Which Three Would You Choose

[Best in the World 79]

If you were aspiring to be a wrestler, "sports entertainer", or what-have-you, and you were entering the wwe and a vet or exec told you to pick 3 guys. past or present and watch film of promos, ring work, the way they carry themselves, etc...to mold yourself into a future star.

I would like to know what 3 everyone would pick?
Why you chose them?
What you'd apply to your character by learning from them?

My first choice, UNDERTAKER. Greatest character of all time, he is so true to the business, the backstage guy, great ring work, excellent with the "mind games", vignettes, promos, also his match types(gimmicks). just overall greatness

Second, JAKE THE SNAKE, he was excellent. His eyes in the ring. story telling. the snake. the ddt. the way his promos were cut. his character. just fantastic. jake was the man.

Thirdly, Shawn Michaels. THE greatest performer ever. end of statement.


Coming in a close 4th place was the great King Kong Bundy

 

[jak1077]

I would definatley say for ring work, it would be Chris Benoit. He was a machine in the ring. Anybody who ever wrestled him say the same thing. "Benoit is machine like" Taz. Even with what happened he had a great ring presence.Plus I'm a submission guy and to have learned from him would have been awesome.

Second as far as promo work, I would choose The Nature Boy Ric Flair. He always had some of the best promos back in the 80's and 90's. He showed so much emotion whether he was face or heel. And due to his promo work he had some of the greatest fueds in wrestling history. Plus the guy is a living legend who wouldn't want to learn from him.

And third would be The Undertaker. Like you said one of the best characters in all of pro wrestling. There will never be another deadman character. WWE may try it again but it won't be as effective. His love of the business and the fact that he is like the glue that holds it all together. His promos, ring work, mind games all are legedary.

Those would be my 3 and my 4th would be The Rock

 

[Aquaman6686]

I would choose Chris Jericho to learn mic work from, William Regal to teach me the technical aspects, and Edge for how to work a crowd.

 

[The12thMan]

I would base the 3 things on wrestling technique, how to get a crowd over (reaction), and overall presentation/knowledge. Best 3 guys to learn from I believe would consist of the following.

1. Mark Calloway aka " The Undertaker"- This really needs no explanation. Here you would learn discipline, respect and dedication. Taker would certainly teach you how to conduct yourself in and outside the ring.

2. Ricky Steamboat- Here you would learn the wrestling and technique. I would also give a nod here to Kurt Angle. However in my opinion Steamboat gets the nod for this one.

3. Paul Levesque aka "HHH"- I don't believe there is another person in this business who knows how to get a crowd to love him and hate him as much as Hunter. Next best guy to learn from for this category would be HBK.

 

[Larry]

1. Triple H. The Game really gained that name by being the greatest student of the game and learning from many of the greats of the past as well as his peers in his way up. For that reason he has more to teach and more you can learn from watching him than most people you could name. Is every aspect of the game Triple H is one of the very best to ever do it, you look at any category that you can judge a wrestler on and Triple H is somewhere at the top of the list every time.

2. Hulk Hogan. Love him or hate him, Hogan knew how to cut a promo, tell a story in the ring, and get the crowd involved mentally, emotionally, and in some ways directly. Hogan has been in the ring with everyone worth being in the ring with and could pass down an endless wealth of knowledge as well.

3. Bret Hart. The Excellence of Execution is the best technical wrestler in the history of the business. You can go back to all the old school guys that came before him and were great technicians, Bret was better than all of them. To put it plainly he really was the best there is, was, or likely ever will be. This is another guy who has such a great extent of knowledge and puts in on display every time he's in the ring, just watching him can teach you enough to be pretty adept in the ring as is.

 

[Borgata]

1. Eddie Guerrero. Man is technically sound in all styles (high-flying, groundwork, along with Japanese, CMLL and American), good on mic, able to get people to laugh and turn on him in an blink of eye. Great match psychology.

2. The Rock. Nobody better on the mic and held the crowd in the palm of his hands everytime.

3. Raven. Able to go deep into a dark place and feel his anger, one of the most creative in the biz.

 

[Fallen Angel 21.3]

Rowdy Roddy Piper- for promos, how to work the crowd to hate your guts, and just to get the old school lessons that nobody else has learned.

Ken Shamrock-Mat wrestling and some MMA style of moves, don't really know how most people feel about Shamrock but in the 90's Ken was I would say like Higher Mid-Card, he could do some main event matches but he would be better in the mid card slot.

Chris Jericho- Just for all of the above i would say, Jericho could connect with a crowd one minute and make the crowd hate him the next, could put on five star matches, didn't matter if it was tag-team, street fight, ladder match, or just a regualr one, Jericho was the total package

 

[VinnieSunshine]

I'd have to go with..

~CM Punk to learn from on the mic. He is the best in the game RIGHT NOW. His skills are top par and never misses a beat. His back and fourth with Triple H were great. Im excited to hear him with Jericho. Along with Rock and Austin, they are the best on the mic.

~Daniel Bryan for in-ring. He has been all over and knows TONS of submissions. He can work well with just about anyone and any size. Watching him against Mark Henry was a true sight to see. I'd even go so far as to say he is this generations Chris Benoit or Dean Maleko.

~Undertaker for overall presentation. He stayed away from politics, he is THE go-to guy in the locker room to impress and prove your worth to, and his presentation of his character over the years (wether it was ministry or bad ass biker) is top notch.

 

[WunNightStan619]

The Rock promos and crowd control

Triple H storytelling in matches, politics and ring psychology

Shawn Michaels greatest of all time, why not?

 

[WORD-LIFE-16]

First of all, you need to look at all the attributes that make a real WWE superstar and who is the full package, the look, the persona, personality, size the list goes on...taking into account that this is only my opinion so don't judge it say that I'm wrong, you are entitled to disagree with me but certainly don't flame my opinion. 1) this guy is an all around guy and has it all, his name is The Undertaker, he is the guy who has it all, size, speed, charisma, persona that people can connect with, good wrestler and pretty much recognised as a god to the fans.whether it's the American Badass persona or the dead man persona, he is amazing at playing both and no one cane deny that, no one is better at that job than him. 2)now I know that I'm probably gonna be hated for saying this, and people will disagree. His name is John Cena. This guy has it all and there is no denying it, it is fact, he may be the tim Tebow of WWE. There is no doubt that he is where he is for a reason. Millions of people criticise him and say that he has played the role of Superman for the past 5 years but this is not true. Cena is simply that guy with the attributes. The guy is 34 years old and already has the makings of a legend. Do you know any other guy that other the great one who left around a similar age. He s the most polarising figure in the WWE and yes he is the face of the WWE. And for good reason too. It takes some guys 15 years to reach the guys level. It has taken him 6.5 years to to where he is. 3) would be the rock, another polarising figure and simply the greatest of all time the rock. Needs no explanation, intro nor ending. He is the rock.

 

[Mr_billy]

William Regal, look who looks up to him, Punk and Danielson, he is a great in ring talent and is a great heel, Does a stye of wrestling I would be interested in.

CHris Jericho- Great all around performer, and technically sound, and entertaining as could be.

Arn Anderson, Just because he would be the closest to the style I'd be wrestling as a mid sized guy

 

[TheRealDeal]

Eddie Guerrero: he's the guy with the total package, natural on the mic, his moves are unique and basically the man himself is unique.

CM Punk: becoming a WRESTLER rather than a Sports Entertainer and also I think Punk's mic work is genius.

HHH: He had to pay dues during the Curtain Call and he took it pretty well and it made him to a star. Basically he would teach you how to survive mentally in the WWE and how to pay your dues. GREAT LIFE LESSON

 

[SMKM]

Surprised no one has paired these two but Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, combine the attributes of the both of them you really wouldn't even need a third, both can put on 5 star matches, both are excellent on the mic, what else is there to need? But, for the sake of the thread I would also add in The Rock, to have a better chance at drawing people lol

 

[TUFFY54]

I would base the 3 things on wrestling technique, how to get a crowd over (reaction), and overall presentation/knowledge. Best 3 guys to learn from I believe would consist of the following.

1. Mark Calloway aka " The Undertaker"- This really needs no explanation. Here you would learn discipline, respect and dedication. Taker would certainly teach you how to conduct yourself in and outside the ring.

2. Ricky Steamboat- Here you would learn the wrestling and technique. I would also give a nod here to Kurt Angle. However in my opinion Steamboat gets the nod for this one.

3. Paul Levesque aka "HHH"- I don't believe there is another person in this business who knows how to get a crowd to love him and hate him as much as Hunter. Next best guy to learn from for this category would be HBK.

If your going this route, why not say Richard Blood aka Ricky Steamboat. You don't need to put their real names to make your point sound better.

My three:

Hulk Hogan- Greatest performer in the history of the sport.

Kurt Angle-Best technical wrestler in history.

Vince McMahon-There simply is no better "mind for the business". And after all, he's a former world champion

 

[iwinulose]

1) Undertaker: i think its self explanatory, but he is the man, he always cuts great promos, he is exceptionally talented in the ring given his size, and he always gave it 110%. he truly is a legend, he has possibly one of the greatest persona's ever used in the wwe, we will never see another man like undertaker wrestle again.

2)Rowdy Roddy Pipper: he was great in ring, he cut amazing promos, he never won a single major wwe title and he still had a hall of fame career. he had great persona's and did lot's of outrageous things in his time with the wwe.

3) stone cold steve austin: arguably the toughest SOB to ever step foot in a wwe ring. he could cut a promo, control a crowd, and put on a hell of a match. he was a one of a kind wrestler. plus he got paid big bucks to get drunk at work lol.

 

[CenaSux4Life78]

Undertaker - For just overall stage presence. Weather he is a face or heel, the moment that he arrives to the crowd you have to be in awe.

Bret Hart - After all he is the Excellence of Execution. IMO the best technical wrestler ever.

Chris Jericho from the fun Y2J era and The Rock are a dead tie for mic skills ability. They both know how to go out and have fun, and make there points at the sametime.

There are many others who would be great to watch and learn from. HHH, HBK, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Rey Mysterio, Benoit, Angle, Eddie, etc. I'd probably sneak them in the dvd player when people are not looking.

 

[Rick Rudes Mustache]

Unlike some I think this question/thread is great! Koodos OP

IMHO i would go with

Stone Cold for the "it" factor. The man lead the company for damn near a decade. he made it relevant, fun & "cool" again. He brought a brawler mentality to a tacticians doorstep.

The Rock for mic ability. I am NOT a rocky fan. Honestly can not stand the asshat. BUT i do respect the sh!t out of his promo ability.

Lou Thesz for match work. There is a reason that many if not all of the "greats" of wrestling will point to Lou as the guy that got them there, taught them something via old video & or imparted some type of lasting words upon them. If you can, youTube some of his matches - here is one VS Rikidozan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsDXeVevT2s - you will see many of your favorite stars of today doing what Lou did. The thing is Lou did them FIRST.

 

[Jaystrong322]

Bret Hart- Great storyteller in the ring and one of the best technical wrestlers ever.

Ric Flair- The best performer ever and one of the best promos in the history of Wrestling.

The Rock- Great charisma and presence, good performer, great talker. It factor.

 

[Davi323]

Ring work: Ricky Steamboat. You want to learn how to move in a wrestling ring? Learn from the Dragon. It's not just that he knew a lot of moves...Steamboat had the ability to make everything he did FLOW. It looks completely natural when he does it, fluid. Steamboat took a choreographed match and turned it into an art.

Promos: Randy Savage. There have been a lot of great promo guys, and it's hard to get better than a Ric Flair, Chris Jericho or Roddy Piper...but, for me, what Randy Savage did, as nonsensical as it was sometimes, made me look forward to them. That is what I would go for. It's one thing to speak eloquently, like a Flair or Jericho...but you sure as hell remember a Randy Savage promo. Randy Savage's promos were unique, which made him stand out. If he delivered straight/normal promos, he never would have been as popular. Savage promos were must-see, all of the time. If you have a style that can force people to pay attention, you have them eating out of the palm of your hand.

Ring presence: Stone Cold Steve Austin. This is different than wrestling ability, this is more of a general badassery type of thing. Compared to some of his opponents, Austin wasn't really all that large...but he carried himself in such a way that no matter who his opponent was, no matter their size, you believed they were going to get their ass kicked by Austin instead of the other way around. It's about attitude.

 

[Best in the World 79]

This is a dumb thread. There is not one combination that works or doesnt work

So, if you see a dumb commercial do you verbally say, "This is a dumb commercial." ??


The point of the thread probably flew right over the tip of your head. Maybe, just maybe, it knicked the hair. But, probably completly over.

The point, to, for instance "job shadow" THREE GUYS. To LEARN from. And apply what you've learned. Not apply the three characters together.

Wouldl you wanna a deadman walking out with snakes and coming out dancing to shawn michaels theme song?
Proabably not.

So, next time you think something is dumb, PLEASE let your voice be heard. Just for me

 

[Suibon]

Very well:

First you have the Naitch with the golden spoon in his mouth, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO The Nature Boy Ric Flair WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO in his prime. Excellent in-ring technician, excellent at making his opponents look better than him in and out of the ring, and WOOO outstanding promo work. SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-in, shoehorn.

Then next would be Eddie Guerrero - great in the ring, and the one man I could count to out-filth the dirtiest player in the game, whether as face or heel. Viva la raza, baby.

And finally, last but not least, we need a godly golden goofball, a Midas of comedy, ready and willing to be under-estimated, who gets his ass kicked but without eliciting the sympathy of the crowd, and whose character and promo work are so perfectly in sync I have no doubt in my mind that if he were an ordinary stand-up comedian, he'd be deified by succeeding generations of humorists.

Of course I'm talking about Santino Marella.

 

[Wald]

1. Jake 'The Snake' - That guy had ring psychology down to a tee. It's the most important aspect of what makes a great feud/promo/match so he would be the first person I would look at

2. Bret Hart - He knew how to construct a story in the ring better than anyone I've ever seen, really knew how and when to dangle carrots in front of the audience face to get them into the match.

3. 'Stone Cold' - Toss up between him and Hogan for this one for my promos. Both knew how to get the audience in the palm of their hands very easily and get them involved in their promo.

For me wrestling is about getting the maximum response with the minimum risk, these three knew how to do that better than anyone I've ever seen

 

[The Future Rises]

I would pick..

1 - Mr. Perfect for in-ring work - The guy was one hell of a wrestler. And he was, in my opinion, one of the greatest sellers in the history of Professional Wrestling. The way he would take a bump was fantastic. And just the way he carries himself in the ring and embodies his character was phenomenal.

2 - The Rock for promo cutting - The Rock is, without a shadow of a doubt, considered the greatest promo cutter in WWE history. The way he used to talk, the way he used to electrify the "people" with all of his catchphrases, and the he way Dwayne absolutely transforms into his Rock character when he's out there cutting a promo was gold.

The Undertaker for building character - The guy made(and still does?) a "deadman" gimmick believable. Whenever Mark Callaway goes out to perform he becomes The Undertaker. If I would study anybody's character in the long history of the WWE it would be his. Not that I would want a similar gimmick, just the way he becomes his character is an important thing to have in order to make it into legendary status in this business.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Fantastic thread. This is the kind of creative thinking that makes the forums worth coming to! If I were to really study THREE guys and pick them to the bones in order to really understand their craft...god that it is an insanely difficult question! Does any one guy really possess every quality I would need to be the best of all time? Does any combination of three? I'll give it a go...

Eddie Guerrero: To a decent extent, I have studied Eddie's career and legacy pretty closely. If I ever were to step inside the ring, Latino Heat is one guy that I'd like to some day be compared to. Not that I want to have a Latin character, or adopt the "lie, cheat, steal" methodology...but I would want to be known for being unique. For going out there and adding purpose and character to every move, motion, and word that my body put out. There was nothing Eddie did that didn't in some way come back to his character Eddie Guerrero. He was a great technical wrestler, sure... but his greatness came from much more than pure athletic skill. He sold passion, and it was clear to anyone who watched one of his matches that every single time he stepped into the ring you were about to behold a unique experience. Much can be gained from being a unique character, that ALWAYS brought his actions back to his persona...especially in today's very stale, cookie-cutter product.

Chris Jericho: Another fantastic in-ring guy, but again not the primary reason I chose him. He is my favorite of all time, true, but he is also a guy that has adapted to very different products in order to remain fresh and relevant. He never stayed quite the same during his career, and while many that rose up next to him would eventually fall by the wayside, Jericho overcame. He evolved. If I were to become a star, I would need to know not only how to survive in pro wrestling, not only how to put on a good match, but how to read the trends and predict the future of the product. Moreover, how to help SHAPE that future into something I could use to get over huge. Jericho is second-to-none in that department.

John Cena: Yes, I'm dead serious. You may not like him, hell I don't really enjoy him anymore. But his career is a testament on how to grow and connect to an audience. Go big or go home, as they say. And if I were to ever be a pro wrestler, I would never be content with the Top 100 superstars DVD. I would want my own damn DVD collection when all is said and done, and not because I can do parkour or had a terrible gimmick! John Cena draws a fan reaction, for better or for worse, and he can cut an excellent promo to boot. He can sell merch, and his work ethic is admirable. If I'm going to study the best in the business, the top dog is obviously the one I want to look closely at. You can wrestler your heart out, leave blood, sweat, and tears in the ring...but if you can't move those sales, sell those PPVs, and get the crowd to chant your name (whether or not it is affixed to the word "sucks")...you're only going to last so long.

There are so many considerations for this. Triple H is a ring general who has evolved and is likely my favorite overall heel in pro wrestling's long history. Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Sting, and Hogan all have careers worth examining... I chose three relatively recent guys because the question is all about becoming a great pro wrestler. THe past and its history are important, but to a point looking forward and understanding the future is the most important thing you can do as an entertainer, and as a pro wrestler. Eddie's passion transcends time, because passion will sell no matter what era of fan is buying. I truly believe Eddie could have gotten over in an age of pro wrestling. Jericho is the essence of in-ring talent, promo work, AND adaptability. And Cena is hands-down the modern example of how to be successful in the business. I can't really think of a better trio I'd want to study...

 

[JaneyD]

In ring skills: Jeff Hardy - Memorable spots! Decent move-set, but really I just want to jump off high places!

Back Stage Etiquette: Undertaker - I'll bandwagon on this one. Taker's popularity outside the ropes still demands the same level of respect as he is in the ring. Without a doubt he is a role model for all wrestlers who wants to be respected in the ring or backstage.

Gimmick or Character: Edge (Ultimate Opportunist) - cashing in on opportunities which are abundant in the WWE can really make the persona or gimmick dynamic. Face or heel, you'll never know what he's going to do. Will he turn face? or turn on his partner? Cash in the MITB Briefcase? or use the time that the opponent is down to do something high risk for the crowd? The possibilities are endless!

Basically if I were to be a WWE superstar, I want to be sort of a Lita that you can respect in and out of the ring. And of course a gimmick that will keep everyone excited and on their feet.