Today’s Poll: Who is the Best Pro-Wrestler of All Time?

During Chris Jericho’s promotional tour for his book Undisputed How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, he told numerous reporters that he considers Shawn Michaels the best wrestler of all time. Let’s have some fun with today’s poll and debate the point. While I’m a huge HBK mark, I don’t consider him the greatest of all time. That designation goes to…

…”The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. It’s a close argument and I can see both sides. Michaels had a greater aerial arsenal than Flair, but Ric was better at mat wrestling. Both were capable of carrying scrubs to great matches. There are two things that put Flair ahead of Michaels in my book. First, Flair was extremely effective as a heel and a face. Michaels was much better at being a face than a heel. Flair is one of the greatest talkers of all time. While Michaels cut some great promos, I don’t think he’s in the same league as Flair on the mic.

Not it’s your turn! Kindly vote and discuss when you have a moment.

[poll id=”102″]

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

54 thoughts on “Today’s Poll: Who is the Best Pro-Wrestler of All Time?”

  2. I voted for The Rock. He sold moves great, best ever on the mic, and just has so much charisma. He pulled off both heel and face to perfection.

    It hurts me not being able to say Scott Steiner. Best in ring performer of all time…but not the total package (hehe) like The Rock

  3. i voted for other, because while some wrestlers were indeed great….there was only one that was perfect

  4. Nature Boy is the man, but I have to go with Hogan. He ushered in two very distinct and different eras in wrestling… The hulkamania 80s and the NWO 90s. He may not have been the best worker in the ring, but he set the stage for the glorious promos of both recent and past memory, as well as showing everyone that the move doesn't matter… but the sale does (Leg Drop… how lame is that move lol).

    HBK forever though. Sweet Chin Music ftw.

      1. Austin actually sold more merchandise than Michael Jordan ever did as well.

        Stone Cold still holds the record for most merchandise licensed and sold than anyone in any sport.

      2. So we're judging greatness by merchandise sold? Putting butts in seats is clear, but Austin was only half of what made the Monday Night Wars awesome. Hogan and the cronies were the other side. While Austin was great, I still think Hogan is a bit better if only do to staying power. That and he took his vitamins and drank his milk. You can't discount vitamin d.

      3. Hogan wasn't better at anything than Austin. Certainly Hogan helped transform the WWF into a global company and his charisma played an important part in that. However, more credit should be given to Vince McMahon for having the vision and balls to transform a business that was completely regional into one that's now global.

      4. i see where larceneous is coming from, i think. We are all children of the 80s here, most of us anyways…Childhood heroes might have not been the best at anything, like ray said, but they represent an era…an era when we didnt think of wrestling as "fake" or "entertainment sports"..the message the WWF had back then was, for the most part, moral. Sure, some of the heels personified those things which we villify, both as a country and in our own personal life (I.R.S. anyone?), but the heroes of wrestling were all about saying prayers, eating vitamins. Wrestling was actually entertainment that the family could enjoy together. The face women werent slutty, sex wasnt a big part of it.

        Theres a lot to be said about how we view our childhood heroes

    1. theres no way earnhardt or jeff gordon arent at least in that conversation

      or yeah, michael jordan…how many pairs of air jordans have sold worldwide? nevermind his jersey sales (or ballpark franks)

      2. Earhardt and Gordon are easily out of that conversation. Outside of America, NASCAR doesn't mean much. I would have guessed that Jordan sold more merch because he was a global athlete in an international sport.

        Austin's run really surprised me because he was limited during his most popular years. Before Owen Hart gave him that piledriver, Austin could really go. Bad knees and a bad neck really limited his in-ring work. It's a shame because as popular as he was, he could have surpassed Flair and Michaels had he remained healthy.

      3. i must be SERIOUSLY underestimating the amount of stone cold t shirts sold…im from the south, it seems like everyone down here has some sort of earnhardt paraphanalia (sp?)

        im not being sarcastic, im asking this question out of ignorance

        what types of merchandise were popular? All i can remember are the 3:16 t shirts and those big, foam middle fingers (which were awesome)

      5. Hats, beanie babies, action figures, cheap shoes, DVD's, VHS tapes (time period), CD's and games with his picture on it, pencils, folders, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc, etc, etc.

        He really was marketed to all hell.

      8. @Ray

        I'm not denying the fact that Austin sold a boatload of merch…I just don't see how he outsells Sr., Jr., Gordon or Johnson.

        Longevity aside some of these racing venues attract nearly 100k ppl per race. It's also a long season.

        Globalization is huge, but it doesn't mean that a Soccer team like Arsenal sells a ton of merch here in the US.

        I googled sales figures and couldn't find any. If you have them, please share. I'm very curious.

      9. I'm surprised you don't see it. NASCAR is super important for part of America. Outside of the country, few people give a damn. The Arsenal isn't the best. That's a team and it's not even the most popular one in the Premiere League. People around the world buy Manchester United or Real Madrid jerseys. David Beckham's various kits are also popular around the world.

        Getting back to the example at hand, WWE tours globally. People around the world fly to American to go to WrestleMania. I sincerely doubt as many people from as many countries fly here for the Indy 500. WWE is marketed and televised around the world. A quick search shows that NASCAR is shown in 24 countries, while Raw is shown in more than 50.

      11. Damn I wish I could edit…what do you mean part? Are you saying the south only? There are racetracks all over the damn place and they sell out.

      13. Yeah… I'm surprised you can't make sense of it either.

        Even as close as Mexico and Canada… Hell, even IN America places like Hawaii and Alaska… hardly anybody gives a damn about NASCAR… but all those places have STRONG wrestling backgrounds. In all my years in Pittsburgh, I met maybe 10 people who cared about NASCAR.

        100,000 people (occasionally) weekly is really very little compared to all the arenas being sold out at least 3 times a week during the Monday Night Wars and that's not even counting a house show or 2.

        As for the figures… I got the stat from remembering the news the day Stone Cold sold more crap than Michael Jordan. It was on national news and it was a huge deal. It was either in 98 or 99. And yes, he's still selling stuff too… just not in the same numbers as he was.

      14. I think both of you are seriously underestimating the amount of budweiser crap those ppl will buy. Right now we are just pissing in the wind here since none of us can show hard numbers.

        As far as multiple arenas go…they sell out arenas for max 30k ppl? I can't see a basketball arena holding more than 20k honestly. You both are only thinking in terms that there is 1 race per weekend. They have at least 3. They also race those damn trucks. I'm not a NASCAR fan mind you, but it is the largest spectator sport in America.

        As far as Indy 500 is concerned isn't that a Formula 1 type of race? I'm sure that attracts quite a bit of international flyers as opposed to Wrestlemania. F1 is an international sport. I'd be willing to bet the Kentucky Derby might have more foreign support than Wrestlemania.

        Honestly if it came down to it, I'd say Yao Ming has sold more crap than anyone else. Just like how he gets into the All Star game every year.

      15. I'm not underestimating it at all. I understand that it's wildly popular for a percentage of people in one country. The reach is so limited that I don't get why you think it's globally significant. In the last ten years I've been to 20 to 25 countries. Almost all of them had WWE programming. Aside from Canada, not a single one had NASCAR. A global product reaches more customers that buy merchandise.

      16. Wow… way to stray way off subject, and then jump back.

        The topic of debate is individual athletes and merchandise. Not events, teams, or brand names. The world's 20 richest athletes are right here:

        http://en.rian.ru/photolents/20100724/159924899_4…

        But that says nothing about merch sold. Now, I don't think it's a stretch to say that America is a consumer driven nation so whoever this athlete is, he'd pretty much have to be popular in America. China (Yao Ming) is not as consumer hungry as well as the huge black market over there that makes real numbers impossible to grasp.

        Indy 500 is not NASCAR. NASCAR is modded stock cars which started with bootleggers during prohibition who needed cars that looked normal but could outrun police. Prohibition ended… but the gearheads love of cars did not. NASCAR was created in America from that.

        What you are underestimating is that when Austin was around, WWF had more viewers than Monday Night Football. NASCAR does not pull the viewer ratings that MNF does. It's killing right now since there's no football AND it's up from last year, but it's still getting to where it would need to be.

        However, watching NASCAR on tv and going to the event… are 2 totally different things. I live pretty close to the Fontana Speedway and when NASCAR shows up… that truly is one hell of a party. The event is enormous with all kinds of other things going on besides racing. I totally understand how they pull that many people.

        Yet… there are no NASCAR speedways in Mexico or Canada… yet. And one of the several spanish channels I get replays RAW in spanish every Saturday night. They also play Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Dude… Luche wrestling is set up completely different… but it's awesome. I have no idea what the announcers are saying and the only team name (they are all teams) I understand is Los Ugly Americanos.

      17. The Indy 500 is Indy car racing. Formula 1 racing is a different type of car altogether. They look similar, but there is a big difference between F1, Indy car, champ car, etc. Whatever you do don't call the Indy 500 a Nascar race in front of a Nascar fan…the result isn't pretty. The brickyard 400 is the main Nascar race at the same track.

        Also, I only know two wrestling fans in my whole life outside of this site (and one of them is a much bigger Nascar fan than wrestling fan). Inversely, I have met tons of Nascar and IRL fans all over in the places I have lived or have been. And Smartguy is right, there are several races per week, as well as dirt track racing which is popular all over the US—so there is more to it than just one race per week.

  6. As actually wrestling (physical moves), I liked the Hardy Boys and Kurt Angle. The Hardy boys were so acrobatic and so much fun to watch while Kurt Angle brought real wrestling moves to the show that I thought lent a lot of legitimacy. Sure, he wouldn't always use his "real" wrestling moves, but when he did, I thought they were really genuine and I also liked the fact that they took a real Olympic wrestler and turned him into a character… even if that character seemed a little lost sometimes.

    As far as character goes, I was most entertained by The Rock (Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan come in tied at second). The rock plays the audience like a fiddle and they love him for it. As mentioned by others; he's excellent with the microphone and his body language. He really knows how to sell a character. His wrestling moves are pretty unspectacular, but the guy is just so into it sometimes, that it makes his physical wrestling (and overall character) seem greater than the sum of it's parts.

    -M

  8. Once again N8 and Rpad we are just pissing in the wind here. None of us have numbers.

    Replays in Spanish I would assume for the Spanish speaking pop here.

    You can preach a global market all you want, but that doesn't mean lots of merch is bought in those markets. NASCAR races are events. Ppl spend a lot of time and money.

    I've been to Talladega, so i understand the magnitude of the crowd.

    Realistically the 2 share target markets.

    1. I've been to dozens of countries that show WWE programming in dozens of languages, so I understand the magnitude of its global popularity.

      I've been to a handful of WWE events in a handful of countries, so I understand the magnitude of its of those crowds. They're much louder than in America because the only have the opportunity to see live WWE once a year. They also buy merchandise.

      You really don't get how reaching out to millions more people in dozens of other countries leads to more sales opportunities? It seems so basic to me.

      1. i am backing up smartguy here a little

        people dont collect stone cold merchandise like they do NASCAR drivers

        i cant tell you how many people i know who have "gordon rooms" or "dale sr rooms"

        whole rooms dedicated to thousands and thousands of pieces of nascar memorabilia

        that being said, ive been incubated down here in NASCAR country for a very long time…and its hard for me to picture kids around the world caring who stone cold is…BUT, raymond, if you say its true, ill take you at your word

      2. @Ray

        WIthout sounding rude…of course I understand the more ppl are exposed the more you can sell. That isn't the issue here. I don't think the wrestling culture collects stuff like the Nascar culture does. That to me makes a huge difference.

        It really sounds as if you are trying to insult my intelligence without even acknowledging that either one of us are right or wrong. Granted it's your site. Fundamental though, just because you show a larger audience a product doesn't guarantee they will buy it.

    2. Actually your assumption is completely wrong. The WWE has been trying to expand into Centeral and South America for a long time. The focus has been really aggressive for the last few years. That's one of the reasons that the company went big with Del Rio and recently signed Mistico. WWE is making a big announcement in Mexico City on Thursday.

      1. So you think those spanish rebroadcasts are mainly for show outside the US? I think that's being too obtuse. I get that American shows are rebroadcast out of country but I think those Spanish flavors are primarily for inside the US. Hell, the DMV even has directions in Spanish.

  9. For all the race tracks across America, NASCAR is still more or less a regional sport. Sure there are fans everywhere. It's fan base is extremely dedicated and loyal. But the popularity skyrockets upwards in the south and skews downward significantly everywhere else in America. It has no reach outside of the country. F1 or IRL has a larger global reach than NASCAR due to the fact that those are international leagues that race in dozens of countries. So just because everyone in Georgia owns a Dale Jr T-Shirt and has a die-cast car on the shelf doesn't mean that it's that way everywhere.

    1. i get it, ive conceded the fact that nascar isnt as popular anywhere in the world as it is SPECIFICALLY WHERE I HAPPEN TO LIVE…lol

      that being said, i still totally doubt that stone cold has outsold jordan…i would need to see some proof on that one

    2. There are those kinds of ppl in every state. The north is full of backwoods areas the same as the south.

      Some of the more popular venues are further north it seems. Wilkesboro(sp?), Indy, Michigan, Pocono.

      I agree with Thundercracker though. I'd have to see a chart. I'd never have guessed that a tennis player would be the number one earner of sports athletes either. It's happened before though.

      1. Why wouldn't you guess a tennis player? It's an expensive sport that a lot of rich people play. Look at some of the companies that pay Federer and Tiger Woods (or used to anyway) to be spokesmen. A lot of those companies target rich people that play/watch those sports. There's a reason why Rolex has sponsored Wimbledon for decades and hasn't sponsored an NBA arena.

      2. Endorsements. Never really thought that a tennis player would bank more than a mainstream sport athlete. I honestly thought a golfer would be number 1.

        That changed when I noticed Federer and Agassi made tons of commercials for expensive products.

    3. I would even compare NASCAR to NFL football. The NFL draws huge money, crowds, and ratings…in America. At best, the NFL has fringe followings in Europe and Asia. It's immensely popular here, but mostly insignificant in the rest of the world.

      1. 9 billion from one country is a hefty take. The NFL is trying to globalize but I don't think it will happen in the current method. They need to start at high school equivalent levels in other countries to generate interest and culture in the sport. Selling out one game per year at Wimbley is different than trying to get a fanbase to buy 9 home game tickets per season for a hefty fee.

        I gave up my Saints season tickets for that reason. Just too damn expensive. On that note, I looked into getting tickets for the Hornets. Wow…I really didn't realize the NBA gouges the hell out of you for certain games.

  10. @ the topic at hand

    I totally get that we are pissing in the wind. However, this happens to be one of those situations where it's cold outside and the piss is warm so it feels good. Meaning… I'm just kind of digging the point counterpoint debate. It's awesome, you guys are awesome.

    Anyway…

    @Smartguy

    Okay so… you understand why there are spanish replays of RAW, right? Because there is a demographic that watches. I've never seen a spanish replay of NASCAR because that same demographic doesn't have as much interest in it. That's a demographic wrestling has over NASCAR.

    NASCAR certainly has the "redneck" demographic… but to say that wrestling doesn't have that same demographic would be asinine. Now… NASCAR is indeed growing in popularity to demographics outside of rednecks… but wrestling did that 30 years ago.

    Basically, wrestling has the redneck fans as well as the minority vote. Let's face it, there are very few people of color (which is a bass akwards term) who would rather watch NASCAR over wrestling.

    1. @N8R

      Look above…I said their primary markets overlap. NASCAR is the fastest growing if not largest spectator sport in America. Not only are their sunday events super huge now, but each week is filled with other events that ppl go to.

      I don't know if it matters or not…but I always see NASCAR or NHRA promos or sponsorships attached to WalMart ads. Can't remember the last time I saw a WWE one. Then again, I don't shop at Walmart so I'm not looking very hard.

      1. Advertising is regional. I don't recall ever seeing a NASCAR billboard in Los Angeles or San Francisco. The same goes for apparel. Los Angeles if full of label whores. San Francisco is full of people with holey Apple t-shirts.

      2. Yeah dude, I rarely see NASCAR ads around here and I live maybe 30 minutes from the Fontana Speedway.

        I also almost NEVER see any ads or merchandise for hockey whereas in Pittsburgh, hockey was a big thing.

        Ray's right, it's regional. However, I will agree that NASCAR's popularity is growing. That's undeniable.

        The biggest consumer demographic in America has always been the kids. The best selling media of all time (music, movies, merchandise, etc) has always been things the kids are drawn to. Parents spend more money on their kids than they do themselves. Now, there are lots of kids who are into NASCAR… but I'm willing to hazard that more are into wrestling. Wrestling's popularity has dipped since Stone Cold's day… but I truly think that Vince is on the right path to bringing it back. He's going for a whole new generation of viewers right now which is what he did in the late 90's and that's a proven formula.

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