hart Foundation - Another great stable I shouldn't have to list reasons for. The Hart Foundation created Owen, Bret (The first hart foundation), The Anvil, and Davey boy Smith. They kept eachother over, gave great reason for Bret to hold the title, supporting him.

In all reality the nWo sucked. As you said "(The early years)" had people talking, and they were making money. But the refusal to put anyone over, overall hurt the company, and actually destroyed the company in the end. Hulk Hogan had way too many creative rights in his contract, and he utilized them to make himself look like an undeafeatable 50 year old man. They didn't create any breakout stars, just themselves. They did nothing that a good stable should do. They were greedy, and were power hungry fiends. Ultimately killing their company, making them one of the worst stables ever.

The later years of NWO were shit. But they helped WCW get in to position to challenge the WWF, made people watch WCW, and made tons of money for WCW. They were huge. I shouldn't have put a stable on the tier list, anyway. It confused a lot of people. And you're right, if the NWO is on there, I think the Four Horsemen stable should be on tier 2. I totally forgot about them.

 

[Why Always Me]

I'm sorry, but all these people putting The Rock on tier 2 as opposed to tier 1 need to re-think what they type. You watch any clip on YouTube or DailyMotion from late 1998 to 2000 and The Rock was the most entertaining thing on the roster.

In 1999, the one year when The Rock and Stone Cold where both mega faces and both on top of their game, The Rock was just as popular as Austin and the two of them split awards for popularity, gimmick, charisma and wrestler of the year from the likes of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Anyway rant over, my hierarchy.

Tier 1 - Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin & The Rock

The biggest 3 wrestlers in the history of sports entertainment. Various debates as to who is the biggest/most popular/biggest draw will go on until the end of time.

I am not a fan of Hogan, but I cannot deny the effect he had on wrestling. Apparently one time he lost the WWF title, grown men were crying. hen he came back in 2002, he was getting bigger pops than The Rock, Austin and Triple H (although part of that I feel was for nostalgia) and even was entrusted with a WWE Title Run at nearly 50.

Austin was one of my favourites, he ushered in the attitude era and had I think the best selling t-shirt ever, and one of the best feuds ever with Vince. Has quite possibly the best finishing move ever too in the stunner.

The Rock is my favourite wrestler (take that for what you will) and had my 2 favourite feuds ever with Triple H and Austin. Hearing The Rock telling 20,000 fans to chant ROCKY, ROCKY, ROCKY is something I don't think anyone can ever do again.

Tier 2 - Ric Flair, HBK, Triple H, Bret Hart, The Undertaker & The Ultimate Warrior

Just below the top 3, still huge names in wrestling. All former world champions, all instantly recognisable, all capable of selling out arenas and headlining PPV's.

Tier 3 - Goldberg, Sting, Mic Foley, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle & Macho Man Randy Savage

Also big names in their own right, but not quite on Tier 2 level. Still been entrusted with the strap but all been around when wrestlers from the above 2 tiers were in their prime, so perhaps not quite held in the same regard.

Tier 4 - Chris Benoit, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Eddie Guerrero, Kane & Rob Van Dam

It may seem harsh having some of these names lower down, as I think each and every guy listed in this tier could of been in tier 2. These are guys that perhaps have been under-utilised, but had personas that the crowd could get into and if they had of been given more of a chance, would of been higher up the pecking order.

The futures

John Cena - Tier 1/2
Is the face of the company now, but for some reason there is a small minority who choose to boo him. Although I would like to see him bring back some facets of his edgier thug gimmick.

Randy Orton - Tier 2
Is as good as Cena, except he is a heel. These two could be the next Austin/Rock. The only thing keeping him from a possible Tier 1 is I am not sure if he could ever be a decent face, as he is too good of a heel.

Edge - Tier 2
If Orton and Cena are The Rock and Stone Cold, Edge could be this generations Triple H. The Rated R Superstar and The Ultimate Opportunist has come into his own, unfortunate to be sidelined with an injury. One of the best heels in recent memory.

Jeff Hardy - Tier 2/3
This guy is the most popular guy in the WWE at the moment. But we are unsure as to where his heart lies. If he committed himself to the WWE, then could possibly be a future hall of famer. Honourable mention to his brother Matt, who unfairly is sometimes in his shadow.

These are my opinions, please feel free to comment/critique.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I'm sorry, but all these people putting The Rock on tier 2 as opposed to tier 1 need to re-think what they type. You watch any clip on YouTube or DailyMotion from late 1998 to 2000 and The Rock was the most entertaining thing on the roster.

In 1999, the one year when The Rock and Stone Cold where both mega faces and both on top of their game, The Rock was just as popular as Austin and the two of them split awards for popularity, gimmick, charisma and wrestler of the year from the likes of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Anyway rant over, my hierarchy.

Tier 1 - Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin & The Rock

The biggest 3 wrestlers in the history of sports entertainment. Various debates as to who is the biggest/most popular/biggest draw will go on until the end of time.

I am not a fan of Hogan, but I cannot deny the effect he had on wrestling. Apparently one time he lost the WWF title, grown men were crying. hen he came back in 2002, he was getting bigger pops than The Rock, Austin and Triple H (although part of that I feel was for nostalgia) and even was entrusted with a WWE Title Run at nearly 50.

Austin was one of my favourites, he ushered in the attitude era and had I think the best selling t-shirt ever, and one of the best feuds ever with Vince. Has quite possibly the best finishing move ever too in the stunner.

The Rock is my favourite wrestler (take that for what you will) and had my 2 favourite feuds ever with Triple H and Austin. Hearing The Rock telling 20,000 fans to chant ROCKY, ROCKY, ROCKY is something I don't think anyone can ever do again.

Tier 2 - Ric Flair, HBK, Triple H, Bret Hart, The Undertaker & The Ultimate Warrior

Just below the top 3, still huge names in wrestling. All former world champions, all instantly recognisable, all capable of selling out arenas and headlining PPV's.

Tier 3 - Goldberg, Sting, Mic Foley, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle & Macho Man Randy Savage

Also big names in their own right, but not quite on Tier 2 level. Still been entrusted with the strap but all been around when wrestlers from the above 2 tiers were in their prime, so perhaps not quite held in the same regard.

Tier 4 - Chris Benoit, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Eddie Guerrero, Kane & Rob Van Dam

It may seem harsh having some of these names lower down, as I think each and every guy listed in this tier could of been in tier 2. These are guys that perhaps have been under-utilised, but had personas that the crowd could get into and if they had of been given more of a chance, would of been higher up the pecking order.

The futures

John Cena - Tier 1/2
Is the face of the company now, but for some reason there is a small minority who choose to boo him. Although I would like to see him bring back some facets of his edgier thug gimmick.

Randy Orton - Tier 2
Is as good as Cena, except he is a heel. These two could be the next Austin/Rock. The only thing keeping him from a possible Tier 1 is I am not sure if he could ever be a decent face, as he is too good of a heel.

Edge - Tier 2
If Orton and Cena are The Rock and Stone Cold, Edge could be this generations Triple H. The Rated R Superstar and The Ultimate Opportunist has come into his own, unfortunate to be sidelined with an injury. One of the best heels in recent memory.

Jeff Hardy - Tier 2/3
This guy is the most popular guy in the WWE at the moment. But we are unsure as to where his heart lies. If he committed himself to the WWE, then could possibly be a future hall of famer. Honourable mention to his brother Matt, who unfairly is sometimes in his shadow.

These are my opinions, please feel free to comment/critique.

I did re-think what I typed. I initially put the Rock in Tier 3 but I bumped him up to Tier 2. He is great in his own right but he is not greater than either Hogan or Austin. Rock never revolutionized the business like those two have but he has transcended wrestling in terms of entertainment and for that he is placed on my 2nd tier.

Goldberg on any hierarchy is just laughable. 90% of his wins came against jobbers and doesn't deserve to be placed in the same tier as greats like Sting and Mick Foley.

 

[Why Always Me]

I did re-think what I typed. I initially put the Rock in Tier 3 but I bumped him up to Tier 2. He is great in his own right but he is not greater than either Hogan or Austin. Rock never revolutionized the business like those two have but he has transcended wrestling in terms of entertainment and for that he is placed on my 2nd tier.

Goldberg on any hierarchy is just laughable. 90% of his wins came against jobbers and doesn't deserve to be placed in the same tier as greats like Sting and Mick Foley.

I put Goldberg in there cuz even though he mostly beat up on jobbers, he was the man in WCW. Beating Hogan for the WCW title in front of 40,000 fans, winning the WWE World Title and beating the likes of The Rock, Sting, Flair, Hogan, Lesnar and Triple H is pretty damn impressive.