Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the RPad.tv merchandise sale, why the hell people like pomegranates, or the best bourbon you’ve ever had, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
A lot of you posted great comments on WWE’s list of the top 50 WWE Superstars of all time. Most of you agreed with the majority of the picks, but some of you were puzzled by various rankings and omissions. RPadholic Nightshade386 suggested that we all start our own lists and I thought that was a brilliant idea! Here’s mine:
- Ric Flair: Simply the greatest of all time. In his prime, he could put on an outstanding match with a broomstick. Even after he lost a step, Flair could work the mic like nobody else. He carried the NWA and the early days of WCW.
- Shawn Michaels: The Heartbreak Kid started off as a dynamic wrestler and transformed into the greatest in-ring performer I’ve ever seen. I dropped him to the second slot because his mic work was uneven and he didn’t do a great job carrying the WWE when he was champion.
- Ricky Steamboat: Some of you will question this pick, but can you think of someone that wrestled in two of the best matches ever seen in the NWA and WWE? People still talk about Steamboat’s championship match with Flair and his WrestleMania III match with Randy Savage. Also, has anyone ever made an arm drag look so cool?
- Steve Austin: I remember watching him in WCW as “Stunning” Steve Austin and enjoying his work in ECW. I never thought that he’d define an era of WWE and become its most popular Superstar. The crazy part is that he couldn’t wrestle his best at the height of his popularity due to a neck injury. For a brief period of time Austin was perfect: he could wrestle great matches, carry the company, and cut fantastic promos.
- The Rock: The other wrestler that defined WWE’s “Attitude Era”, The Rock cut some of the most hilarious promos ever and was brilliant at putting people over with the mic. His wrestling was good offensively, but his ability to sell was better (nobody sold the stunner better than he did). I honestly believe that he could have topped this list if he didn’t cut his wrestling career short to pursue acting.
- Hulk Hogan: I’m going to get heat for ranking Hogan this low, but nobody can deny that he sucked in the ring for most of his career. Even in his prime he was a mediocre wrestler. Still, his charisma was undeniable, he carried the WWE, he made the company global, and he sold almost as much merchandise as Austin (yes, that was a dig).
- Andre the Giant: The Eighth Wonder of the World was always limited in the ring, but he could singlehandedly sell out arenas. He’s a legend that became known throughout the world. He was also a great locker room guy. I loved when he decked the Ultimate Warrior with a stiff shot for getting out of line. Andre helped make wrestling larger-than-life entertainment.
- Sting: While most people know him from his Crow-wannabe days, I still remember the bleached-blond kid with a rat tail and neon tights. He was dynamic and charismatic. He put on fantastic matches with Flair and even carried the limited Lex Luger to excellent shows.
- Arn Anderson: Double A was the best complementary wrestler ever. As The Four Horsemen’s “enforcer”, Anderson was an integral part of making the group seem so bad ass. Flair had the belt and the spotlight, but Arn was the heart and soul of The Horsemen. His wrestling was excellent, his promos were intense, and nobody made the spinebuster look so forceful.
- Kurt Angle: Arguably the greatest athlete to ever wrestle professionally, Angle’s in-ring work was ridiculous in his prime in terms of offense. As far as selling and physical storytelling, there are better…but not many. I never bought into his “intense” promos, but a lot of people liked them. I was thoroughly entertained by the wise-ass and comedic versions of Angle.
Anyway, that’s my list. I’d love to see yours! Feel free to rip mine apart too.
