[Mikey]

Best Wrestler: This takes into account drawing power, star power, workrate, character, interviews, the whole smash.

I need 20 nominations from everyone. Rank them in order of your ballot. Best at the top, second best, and so on... you guys aren't stupid. (Wait, check that...)

Depending on the final tally of guys, I may bracket them out by federation or something like that, but I haven't decided yet.

I'll get my list together later and post it. Until then, you guys do the work.

Nominations due by 8am EST Thursday, February 7.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

What's the criteria again?

[Mikey]

fsolomon75 said:

What's the criteria again?

I just added it, but everything pretty much.

[The Canadian Content]

tarheelmike said:

I need 20 nominations from everyone.

By when?

[Mikey]

Ah hell... I don't know. [/Lou Brown]

We'll say next Wednesday.

Actually Thursday, cause I'm not exactly skipping class that night to come home and sort out wrestlers on a spreadsheet. I think there may be some sort of basketball competition on that evening.

[Pun]

Someone with more power than me (**cough**LUCKY!**cough**) needs to post this over at OO. This could bring a lot of people over here.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

Off the top of my head... subject to change

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
2. Kurt Angle
3. Ric Flair
4. HHH
5. The Rock
6. Hulk Hogan
7. HBK
8. Chris Benoit
9. Randy Savage
10. Mick Foley
11. Chris Jericho
12. Eddie Guerrero
13. Mr. Perfect
14. RVD
15. Undertaker
16. Bret Hart
17. Rowdy Roddy Piper
18. Rey Mysterio
19. Edge
20. Andre The Giant

[Mikey]

fsolomon75 said:

John Cena

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!

[The Jewish Cunthead]

I was just throwing names out there, he won't make my final list.

[Stu]

The 12th name on Solly's list is more worrying to me. What if HE won?

[Mikey]

stu said:

The 12th name on Solly's list is more worrying to me. What if HE won?

Considering I almost named this sub-board The Chris Benoit House of Horrors, I may rig the thing so that he DOES win.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

He ain't winning but I felt like it would be a crime if I didn't at least put him on the list.

[Lucky]

Benoit's gonna be a hell of a lot higher on my list than 12. "Moral worth" doesn't mean much to me in this evaluation.

Off the top of my head my list will come from the pool of:

Chris Benoit
Booker T
Raven
Sting
Bret Hart
Jushin Liger
Brian Pillman
Lance Storm
Shane Douglas
Ric Flair
AJ Styles
Samoa Joe
Scott Hall
Eddie Guerrero
Rey Mysterio Jr
Christopher Daniels
Konnan
Rob Van Dam
Steve Austin
Edge

Low Ki
Taz
Angle
Homicide
Great Muta
Bryan Danielson

[williamssl]

What's the bracket size going to be? 16? 32?

1. Randy Savage
2. Steve Austin
3. Shawn Michaels
4. Hulk Hogan
5. Ric Flair
6. Kurt Angle
7. The Rock
8. Undertaker
9. HHH
10. Mick Foley
11. Roddy Piper
12. Andre the Giant
13. Eddie Guerrero
14. Rey Mysterio
15. Jesse Ventura
16. Honky Tonk Man
17. Jimmy Snuka
18. Edge
19. Chris Jericho
20. Ricky Steamboat



EDIT to add steamboat.

[The Canadian Content]

1. Hulk Hogan
2. Ricky Steamboat
3. The Rock
4. HHH
5. Steve Austin
6. HBK
7. Undertaker
8. Roddy Piper
9. Chris Jericho
10. Bret Hart
11. Randy Savage
12. Edge
13. John Cena
14. Mick Foley
15. Andre the Giant
16. Chris Benoit
17. Sting
18. Ted DiBiase
19. Christian
20. Mr. Perfect

Did people just forget about Steamboat?

MTA: first names, so people wouldn't think I was referring to Brooke Hogan or, um, Edgar Steamboat.

[Mikey]

luckylopez said:

Benoit's gonna be a hell of a lot higher on my list than 12. "Moral worth" doesn't mean much to me in this evaluation.

Yeah, I don't think that was included on the criteria to evaluate by.

And Tex... I think 32 will be about right. Unless I don't get as many nominees as I think I will, then 24, with byes for the Top 8 it will be then.

[Jack Quinn]

1. Samoa Joe
2. Chris Benoit
3. Bret Hart
4. Kurt Angle
5. Ric Flair
6. Eddie Gurerro
7. AJ Styles
8. CM Punk
9. Owen Hart
10. Shawn Michaels
11. Christopher Daniels
12. Curt Hennig
13. Chris Jericho
14. Rey Mysterio
15. Rob Van Dam
16. Randy Savage
17. Bruiser Brody
18. Ricky Steamboat
19. Edge
20. HHH


CHRISTOPHER Daniels, total brainfart there

[Lucky]

RE: Steamboat. To be honest? I didn't watch wrestling back then and I've never gone back and watched it in a serial nature. I've watched Steamboat's classic matches and they're great, but does a handful of awesome matches make a greatest wrestler? I have more matches of Low Ki's that I absolutely LOVE and I've watched him in stories and feuds I loved. I realize Steamboat's historic place but personally I've enjoyed more of Homicide because there was more there for me. Maybe if I was able to relive that era it would be different, but I never have.

mooseheadjack said:

11. Brian Daniels

Who?

[The Jewish Cunthead]

williamssl said:

2. Steve Austin

Wow. I would have bet money he was going to be your #1.

[Batman]

1 . Angle
2 . Benoit
3 . Foley
4 . Eddie
5 . Joe
6 . RVD
7 . Show
8 . Flair
9 . HBK
10 . Austin
11 . Jeff
12 . Killings
13 . Christian
14 . Booker
15 . Lo-Ki
16 . Cena
17 . Roddy
18 . Regal
19 . Lesnar
20 . Hogan

1. Angle
2. Foley
3. Eddie
4. Joe
5. Benoit
6. Flair
7. Show
8. Jeff
9. Roddy
10. Cena
11. HBK
12. Austin
13. Christian
14. RVD
15. Lo-Ki
16. Killings
17. Finlay
18. Brock
19. Booker
20. Sabu

[DevSop]

Straight up 20 best is going to be tough for me?

Can we break it down into cable and network? Comedy and Drama? Sci-Fi and Horror?


Oh, sorry...wrong showdown.

In all seriousness, I do think we need to clarify one thing about these showdowns which was my issue in some of the previous ones. Favorite does not equal best. I know best can still be subjective, but if we're basing it on BEST wrestler as per Mikey's clarifications I'd like to know how some people make some lists. If drawing power is one component, I wanna hear opinions as to how Hogan isnt in everyone's top 10. I know match quality drags him down, but being #1 in drawing power should give him some slack. Not judging anyone's picks; I don't wanna start arguing yet about. But I'd like to hear some reasons on some of these guys too.

[Batman]

I'm voting on favorite. Kick me out if you want. I haven't watched every wrestling match ever to judge "best."

[Lucky]

I'm not making a historically accurate ballot of the most important people to wrestling. Bruno Sammartino doesn't belong on my list because I've never seen him wrestle a single match or do a single angle. Antoni Inoki has had one match I've seen. Hulkamania happened when I wasn't watching. I was not a fan and he never entertained me. I've gone back and watched and very little of it works out of that time and environment and if you're not a kid wearing yellow. I saw him be boring for a couple of years in WCW, be the key to the biggest angle in wrestling history, and then be boring for years after. I can come up with a handful of moments or matches for the guy. That I know he drew lots of money and had lots of fans doesn't change that.

If you want that sort of showdown, fine. But last I checked very few people gave much of a shit about "historically relevant" or "money making" in the past showdowns.

I'm not gonna vote frivolously either. I LOVE Homicide but do I think he's one of the top 20 of all time? No, and if I put him there he'd rank low. Even if I'm bored of Flair right now I know how much more he's done of value than Cide. Thing is, if I can't recognize why Flair was great then I'm not voting for him. Hogan means shit to me. So I'm not gonna nominate him just because I know he ruled the wrestling world for awhile and is one of the honest to God icons of the business. Its my personal ballot.

If you have questions about some of my guys, I'll be glad to make the case. I said I'll make the argument for Konnan when someone ass me too. And if Shane Douglas is another "???" I can argue that one too. Let it be said that IF they make my top 20 they probably will be towards the end.

[Mikey]

I love Steamboat. Best pure babyface of all time. He totally falls into the "carry a broomstick" category of all-time workrate gods. But, upon analyzing my scientific data I have put together in the last 45 minutes... I can't put him on my Top 20 either.

Here's the table - of course, my own personal bias selected which guys to consider - along with the weighted average at the end. A bonus 6 was given to those I felt transcended a given category.

Wrestler	Mainstream	Booking	Workrate	Interviews	Character	Score
Steve Austin	6	6	4	6	5	5.3
Ric Flair	4	5	6	6	5	5.2
The Rock	6	4	4	6	5	5.1
Bret Hart	4	5	6	4	5	4.8
Kurt Angle	4	4	6	4	4	4.5
Mick Foley	4	5	4	5	5	4.5
Mr. Perfect	3	4	5	4	6	4.4
Roddy Piper	5	4	3	5	5	4.4
Shawn Michaels	4	5	5	4	4	4.35
The Undertaker	4	5	3	4	6	4.25
Randy Savage	4	4	4	4	5	4.2
Hulk Hogan	6	6	2	4	4	4.2
Ted Dibiase	3	4	4	4	6	4.15
Chris Jericho	4	3	4	5	4	4.1
Triple H	4	5	4	4	4	4.1
Chris Benoit	3	4	6	4	3	4.05
Eddie Guerrero	3	4	5	4	4	4
Owen Hart	3	4	5	4	4	4
Arn Anderson	3	4	5	4	4	4
Rick Rude	3	4	4	4	5	3.95

Sting barely missed the cut. Steamboat and Tully Blanchard were back a little beyond him.

[Batman]

Dude. You are a geek.

I never knew.