Is Bret Hart a top 5 Wrestler in the past 25 years?

[ProudFlairMark]

Myself and a friend put together a rubric that established, based on criteria such as ring work, mic skills, work rate etc, who were the top 5 performers of the last 32 years and Bret didn't come close. I, personally, put Bret near the top of my personal favorites. His ring work was always very crisp and his promo work (especially as a heel) was under rated. The way the rankings feel were as follows:

1.) Flair
2.) Hogan
3.) Savage
4.) Rhodes
5.) Austin

 

[MisterRob]

If the question was "who are the top 5 best in ring wrestlers of the last 25 years" it would be a serious consideration. That top 5 is different that "top 5 wrestlers" because wrestlers is being used as a noun, not as a verb. Bret was, very much, the "verb" wrestler. But overall, in terms of excitement, money-making ability, crowd popping, interview segments....no Bret is not in the top 5.

Top wrestlers:
1. Hulk Hogan
2. Steve Austin
3. Ric Flair
4. Shawn Michaels
5. The Undertaker

Top 5 In ring Performers:
1. Bret Hart
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Kurt Angle
4. Chris Benoit
5. Mr. Perfect

Top 12 overall:
1. Flair
2. Hogan
3. HBK
4. Steve Austin
5. Undertaker
6. The Rock
7. John Cena
8. Macho Man
9. Bret Hart
10. HHH

Please exlplain to me how, if Bret Hart isn't in the top 5, Shawn Michaels is? Is that because you've been brainwashed by the WWE machine? Shawn Michaels may have been a great in ring performer, but what else has he got?

Shawn Michaes didn't draw more then Bret Hart did (nor some of those other names you've listed below him). Bret Hart helped expand and evolve the International market and was a huge draw internationally; HBK wasn't. He didn't change the business; Bret Hart was the one that introduced the "small man" into the WWE, and Ric Flair to wrestling, really, before that. Bret Hart introduced wrestling to the ladder match. Bret Hart defined the era after Hogan as an era of WRESTLING, with unbelievable match after unbelievable match as champion. Maybe you'll say Shawn Michaels helped define the Attitude Era? That era belonged to Steve Austin and the Rock far more then it did Shawn Michaels; DX wasn't the leading force of that era, they were just part of it. No matter what area you compare them, Shawn Michaels trails behind Bret Hart, so your logic of HBK being in the top 5 and higher then Bret Hart in the top 12 is very, very off.

 

[hbkhhh44]

First time poster, long time lurker.

What some of these people are saying is unbelievable. Bret carried the WWE in the 90s from 92-97 (and so did Shawn to some extent from 95-98). For those that saying Bret wasn't an all around superstar... did you see any of Bret's feuds? Very few got as much HEAT as anyone during the 97 Hart foundation/ anti american gimmick. Also, as others mentioned... he's always been a big draw.

Also... people are acting like he had no hand in the attitude era, although he was almost as important in the creation of the era as Stone Cold and DX.

1. Don't forget that Summerslam 1997 which saw Shawn Michaels going heel and leading to the formation of DX. This was due to Shawn inadvertently helping Hart win the title.

2. The Hart Foundation vs DX feud, lead by Shawn vs Bret was extremely controversial at the time. Bret was going on camera calling Shawn a homo and trashing america constantly. This was essentially some of the first major feuds of the attitude era.

3. Stone Cold. If any wrestler was responsible for putting austin over it would have to be Bret Hart. WM13 is all I need to say to that point, but not just WM 13. Their match previous to that at survivor series was easily Austins biggest match to that point.


Bret Hart not only dominated the 90s but he was also a major play and part of the birth of the attitude era. I think this is mostly forgotten because he left WWE before the era exploded and because he was personally against the era at the time. That doesn't change the fact that he had a major hand with the inception of the era and putting Austin into main event status.

 

[trinerigelado]

No.

Top 5

1. Hogan

2. Flair

3. Austin

4. Misawa

5. Muta

And I would put him behind Savage, Chono, Kobashi, and Vader. People underestimate how big New Japan and All Japan were in the eighties and nineties and leave guys like Chono, Misawa, Muta, Chono, Hashimoto, Kobashi etc,, because they wrestled in Japan.

 

[Dude_Love87]

Bret Hart is my favorite wrestler of all time. When you say top 5 "wrestlers" I think of in-ring ability,mic work, and overall impact on the company. I made a list not too long ago of the top 100 wrestlers of all time, Bret is #6. Not sure what time frame we're talking about, but mine is of "ALL TIME" Bret Hart is the greatest ring technician ever, he was an actual world champion who traveled the globe, and he had a respect for the art of wrestling. That said, IMO he did nt have an impact on the company & draw OVERALL $$ like

1.Hulk Hogan- I'm not a fan, but I can't deny the greatness

2.Steve Austin- Was the biggest star during what is quite possibly the highest ratings
WWE will ever see, and was the main reason why.

3.Ric Flair- Again, not a fan, but he had all those championship reigns when 5 was the magic #. He's slowly ruining his legacy though.

4.Bruno Sammartino- still has longest title reign 8 years. Shame I haven't seen him on anyone's top 5

5.Sting- Was the face of WCW from the beginning till the end. When Hogan made his debut in WCW, they had to take Sting off the card and give him a kayfabe eye injury because the fans were more interested in him.

 

[MMK]

Well seeing as how Bret Hart is the greatest wrestler of all time, I think he'd pretty much have to be in the top 5.

I love wrestling when it's treated like a REAL sport. When it feels like an actual sporting event and not a "sports-entertainment" event. Hogan, Flair, Austin, Rock are all sports entertainers. Non of there matches ever felt like an actual sport to me.

The reason I say Brets matches felt like actual sporting events is because much like an actual sport, Brets greatest matches have abrupt endings. Theres no signal to the crowd that Bret is about to win the match or hit his big move ala HBK, Hulk, Flair and so many others. Brets matches against Owen, Bulldog, Piper, Austin, Mr.Perfect and others all have that spontaneous real fight feel to them. Like watching a Hockey game go into double overtime and someone scores the winner on a fluke goal out of nowhere. There's no warning or setup, it just happens. And the crowd pops. Thats why I loved Brets matches. If you're reading this and you don't believe me, then go back and watch the WM10 match vs Owen, the Summerslam 92 match vs Davey, the Summerslam 91 match vs Mr.Perfect, the WM 8 match vs Piper, and the Survivor Series 1996 match against Austin. They all have spontaneous finishes.

This is also why Gorilla Monsson and Jesse Ventura are the greatest commentators in wrestling history. They called the matches as though they were calling an actual sport. They called the match like a football game, not a sports entertainment tv show. Jesse always used NFL analogies while Monsoon had such a vast vocabulary, you needed a medical dictionary just to keep up with him. It felt like they were calling the play of a game as opposed to the attitude era or modern era commentators who act more like narrators to a soap opera.

Some will say Bret had limited mic skills. GOOD. If you've ever heard a real athlete talk to the press after a game, they don't give you perfectly articulated promos. They give you cliches and sometimes mumbled, often barely audible responses. Brets promos felt like a real athlete was talking. Not an actor. I think it's good when a wrestler has limited mic skills. I also think its good when mistakes are made in the ring, otherwise it all looks to choreographed. Like its a dance or something.

The only man who comes close to Bret is the late Macho Man Randy Savage.

Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair may be at, or near the top, of the greatest characters in wrestling history, but as far as wrestlers go, they wouldn't even make my top 10. Their matches were predictable spotfests. You know when Flair is going to bleed and flip upside down in the corner and fall on his face and scream in agony. Its a comedy act. And for me, that gets old real fast.

I know it was a catchphrase, but to me Bret really is the best there is, was, and ever will be. Even the story of the Hart Family, the tragedy of his brother, the Montreal situation, and his return to wwf in 2011 turn an already intersting wrestling career into an even more interesting life story.

 

[QbnMissile]

Here's another thing people forget. bret Hart made everyone in the 90's. he made Austin, he made Michaels, he made Owen, He made Yoko. These guys then went on to make guys like the Rock and HHH. Bret Hart made Bob backlund seem important again.

So lets look at the list.

-Fantastic in ring performer, not just wrestling ability but story telling the most important part of being a wrestler.
-Some say lacked in mic skills and at times he does, but at times he can deliver.
-Made the 90's stars.
-Carried a company on his back after arguably the biggest draw left.
-Established WWE into a foriegn market thus making more money for the boys in the back and Vinny Macs pocket.
-Made it possible for performers like Michaels, Angle, Jericho, Eddie and Benoit to be considered Champions. In short made it possible for the little man to be deemed a real contender.
-Brought to light the importance of being a versatile performer. Where just being big and smashing things wasn't good enough.

Name four other stars in the past 25 years that have done all that?

And forever who puts Cena in their top five above guys like Hart, Sting, Savage, Fliar, Steamboat, Piper, Andre, Taker, Michaels, Rhodes, Jericho, Perfect, Rude, harley Race etc. Did you just start watching wrestling? When was the last time you've seen a face get booed constantly and in his own hometown mind you? He has no ring skill. Cant tell a story cant carry a match. His mic skills are severely over rated. He only draws in the states. So where does he fit on the top five over any of the men mentioned above?

 

[whoopin' ass]

yes he is as I feel he is the top wrestler period. the key thing with this is "wrestler" - hogan is a poor wrestler, flair is okay but no way he would be in top 5 for wrestlers. but with both, they are extremely successful in the business. it is a tricky question because what do you mean by wrestler? if you mean the more technical style, then for sure. bret, kurt angle, chris benoit, brock and owen hart are probably the best in the past 25 years (hbk and a few others are close but these guys are just better). if you are talking "wrestler' as in vince's sports entertainment, then bret won't be top 10 and that is just with the wwe guys. hbk, hogan, flair, cena triple h, undertaker, savage, batista, goldberg, and warrior were all more successful commercially than bret ever was at least in the states. it al depends on what your definition of wrestler is.

looking back over the history of wrestling, i think if you want to say hbk is one of the best, bret needs to be right there beside him. their fueds with each other is really what made each of them stars. i think neither of them would be where they are today without each other and because of that, they are both top 5 even if it is a tie at number 5.

 

[kwig2121]

This is a loaded question......if you are talking about in ring performers as far as wrestling....Hart would be in the top 5. But if you are talking overall, wrestling, promo skills, merchandise sales, and more importantly the ability to draw money with the PPV's then no he is not a top 5.

Secondly you say 25 years, then you are going back to 1986, so you have to include Hogan, Flair, Savage, Austin, Rock, HHH, Shawn Michaels, Taker, Sting, etc.

Hart was never a good draw, his mike skills were average, and his ego aka starting to put his self over the business really hurt his career. So again if you just talking wrestling for 25 years:

1. Flair
2. Steamboat
3. Michaels
4. Hart
5. Savage or Angle

If you talking overall, for last 25 years, sales, ppv, mike, etc:

1. Hogan
2. Austin
3. Flair
4. Rock
5. HHH

 

[SinCityBlitz]

Not in my opinion. He's one of my favorites and from an in ring standpoint he's one of the best, but there's more to being an all time great than just ring work. Popularity/drawing power is hands down the most important part of the business so that puts guys like Flair, Hogan, Austin, and Rock in front of him and I'd say Shawn Michaels was a better in ring performer. I'd have him somewhere in the 6-10 area.

If we are going off of popularity and drawing power Bret Hart would be number 1. None of those guys could touch Bret WORLD wide. People don't look outside the U.S. when topics like this come up. I just shake my head at people that say Bret was never a good draw.

Bret is easily top 5 and arguably could be #1. I would rate him higher than Flair but don't know if I could put him over Hogan.

 

[ted sheckler]

If we are going off of popularity and drawing power Bret Hart would be number 1. None of those guys could touch Bret WORLD wide. People don't look outside the U.S. when topics like this come up. I just shake my head at people that say Bret was never a good draw.

Bret is easily top 5 and arguably could be #1. I would rate him higher than Flair but don't know if I could put him over Hogan.

When did people suddenly start having the impression that Bret was a big draw?? This was a guy who was on top as ratings were in a downward slide...the company was losing money.. Vince was always taking the belt off Bret to try to create someone else.. He headlined the worst drawing WM of all time.. WM13.. and the worst drawing PPV of all time which was one of the In Your House PPV's.. The WWF actually encouraged him to go to the competition!!!.. when he went the WCW ratings got no boost and the company spiraled down and went out of business... when he came back on Raw after a 12 year absence the rating didn't budge.. I love Bret Hart... but lets just stop pretending draw wise the he was the new sensation sweeping up the nation... he was an ok draw.. not great ..not bad.. and I should say I hate judging wrestler on how much they drew.. thats something for Vince and his accountants worry about.. I don't watch movie and judge it by the box office total it made.. I judge it by the art I saw on the screen..

top 5?? No I don't think so.. Maybe top 8 or 9...

 

[hbkhhh44]

When did people suddenly start having the impression that Bret was a big draw?? This was a guy who was on top as ratings were in a downward slide...the company was losing money.. Vince was always taking the belt off Bret to try to create someone else.. He headlined the worst drawing WM of all time.. WM13.. and the worst drawing PPV of all time which was one of the In Your House PPV's.. The WWF actually encouraged him to go to the competition!!!.. when he went the WCW ratings got no boost and the company spiraled down and went out of business... when he came back on Raw after a 12 year absence the rating didn't budge.. I love Bret Hart... but lets just stop pretending draw wise the he was the new sensation sweeping up the nation... he was an ok draw.. not great ..not bad.. and I should say I hate judging wrestler on how much they drew.. thats something for Vince and his accountants worry about.. I don't watch movie and judge it by the box office total it made.. I judge it by the art I saw on the screen..

top 5?? No I don't think so.. Maybe top 8 or 9...

he was a draw, he was the only thing keeping the company afloat during that downward slide. you have to remember the context of his runs, nobody big ever put him over on a big stage. then he had to deal with opponents like yoko, luger, the patriot, a green diesel, psycho sid ect. as others have said, he had a huge drawing power overseas. you cite WM13 as an example, but remember the main event was really psycho sid vs taker. bret was gone for much of the time between wm12 and wm13, shawn dominated that year. things didn't any better during shawns first title run (i think they might have gotten worse but i'm not sure), but we know shawn can draw.... right? my point is when you put it into context it was more about the landscape of the wwe and the lack of quality opponents/roster... the fact that hart kept the company running during this time should be a positive mark for his career.

 

[TUFFY54]

If we are going off of popularity and drawing power Bret Hart would be number 1. None of those guys could touch Bret WORLD wide.

Where the hell do you come up with these facts. You do realize that Hogan would have 30,000 people singing along to Real American IN JAPAN AND EUROPE! Bret was huge in Canada and no more popular than any other big name in the rest of the world.

This thread is a shrine to IWC bullshit. All of these people just say " of course he is, look at his technical ability". I've actually seen people try to say that Muta and Benoit are in the top 5 of the modern era in this thread.

Being a great pro wrestler takes a lot of things. The most important is MAKING MONEY FOR THE PROMOTION. If you made a list, in ring ability wouldn't be that close to the top. Lets take an honest look at the top 4 wrestlers of the last 25 years.

1. Hulk Hogan. He made wrestling. Anyone that argues this is a fool.

2. Steve Austin. He saved wrestling. Again, anyone who argues this is a fool.

3. The Rock. Second most popular wrestler of the Attitude Era. For Gods sake some of his made up catch phrases have made it into the dictionary. He is also the most successful wrestler to ever cross over into the mainstream.

4. Ric Flair. The face of the NWA/WCW. Know by wrestling fans and everyday people. Probably the greatest all around wrestler in history.

Thats your top 4. For Bret to be number five he would have to be greater than the following people:

The Undertaker
Randy Savage
Andre The Giant
Shawn Michaels
Triple H
Dusty Rhodes
Roddy Piper
Sting
Kurt Angle
John Cena (laugh all you want, he's made the WWE more money than Bret could dream of)
Bill Goldberg
Chris Jericho
Ricky Steamboat
Edge

Thats just some of the guys of the top of my head. Sure is better than some on that list, but not others. He simply wasn't the household name, draw, or money maker that most of those other guys were.

If in ring talent counted for as much as people think, every Wrestlermania would have been headlined by Jamie Noble and Charlie Haas.

 

[QbnMissile]

Lets look at some facts here. Hogan was the biggest draw in wrestling, but back then WWF had no real competition. NWA/WCW was barely non existant. Hogan left and there was no one to take his place. Enter Bret Hart. Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, The Bulldogs, The Rockers all put each other over. Only problem is all these guys were mid carders so no real main eventer or big name put Bret over. You can argue Flair did. But there was no feud just an untelevised title match then Flair left. Bret had to put himself over and put damn near everyone else over. He drew more money would wide than Hogan and Flair did. But that's not drawing right.

When Bret was champ ratings took a dive but what happened when Bret was champ? WWF finally had real competition. There was now an alternative. A wrestling show with big names and more faces. WWF had Bret, Taker, a young Shawn Michael and a slew of mid carders like Mabel, Yoko, Luger and what not. Was that Bret's falt? No.

You say Shawn Michaels drew more than Bret. When? His time on top was short. WM 12 to WM 14 and at that time he wasn't the biggest name there. Bret was there and so was a guy named Stone Cold. Shawn Michaels didn't draw. No one paid to see him. They loved him but didn't pay.

Now Stone Cold drew but he had help from a guy by the name of the Rock. Together they drew money. If they were in the same situatiion Bret was, alone, with no other names would they have faired as well as Bret? Maybe the Rock but doubtful on Stone Cold. Then you have HHH, who never drew a dime himself. He rode the coat tails of SCSA and The Rock. He was champion but those two combined brought the fans. Now you have Cena, is he drawing? He sells merchandise but so did Jeff hardy and Jeff sold more when he was there. Dpes Cena sell PPV's? CM Punk sold this last PPV and The Rock is going to sell Wrestlemania, so really has John Cena been the guy carrying the WWE. Well does WWE have any real competition?

So Bret was a champ when there was no big names left. He drew more money world wide than most "Legends" of his time, he put on the best matches and created the stars of tomorrow And he did this when WWF finally had real competition. Bret kept the WWF afloat when everyone else abandoned ship. So how is it that he didn't draw when it was the WWF as a whole that only had one thing to offer Bret Hart vs Anyone while WCW had Hogan, Macho, Sting, Flair, NWO, Cruiserweights. Anyone else in Brets shoes would have failed and often times they did.

Top five
1.) The Rock could tell a story in the ring on the mic and was never worried about his spot or putting anyone over clean. Just ask SCSA, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar.
2.) Better in the ring than the Rock but at times suffered to grab your attention on the mic.
3.) SCSA Saved the but really needed Bret, Rock and Vince Mac to play off of.
4.) Hogan Made the WWF a house hold name, but also a time where no one was competing against them.
5.) Sting The Bret Hart of WCW kept them afloat when Flair left and much like Bret had very little help. Still an Icon and can still go. And never needed the WWF/WWE machine to do it.

Honorable mentions:
Andre- If this was last 30 years then yes he'd be number 1
Jericho - Argurably the best all aorund ever but was never really given the chance to draw.
Piper - Drew money great and never won the big one. Amazing on the stick. But just so-so in the ring depending on who was in there with him.
Michaels: Was never really the guy either in the shadow behing Bret, Steve Austin or HHH.
Taker - Can draw but wasn' given much more than gimmicky big guys to work with.

 

[JuviJuiceIsLoose]

I definitely think he's top 5 of the past 25 years.

-The only person in North America who comes close in terms of match quality was Ric Flair

-He may not have been the best on the mic, but he still had some great feuds and great out of the ring moments.

-People forget how hugely popular Bret Hart was not just in the U.S. and Canada, but all over the world. I'd say he was a pretty good draw. Matter of fact, I'd probably say one of the reasons why the WWF in particular were so down business wise in years around '95 was because they weren't pushing Bret in the Main Event. Folks wanted to see Shawn and Bret, and they wound up getting Diesel vs Mabel.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

From a wrestling standpoint then I would certainly consider Bret Hart a candidate for being in the top 5 of the last 25 years. His matches were always excellent, told a story and he was without a doubt one of the best technical wrestlers of all time. Hart was HUGELY popular all over the world, and was loyal to the WWE throughout the peripd when many of his peers were jumping ship to WCW. He was a hero to so many, and gained 5 WWE title reigns when the belt actually meant something, you didnt get people with 10-15 reigns back then.

In the ring, I would list him in the top 3 along with Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle.


But from a BUSINESS standpoint, I would not. Hart was a great wrestler, and popular worldwide but he was never the draw that guys like Stone Cold, The Rock and Hulk Hogan were. He was champion at a time when WWE was in a slump, and it took the switch to a more edgy product to get out of it, something Bret was not comfortable with. He was never the most charismatic either, most of his interviews were not that great, and while he was awesome in the ring, he was not that entertaining out of it.

Overall, I would place Bret Hart in a top 10 of the last 25 years, but probably not in the top 5, as you would have to have Rock, Austin and Angle in there, HBK too (as even though he didnt draw as champion, he was better all round than Bret and better on the mic). You could make a case for Triple H and Undertaker to also be ahead of Bret too, but it would be close.

 

[ted sheckler]

he was a draw, he was the only thing keeping the company afloat during that downward slide.

Thats where your wrong.. He was NOT the only thing keeping the company alive.. During his run you had people like Savage.. Shawn Michaels.. Diesel..Razor Ramon..Undertaker..Owen Hart..Lex Luger..123 Kid.. Steiner Bros..Money Inc..Yokozuna.. on the undercard.. He had a lot of support from beneath. Yes he was the face of the company 93-95 but certainly didn't do it alone.. I named a bunch of reasons and facts why he wasn't a draw your argument can't be... "He was a Draw!!"

you cite WM13 as an example, but remember the main event was really psycho sid vs taker. bret was gone for much of the time between wm12 and wm13,

Thats a cop out.. Bret vs Austin was THE main feud going into WM.. It just didn't happen to go on last because it wasn't for the belt.. But this spanned from Survivor Series.. to Austin winning the rumble by cheating and beating Bret ..to Mania.. it was a great feud.. just not many tuned in to see it... Despite Bret "huge drawing power"

shawn dominated that year. things didn't any better during shawns first title run (i think they might have gotten worse but i'm not sure), but we know shawn can draw.... right?

Yes 96 got worse.. but you can also see the dropoff... WWF was doing really good leading into mania.. Shawn won the title and the ratings had a big jump.. feuded with Diesel and ratings were doing really good and then Diesel and Razor left.. within 2 months.. Bret, Diesel and Razor all were gone.. and Michaels was left to tow the boat alone..

my point is when you put it into context it was more about the landscape of the wwe and the lack of quality opponents/roster... the fact that hart kept the company running during this time should be a positive mark for his career.

I don't take anything away from his career.. but I see it for what it is.. Bret was a great wrestler one of the best technical wrestlers ever.. but I just hate when people get hyped up when the evidence shows he wasn't really a big draw..

 

[RicoLen]

Yes.

Bret Hart participated in what is in my opinion the best pure wrestling match ever, the Summerslam '92 IC Match against The British Bulldog.

And when you're talking about mat technicians, it's pretty hard not to include him in the top 3. It's pretty hard to quantify whom really is better than whom. But in no particular order I'd say it was:

Bret hart
Randy Savage
Kurt Angle
Curt Hennig
Shawn Michaels

It really is a shame that those 5 couldn't have had more matches against each other for the world title at wrestlemania. Hart vs Angle is a dream match, as is Savage vs Michaels in a Ladder Match. Hennig vs any of those guys would have been incredible as well. Perfect's feuds against Savage, Hart, HBK were so damned good and always left me wanting more.

Angle was a Johny-come-lately that would have fit in perfectly with those guys and to have seen him feud with them with be amazing.

Now if you're talking about top 5 superstars overall, I don't know, that's pretty tough.

Hogan, Savage, Rock, Austin, Andre. I think that's the top 5. Outside of those 5, there's Flair, Taker, HBK, Hitman, & Angle, and those guys fill out a pretty solid top 10 of all time. Bret's high on the list, in any case, and that's nothing to take for granted.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Bret Hart didn't call himself "The best there was, the best there is, and the best there ever will be" for nothing. He definitely ranks in the top 5 wrestlers of the past 25 years because he was among the best in every single category. He was great on the mic, great in the ring, and could play both a face or a heel successfully. Most are lucky to be good at even one of those things, let alone be great at all of them. He is a legend among legends.

 

[god-soldier]

Bret Hart is # 1 of all the wrestlers in the last 25 yrs. Their is no doubt about it he is ten times better than HBK in ring ability, marketing, promos, drawing ability and being more of a world wide success then HBK. Matter of fact he doesn't even make my top 5. The 5 best wrestlers in the last 25 yrs are

1. Bret Hart their is no question about it


2. Ric Flair who is right behind Bret but in my eyes definitely one of the greatest wrestlers of all time WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

3. Hulk Hogan their is no secret that Hogan stands taller than almost every wrestler their ever was.

4. Macho Man Randy Savage their has never been a better in ring performer then Randy Savage a true great athlete and a marketable draw Savage reins supreme in all aspects of pro wrestling

5. Sting last but certainly not least for 22 yrs Sting has been one of the most popular wrestlers in the world even though he may have never came to the WWE he continues to be a huge draw and a huge success as a pro wrestler and he will more than likely beat Ric Flairs world title record

Then if you want to know the remaining 5 they are

6. Undertaker 20 yrs he has dominated in the ring one of the biggest draws in wrestling in the last 20 yrs and he still puts it all on the line for all the creatures of the night.

7. Stone Cold Steve Austin he has it all ring ability, best promos a marketing drawing machine their is a reason why at the HOF Vince said the greatest WWE superstar of all time

8. The Rock: The peoples champion the biggest star in wrestling for the last 15 yrs he is who every wrestler wants to be like great wrestler and one of the best on the mic

9. Curt Henning: Mr. Perfect that is the only to describe Curt Henning in and out of the ring he may be the greatest wrestler to never win the WWE or WCW championship but he still has the AWA title under his belt that he wore to perfection hands down one of the best ever.

10. Eddie Guerrero: Is one of the all time greats!!!! One of the few men who could wrestle any style of wrestling whether it mat wrestling, technical wrestling, lucha libre, japanese wrestling, brawling he can do it all. Guerrero has held every major mid card title all across the world. Eddie finally climbed the top of the mountain in 2004 and won his first and only WWE championship. Eddie is definitely one of the best wrestlers of all time!!!!


Now back to the original post its true Bret is the best pro wrestler in the last 25 yrs he had a rocky start in the WWE but he truly worked his ass and became the man right after Hogan retired and carried the New Generation on his shoulder with honor and pride. When He was screwed by the WWE his tenure in WCW most people didn't like but he did wrestler his ass off and won all of WCW major titles. Bret is the best wrestler but Ric Flair is not far behind him as the man. In closing Bret is and will always be "The Best There is The Best There was and the Best there Ever will be!!!!!!!!

 

[Emmet]

Forget about Bret's wrestling ability for a second, we all know how good he was.

Bret Hart as a draw in North America wasn't great, but Bret Hart as a draw Internationally was huge, he won Athlete of the year 3 times in a row in Germany, he's still massive in Germany to this day, he was massive in England & most of Europe aswell. The man was loved in places like India, Thailand, South Africa, Kuwait etc. He wasn't as big a draw as Hogan or Austin, but he gazumps HBK as a draw worldwide, thats not even up for debate. So you cannot put HBK above Bret in a top 5 list.

 

[jcmmnx]

I would say yes because the question is worded is he a top 5 "wrestler". Bret's body of work stacks up with anyone. He got more great matches out of slug's and average guys than just about anyone. He was in an all time great tag team, had the best IC title matches of all time against Perfect, Bulldog, and Piper, and he took WWF/E main event matches to a whole new place where they became much more enjoyable to watch.


My top 5 "wrestlers" NA only of the last 25 years are

Bret, Flair, Steamboat, Eddy, and the murderer

I didn't include HBK because most of his best matches are gimmick matches. No Angle because he works the same match with everyone, and does way more than he needs to, and irish whips people seconds after having his ankle lock on, and well yeah Kurt Angle sucks for the most part. Angle had some great matches, but for the most part he's one of the dumbest wrestlers I've ever seen. He never progressed after his 2002 miliion bumps per minute matches that lead to him and most of his opponets (Edge and Benoit for example) with screwed up necks.

 

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Also lol at all the people talking about Bret not being able to draw money. First of all your a fan not the owner of the company so what does it matter to you how much money the wrestlers drew? Second of all Bret pretty much made Austin in that classic fued, and was still way over as a face at the end of the WM13 match.

The screw job spike interest in the WWE, and "Bret screwed Bret" led to the Mr. McMahon character. So the in the main fued of the Attitude era Bret Hart put Austin over as the top face, and made Vince into the top heel. Without Bret there is no Austin vs McMahon storyline.