Here we are for part two of my top 25 superstars from 1990-2012! Part one generated a nice discussion on my facebook page and I hope part two does the same. Once again here are my guidelines for this piece. My ranking system is based on accomplishments, longevity, character appeal, and my overall opinion of each performer(nostalgia being a key factor for me). This list is very subjective and I know some of you will disagree with it. In part one I listed top superstars number 25-21. They are listed below. Hope you like part two!
25. John Bradshaw Layfield
24. CM Punk
23. Christian
22. The Big Show
21. Jeff Hardy
20. Jeff Jarrett – Jarrett is a ten time world champion and is one of the original founders of Total Nonstop Action(TNA) Wrestling. Those accomplishments alone make Jarrett deserving to be on this list. Jarrett had a terrible and chaotic relationship with Vince McMahon, hence his lack of major success in WWE. Despite this, Jarrett is still a six time Intercontinental Champion and held the WWE Tag Team Championship with the late Owen Hart on one occasion. Jarrett established himself as a guy that put people over in TNA when he dropped the NWA World Championship on three separate occasions to AJ Styles. He also dropped the title three more times to three separate individuals(Rhyno, Christian, and Sting). Jarrett, despite some thinking he made himself the centerpiece of his own show as World Champion, knows how to put over the right guy at the right time and knows what’s best for business. He knew he couldn’t handle TNA on his own as it continued to grow, hence why he sold it to Panda Energy and the Carter family. Jarrett brings skill to the ring and an ability to shoot on the mic as a heel or a face, depending on the situation. The guy is full of emotion and passion for the business that you just don’t get in promos from everybody today. Despite everything I’ve listed here, my biggest reason for why I love Jeff Jarrett is quite different. Jarrett loves the business and has created a competition for WWE. No, it isn’t a threat by any means, but it’s a competition nonetheless(a competition loaded with talent, actually). I grew up WCW and WWF and the Monday Night Wars and it made things exciting. Jarrett’s passion for wanting competition to keep the industry of pro wrestling alive is the very thing that cements his spot on my list.
19. Booker T – The five time five time five time WCW Champion and one time World Heavyweight Champion was just one of five guys that I talked about in my most recent column, Know Your Role Pt 2. Booker has brought a new light to the announce table as he is recently experienced in the ring with some of the talent that he calls matches for every week and he’s a guy that still has the ability to jump in the ring when needed. Booker came onto the scene in WCW with Stevie Ray as Harlem Heat and had ten Tag Team Title reigns throughout the 90s. Booker also held the TV Title six times and feuded with Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, and Scott Steiner over the World Title until the company folded in 2001. I was never a huge Booker T fan in WCW, but when I saw him defeat Scott Steiner on the final edition of Nitro, I was really impressed with him and was hoping he would come to the WWF. As luck had it, he came in and wrestled a great match with The Rock at the 2001 Summerslam and then went on to feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Booker would see a lot of success over the next few years as he held the US Title three times and IC Title once as well as capturing the Hardcore Title twice and the World Tag Titles three times. Booker’s biggest WWE accomplishments didn’t come until 2006 however, when he executed the King Booker gimmick after winning the prestigious tournament. He then went on to capture his only WHC from Rey Mysterio at the Great American Bash with the help of Chavo Guerrero. Booker has done a lot in both companies that he has worked for and has never stopped giving back all the while. Booker earned his spot on my list for being so versatile as a heel or a face, as well as in tag team wrestling or singles competition. Call this guy a renaissance man or call him whatever you want, but Booker T is number 19 on my list.
18. Chris Benoit – Benoit was just a two time World Champion, once in WWE and once in WCW as he departed the company. He was the 12th triple crown champion in WWE and the 7th in WCW. I best remember Chris Benoit for his series of matches with MVP at WM 23 and the two subsequent pay per views. These matches showcased the talent of both competitors. One of my favorite Chris Benoit moments was his embrace with Bret Hart at the Kemper Arena after Bret defeated him in a match at the Owen Hart Tribute Show in WCW. The love Benoit had for his friends is unparalleled and was often seen throughout his career. My other favorite Benoit moment was a bit of a shocker to me. Benoit lost the World Title clean to Randy Orton(a very green Orton at the time) at the 2004 Summerslam event when he was caught off guard by an RKO. Another one of my favorite matches from Benoit was at Road Wild against Dean Malenko. The two were such high quality technical athletes that they put on a clinic every time they set foot in the ring. My biggest reason for placing Benoit so high on this list despite his lack of World Title reigns is simple; Benoit was so terrific in the ring that you could watch match after match and be simply amazed by the effort that he put into every performance(multiple german suplexes anybody? How about the diving headbutt?). Benoit also held the US Title and Tag Team titles five times each between WCW and WWE. He was also a four time Intercontinental Champion. Benoit was always the smaller guy that was never intimidated. The ultimate payoff was perhaps his Royal Rumble win in 2004 along with his victory at WM 20 over Shawn Michaels and Triple H in their match for the WHC. Chris Benoit made my list for his dedication to the business, his lengthy list of accomplishments(outside of World Titles) and for his ability to work a great match on any given night.
17. Macho Man – Ooooooooooooooooh Yeaaaaaaaaaah! That was fun to type. I love Macho Man. My first memories of Wrestling are of WrestleMania IX and everything after that. My first memories of Savage are of his team winning at the 1993 Survivor Series when he filled in for Curt Hennig who did not appear that night. After that, I remember him being attacked by Crush on Raw and setting up for their falls count anywhere match at WrestleMania X(which Savage won under some odd rules at the time). Savage then did some announcing before leaving for WCW. He won the first World War 3 Battle Royal to capture the WCW Championship. Savage in total was a six time World Champion between WWF and WCW. His matches in the late 1980s at MSG and the Boston Garden stood out to me when I watched his DVD release. They were different than most matches that I watched from that time period in that Savage was a fast worker and a high flyer. He was also very flashy with the wardrobe and stood out among the bland and boring of the time period. His match with Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 is considered to be a textbook classic, and I agree that it was a good match. However, it’s not my favorite Savage match. Going back and watching the DVDs now, Savage took on the Ultimate Warrior in a retirement match at WrestleMania VII that was an absolutely incredible match. Check it out for yourself if you haven’t seen it. Any of his matches in WCW were impressive and worth taking a look at. Savage was the first guy to hold the gold after Hogan in the WWF and carry the company for entire year, and he did the job well. For his ability to electrify an audience and his lengthy career loaded with accomplishments in both WWE and WCW, Savage is number seventeen on my list.
16. Ric Flair – First of all, I used to dump all over Ric Flair for being a guy that can’t let go of the business and who has too big of an ego. Despite the fact that he still tries to perform today when it’s a joke, I’m focusing this piece on the good sides of Ric Flair. Flair is a sixteen time World Champion(the number is debatable). Love him or hate him, Flair helped build the career of a lot of guys. One of those guys is named Sting. Their matches are classic, and I suggest you check some of them out. Flair headlined Starrcade numerous times in the 1980s and made the super card show a hit in both the southern states it was held in and on pay per view. Ric was one of the founders of the Four Horsemen. That stable formation set the foundation for all stables in the future. Flair was the only man to win a Royal Rumble to capture the WWF Championship. Flair is only one of three guys to hold both the WCW and WWE’s version of the triple crown championship(US and IC Title respectively along with the World and Tag Title in each company) alongside Chris Benoit and Bret The Hitman Hart. Flair’s career has spanned from 1974 all the way to today. His retirement match in 2008 when he lost to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24 was a really good match, and a perfect sendoff for Flair to never come back to WWE. Flair has also served as a manager as his career winds down. My favorite Flair memory was when Flair joined the Horsemen for the big reunion on Monday Nitro. That show was fantastic. It seems as though flair has been honored so many times over his career for all that he has done. Perhaps it’s time for the Nature Boy to hang it up and let the younger guys take their spots? My second favorite Flair memory is his match with Harley Race at Starrcade when he captured the World Title. Classic Flair moment that any true Ric Flair fan should see. For his legacy and his gimmick and his ridiculously long list of accomplishments, I selected Flair to be number sixteen on my list for those as well as the previously stated reasons.
That does it for this second edition! Two down and three to go! Your guess is as good as mine as to when the next one will be out, but I do know I’ll have my Chamber thoughts column out early Monday. Until next time, you’ve been ThunderStruck!
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