The Top 25 technical wrestlers

[matty256]

Okay the title is very self explanotory, it is the best 25 technical wrestler to have ever step foot in a WWE/WWF ring, that means wrestlers from any other organaztions will not be included. Also any wrestler from the old WWWF days will not be included. This thread is also based strictly on wrestling ability. Aspects such as shirt sales, championships, charisma etc will not be taken into account.

It is also very important to understand this is just my opinion and i understand many will disagree, there will be enough time in between each update to discuss my chosen picks.

Okay lets begin the list.


25. Terry Funk

Before Terry Funk was synonymous for being a Hardcore icon when he joined the old ECW he was at the WWF. Many who watched Terry in ECW were only seing an old man helping an upcoming organazation, Terry at his prime was an extremely accomplished wrestler with great in ring psychology to go with it. He would be one half of one of the greatest tag teams, 'the funks' with his brother Dory and had many memorable matches with Junkyard Dogg and Tito Santana. Terry had an amazing ability of mat wrestling, but was not very versatile.He never branched off into lucha but as a wrestler he was one of the true greats at his prime. Its a shame he always comes out of retirement, if he just stayed retired people would remember him for his glory days.


24. Scott Steiner

Scott Steiner is number 24 in my list. Many new wrestling fans who have only watched Scott Steiners recent work in TNA will be confused by this choice but his days in the old WWF especially with his brother Rick he was a wrestling machine. His suplexes were extremely innovative along with his brilliant mat work which also goes along with his great raw phsical power. Steiner pretty much had the ability to man handle any of his opponents which is why many of his moves were so innovative. Steiners suplexes were later used by wrestlers such as Regal, Taz etc.


23. Tito Santana

An athletically gifted wrestler who had a true passion for the sport. It is undeniable that Tito is one of the greatest workers of all time. Santana not only had great mat offense he also has athleticism to put viewers in disbelief. Santana in my opinion hits one of the greatest dropkicks in history of profesional wrestling. Santana was also given the 'workers belt' the Intercontinetal title and is still seen as one of the greatest intercontinental champions of all time mainly due to his willingness to work and great in ring abilities. Any one who thinks otherwise I advise to see any match he had with Greg 'the hammer' Valentine, they had amazing matches that not only consisted of wrestling perfection but also a brilliant hard hitting style. There matches were truly ahead of their time.

Let me know your opinions i will post more later

 

[matty256]

22.Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine

Its synonymous that anyone trained by Stu Hart are brilliant wrestlers and Greg Valentine is living proof of that theory. Greg Valentine was a great all round technical genius in the ring, and for his size only standing at 6'0 tall he had many high impact maneuvers. It was never a dull match when the hammer was involved. His overall great wrestling ability enabled him to have great matches with virtually anyone. Again like I said previously his feud with Tito Santana was well ahead of its time, mixed with great mat wrestling and an amazing hard hitting style. Greg devoted his life to wrestling and has wrestling in his blood, he is a second generation wrestler and due to his heritage it was obvious that Greg would become one of the most accomplished technical wrestlers.


21. Perry Saturn

Dont know where he is, what he is doing, whether he is or dead or not but what I do know is that this guy can wrestle, real good. Trained by the late Killer Kowalski, Perry Saturn become one of the better wrestlers, also many didnt see it in the WWF but he was very established in the air to and can perform many good aeriel maneuvers, most of the evidence of this is back in his ECW days when he part of a tag team called the eliminators. With great athleticism and great in ring abilities Perry Saturn would seem like the perfect recipe for a proffesional wrestler. Sadly he lacked bucket loads of charisma otherwise he could have been remembered as one of the true greats. However its only fair to give recognition to his wrestling ability, I dont remember seeing a bad match of his therefore Perry Saturn is definately in my top 25, I know some would prefer him higher but this is where I would rank him.

20. Finaly

Many dont know this but Finlay is a third generation wrestler, not only that he is 51 years old and is still having better matches than the majority of the roster in the WWE. Finlay is famous for his WCW days as Fit Finlay and he is on the list solely for how good he was. As he eventually stepped foot in a WWE/WWF ring he is eligible to be in the list. As mentioned his best wrestling days were in WCW, again he is another guy I have never seen have a bad match and to be honest I still enjoy his matches to this day. Finlay not only has great wrestling ability, he also has a rough and touph style, constantly bombarding his opponents with attacks. Finlay is definately a reliable wrestler and can have a good match with just about anyone eventhough he is 51, Finlay makes my top 20 because he is another guy who at his prime just never had a bad match and is still having great matches to this day.


19. Brock Lesnar

It would take a special athlete to be the size of lesnars and become one of the best technical and agile wrestlers of all time. Brock had great in ring abilities with a mixture of high impact slams and great mat/submission and countering abilities. His matches with Kurt Angle is a wrestling clinic, true perfection. Lesnar is surely one of the better wrestling technicians of the modern era and again he had very few bad matches. Such a shame he decided to leave when he was at his peak.

 

[matty256]

18. Lance Storm

'If I could be serios for a minute' lool haha love it. Lance Storm, the ultimate no-nonsensed wrestler. Another wrestler trained by the Hart Family Lance Storm is a perfect example that the Hart Family have trained some of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Lance was not only an amazing great in ring technician, he also had a very physical side just like Finlay and also had un-parralleled athleticism that I havent seen since Shelton Benjamin come along. Lance Storm is such a reliable worker, you can pretty much guarantee if your in the ring with Lance you are going to have an above average match to say the least. Lance Storms versatility enabled him to just about mix it up with just about any wrestler no matter what size or shape. It is a shame that he had zero charisma other wise this Candadian wrestling machine might have furthered his career.


17.Ted Dibiase

The million dollar man Ted Dibiase, one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time. Many remember him for being a complete and utter asshole but what he should be remembered for is his brilliant in ring abilities. Ted is one of the most underated wrestlers of all time and is sometimes not given the recognition he deserves. Ted DiBiase was trained by two of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time Terry and Dory Funk so it is quite understandable why Tedy DiBiase had such great in ring prowess. Ted virtually knew any hold in the book and he isnt what many people call him 'headlock dibiase', Ted not only being a great technical wrestler, he could also play the hard hitting game better than anyone. Ted, a reliable performer who could always lurk around the main event scene and have a good match with anybody ensures that Ted DiBiase easily makes my list.

 

[matty256]

16. Tazz

'The Human Suplex Machine', need i say anymore. This guy has invented suplexes out of nowhere. He is an innovator of offense and his moves have rubbed off on many other superstars. Not only does he have great high impact maneuvers, the guy is technically sound and can mat wrestle as good as anyone. For Taz's size he was incredibly strong, to be able to even apply half of the maneuvers on the sized athletes he does it to is just extroadinary. Taz is one of my all time favoruite wrestlers and I can honestly say this guy has never had a bad match due to his high impact exciting and innovative maneuvers. He always brings something new to every match.


15. Arn Anderson

Arn Anderson, another great inovator. Many dont know this but the Double A spinebuster is named after Arn Anderson due to him innovating that move. That move is used regularly by other established wrestlers such as Triple H. Arn Anderson was a very exciting wrestler in the ring, most of his moves were high impact such as the double A spinebuster but dont get this cat wrong, when he needed to get down and mat wrestler and chain wrestle, he could roll with just about anyone. Double A is probably the most underated wrestlers of all time. I believe that is the story of his career, he was part of a very underated tag team the Brain Busters, his role in the four horseman as the enforcer was very underated too mainly due to Ric hogging the spotlight, his wrestling ability was also underated. Arn is one of the true greats but as a modest man he doesnt ask for much back in return from the business. Arn Anderson is by far one of the best wrestlers not only in the WWF/WWE but ever, he is underated and deserved to be credited for his abilities more during his career.


14. Shlton Benjamin

Okay here comes the contreversy lol. I am a huge Shelton Benjamin mark and I would like all people to forget his very dull personality, his lack of agression in the ring and his lack of ability to engage the fans. I just want you to appreciate his actual wrestling ability. I think its amazing this man has had so many 5 star matches during his career and yet he has come absolutely no where near the main event or ever been given enough time in the ring to show off his true abilities. As i said, forget all of his flaws, this guy is very crisp in the ring, he is smooth and whenever the WWE wants to put on a good reliable match they will call Shelton to step up just like they did when he had a series of matches against the Undertaker. Shelton not only has an amazing ameteur background which enables him to mat wrestle with virtually anyone, this guy is as quick as a cat to. Not only that he is by far the most athletic guy in the WWE. His leaping ability, the way he lands on his feet after every suicide jump. This guy is just very exciting to watch in the ring. His versatility is worth a mention too, the way he can go from a headlock to a spring board elbow to a german suplex, the guy has it all. In my opinion his match against Shawn Michaels in the gold rush tournament is definately in my top 1 of my favourite matches of all time. Its a shame Shelton has slight case of camera shyness but it is early days, if Shelton can finally get Charisma there truly is 'no stopping him'.


13. Ric Flair

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The nature boy Ric Flair makes my top 15. I know many would want him higher but although I am a huge fan of his I do believe the next 12 wrestlers in the list are just in a class of their own which Ric Flair sadly is just nowhere near. Flair has had one of the most legendary careers along with some of the most legendary feuds and matches, most notably with Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage. Ric Flair had a tremendous ability to mat wrestle, probably better than most in the world, however, Flair is just not as versatile as other wrestlers. Flair was able to hit some high impact moves but his main speciality was mat wrestling. Flair is without a doubt a top 5 in just mat wrestling but sadly to make it higher in the list I believe he has to be more versatile than just mat wrestling. Dont get me wrong Flair has had exciting matches, has brilliant strikng ability and very methodical in the ring but the next 12 are just in a league of there own.

 

[matty256]

12. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage

'OHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHH' you just had to know that this man was going to be in the list. I made a promise that the wrestlers in the top 12 will be hard to seperate and I think the 'Macho Man' as number 12 has just ensured business is about to pick up. Randy Savage has had some of the greatest matches of all time with guys like Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair and yes believe it or not the Ultimate Warrior. That just proves that Randy Savage can have just about a good match with anyone as Ultimate Warrior was not the greatest in the ring. Macho Man had it all, a great technical wrestling ability, great hard hitting style and also a very established and perfected aerial assault. Randy is extremely versatile and his in ring psychology is second to none. Randy was the perfect proffesional wrestler and can have a good match with just about anyone. I know I will be purchasing 'Macho Madness' the Randy Savage box set and I reccomend anyone who is a fan of actual wrestling to buy it to, you will be amazed of the greatness of the 'Macho Man' Randy Savage... OHHHHH YEAHHHHH.


11. Owen Hart

The self proclaimed 'King of Harts' had no problem backing that up as he was such an accomplished wrestler. Owen is another one who just never had a bad match and his in ring pschology is widely underated. He knew just when to pose, when to slow down the pace, when to quicken the pace etc. He was just the ultimate wrestling genius and it is a shame that his career was cut short, I always thought he deserved a world title. Owen had wrestling in his blood and was destined to be a great wrestler, but unlike some who graduated from the dungeon Owen was very versatile. He not only had great wrestling and mat wrestling ability, he could also hit a cross body every now and then, Owen can mix it up when it matters which made Owen so great. Many have said that Owen is not as brilliant as people say due to the Piledriver incident that shortened Stone Cold's career. Listen from an unbiased perspective, Austin is my second favourite wrestler of all time and in the wrestling business accidents happen. I dont blame Owen it was an accident and it doesnt change the fact that Owen Hart was simply amazing in the ring. RIP OWEN, one of the true greats and very underated.


10. Dean Malenko

'The man of a thousand holds' literally did have 1000 holds, he probably had more knowing the 'ice man' Dean Malenko. This guy literally knew everything about wrestling and I dont think there are many who has better mat orientated chain wrestling this man. He also had amazing strength for his size which enabled him to use a lot of high impact meanuevers and slams. Dean Malenko was a perfectionist and every move he hit was perfection, anyone who knows Dean Malenko knows the reason why he is in the top ten. I think its fair to say he is by far one of the greatest wrestling technicians


9. Mr Perfect

I desribed number 10 in my list as perfect but the word perfection has to be associated by the one him self, 'Mr Perfect'. There is a reason why he called himself Mr Perfect and I think it is quite self explanotory, he simply was perfect. Curt Henning was by far one of the greatest and reliable wrestlers ever and again he could have a good match with anyone. He had two of the greatest matches in WWE history against Bret Hart and Curt not only had great technical abilities he also had a lot of strength, great striking abilities and can also mix it up when needed to and had in ring pschology that some of the true greats can be envious of. Once again he was the whole package and Curt Henning was simply PERFECT!

 

[matty256]

8. Eddie Guerrero

The late great Eddie Guerrero makes the list at number 8. I need to ask, is there a wrestler more versatile then Eddie? Eddie had it all, he can lucha libre, he can mat wrestle, he can shoot wrestle, he can chain wrestle and he has many high impact maneuvers to which goes along with his great in ring psychology. This man is a genius who wrestled all over the world which may be the reason why he has mastered so many styles of wrestling. Eddie has never had a bad match and he is a perfectionist. He has had countless world class matches and just to name a few are, Jericho, Malenko, Edge, Angle, Mysterio, Benoit etc. Eddie was one of the true greats and not only that he is a role model for any up coming wrestler. Not only did people ridicule him and told him he would never make it due to his size, he not only proves his critics wrong by becoming a world champion he also became the first ever Mexican world champ. Eddie has paved the way for other mexicans like Rey Mysterio and the reason why he was the first Mexican World Champ is simply because he is the best overall wrestler to come out of Mexico. Eddie is a genius in the ring and will forever be remembered as one of the true greats of wrestling. Eddie is a legend. Viva La Raza


7. Shawn Micheals

There are very few wrestlers that has had as many 5 star matches as Shawn Michaels in the history of the WWF/WWE. Shawn has had amazing matches with many wrestlers and what makes him even more great is that he has had amazing matches with virtually any sized or shaped wrestler possible. HBK has seen and wrestled them all and has simply brought the best out of them. Many remember Shawn for his innovative aerial offense but many dont give credit to Shawn's technical wrestling ability. As a technical wrestler he is as good as anyone. He held his own in an iron man match with bret hart, and yet could wow fans in a ladder match with Razor Ramon. HBK is the ultimate proffesional wrestler who had a bit of everything. Shawn has had many great matches and he will continue to do so due to his versatility. Shawn is a legend in the ring and he will only build on his legacy as his career continues


6. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho, at the moment he is trying to alienate any fans that ever believed in him but it hasnt worked on me yet Chris. You still are to me one of the greatest wrestlers to have ever lived and I worship the ground you walk on lol. Okay enough of the love fest, Jericho trained by the Hart family not only learned his trade there, he travelled all over the world to master his craft. Jericho is another example of a wrestler who has it all. Technical ability to go with his great high flying moves. Jericho has been part of countless classics with the likes of Benoit, Christian, Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko etc. Jericho has wrestled them all. Not only that he is the ultimate proffesional who goes and gives it all each night, in all honesty who has seen a bad Jericho match ever. The guy is perfect, i remember a match with eddie guerrero where he reversed a top rope DDT into a suplex and bridge. Seriosly only Jericho would have the arrogance to even think of trying that and having the technical prowess to pull it off. Jericho, Y2J, Lionhart, whatever you want to call him doesnt change the fact that he is a wrestling machine.


5. Ricky 'the dragon' Steamboat

Ricky Steamboat, first of all I find it amazing that he comes back to wrestling at the age of 56 and is still better than the majority of the WWE roster whether it is Smackdown, Raw or ECW. This guy is great now but was even better 20-30 years ago. Ricky steamboat's offense was well ahead of his time with his karate kicks and aeriel bombardment, Ricky Steamboat was a pioneer for up and coming guys who have adopted that style such as CM Punk, AJ Styles etc. Ricky Steamboat is another guy who can have a great match with anybody and many believe he was part of the greatest match in the history of this sport when he won the intercontinental title at Wrestlemania 3 against Randy Savage and both of these guys stole the show from Andre and Hogan. What we havent spoke about though is his actual wrestling ability, take away steamboats other great attributes (aeriel ability, karate) and he would still be in my top 10 due to him being such a great technical wrestler. Many of the moves we see today were innovated by Steamboat such as his amazing and unique arm drag. Steamboat revolutionised the business due his style being so unique back in his glory days but nowadays it is a style that many wrestlers have adopted. Thanks to Steamboat we have high flyers and great technical wrestlers mixed together (evan bourne, shelton benjamin etc). Steamboat paved the way and is one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time.

I will post my top 4 later
leave me feedback please and let me know your opinions