Some folks might try to tell you it’s the villains that make sports-entertainment fun. And why not? It’s the baddies in the black hats who get to throw fireballs, electrocute millionaires and run people over with monster trucks. But it’s the good guys who give the fans something to believe in, a hero to look up to and a reminder that, more often than not, good does triumph over evil.
With WrestleMania just around the corner, there's no better time than to turn to you, the loyal fan, for an honest-to-goodness Greatest Wrestler of All Time rundown.
Deciding who is the greatest wrestler ever in the history of the sport is very difficult. Being the best wrestler in history depends on many factors.
Here, we present the top 10 Superstars that wrestling fans grew up admiring - and still do today.
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1. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Steve Austin was famous for his ring name “Stone Cold.” He is widely regarded as the greatest wrestler of all time in the history of wrestling, i.e., the GOAT of wrestling. Steve Austin has made a lot of contributions to the sport. Without him, WWE, most probably, would not be popular as it is today.
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Steve Austin helped WWE become more popular than WCW. Due to him, WWE tops the industry today. He was part of the most popular era of the wrestling industry, the attitude era. His rivalry made WWE even more popular. Fans loved watching him play. His rivals, which was the face of WWE included Triple H, Vince McMahon, and the Rock.
2. The Undertaker
Considered as the top wrestlers of all time, Mark William Calaway is famous for his ring name, “The Undertaker.” Undertaker has ruled the industry for over three decades in a row. He is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and second on our list. Every wrestler feared coming in front of him and fighting with him.
His scary character made everyone scared of him even before the fight. He made his debut in the Survivor Series 1990. He got the recognition first when he joined WrestleMania 8 in 1992. He became the fans’s favorite by winning against his fellow 90’s. He earned the WWF title four times. He was a source of entertainment for people.
3. The Rock
Dwayne Douglas Johnson is famous for his ring name, “The Rock.” He is also known as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and is third on our list. The Rock contributed to taking WWE to the top of the industry during the attitude era. Unlike the previous two wrestlers, Rock has not retired yet.
He performs in wrestling matches partly. He is also an actor and has given many superhit movies and seasons. He is also known as “the People’s Champion.” He is the most electrifying and influential wrestler in the history of wrestling. He won the world championship a surprising ten times. He is currently on the TKO board of directors, shaping the WWE’s future into the right path.
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4. John Cena
John Anthony Felix Cena is famous as “John Cena.” The record for winning the most number of world championship titles goes to John Cena. He has won the wrestling world championship sixteen times. Other than John Cena, only Ric Flair managed to equal the record for winning the most number of world championships in the history of wrestling.
His rivalry with many megastars of WWE is still the talk of the town. His famous rivals and widely celebrated rivals were Randy Orten, CM Punk, Edge and The Rock. He is widely known as “The Doctor of Thuganomics.” He took the WWE wrestling from the aggression era to the PG era.
5. Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is famous for his ring name, “Triple H.” He is considered one of the most celebrated and greatest wrestlers in the history of wrestling. He first joined WCW (World Championship Wrestling. His ring was Terra Ryzing. Just after a year, he signed with the WWE (formerly WWF), and his ring name changed to Hunter Hearst Helmsley, commonly now known as HHH or Triple H.
He guided the WWE from the ruthless aggression era to the PF era. He is one of the most celebrated villains in the history of wrestling.
6. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels is famous for his many nicknames, such as the Showstopper, WrestleMania, and the Heartbreak Kid. He is well known to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time in the history of wrestling. He has played in only WWE since his debut and has not played even a single match in another wrestling event, contributing to the success of the WWE.
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His achievements made him fans’s favourite which earned him many nicknames. His most common nickname was the heartbreak kid as famous as “HBK.” He got a hernia and one disc in his back crushed in 1998. Everyone thought that this was the end of HBK’s Career.
7. Hulk Hogan
Terry Gene Bollea is famous for his ring name, “Hulk Hogan.” He is undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestling superstars in the history of wrestling. Hulk started his career in wrestling in 1977. He became famous after he joined and started playing under WWE.
His unique style of wearing a bandana and giant mustache made him more famous. He has a massive body, which gives him an advantage over short heighted wrestlers. He played wrestling many years before other legendary wrestling superstars but he is still famous today. He helped take the WWE to new heights and made WWE much more popular.
8. Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is famous for his ring name, “Ric Flair.” Ric has been considered the greatest wrestler of all time by his peers and many journalists. Ric has enjoyed the longest career among all the greats of the wrestling sport. He played the wrestling sport for more than fifty years and almost a whopping six decades.
Unlike other greats, Ric spent most of his career playing for WCW (World Championship Wrestling) and TNA (Total Nonstop Action Wrestling).
9. Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart is famous by his nick name “The Hitman.” Bret belongs to the Hart family, also known as the Hart Dynasty. Hart's family has produced many legends in the sport of wrestling. This family has a long history of producing many wrestling superstars for many decades. Bret Hart enjoyed a short career in the wrestling.
He got a brain injury (concussion) in 1999, due to which he had to retire from wrestling. He has played many great matches. His wrestling match against Ric Flair, where he defeated the Flair and got the world championship title in 1992, is still considered one of the best matches the wrestling sport has produced in its history.
10. Andre the Giant
Andre Rene Roussimoff was famous for his ring name, “Andre The Giant.” He was known for his massive size and height. His height was more than seven feet making him the tallest ever wrestler in the history of wrestling. Andre ruled the game of wrestling for many years and defeated many greats of his time.
His rivalry with Hulk Hogan was widely celebrated and most watched. His massive size was the result of his suffering from a disease known as gigantism. He was also famous as the eighth wonder of the world. Andre dominated many wrestlers, and he was able to defeat any wrestler of his time.
