Who Is The Most Athletic Superstar Of The Past 10 Years?

[Big Papa Santo]

I don't mean how good that they were on the mic, or if their character was stale or boring, but based on pure athleticism who is the best of the past decade?
I'd have to go with Kurt Angle, he was an Olympic gold-medalist (as if the announcers would let us forget) and he had an amateur wrestling background, and actually had a solid character who i enjoyed very much, another is Shelton Benjamin, who character wise was the polar opposite of Angle, he wasn't that great on the mic, and his character wasn't the most entertaining, but he made up for it with some damn good matches.

Are their any other superstars over the past decade who you thought were amazing athletes? If so then post them below.

 

[#hamler]

All around athletic, probably Brock Lesnar.

He could hang with just about everyone who was anyone during his time in the WWE. He out-wrestled Kurt Angle on occasion, had incredible speed not only for someone his size, but a human being in general and he usually executed scientific wrestling moves well. He used brute strength and often times was unmatched. Kurt Angle is a good choice but Brock Lesnar was arguably quicker, stronger, smarter, and an all around better wrestler then Kurt Angle. Brock Lesnar is probably the most athletic guy we've seen in the last couple of years.

 

[Nadeem Ahmad]

All around athletic, probably Brock Lesnar.

He could hang with just about everyone who was anyone during his time in the WWE. He out-wrestled Kurt Angle on occasion, had incredible speed not only for someone his size, but a human being in general and he usually executed scientific wrestling moves well. He used brute strength and often times was unmatched. Kurt Angle is a good choice but Brock Lesnar was arguably quicker, stronger, smarter, and an all around better wrestler then Kurt Angle. Brock Lesnar is probably the most athletic guy we've seen in the last couple of years.

He might have been a better fighter and wrestler, but I don't think he was quite as athletic, compared to Kurt. That infamously botched shooting star press from Wrestlemania Nineteen immediately came to the mind after you mentioned him. Just look at the moonsaults that Angle tried to do, even the manuevers that missed, like at Wrestlemania Eighteen against Kane, and you might see what I meant. Brock was a bit stiff when he performed certain moves around the time of wrestling injured in the season for Survivor Series in 2002. Kurt Angle, although not nearly as quick, still seemed to be more agile. When he got hurt during the main event of Summerslam 2000, Kurt still did not look as if he was walking on stilts or anything, and though noticeably slower in the ring, was working through a legitmate injury he received from falling on the table by the announcers. It might not be fair to compare the two types of injuries, but he nonetheless appeared to be working through spots in that bout, and pulling off suplexes semi-crisply.

 

[RicoLen]

Bah, you can probably tell who I'd pick as the most athletic wrestler in the last 20 years. Mr. Perfect was the total package... hell I'll still go with it, he just barely qualifies. Check out what Mr. Perfect was doing to The Big Show back in 2002.

Even as a jobber putting over slower and less athletic stars like Steve Austin & Big Slow, Perfect not only looked good but made his opponent look great.

I would probably go with Kurt Angle as a distant second, but Angle, at 42 looks a lot worse than Curt Hennig did at 43.

 

[WunNightStan619]

I gotta give it to either Kurt Angle or Shelton Benjamin. Not much needs to be said about Kurt, but Benjamin never failed to amaze me. He had some truly awe inspiring performances and wrestlemania and was able to do things that i had never seen done before

 

[akrassikauda]

I would have to go with Shelton Benjamin. He was so athletic and a pretty damn good wrestler that matches against top tier talent was must see half of that was what is Shelton going to do next.Best spot will always be catching sweet chin music off of a springboard, if it was anyone else it would have been generic.

 

[willbd78]

Ther can be a strong case made for all wrestlers mentioned here. For the same reasons as Shelton Bejamin, there can also be a case made for his tag team partner Charlie Haas.

 

[krazyd]

jim ross has often said he thought shelton was the best all around raw athlete, i was always a huge fan. what about john morrison?! i think hes more athletic dude can fly and just control his body like nothing iver ever seen. not to mention the parkour stuff he does/did at this years rumble..i was there live and when he jumped on to the barrier n just held on i was mesmorized.

 

[kokoBawesome]

Kurt Angle is a pretty perfect choice. Just by reading the title of this thread it's who I was going to pick, but everyone else here explained it better than I ever could so I won't waste your time. I just wanna throw a little love toward Shawn Michaels for hanging in there during the past ten years. If we were looking back twenty years he'd be on that list for the iron man match alone (let alone the other amazing things he's done). He's slowed with age so I guess my vote is a lifetime achievement award.

I'll gladly take some sh*t for this, but Cena putting up the Big Show merits a mention, as well as Evan Bourne and Kofi's abilities in the air. I'm sticking with Angle but somebody has to be the first a**hole to think outside the box.

 

[King of the Words]

I think Brock was all around great in the ring. Maybe made some mistakes but for his size I`ll overlook it. Even though some people would not agree, I have to give props to John Morrison. When he`s on his game I think he`s the best they have, in the ring. Dolph and Kofi have some great talent as well, in the ring. HBK did some amazing stuff in his second run. He is definetly the measuring stick to go by IMO.

 

[keehlnate]

For me it is Brock Lesnar. He is not just the most athletic superstar but he is the most freak athlete that I've ever seen. It is really rare to see someone huge that moves as quick and as fast like he is a small guy. He got the size, the speed and the power. He probably got his 'quickness' on his NFL background.

 

[JWGunslinger]

All around athletic, probably Brock Lesnar.

He could hang with just about everyone who was anyone during his time in the WWE. He out-wrestled Kurt Angle on occasion, had incredible speed not only for someone his size, but a human being in general and he usually executed scientific wrestling moves well. He used brute strength and often times was unmatched. Kurt Angle is a good choice but Brock Lesnar was arguably quicker, stronger, smarter, and an all around better wrestler then Kurt Angle. Brock Lesnar is probably the most athletic guy we've seen in the last couple of years.

That's fucking right, the correct answer to the question is Brock Lesnar. Never before had we seen such an amazing human specimine, not only was his physique incredible but what was most impressive was what he could do for such a big guy. His speed and all around athleticism made him a major threat to his competition and a marvel to the fans. He put on some amazing matches, and so what if he had a few problems, who doesnt? The fact is that judging on athleticism nobody beats the next big thing.

 

[LegendKiller716]

My actual answer has been mentioned by a few already, but I want to throw John Morrison's name in the hat. The things he does in the ring never seize to amaze me. Starship Pain, Moonlight Drive, C4, Dancing Legdrop. All amazing moves. His parkor style makes for some amazing spots and he is probably in better shape than anyone in WWE history.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Most people don't know what the fuck athleticism is. they think that Mark henry isn't athletic because he's slow or that Morrison is athletic because he does flips.

Brock Lesnar is my answer. He was extremely quick, agile, and strong for his size (everything). It's insane how much Brock could do given his size.

Angle in 1996 maybe was more athletic (well probably, fuckin olympian), but Angle in the WWE, no. Angle was still a freak but not on the Lesnar level of ridiculousness.

Being smaller and agile and fast isn't impressive at all. You're SUPPOSED to be. Morrison isn't the most athletic because of this. Shit I guarantee you that Bourne could do everything Morrison does and probably with more precision. Both have a gymnastics background. Morrison botches quite a bit. It's because his body control is great but not THAT great. Bourne doesn't do as crazy of shit, but it's not because he can't, it's because he doesn't want to. If you can name someone else who could probably do what that person does, they aren't as athletic as you think. Can anyone name a single other 300 pound human being who could do what Lesnar did? Didn't think so.

If you say a smaller guy who does flips, you look kinda stupid. There are millions (literally) of people that are small and agile and fast. But how many 300 pound people are fast and agile and strong? Not many, it takes more athleticism to move a big body with coordination. I have a cousin who does parkour and can do standing backflips and flips off walls and corkscrew flips and shit. I don't know of anyone who can bench 500 AND do a backflip. Brock Lesnar is the most obvious answer.

 

[dansaun77]

Brock Lesnar hans down. He is a freak, his agility and skill for his size is unassailable. Add to his proven legitimacy for shooting and being able to carry a wrestling match as a work, Brock wins hands down

 

[RJJ]

Brock Lesnar by far. He's not only the most physically gifted athlete of the past 10yrs, IMO he's most athletic star to ever step in a wrestling ring. The guy was a freak of nature. No disrespect to angle, or benjamin, but lesnar's athleticism was unhuman.

 

[AxAs]

Brock Lesnar by far. He's not only the most physically gifted athlete of the past 10yrs, IMO he's most athletic star to ever step in a wrestling ring. The guy was a freak of nature. No disrespect to angle, or benjamin, but lesnar's athleticism was unhuman.

Agreed. In my opinion Brock Lesnar is the most athletically gifted person to ever step in a wrestling ring. Angle was very athletic too but if you look at how much bigger Lesnar was than him then Lesnar takes the prize.

People can say about the botched shooting star press but if you go back and watch it his foot slipped as he jumped. And Angle has even said in interviews that Brock was hitting them from further away during practice sessions. And also that wasn't the first time Brock has even attempted the shooting star press, and when he did in the past he hit it.

It also proves what an insane athlete he was that he could land that hard on his head and still manage to finish the match!

 

[Mustang Sally]

It's important not to confuse athleticism with being a good wrestling technician. For that reason, I don't see Kurt Angle as being the most athletic, although he might qualify as the most skilled.

I equate athleticism to having the highest degree of control over one's body; being able to make yourself perform intricate maneuvers while always knowing where you are and what you're trying to accomplish. For that reason, I think Shelton Benjamin and Evan Bourne are the most athletic performers out there.

They can make their bodies do whatever they want. That's athleticism.

 

[Big Papa Santo]

Guys, for some of you that are getting confused by the question, i don't mean as Mustang Sally said how good they were as a mat technician or how good their grappling was, but also, looking at their backgrounds, because Kurt Angle never did insane diving off ladder Spots like Shelton Benjamin, nor was he ever as agile and quick as Brock Lesnar, but he was an Olympic athlete, so i am also asking this based on their pre-wrestling experience, which includes amateur wrestling backgrounds etc.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

When I think of someone as being the most athletic, I look at what a guy brings to the table in terms of strength, speed, stamina, agility and durability. To me, someone that's the most athletic has to have a very good mesh of all these qualities. Yes, you can still be considered athletic if you're merely a powerhouse or a speedster but I'm looking at guys that have all those qualities.

Guys like Shelton Benjamin, Brock Lesnar and John Morrison are extremely athletic and bring a lot to the table, no doubt about that. For me, however, I do have to go with Kurt Angle. Angle is someone that seemed to have the perfect blend of strength, quickness, agility, endurance and just flat out being able to endure the physical strain that wrestling can put onto someone. That doesn't mean that there aren't some wrestlers that have certain qualities of athleticism to a greater degree. After all, there are guys that are stronger or faster or more agile. However, you'd be extremely hard pressed to find a single wrestler that brings more to the table in all of these qualities combined than Kurt Angle has.

One reason why I just couldn't vote for Lesnar is that he simply couldn't handle the WWE schedule. How a wrestler handles being out on the road for so long, dealing with the wear and tear the road has with it, going out there & working your ass off even if you feel like a 240 pound piece of roadkill. If a wrestler wants to be a mega star in WWE, they have to be physically athletic just to be able to endure the schedule. You want that huge money, you wanna wrestle in front of 15,000 people, you wanna travel all over the world; then the schedule is definitely part of it.

Also, look at Angle's amateur career. Angle has endured incredible injuries over the course of his career as both an amateur and professional wrestler. But he always fought his way through the pain. Mental toughness is part of it as well but the flesh has to be willing.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

When I think of someone as being the most athletic, I look at what a guy brings to the table in terms of strength, speed, stamina, agility and durability. To me, someone that's the most athletic has to have a very good mesh of all these qualities. Yes, you can still be considered athletic if you're merely a powerhouse or a speedster but I'm looking at guys that have all those qualities.

Guys like Shelton Benjamin, Brock Lesnar and John Morrison are extremely athletic and bring a lot to the table, no doubt about that. For me, however, I do have to go with Kurt Angle. Angle is someone that seemed to have the perfect blend of strength, quickness, agility, endurance and just flat out being able to endure the physical strain that wrestling can put onto someone. That doesn't mean that there aren't some wrestlers that have certain qualities of athleticism to a greater degree. After all, there are guys that are stronger or faster or more agile. However, you'd be extremely hard pressed to find a single wrestler that brings more to the table in all of these qualities combined than Kurt Angle has.

One reason why I just couldn't vote for Lesnar is that he simply couldn't handle the WWE schedule. How a wrestler handles being out on the road for so long, dealing with the wear and tear the road has with it, going out there & working your ass off even if you feel like a 240 pound piece of roadkill. If a wrestler wants to be a mega star in WWE, they have to be physically athletic just to be able to endure the schedule. You want that huge money, you wanna wrestle in front of 15,000 people, you wanna travel all over the world; then the schedule is definitely part of it.

Also, look at Angle's amateur career. Angle has endured incredible injuries over the course of his career as both an amateur and professional wrestler. But he always fought his way through the pain. Mental toughness is part of it as well but the flesh has to be willing.

Angle was always injured. Lesnar just didn't want to put his body through it. "Mental toughness" and getting through injuries isn't really an athletic trait. How many guys are "great athletes but don't have the determination"? LeBron James is by far a better athlete than say David Eckstein, but eckstein has more heart and mental toughness.

Not only that, but Lesnar being a lot bigger than Angle and STILL bumping a lot meant lesnar put his body through more. Pure athleticism Lesnar wins. He's every bit as fast and agile as angle but he's also bigger and stronger.

People wanna talk about body control. Sure, Bourne and Morrison have body control, but do they REALLY do anything all that more spectacular than a ton of other small indy guys? Not really. That's because it's easy to be coordinated when you're small because you're not moving as much mass.

 

[RicoLen]

ATHLETE
Noun:
A person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise.

Sorry if this comes off as a double post, but I think you guys are missing the meaning of the question. An athlete is a person with great natural ability in sports. ALL sports, not just wrestling. This isn't about who is the most well conditioned wrestler. This is who is the most athletic superstar of the past 10 years.

Pure athleticism Lesnar wins.

Not in the world of amateur wrestling he doesn't. He was no where near as skilled, and that's what this discussion is about. The reason Kurt Angle gets mentioned at all is because he was legitimately the best in the world at amateur wrestling. That's a great claim that Brock Lesnar will never compare in, he was never nor will ever be the best in the world.

But for as great as Angle was in wrestling, can he play baseball? Football? Basketball? Can he even stay afloat in the water, let alone make a "perfect" dive? Can he play darts? Bowl? Could he even play even one single sport outside wrestling at all?

Brock Lesnar has a claim to being almost good enough for the NFL, though not really. As close as Lesnar came, that makes him worthy of being mentioned in this discussion.

Look at other guys like Bill Goldberg who was better than Lesnar at football, and every bit as intimidating and awesome in the ring. He deserves to be mentioned.

Yet for all of these guys accomplishments remains one guy that OBVIOUSLY stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Mr. Perfect, 9 years ago in 2002 at the age of 43 still had it all in spades. No one comes close. Not Angle, not Lesnar, not Benjamin, no one, at least no one mentioned yet. Not only is Curt Hennig the best athlete pro-wrestling has seen in the last 10 years, he's the best athlete the WWE has possibly EVER seen.

 

[Big Papa Santo]

Sorry if this comes off as a double post, but I think you guys are missing the meaning of the question. An athlete is a person with great natural ability in sports. ALL sports, not just wrestling. The reason Kurt Angle gets mentioned at all is because he was legitimately the best in the world at amateur wrestling. That's a great claim that Brock Lesnar will never compare in, no matter his "mental toughness" he was never nor will ever be the best in the world.

But for as great as Angle was in wrestling, can he play baseball? Football? Basketball? Can he even stay afloat in the water, let alone make a "perfect" dive? Can he play darts? Bowl? Could he even play even one single sport outside wrestling at all?

Brock Lesnar has a claim to being almost good enough for the NFL, though not really. As close as Lesnar came, that makes him worthy of being mentioned in this discussion.

Look at other guys like Bill Goldberg who was better than Lesnar at football, and every bit as intimidating and awesome in the ring. He deserves to be mentioned.

Yet for all of these guys accomplishments remains one guy that OBVIOUSLY stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Mr. Perfect, 9 years ago in 2002 at the age of 43 still had it all in spades. No one comes close. Not Angle, not Lesnar, not Benjamin, no one, at least no one mentioned yet. Not only is Curt Hennig the best athlete pro-wrestling has seen in the last 10 years, he's the best athlete the WWE has possibly EVER seen.

I said last 10 years, and even though Curt had a run in 2002, it was very short, and he has always been more an entertainer than an athlete, i'm not saying that he wasn't a great athlete, but when i think of the all time great wrestling athletes, i don't necessarily think of him, but when i think of great entertainers, then he's definitely on that list.

 

[loojceeb]

Kurt Angle was great but not a superhuman like Brock Lesnar. Lesnar was just incredible in the ring and outside the ring. Great speed, great power, and most of all a huge ego. The man like a superman who was immune to cryptynite *however you spell it*. But he was just great, 6'4 and close to 300 pounds, could run as a wide receiver and lift weight like a mad truck. Goldberg wishes he can be Lesnar. But you can tell that Brock is amazing, even Kurt Angle is amazed by this guy. Batista said in an interview with the droz brother and said that if he was to arm wrestle Lesnar, lesnar would tore off his arms. Lesnar was the best thing to ever walk into the WWE and left as the best. 7 years later, WWE still wants him in WWE 12 haha and considering that he was only in the wwe for 2 years! and he's being treated like a legend. Gotta praise that!

 

[THE SWAG]

i would have to throw in the big show at least when he first started in his early years, for a guy his size to throw a drop kick off the top rope, that has my vote.

i would also like throw in aj styles, would love to see him in wwe one day, but who knows if that will ever happen, just to see what he could do against people like orton, and jericho, would love to jomo go to tna just to see what kind of match jomo and styles could put together