Name a wrestler more universally liked/respected than Randy Savage

[jmt225]

Is it possible?

The IWC loves this guy. Casual fans love this guy. Pro wrestlers past and present love this guy.

When it comes to guys like Eddie Guerrero and Owen Hart, they didn't get that kind of admiration and respect until their untimely deaths. And even then, there's a big part of the IWC who get pissy when people mention them as all time greats. Savage though well before his death, people have always said nothing but glowing things of his work, with the exception of the time he popped up in TNA.

Hulk Hogan has a ton of detractors.

Steve Austin has a ton of detractors.

The Rock has a ton of detractors.

Ric Flair has a ton of detractors.

Bret Hart has a ton of detractors.

Shawn Michaels has a ton of detractors.

Sting has a ton of detractors.

Savage on the other hand, who has anything bad to say about him? You never see it. The ONLY thing is the Stephanie rumors, and those have never been confirmed, and they never kept people from respecting his work.

His DVD came out Tuesday and of course it's great. But it got me thinking, I never see people randomly bash this guy, like I do every other top name the business has ever seen. Is it just me, or is it simply a fact that Randy Savage is indeed the most universally liked and respected wrestler of all time?

 

[klunderbunker]

Ricky Steamboat?

 

[justinsayne]

Dusty Rhodes, maybe Jericho?

 

[Nate DaMac]

Undertaker?

 

[OYDK]

Undertaker

 

[jmt225]

Ricky Steamboat?

Nah, not mainstream enough. Only die-hard fans care about him.

Dusty Rhodes, maybe Jericho?

I see a lot of people bash Jericho. And Dusty was beloved in his era but today he doesn't get the praise someone like Savage does. Plus with the IWC his work as a booker was so terrible that it follows him around as well.

Undertaker?

Pretty much the only guy I can think of that competes. It's rare to see someone say something bad about 'Taker, unless they're whining about him wrestling one time a year or something like that.

 

[Nate DaMac]

I've seen Savage get some shit for being kind of a jealous psycho with Liz. That's about it really.

 

[Bernkastel]

Lou Thesz?

 

[Reflection]

Kane is also very well respected. So is posthumous Eddie Guerrero. Daniel Bryan is another guy.

 

[justinsayne]

Lou Thesz?

I think Thesz probably falls into the same category as Steamboat, only die hard fans care about him.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Andre.

 

[Vega]

Terry Funk?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Terry Funk?

Road House, good one.

 

[The Butcher]

Man, how great was Randy Savage? Seriously just take a few seconds and think about how awesome Macho Man was. I'm gonna go play Super WrestleMania and beat the piss out of Jake Roberts using Macho Man.

 

[Rusty]

Edge. And Santino Marella.

Smarks fucking loved Edge.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

My first thought was Taker, and then Vader came into my mind. Though not always loved, it seems he was respected by everyone.

 

[Scrotie McBoogerballs]

Liked/Respected

Mick Foley
Sting
Ricky Steamboat
Undertaker

Respected/Feared:

Haku
Harley Race
Brock Lesnar
Bradshaw

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

Owen Hart, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, Undertaker and Andre The Giant.

Every wrestler has some detractors, but these people are always spoke so fondly of by their peers. In many ways, the "new" HBK from 2002 onwards was also respected and liked.

 

[MCMG]

Wait, I thought Savage was a bit of a cunt in real life.

Undertaker, Eddie and Jericho come to mind. From a different angle: good old JR. Everyone loves JR.

 

[Reflection]

Edge. And Santino Marella.

Many people started disliking Edge after he stole Matt Hardy's girlfriend. That'll take a few points away. And Santino... he just stayed out of trouble like most mid-carders do. Never saw anyone mentioning that they respect Santino more than anyone else in the business

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Sting has detractors? I thought he was even more revered than Savage.

Foley is another solid choice.

What about Bret Hart? Don't most people blame everything on Vince?

 

[Scrotie McBoogerballs]

What about Bret Hart? Don't most people blame everything on Vince?

Maybe up until about 2004, then people just got bored of Bret crying over it time and time again. Even today he is still whining about it.

 

[Chrome]

I think people love Underdogs.. Macho Man was the under dog because of Hogan.. Macho was an all around great wrestler.. talker.. and promoter... and make a wish ambassador.

DDP and Mick Foley are also a great example of underdogs.. No one expected them to do well..they believed in themselves... deep down that garners respect from everyone.

What about Sting? I thought everyone loved Sting.. I didn't know he had huge detractors?!?!

As for the thread.. I would agree that Undertaker is universally loved.. DDP and Mick Foley I think are in the same light as Macho Man. That said... Randy Savage is more popular than all of them ever were. I would throw Sting in this list as well.

I really thought Bret Hart was well respected by everyone as well... no-one could really blame him for how he felt over the Vince screw job.

 

[Lee]

Andre.

This.

 

[Rusty]

Many people started disliking Edge after he stole Matt Hardy's girlfriend. That'll take a few points away. And Santino... he just stayed out of trouble like most mid-carders do. Never saw anyone mentioning that they respect Santino more than anyone else in the business

Bull-fucking-shit, Edge was getting praised long after that. Legit, his entire year long feud with the Undertaker was so boring/repetitive, involving the Major Brothers and Vickie Guerrero, yet smarks thought it was the greatest thing since the Attitude Era. Put ANYONE else in Edge's spot (say Orton), and smarks would of absolutely hated on the majority of the storylines he was apart of.

Plus, that awful feud with Jericho at Wrestlemania. The entire feud was around Edge saying the word "spear".

Not once, did I hear criticism about any of the above, not once. And Santino was fuckin' awesome.