WWE mags: 20 Toughest Superstars

[asiatic7]

WWE magazine just released it's 20 Toughest Superstars list. I don't know if any of you guys picked up on it yet or threaded on it, but there has been a bit of politcal influence on the list (as with any list they put out). Just to give you guys a quick rundown of the list: Mae Young, Andre The Giant, Steve Williams and The Road Warriors all appear before the top ten. The top ten are as follows:
10. Mick Foley
9. Haku
8. Booker T
7. Bad News Brown
6. Harley Race
5.Undertaker
4.John Cena
3. Triple H
2.Brock Lesnar
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Now, like I said before, there has been some politking during the process of putting this list together. Nothing against anybody on the list, but I don't think HHH, John Cena or Stone Cold belong any where near the top five. Most of the people on the list are legit tough guys. We heard the tales of Haku in the lockeroom (he scares me), Bad News Brown being the only man to back down Andre The Giant, Harley Races Reputation, Booker T beating down Batista...Hell, Foley's overall career speaks for itself!

Why with so many legit, no nonsense men and woman on the list ,WWE is trying to sell us this dillusional fantasy that "characters" are actually tougher than the actual tough guys on the list? I mean there are actual judo grand champions, NCAA wrestling champions, Olympic gold medalists(yeah, he's only number 16 on the list), UFC champions, Martial arts experts and guys who just on rep alone demand respect. ok, just to give you guys a better picture, here is 20-11

Daniel Bryan, Bam Bam Bigelow, Mae Young, Dr. Death, Kurt Angle, Finlay, Andre, LOD, Ken Shamrock, Steve Blackman...(where is Terry Funk andBruno Sammartino?)

Again, not to sound repetitive but are Characters (Cena, SCSA, HHH) supposed to be touger than the aformentioned superstars above? I'd like to hear your opinon and maybe your own personal short list of tough guys...

 

[H33LTurn]

In no particular order I thing these guys should've been in the top ten:

Piper
Lesnar
Stone Cold
Undertaker
Foley
Road Warrior Hawk
Road Warrior Animal
Batista
JBL
HBK

I dont see how Booker T is in any way tough and I'm only baring Mae Young on the list because she and Moolah revolutionized the divas division.

 

[HBsam31]

To answer the above poster about Booker T, wasn't there some story about him slapping Batista around. The OP mentioned it, but can anyone give any details. To answer the post, I don't put any stock into any list the WWE makes. I said this in another thread. just look at the top 50 superstars of all time DVD list. it is almost laughable at times. I don't know why they make these biased lists, but they are obviously not very accurate.

 

[mrfantastic111]

This lists aren't really made to fit the standard, they're usually just published to promote the status of these guys. Let's be honest, there are guys who should be on that list who didn't make it, WWE does it as a form of promotion for the guys who have stayed loyal to them. I remember around the same time that the WWE was giving the Miz a huge push they decided to put him on their count down of Greatest Submission Specialists. I think that was the moment I stopped reading the count downs because lets be honest, putting Miz on any submissions specialists list is just full of sh*t, but it was a cheap attempt to elevate his stock. That kept in mind, anything like these lists that WWE puts on their website is subliminally trying to elevate the status of new-comers, legends, etc.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

Yeah, you can only give lists like this so much credit. It's WWE magazine and should be accounted as the opinion of kayfabe.

To be honest, I have always thought of Triple H as being pretty soft in real life. He's a big guy and he talks tough, but to me it's come off as nothing but talk and I'd venture that he wouldn't win too many legit fights.

 

[alistahr]

why cant you put Hogan in that list? i mean the man got his ankle broken in his first wrestling training session.. and went back for more!

that should be considered

 

[Swarles Barkley]

In no particular order I thing these guys should've been in the top ten:

Piper
Lesnar
Stone Cold
Undertaker
Foley
Road Warrior Hawk
Road Warrior Animal
Batista
JBL
HBK

I dont see how Booker T is in any way tough and I'm only baring Mae Young on the list because she and Moolah revolutionized the divas division.

Putting the Road Warriors in there makes me think you're over 30, but putting Batista in there makes me think you're under 20. Booker T, as the OP mentioned, slapped the shit out of Big Dave a few years ago during a SummerSlam commercial shoot. I think it was in 2006. He belongs nowhere near a top 10 tough guy list.

Here are a list of guys (in no particular order other than the first one) that I think are probably legit tough guys:

Haku (if you haven't heard the stories about him, do a quick Google search and you'll find out why he's undoubtedly the toughest guy to ever step in a ring)
Undertaker
JBL
Brock Lesnar
Harley Race
Steve Austin
Mick Foley
Andre the Giant
Road Warrior Animal
Road Warrior Hawk
JYD
Bad News Allen/Brown
Bam Bam Bigelow
Dr. Death Steve Williams
Kurt Angle

 

[rge2010]

A lot of people are forgetting the Dynamite Kid. That guy was a loose cannon and extremely tough.

Scott Steiner has to be worth a mention as well. And yes, I have heard the Haku stories, he would be up there in the top 3. Lesnar has to be number 1.

 

[slothmister]

I smell WM29 promo here!!!

Look at the top 2 in the list, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the most popular WWE(F) star of all time (no I wont argue about that!) beign put over the ex UFC HW champion who they are currently working on for WM???

With all the rumours around, does no one else think this could start a fued which could lead to Stone Cold Vs Brock at WM29?

 

[ccotreau1]

For me, I take the top lists that the WWE posts as entirely subjective. Just because they feel that Stone Cold is the toughest Superstar doesn't mean he is the toughest in real life. And to the point of everyone who says that guys like Cena/SCSA/HHH don't belong on the list...I am not saying I would rank them as high as WWE did, but the list is compiled of SUPERSTARS, not how they are in real life, so yeah, I have no issues with those guys being at least on the list, just a matter of how I would rank them, and right now, I don't know how I would rank them

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I wouldn't take it too seriously, WWE Magazine is all written in kayfabe, though I'm very surprised Triple H is higher than the Undertaker. Would've liked Shamrock, Angle and Blackman to be somewhere on the list too.

 

[kwig2121]

Well I'm way over 20 & I'm older than 30 as well....my list would look something like this:

1. Brock Lesnar-
2. Road Warrior Hawk
3. Booker T
4. Randy Savage
5. Kevin Nash
6. Undertaker
7. Steve Dr Death Williams
8. Haku
9. Arn Anderson
10. Sid Viscious- cuz he was crazy as hell!

 

[JGlass]

Putting the Road Warriors in there makes me think you're over 30, but putting Batista in there makes me think you're under 20. Booker T, as the OP mentioned, slapped the shit out of Big Dave a few years ago during a SummerSlam commercial shoot. I think it was in 2006. He belongs nowhere near a top 10 tough guy list.

Here are a list of guys (in no particular order other than the first one) that I think are probably legit tough guys:

Haku (if you haven't heard the stories about him, do a quick Google search and you'll find out why he's undoubtedly the toughest guy to ever step in a ring)
Undertaker
JBL
Brock Lesnar
Harley Race
Steve Austin
Mick Foley
Andre the Giant
Road Warrior Animal
Road Warrior Hawk
JYD
Bad News Allen/Brown
Bam Bam Bigelow
Dr. Death Steve Williams
Kurt Angle

If you're going to dismiss Batista because he got his ass kicked by Booker T, I don't see how you can include JBL. When the WWE was overseas for... I want to say Tribute to the Troops, Joey Styles rocked JBL with a punch to the face.


But nevertheless, the idea of arguing about the legitimacy of a list from the WWE magazine is stupid. The list if purely pushing WWE's current agenda, and while the inclusion of guys like Haku and Steve Williams is a nice touch, it's really nothing more than the WWE saying, "Hey look! We've got soooo many tough guys in the WWE today! Tune in and watch!"

I love John Cena, but I wouldn't consider him a "tough guy." Nor would I consider Lesnar, Mae Young, Bam Bam Bigelow, Angle, Blackman, or Daniel Bryan. Triple H gets to stay on the list because he finished a match after he destroyed his legs.

The WWE seems to be confusing classic tough with tough to beat. Of course Angle, Cena, and Lesnar are three of the most difficult opponents of all time, but they're not tough. Haku gouged a dude's eye out, and allegedly bit off noses. Stan Hansen finished a fight after having his eyeball knocked out of his socket. Vader once popped out Stan Hansen's eyeball during a match (there's a lot of eyeball stuff here, huh?).

I know that Angle ran a contest backstage where he bragged nobody could take him down, but that doesn't make him tough, it makes him talented. What makes you tough is being able to either deal or absorb excruciating amounts of pain.

 

[The_Irish_Warrior]

I think Chris Jericho should be in there, I'm surely not the only one who read his book. He got in a legit fight with Goldberg who's huge you gotta admit and he had to be pulled off of him.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

It's just a kayfabe list, with a bit of smark thrown in there to make it debate worthy.

Triple H? Cena? Austin?

I've never heard stories that would suggest that any of these three guys belong on a all time toughest wrestler in real life list. Sure to the average guy they're all tough... but in the wrestling community? Where are the stories about how their peers are scared to death of what these guys could do to them physically? Politically sure... but not physically.

These lists really seem like they're just made to troll the IWC and get them talking.

 

[obamartins]

#1 Haku
#2 Lou Thesz
#3 Brock Lesnar
#4 Strangler Lewis
#5 Frank Gotch
#6 Ken Shamrock
#7 Kazushi "The Gracie Hunter" Sakuraba
#8 Danny Hodge
#9 Billy Robinson
#10 Dan Severn
#11 Kurt Angle
#12 Antonio Inoki
#13 Andre The Giant
#14 Harley Race
#15 Scott Steiner
#16 Rick Rude
#17 Rick Steiner
#18 Bad News Brown
#19 Iron Sheik
#20 Bart Gunn
#21 Scott Norton
#22 Dan Spivey
#23 Paul Orndorff
#24 Undertaker
#25 Stan Hansen
#26 Kevin Nash
#27 JBL
#28 Dynamite Kid
#29 BlackJack Mulligan
#30 Jacqueline!

The list above represents guys who could legit handle themselves in real life fight situations (no doubt i left out many). It does not include guys considered tough like Atsushi Onita, Terry Funk, Mick Foley & Yoshihiro Takayama who are known for taking extreme punishment.

Also i don't know why Road Warriors (who were notorious for having there way with opponents) are mentioned in the orginal list when the Steiner Brothers use to toss around Road Warriors like rag dolls in their matches.

 

[The HEEL JuiceLee]

I cant believe nobody has mentioned Mr.Wonderful. Hogan,Flair,DDP,Mick Foley always mention 2 guys.Well every1 knows about Haku and has said him.But in the 90's Vader thought he was tough and was a Bully.Bam Bam Bigelow said he was the biggest ******** in the biz(Vader smacked a 65 year old woman in Japaneese woman for being 10 min late to pick him up gtom the airport)anywats Mr.Wonderful had just took a shower and was in nothing but a towel and slippers.When he came out he seen Vader throwing his weight around and tring to rough up some backstage workers so
Mr. Wonderful went up and slapped him,when Vader tried to retaliate ole Paul Orndorf flipped Big Vader's ass.Also Jericoh mentions him as 1 of the toughest guy's and had some backstage stories on him.
But The top 10 is a joke.If they are going to rate Booker T so high because he's a commentator now & he slapped Batista.Well why dont the put Jacque Rogeou on the list for splitting Dynamite's shit so bad he took his carear to Japan because he was to bitter and embarassed to show his face in WWE or WcW. Just saying!!!

my top 10
1.Haku
2.Brock Lesnar
3.Mr. Wonderful
4.Harley Race
5.UnderTaker
6.Ken Shamrock
7.Dr.Death Steve Williams
8.Kurt Angle
9.Road Warrior Hawk(Animal seems like a really nice guy to me)
10.Bam Bam Bigelow

And these guys might not make anybody's list but i want to give New Jack(4 justafable homicides as a bounty hunter) and u have to be a little tough to throw your self out of balconies.
Also Scott Steiner.He might make a few list's actualy.And rightfully so.Scotty is crazy!!!

 

[rokuma]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Sid Vicious yet? Sid is a HUGE man and legit scary. I wouldn't mess with Sid. Also, Kevin Nash deserves some respect on this list. Didn't he punch out some guy that was messing with his wife at a wedding or something?

I understand the political aspects behind the list, but Cena over Undertaker?! REALLY? In what universe is Cena tougher than the Undertaker, even in the wrestling world. If you're just talking wrestling, Undertaker was in the most brutal match at Wrestlemania this past year, numerous Hell in a Cell matches (Foley and HBK to name a couple), numerous Casket matches (one in which he was set on fire inside the casket). What has Cena done except be Mr. PG? HHH I can see to some degree, but the same thing...how is he above the Undertaker? Kinda ridiculous if you ask me, even if it is scripted.

 

[canudiggit]

I agree with some of the posts that Booker T shouldn't be up there. Nothing against how tough he may be in real life, but his in ring persona never struck me as a tough guy that the other wrestlers should be afraid of.

 

[robbo316]

#1 Haku
#2 Lou Thesz
#3 Brock Lesnar
#4 Strangler Lewis
#5 Frank Gotch
#6 Ken Shamrock
#7 Kazushi "The Gracie Hunter" Sakuraba
#8 Danny Hodge
#9 Billy Robinson
#10 Dan Severn
#11 Kurt Angle
#12 Antonio Inoki
#13 Andre The Giant
#14 Harley Race
#15 Scott Steiner
#16 Rick Rude
#17 Rick Steiner
#18 Bad News Brown
#19 Iron Sheik
#20 Bart Gunn
#21 Scott Norton
#22 Dan Spivey
#23 Paul Orndorff
#24 Undertaker
#25 Stan Hansen
#26 Kevin Nash
#27 JBL
#28 Dynamite Kid
#29 BlackJack Mulligan
#30 Jacqueline!

The list above represents guys who could legit handle themselves in real life fight situations (no doubt i left out many). It does not include guys considered tough like Atsushi Onita, Terry Funk, Mick Foley & Yoshihiro Takayama who are known for taking extreme punishment.

Also i don't know why Road Warriors (who were notorious for having there way with opponents) are mentioned in the orginal list when the Steiner Brothers use to toss around Road Warriors like rag dolls in their matches.

Good to see someone mentioning Kurt Angle as a legit tought guy. To answer your question about Hawk and Animal, they were bouncers in Chicago, so really Rick Rude should be included and possibly Curt Hennig and his father Larry. There are many and it is, after a few names, pretty subjective, because I would also include Peter Maivia, Afa, Sika, Lou Albano, Bruno Sammartino.

 

[Lionheart]

Haven't been on here in a while, but I noticed that some people on this list have bashed Triple H a little bit for being on this list. All I know is that when someone is in the middle of a match and he tears a muscle completely off the bone in his leg, the average person would stay down.

The "tough" person would get up, tag out and let his partner finish the match.

What Triple H did was not only finish the match, but he took the FRICKING WALLS OF JERICHO on top of an announce table! That is bloody well superhuman in my books and worthy of a spot on this list.

As a PS to this, Scott Steiner should get some recognition on this list also. If you have Read Bret Hart's book, you can agree with me as Bret says that Scotty could manhandle very accomplished martial artists and wrestlers with ease and was incredibly strong.

 

[BigThunder]

Haku, Bad News Allen/Brown, Brock, Angle, Foley, and Shamrock would be competing for the top position. A lot of great wrestlers and a lot of great backstage anecdotes would finish off the list; hard for anyone not in the business to really judge. I'd love to see some pros weigh in on this.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Why with so many legit, no nonsense men and woman on the list ,WWE is trying to sell us this dillusional fantasy that "characters" are actually tougher than the actual tough guys on the list? I mean there are actual judo grand champions, NCAA wrestling champions, Olympic gold medalists(yeah, he's only number 16 on the list), UFC champions, Martial arts experts and guys who just on rep alone demand respect. ok, just to give you guys a better picture, here is 20-11

Daniel Bryan, Bam Bam Bigelow, Mae Young, Dr. Death, Kurt Angle, Finlay, Andre, LOD, Ken Shamrock, Steve Blackman...(where is Terry Funk andBruno Sammartino?)

Because it's pro wrestling, not MMA or boxing. Most "legit, no nonsense men & women" don't sell tickets in wrestling today, and haven't for a long time for that matter. People know that wrestling is "fake" and they know that this isn't a truly comprehensive list. Much like various wrestling industry awards given out by publications like PWI or the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, these lists are about getting people talking, discussing and debating just as we are right now. As for some that you listed, what exactly makes guys like Bryan, Bigelow, Blackman, Dr. Death & Shamrock so much tougher? Bam Bam was just a big guy with an awesome tattoo that got cut open and went through tables a lot in ECW. So what? LOTS of guys have done that. Why is Blackman so tough? Just because he studied martial arts, he's automatically a badass? Shamrock's toughness and dominance in MMA is HIGHLY overrated. LOD were a couple of big powerlifters with face paint and looked like bikers. Not that they weren't touch, but I never really saw any especially potent feats of toughness from them that was beyond any other pro wrestler.

Outside of pro wrestling, I don't especially care how tough these people are or aren't. I don't give a shit really. I watch pro wrestling to be entertained, as do most other fans. The list isn't legit, even WWE knows that, but these lists are an interesting way of sort of paying homage to current and former wrestlers as well as introducing older wrestlers to fans that might not be familiar with them. It's harmless, so I wouldn't get worked up about any of it.

 

[loojceeb]

You guys are repeating the same guys over and over, you guys are over looking the underrated superstars. Here is my list that I've watched videos on and did research.

#1. Jerry the King lawler (he was mentioned on WWE talk show and articles *forgot the titles* that he can kick anybody's ass and leave his job whenever he wants, Vince dares not to tell him what to do). And also he molested a little girl *jokes*.
#2. Fit Finlay (The guy that loves to break people's thumb when hes pissed, as tough as they come)
#3. Hardcore Holly - Broke his hands, Neck, and cut his back and never complained. And he also slapped newbies around all day long.
#4. Bill Demott - he's the measuring stick
#5. Sean o' Haire - got arrested for beating up a group of guys at the bar (even though he suckd in MMA)

HM :
Sabu (reckless stunts and is still brave enough to go perform with 1000 botches
Brodus Clay (Former guard of snoop dog, take them bullets)

 

[justin71]

Ripping out Jesse Barr eyeball is pretty hardcore and not getting fired because your boss is afraid of you and then leaving WCW with their title and not dealing with any consequences because your ex-boss is afraid of you(Ok I made the two last parts up, but I would not be surprised if I was right). King Tonga #1!