Who in The WWE has the best IN RING ability

[PedigreeTHE619Chokeslam]

What about Evan Bourne. This kid is amazing. Hes not big but his high flying moves are amazing. I dont know why he isnt but he should be us champ right know but they just use him as a jobber to mid cards. If you havnt seen him yet which im sur you have, youll be amazed.

 

[Razor]

No no no no, I'm talking about in-ring ability. Not the ablilty to tell a story in the ring. For example, Dynamite kid has good in ring ability because he knows many wrestling holds and styles and has a technically, sound non sloppy match with fairly difficult wrestling holds and moves.

Oh, so we're speaking about who can do all of those cool flips and holds. I got ya.

If someone said Shelton Benjamin, I'm going to have to cry. All he does is jump really high. I'd have to go with Chris Jericho, if we're wanting a wrestler who has a wide range of moves and flips that can also keep someone half entertained. Cena is a great storyteller, and a great talent in the ring, but if we want the most talented as in holds and flips and maneuvers, it'd have to be Chris Jericho. He's the whole deal, really.

 

[fredstephenson]

oh yeah i did completly forget about shelton benjamin i think he could be brilliant shame wwe dont agree though

 

[ronthony717]

Well once I started to read the origional post 4 names came in my head.. Yeah I understand rey is great but not as good as he once was when he made the WWE cruiserweight division insane and then popped up in the midweight/heavyweight division soon after..

Like one of the post above I'm gonna have to do Four Categories..

Newest would have to be Jack Swagger.. He has not been used much since being brought over to raw but I've seen a lot of his matches from ECW and when he faught Randy Orton on the draft part 18 show lol.. He's the future Kurt Angle and WWE is retarted for not using him cause he can shoot up as fast as Lesnar and Angle has.. As an old school wrestler I'd have to say Shawn Michaels.. Come on this guy can get in the ring with a dead body and put on the match of the century.. Its gonna be a dark day when he leaves the industry.. I would say in the class after Michaels would be Chris Jericho.. Getting up there in age does not show at all.. He is great with his character and the matches he has put on since the new change has made more sound then his voice.. And I have to agree in the MOST UNDERRATED SUPERSTAR category would have to be Shelton Bengamin.. I remember watchin a match on SmackDown!, I think it was early this year or late last year he had with Finlay.. And that match was the best technical match in WWE since Kurt faught Lesnar.. He's been putting on great matches when ladders are involved (watch every money in the bank and most recent ladder match with Christian). This guy should be atleast the ECW champion already and should have high profiled matches already.. What he can't talk? Fine get someone to talk for him what does it matter.. I saw ecw live once this year and he sang and he sounded good.. Give him a gimmick similar to The Rock when he returned and fueded with Hurricane... Those are my choices

 

[MMA_Fanatic976]

How is Cena not the best?? He can do anything. He reminds me of the Ultimate Warrior! not the best moves but what he does do is he takes the time and puts on a show for the Fans

 

[X]

How is Cena not the best?? He can do anything.

He sure as fuck can not. Cena couldn't work a technical match, a lucha match, a strong style match, or really any kind of match other than his patented brawling. To even suggest otherwise is simply incorrect.

Cena the best in the ring? Yeah, not even going to acknowledge that because it's such nonsense bullshit spread by all of the uber-cool anti-smark crowd who consider anyone who can do a flip or a four leaf clover to be shit because they don't scream alot and shake the ropes. Cena's in-ring storytelling is VASTLY overrated, especially this year in which he did absolutely nothing of note. Yeah, he won some World Titles, not that anyone will remember any of those reigns three months from now. What did he do this year? Have shitty matches with the Big Show? Have incredibly boring matches with Randy Orton usually lacking any semblance of psychology?

Without a doubt it's down to Jericho, Punk, and Danielson, but I'm going with Danielson. The man can work literally any style of wrestling that exists.

Don't give me all this bullshit about "Oh but Cena doesn't HAVE to work other styles!", you're right, he doesn't, but that doesn't make up for the fact that he can't work certain styles. Which in itself does in fact make him inferior in the ring to guys like Jericho.

 

[Rzarectah]

You're completely wrong, storytelling is in-ring ability. And I consider the ability to tell a story above the qualities such as technical moves or the number of moves one does. Perhaps you don't, but that is what I enjoy more, and that is what wrestling was always meant to be. John Cena is the best WWE wrestler today, because his storytelling ability is untouchable.

But your completley missing the point, this thread is about IN RING ability, I don't give a damn that you think storytelling is in ring ability, cause this thread is for the wresters who are really good at putting on a good wrestling match with good, well executed moves. Got it?

 

[Rzarectah]

Oh, so we're speaking about who can do all of those cool flips and holds. I got ya.

If someone said Shelton Benjamin, I'm going to have to cry. All he does is jump really high.

Boy, some people seem to be really confused about this post, this post isn't about people who "can do cool flips and holds" it's about In Ring talent. People have said shelton benjamin because he is a great wrestler in the WWE who is extremely talented and exctining in the ring. He also knows a variety of wrestling moves and holds. Neither is this thread about being a smart ass when you know damn well what I mean when I say in ring talent.

 

[Paradox]

I think you're overreacting to how bad Orton's in-ring ability is; he's actually fairly good. He's not lazy, he is just working a slow, methodical style, because that is heel tendencies. You wouldn't expect Orton to be doing flashy spots that would generate pops, do you? He does so many headlocks, because generally people give a negative response, and he knows the fans don't like it, which just makes him a better heel. He's had plenty of fairly good matches, but in each he plays a pretty good heel, so I can see why you don't like them. He's also great at telling a story, something that is severely underrated in the IWC. So, Orton is not a bad as you think.

No, he really is that bad. Name a match this year that he has this year or in the past two years that he has had that has been outstanding because of him? Look the guy can be slow and methodical. Yes, but move set wise. He has a headlock, back breaker, Stomps on the guy, DDT, punt and an rko. That's basically all of his offense. I'm sorry, there's a difference from being a good heel, and just awful in the ring. To be the best in ring performer, you have to constantly be putting on great matches. Orton is lucky if he puts on back to back good matches.

 

[CoolioCM]

Oh okay, so I guess story telling has nothing to do with an in-ring performance then? ... That makes no sense.

How many moves you know or can do doesn't matter at all. Moves, no matter how impressive or lackluster they are, are just props to tell the story in the ring. So gauging an opinion on who's good based off how many holds or moves they can do really means nothing. It's how they use those moves, when they do them, and WHY they do them that's important... And that my friend is what you call storytelling, which is the key component of any worker's in-ring performance. So thus, you have to take into account one's story telling in order to say who the most talented performer is.

 

[dman1373]

this would have been easy 8 months ago but alot has changed. I would have said old HBK but then he left for a couple months and has had only one triple threat and a slew of tag team matches since. He hasn't been able to prove that he is the best. Then theirs cm punk, who put on great matches with [spotman] jeff hardy. and then you got john morrison and rey mysterio putting on the smackdown match of the year. I really can't make a decision of one but a decision of hbk, punk, morrison, rey, and chris jericho[he doesn't need an explanatin.]

 

[Pestilence]

Chris Jerich, Y2J, Jericho is RAW, The Ayotollah of Rock n' Roll, etc...

Whatever you call him you have to agree that this man can wrestle, take bumps, and get over as a heel or a face. He can do Catch (Catch as catch can), New-School (more of an entertainment style), or ANY other style.

He is in a close tie with HBK, though.

 

[X]

Oh okay, so I guess story telling has nothing to do with an in-ring performance then? ... That makes no sense.

How many moves you know or can do doesn't matter at all. Moves, no matter how impressive or lackluster they are, are just props to tell the story in the ring. So gauging an opinion on who's good based off how many holds or moves they can do really means nothing. It's how they use those moves, when they do them, and WHY they do them that's important... And that my friend is what you call storytelling, which is the key component of any worker's in-ring performance. So thus, you have to take into account one's story telling in order to say who the most talented performer is.

Of course. I'm not speaking for the thread starter here, but I figured I'd respond to your post anyways. Nobody, or atleast I know I'm not saying that the more moves you know the better you are in the ring, because things like delivery, selling, and all-around charisma of course are main factors in that.

Which is still why I'm standing behind the trio of Jericho/Punk and the newly signed Danielson. Those three will always deliver in the big match environment.

 

[jazzua]

Boy, some people seem to be really confused about this post, this post isn't about people who "can do cool flips and holds" it's about In Ring talent. People have said shelton benjamin because he is a great wrestler in the WWE who is extremely talented and exctining in the ring. He also knows a variety of wrestling moves and holds. Neither is this thread about being a smart ass when you know damn well what I mean when I say in ring talent.

Your wrong here, it's not important, but you are. First, Benjamin botches about as much as he connects. How good can he truly be then?

Second, Anytime, and I mean anytime, someone creates a thread about best this or that it always becomes more about what should be considered and why more than who actually should be. In your question many different things immediately pop up in my mind. You say best in ring performer. So, are we talking people who have a great move-set, have a high risk arsenal, know many holds, tell a great story, have charisma, are athletic, and on and on and on. Does great charisma make up for a lack of chain wrestling ability? See my point? Every wrestler described so far carries many different type of abilities. Some are great wrestlers. Some rely more on charisma and their ability to entertain. That's why saying that your question is so easy doesn't make sense. The question in and of itself demands many more questions to be answered before continuing.

HBK is often called one of the best in-ring performers ever, if not the best. However, many of his matches have consisted of the same formula, yet it was his charisma that made him shine through. Don't get me wrong, he an amazing wrestler and performer. However, his charisma is what made people notice how great he really was. That is why Shawn is able to have the same match over and over on Raw these days without anyone really questioning it. He just mixes the spots up a bit and calls it good. In the end, I would consider in-ring performer as someone who entertains me most. If you are talking how they perform strictly in terms of wrestling, than you should be asking who is the best wrestler. That way, people would do the exact same questioning they are doing now. So it doesn't really matter.

Hulk Hogan can't wrestle. I stand by that. I've seen all his work, Japan as well, and I still don't think he could wrestle. However, he was a fantastic performer, in the ring. Figure that one out?

Considering, I still go with Christian and Jericho. No matter what stipulations are set these two meet all of them. Whether we are talking about wrestling, or flat out entertaining.

 

[school-of-hard-knocks]

Hmm... this is a tough one. Before I say it I wanna point out what to me makes a great in ring worker:

1. Psychology - a wide area. basically it is knowing when to go for which moves, when to pick up the pace and when to slow it down. Why to do certain things during the match like selling an injury or hitting a certain string of moves. Pretty much it is method behind the madness.

2. Crowd Reaction - How well does the crowd react to performers. And I am not talking about all of the "Ohhhhh's" after someone hits a cool move. I am talking about being able to make the fans get behind you as a face and get them to hate you as a heel.

3. Physical abilities - Even if you know what to do, when to do it, how to do it and make the fans react to it you still need the physical ability to do it and make it believable.

So with all of this in mind I would say that the best in-ring performer in WWE is none other than Edge.

But your completley missing the point, this thread is about IN RING ability, I don't give a damn that you think storytelling is in ring ability, cause this thread is for the wresters who are really good at putting on a good wrestling match with good, well executed moves. Got it?

No, it is not. It is about the best in ring performers. A match means absolutely nothing if it doesn't tell a story. And if you watch wrestling only for the cool moves, flips and flops you are a disgrace as a wrestling fan, or just very young and don't understand the concept of pro wrestling. Wrestling is scripted. Two people who are in the ring are working together and not against one another. Why are they working together? So they can put on a good show and tell a story to the fans that will keep them tuned into the match.

You wanna know who the best WRESTLER in the world is? Brock Lesnar is my pick. He can take anyone down and keep them on the ground for as long as he wants to. But that has nothing to do with PROFESSIONAL wrestling and neither does anything that you are saying.

 

[Freddy4190]

Chris Jericho. Simply because he can work any and every style there is and still be great. Yeah, he's cut down on the flashy moves that made him the Ayatolla of Rock-N-Rolla, but that's because of his gimmick. "I will not please the fans." or some crap. CM Punk is also in my head too. The guy wrestles his ass off. He can get it done against anyone in any enviroment and he's proven it time and time again.

 

[kingkulin02]

You guys are all ******ed if you think John Cena is even top ten in in-ring ability. John Cena is garbage and it shows when he can't even sell moves in the ring. Anyways this threat isn't about basing John Cena it is about who the best in-ring wrestler is. Well hands down it is HBK, and even though he didn't have many matches this year that stand out, just the one match with Undertaker was enough, and at Wrestlemania this year he will prove it again. My next choice is a tie between Edge and Jericho, and these new guys you are mentioning have a ways to go before they even get looked at. As far as Shelton Benjamin, sorry but his time has come and gone, and he failed. His in ring abilities are sub par, and honestly no one even watches ECW anymore to pay attention. Let's stick to the real shows on WWE Raw and Smackdown. On Raw number one is HBK, two is Randy Orton (Yes Orton's heel style of matches are awesome), third right now is Kofi Kingston. Smackdown One is Jericho or Edge (Jericho right now since Edge is out), two is Undertaker (He is getting older each year, but unlike HBK who can carry even a dead body in a match, I don' t think Taker can.), and number three is CM Punk.

All you John Cena lovers, get over yourselves, Cena cannot wrestle, his storytelling is crap, and honestly whenever Cena is on TV most people over the age of 18 flip the channel unless he is fighting someone credible. Cena needs to turn heel or else WWE is goign to lose alot of fans.

 

[school-of-hard-knocks]

You guys are all ******ed if you think John Cena is even top ten in in-ring ability. John Cena is garbage and it shows when he can't even sell moves in the ring. Anyways this threat isn't about basing John Cena it is about who the best in-ring wrestler is. Well hands down it is HBK, and even though he didn't have many matches this year that stand out, just the one match with Undertaker was enough, and at Wrestlemania this year he will prove it again. My next choice is a tie between Edge and Jericho, and these new guys you are mentioning have a ways to go before they even get looked at. As far as Shelton Benjamin, sorry but his time has come and gone, and he failed. His in ring abilities are sub par, and honestly no one even watches ECW anymore to pay attention. Let's stick to the real shows on WWE Raw and Smackdown. On Raw number one is HBK, two is Randy Orton (Yes Orton's heel style of matches are awesome), third right now is Kofi Kingston. Smackdown One is Jericho or Edge (Jericho right now since Edge is out), two is Undertaker (He is getting older each year, but unlike HBK who can carry even a dead body in a match, I don' t think Taker can.), and number three is CM Punk.

All you John Cena lovers, get over yourselves, Cena cannot wrestle, his storytelling is crap, and honestly whenever Cena is on TV most people over the age of 18 flip the channel unless he is fighting someone credible. Cena needs to turn heel or else WWE is goign to lose alot of fans.

Your post is garbage, a very biased garbage. John Cena has proved time and time again that he can work. His selling has improved a great deal. He now does a better job of selectively selling moves so it doesn't look like he is getting murdered on every move that he takes. And he sells the effects of the moves he has taken even when he is making his come back which is very important. He has developed more spots that he works into his matches such as flying outta ring after his opponent dodges diving shoulder tackle, knocking the stairs outta way when he is thrown into them, taking a spill after his one arm bulldog is countered, etc. John Cena is easily one of top 5 in-ring workers in WWE at this moment. Too bad your hate is blinding you from seeing this.

HBK was great but he isn't anymore. He can still pull off a great match every now and then but his age is catching up with him in a hurry. Jericho is great. CM Punk is above average. But as I said, personally I think that Edge is the best in-ring worker possibly in the world. He has the crowd in his palm in every match. He adapts well to other wrestlers' styles. He does a great job at selling moves. He controls matches well. There is a reason WWE has given him the strap so many times despite him not being too big of a draw.

 

[Rzarectah]

You guys are all ******ed if you think John Cena is even top ten in in-ring ability. this threat isn't about basing John Cena it is about who the best in-ring wrestler is.
All you John Cena lovers, get over yourselves

Although your post was a bit biased I agree with most of your points and commend you for telling the smarks who think its cool to like a wrestler who isn't good in the ring because he's the most popular to shut the fuck up. Only thing I didn't like was the Benjamin rip, I mean come on the guy doesn't have all that much charisma but don't tell me he's isn't an amazing in ring worker.

 

[Sean Valjean]

Since I'm interpreting this as pure, in-ring wrestling ability, I'm torn between Jericho, Punk, and the newly acquired Bryan Danielson.

It's tough, but I'm going with Jericho. He's one of the best, if not the best, all around wrestler. He can mat wrestle, do technical stuff, luchador stuff, he can fly, he can submission wrestle, and can tell a story all in one. The guy can seriously do anything. Punk is pretty much the same and though I don't watch ROH, I have seen some of Bryan Danielson's matches and his ring work is phenomenal.

John Cena has proved time and time again that he can work. His selling has improved a great deal. He now does a better job of selectively selling moves so it doesn't look like he is getting murdered on every move that he takes. And he sells the effects of the moves he has taken even when he is making his come back which is very important.

I'm sorry, but I could not let this slide. I'll admit that I'm not a Cena fan, but that has more to do with his character than his in-ring ability, which is quite good to be honest. However, one thing Cena has ALWAYS failed at is selling wear-and-tear.

John Cena has a long history of not selling long term damage. An example that come to mind are his match with HBK at WM 23 where Michaels worked on his leg for 10-15 minutes and Cena didn't sell it AT ALL. (the best he could muster was a leg shake before the 5 knuckle shuffle). Let's not mention him no-selling the punt at HIAC.

But the worst example by far was the Raw before the Hell in a Cell ppv. When Cena had to face Jerishow and Orton in the gauntlet, he got destroyed by Jerishow. He was in Big Show's colossal clutch for ages and in the Wall of Jericho even longer, and this was after they'd beaten the tar out of him. Then out comes Orton, Cena signals the cell to come down, and all of a sudden he's instantly rejuvanted, running around, beating up Orton, climbing the cell and even giving Orton the AA on top of the cell. A beaten and battered Cena destroys a FRESH Orton? What?

Sorry dude, Cena's good in the ring, but the only thing he can sell is merchandise.

 

[Aversion]

For people under 230 pounds, Chris Jericho is definitely the best in ring worker. He shows passion for the business every time he gets into the ring, and he can work with just about anyone, and put on a 5 star match. Also, he is the most talented on the mic on Smackdown! and RAW right now.

For people over 230 pounds, I really don't know. I would have said Undertaker about 3-10 years ago, but now he is too old to do anything. I would say Kane, but he has never been given the push he deserves, so I can't really choose.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Since I'm interpreting this as pure, in-ring wrestling ability, I'm torn between Jericho, Punk, and the newly acquired Bryan Danielson.

It's tough, but I'm going with Jericho. He's one of the best, if not the best, all around wrestler. He can mat wrestle, do technical stuff, luchador stuff, he can fly, he can submission wrestle, and can tell a story all in one. The guy can seriously do anything. Punk is pretty much the same and though I don't watch ROH, I have seen some of Bryan Danielson's matches and his ring work is phenomenal.



I'm sorry, but I could not let this slide. I'll admit that I'm not a Cena fan, but that has more to do with his character than his in-ring ability, which is quite good to be honest. However, one thing Cena has ALWAYS failed at is selling wear-and-tear.

John Cena has a long history of not selling long term damage. An example that come to mind are his match with HBK at WM 23 where Michaels worked on his leg for 10-15 minutes and Cena didn't sell it AT ALL. (the best he could muster was a leg shake before the 5 knuckle shuffle). Let's not mention him no-selling the punt at HIAC.

But the worst example by far was the Raw before the Hell in a Cell ppv. When Cena had to face Jerishow and Orton in the gauntlet, he got destroyed by Jerishow. He was in Big Show's colossal clutch for ages and in the Wall of Jericho even longer, and this was after they'd beaten the tar out of him. Then out comes Orton, Cena signals the cell to come down, and all of a sudden he's instantly rejuvanted, running around, beating up Orton, climbing the cell and even giving Orton the AA on top of the cell. A beaten and battered Cena destroys a FRESH Orton? What?

Sorry dude, Cena's good in the ring, but the only thing he can sell is merchandise.

So has Cena been the only to not sell wear-and-tear? HHH has done it in the past, HBK has done it in the past, and Taker has done it in the past so Cena has not been the only one. Just another straw to grasp for those who don't like Cena.

To me, it's either Cena or Chris Jericho and I'm going with Cena. He can wrestle opponents with varying styles and pull it off well with the powerhouses with Khali, Umaga, and Lashley and your Orton's and Edge's of the world. He has done great against HHH and HBK as well. Even though he gets boos which shouldn't be held against him, he gets a reaction out of the crowd unlike any other currently and that is in-ring ability.

 

[BK Styles]

If you're talking pure wrestling ability, I'd say Benjamin, easily. If you're talking entertainment/story telling, I'd probably go with HBK. For the whole package mix of the two, I'd have to say maybe Jericho; I think he mixes technical ability well with the story-telling ability in the ring so many don't have. Thats not to say HBK can't wrestle, I just think Jericho is the best in both fields.

 

[Spaceman Spif]

Man this thread is filled with a lot of garbage posts, wtf... anyways, back to the topic at hand.

There have been some seriously awesome names thrown around, but only two come to mind right now. I'll go with currently on WWE programming. CM Punk. This mans talent is unparralled, he can simply get it done in that damn ring. He can pull off any style flawlessly. In all honestly we haven't even seen half of what Punk can do in the ring. If the WWE were to truly let him unleash his arsenal on his opponents, most of you would be picking your jaws up off the ground and putting your eyes back into their sockets. Punk is an amazing amazing pure talent, one of the best natural wrestlers in the world. How most of you can't see that or don't know that show really how uneducated most wrestling fans are these days and that is unfathomable that there are so many.

The next is soon to make his debut hopefully. Brian Danielson... this man is another one of the best natural, pure wrestlers this sport has EVER seen. He is a machine in the ring and go forever, while keeping you glued to your seat the whole time. If you can find me a bad Danielson match I'll personally get on a plane or in a car go to where you live and kiss you ass, because I know you won't find such a match, they don't exsist. Punk and Danielson, hands down arguably the two best the WWE has to offer with in-ring ability and to me that means the ability to just wrestle any match, any style, any time.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I have to say all you need to do is look at the PWI's matches of the last decade list



Sure he is getting on now, but there aren’t many people that keep me interested in Raw these days. HBK is def one of them. Honourable mentions would go to Jericho and Punk who are both awesome almost every time I see them in the ring.

Once upon a time Shawn Michaels could have had the best in-ring ability but not today and not for a long time. The last great HBK match was either in 2005 or 2002 and I can't bother to remember which. His match with Flair, Undertaker, and Angle were overrated and he hasn't done anything worthwhile for years.

Cena, Batista, Undertaker, Punk, and Orton to me all are above HBK in terms of in-ring ability right now because they can bring it in the ring each and every night and Shawn just doesn't have it like he used to anymore.