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20: Bret Hart

The excellence of execution. The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. I know that on talent alone, Hart deserve to be on the top of the list. Something just never clicked for me with Hart. He never jumped off the screen and got me excited for wrestling in the same way that contemporaries like Shawn Michaels did.
That being said, Hart’s place among wrestling’s all-time elite is undeniable. Known as a guy who could get a great match out of anybody, he went out of his way to make sure fans were given a match they could go home talking about. Hart was really a victim of his own ability. He was such a good in-ring performer that he was always there when WWF needed him, but that they rarely used in such a role, and his reputation as doing what was best for the business usually got him taken advantage of. Hogan notoriously put his foot down in 1993, saying that Hart wouldn’t draw as well as him as champion, which gave us the Hart/Yokozuna/Hogan finish at Wrestlemania 9. And of course, we all know about the Montreal Screwjob at this point. Still, Hart deserves recognition for caring about the business and being as important as he was to it.
Greatest Match/Feud: Hart vs. Austin at Wrestlemania 13. Hart vs. Mr. Perfect at Summerslam 91. Hart vs. Owen Hart at Summerslam 94.

19: Vader

Vader’s underwhelming run in WWF does a disservice to how great he was, and how much of a game changer he was in wrestling for big men. A former NFL football player, Vader moved with more grace and agility than could ever be expected from a man his size. That he was still doing a moonsault up til the bitter end is a testament to his determination and desire. He was one of, if not the dominating presence in the late 80’s in Japan through the mid 90’s in WCW. With Harley Race acting as his manager, Vader gave new definition to the in-ring monster persona.
Greatest Match/Feud: His feuds with Sting and Cactus Jack in WCW are benchmark feuds in the early days of WCW.

18: The Rock

At the peak of the Attitude Era, everyone knew what the Rock was cooking, they lived on Know Your Role Boulevard and Shut Your Mouth Lane, and were never anything more than roody-poo candy asses. Undoubtedly one of the greatest mic men alive, The Rock developed into the ultra-heel that WWF needed in the late 90’s and into the 2000’s. Dropping the belt to Foley made Foley’s career. Rock vs. Stone Cold was an era defining rivalry. The Rock was, in a sense, a king maker during his run in WWF. If you were going to be anything, you went through the Rock to get there. His athleticism could lend to a great match with damn near anyone.
Greatest Match/Feud: Anything with Stone Cold. Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania XVIII.

17: Jushin Liger

Liger is finishing up one of the most globetrotting careers in wrestling history. His final show will be at Wrestle Kingdom in a few months. In the meantime, he is out cementing his plaque in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Liger’s championships are a who’s who of organizations around the world. He has been wrestling for 35 years and has competed in over 4000 matches, numbers that are staggering in scope.
Greatest Match/Feud: Liger vs. Brian Pillman at Superbrawl 92. Liger vs. Own Hart at NJPW Explosion 92. Liger vs. Great Muta at Super Grade Tag League VI

16: Chris Jericho

The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla has been wrestling at a consistently high level since the early 90s, when he teamed with Lance Storm and a seriously awful haircut to form the Thrillseekers in Jim Cornette’s well noted mud show know as Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Perpetually over achieving and under-utilized in WCW, Jericho jumped ship to WWE in 2000 and immediately became a main eventer. His matches were usually the best on every card he was on. He spent 17 years reinventing himself like a chameleon in WWE, earning the respect of the notoriously smarky crowd. That “You Just Made The List” was in the twilight of his WWE run is all the more remarkable. More remarkable than that, though, is that he then went to NJPW and started a feud with Kenny Omega, generally considered one of the best wrestlers in the world.
Greatest Match/Feud: Jericho winning the championship at All Out. Jericho vs. Benoit/Malenko/Mysterio, pretty much anyone in the WCW cruiserweight division.

15: Harley Race

We could talk about how he legitimized the NWA title. We could talk about how rugged he was. How great of an in ring wrestler he was. How he was considered the bad boy of wrestling to the previous generation. But instead, I’d just like to point out that in the mid 80’s, WWF was ruining wrestling by invading the various territories like a spandex wearing Asian Carp. In 1984, WWF was running a show in the same town, on the same night as Harley Race was. Race was wrestling Ric Flair that night. So the story goes, Race got a gun and told Flair he would be back soon.
Race then walked into the arena that WWF was at, walked into the dressing room, and slapped Hulk Hogan in his titty from behind.
Hogan realized who hit him and immediately started panicking. According to legend, he said “Harley, I thought the first time I saw you in Kansas City, you’d have a great big gun.” To which Race responded “I don’t have a great big gun” and pulled out a handgun. It should be noted that about a year later, Vince McMahon would hire Harley Race into his company.
Greatest Match/Feud: Harley Race vs. Dusty Rhodes for the NWA Championship in 1979. Harley Race vs. Ric Flair for the NWA Championship in a Steel Cage at Starrcade 83.

14: Terry Funk

One of the most underrated wrestlers of all time. His career spanned 5 decades, which is insane to think about. In the movie “Beyond The Mat” which was shot in 1997, his doctor explains to him that he has no cartilage left in his knees and that he shouldn’t be able to live without being in constant pain. He wrestled for another decade after that. His death matches vs. Cactus Jack are the pivot point in the history of wrestling, showing that pure violence had a place in wrestling with a well told story in the ring. He wrestled every wrestler that ever mattered from the 60’s all the way through the 90’s, and he put on barnburners with every one of them.
Greatest Match/Feud: His feud with Ric Flair in 1989. His death matches with Cactus Jack. Funk vs. Stevie Richards vs. Sandman, followed by Funk vs. Raven for the ECW Championship at ECW Barely Legal 97.

13: Roddy Piper

Nobody ever did it quite like the Hot Rod. He was the prototype for the loose cannon in an age where a lot of wrestling felt very monotone. His matches were great before his knees and hip went away from him, but it was his personality that often shone through. His Piper’s Pit segment with Jimmy Snuka is still considered one of the most iconic moments in the history of televised wrestling.
He was so indispensable that he featured heavily in the Main Event of the first two Wrestlemanias. His WCW run could be considered a mixed bag, as he was very obviously fighting a body that was failing him.
Greatest Match/Feud: Wrestlemania 8 vs. Bret Hart. Starrcade 83 vs. Greg Valentine in a Dog Collar Match, pretty much his entire feud with the Guerrero family.

12: Undertaker

When you look at the inherent silliness of wrestling, an undead funeral home operator that is impervious to pain and is led around by an ashen white old man holding an urn ranks towards the top. 30 years later, it’s one of the most enduring characters in the history of wrestling.
The Undertaker is the backbone of WWE. He is probably the heart and soul, as well. He made you matter in the WWF. Beating him meant you were at the top of the mountain. He didn’t hold the Heavyweight title that much, and he never really needed to. His Wrestlemania victory streak is iconic. His matches with Shawn Michaels at Mania are some of the pinnacles in the history of the event. That he is still out there doing it is a testament to the enduring ability of the Deadman.
Greatest Match/Feud: Either Wrestlemania Match with Shawn Michaels. Hell in a Cell with Mankind. Undertaker vs. Yokozuna in a casket match at Royal Rumble 1994.

11: Eddy Guerrero

It’s not out of the realm to think that if Eddy hadn’t tragically passed away, he would be much further up this list. It’s not like he had lost the ability to wrestle. But, instead of dwelling on that, let’s look at one of the best wrestlers of all time to come out of Mexico. His entire family were wrestlers. He wrestled in Japan and Mexico for much of the early 90’s, becoming a hero in the wrestling tape collecting scene. In the mid 90’s, Paul Heyman was running ECW and bringing in young talent to put on matches that would excite his crowds and draw worldwide hype to his organization. Guerrero, along with Rey Mysterio Jr, Juventud Guerrera, and Psicosis were putting out matches that American crowds had never seen before.
He ended up with everyone else in WCW, filling out the cruiserweight division. In retrospect, it’s one of the greatest groupings of wrestlers anyone has ever seen.
Greatest Match/Feud: Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 04. Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko at Hostile City Showdown 95.

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30: Bam Bam Bigelow

Criminally underrated. He was a big guy who could really move. He was able to work with power and speed. It seemed like WCW and WWF didn’t ever quite know how to use him. He really excelled wrestling guys like Taz in ECW. He never got the push he really deserved, but does click off a box as being one of the immortals to main event a Wrestlemania. The reason they had Bigelow wrestle Lawrence Taylor? Bigelow had a reputation of being able to get a good match out of nearly anyone. A less appreciated Bret Hart.
Greatest Match/Feud: It’s actually super impressive watching him carry Lawrence Taylor to a good match at Wrestlemania 10. Bigelow vs. Barry Windham at Starrcade 88. Bigelow vs. Taz at ECW Living Dangerously 98.

29: Jerry Lawler

Lets put aside his WWF run, which was fine. He is back as an announcer on Raw. He has been with WWE in some capacity since 1993, and that’s what he is most known for. But that really doesn’t do justice to how great of a wrestler he was, and how important he was to the Memphis wrestling scene. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Jerry Lawler was THE GUY. Whether he was running as a face or heel, he was the marquee attraction during the waning years of the territory era. Most wrestlers would travel from territory to territory to stay fresh and start new feuds. Lawler was able to do it while staying in Memphis.
Greatest Match/Feud: His feud with Andy Kaufman. His feud with Terry Funk in Memphis.

28: Bruiser Brody

Bruiser Brody is the prototype for where Japanese wrestling would peak over the ensuing three decades after his murder. Beyond that, he put up epic matches in WCCW in the 80’s against everyone that mattered, like the Von Erichs and Ric Flair. WCCW originated out of Dallas and, in it’s prime, was able to sell out old Cowboys Stadium. Brody was always on those shows, usually high up the card, the culmination of a blood feud.
It’s worth remembering that in its day, WCCW was the second or third biggest wrestling company in the country, behind only WWF and Crockett Promotions. Part of what made them great was their ability to bring in stars like Brody, who played their character just one degree off of being a serial killer, and could make you genuinely believe he was going to kill someone in the ring.
Greatest Match/Feud: Brody vs. Great Kabuki in a Texas Deathmatch Style Cage Match for WCCW in 1981.

27: Brock Lesnar

Hate him all you want, Brock Lesnar makes your current favorite WWE wrestler matter. Since he started leaving WWE to fight in MMA, his appearances have taken on more meaning, as have his rivalries. Not just anyone was going to break the Undertaker’s Wrestlemania streak.
The complaints are that he isn’t around enough and doesn’t defend the title enough, which is kind of turning a blind eye to the glory days of wrestling in the 80’s. Hulk Hogan very rarely defended his title, at least not in any kind of serious way. Beating The Genius in four minutes on an episode of Saturday Night Main Event does not count. There was a time that when the Heavyweight Title was on the line, it was at a major show, not every Raw episode originating out of Poughkeepsie.
Greatest Match/Feud: Lesnar vs. Undertaker at Wrestlemania 30. Lesnar’s rivalry with Kurt Angle in 2003.

26: Rey Mysterio Jr.

The only reason he isn’t higher on the list is due to the massive blind spot much of his WWE run was for me. He was absolutely fantastic in WCW, in the incredibly, incredibly underappreciated-in-it’s-time cruiserweight division. He was great in the early ECW days in his matches with Juventud Guerrera.
It’s a shame he didn’t get a bigger run in WCW and got saddled with racially stereotyped gimmicks, because it wasn’t hard to see then how big of a star he could be.
Greatest Match/Feud: His feud in WCW with Juventud Guerrera. Any match with Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero or Psicosis in ECW. Mysterio in the 2006 Royal Rumble.

25: CM Punk

Yes, everyone. I’m from the Chicago Suburbs. I love the Cubs and Black Hawks. I love great mic work and anti-heroes. CM Punk should be higher on my list, but let me give a brief timeline of my experience watching Punk. In 2001-2002, I was him wrestle in the Lunatic Wrestling Federation in Lemont. Then next time I saw him wrestle was in 2013, when I got back into wrestling, which coincides with when he was starting to get out of wrestling. That being said, it doesn’t take much to go back and watch how brilliant he was when he was locked in to a feud that really interested him. If Punk had come around 5 years later and was hitting his absolute stride right now in 2019, then he would be the biggest star in the world and the prospect of a Kenny Omega/CM Punk match would be the only thing people talked about when they fantasy booked.
Greatest Match/Feud: Pipebomb on Raw. His entire feud with John Cena in 2011.

24: Kurt Angle

He is only this low because of his lack of longevity. The work he did do was phenomenal. **Note: No, I’m not counting his TNA run. This is my list, and I didn’t watch TNA. Don’t like it? Make your own list** Beyond the fact that he was a fantastic wrestler, Angle played the perfect comic foil in the Attitude Era. He was able to elevate feuds with everyone from HHH, to Stone Cold, to the Rock by being such a great character on the mic.
Greatest Match/Feud: Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero at Wrestlemania 20. Angle vs. Chris Benoit at the 2003 Royal Rumble. All of his backstage stuff with Steve Austin and Vince McMahon over the years.

23: Scott Steiner

Lost in the bizarre promos, chain mail, and terrifying sized muscles is the fact that Scott Steiner was completely ahead of his time. He was doing hurricanranas and backflip power slams when guys like PN News and Norman the Lunatic were sitting on people as a finisher.
Steiner evolved into one of the most underappreciated wrestlers in WCW back when WCW mattered. He was prone to having great matches with everyone from DDP to Goldberg.
Greatest Match/Feud: Steiner Brothers vs. Sting and Lex Luger at Superbrawl 1. Scott Steiner vs. Goldberg at Fall Brawl 2000.

22: Kenny Omega

Omega is the guy at this point in the list most likely to jump into the top 10 when it’s all said and done. His style combines everything that every smark is looking for in wrestling. He is a high flyer. He is a brawler. He is a bruiser. His ability to combine these styles makes him a wrestling unicorn, and one of the biggest stars in the world.
There is no doubt that he is going to be the superstar that gets pushed most heavily in AEW. Omega is the Sting of this generation in the sense that he is going to be fantasy booked against WWE guys forever.
Greatest Match/Feud: The Omega vs. Okada trilogy is the modern Flair/Steamboat. Any of the matches. They are all epic.

21: Jake the Snake Roberts

Jake Roberts scared me as a kid. Him and Undertaker were nightmare fuel for 6 year old me. As I grew older, I was able to wrap my head around the brilliance of what he was, and how he went about doing his job. He was a near perfect promo cutter. Instead of the bombastic, over-the-top promos that Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior cut over the years, Roberts was measured, and quiet sometimes to the point of whisper. He was a master of psychology and his in-ring skill was incredibly underrated. When people talk about the greatest wrestlers of all time to never win the WWF title, his name is always one of the first ones mentioned.
Greatest Match/Feud: Roberts vs. Randy Savage. Roberts vs. Ricky Steamboat in a snake pit match.

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40: Scott Hall

Wrestling fans have become so jaded at this point that it’s easy for most to forget how important and cool Scott Hall showing up in WCW was in 1996. His and Kevin Nash’s arrival made wrestling important again. It launched the Monday Night Wars and forced WWF to change and become something bigger and better than it was.
In the ring, he was an incredible performer (before the alcohol took over) who is responsible for one of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history, with his ladder match against Shawn Michaels. He also had great runs against the likes of Lex Luger, Randy Savage, and even Konnan in WCW.
Greatest Match/Feud: Bash at the Beach 96. Ladder match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 10.

39: AJ Styles

In the dying days of WCW, AJ Styles was there. Today in 2019, AJ Styles is still there, in WWE, at or around the main event scene at all times. The only reason he gets dinged at all is because he is not a great mic worker, and that is exposed even more with WWE’s terrible, pre worked spots.
There is absolutely no doubt about his wrestling ability, though. He was the last big Royal Rumble debut. He has put on show stopping matches with everyone he has encountered. He has even taken half assed feuds in WWE and made them important in the ring.
Greatest Match/Feud: Styles vs. Okada at NJPW Dominion 2015. Styles vs. Nakamura at Wrestle Kingdom 10.

38: Kerry Von Erich

The Texas Tornado stuff was all well and good, but Von Erich’s true legacy is intertwined with his father’s promotion, WCCW, out of Dallas. He beat Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. In the mid 80’s, he was every bit on the same level as every wrestler of the era, and was definitely working at a higher level than his peers in WWF at the time. People still talk about the feud with the Freebirds to this day.
Greatest Match/Feud: The Von Erich family vs. the Fabulous Freebirds. Von Erich vs. Ric Flair at his brother’s memorial show in Dallas.

37: Kazuchika Okada

Yep, the RAAAAAIIIIINNNNNMAAAAAKEER!!!!!! Not only one of the no-doubt best wrestlers in the world, he’s one of the most respected, too. When All In happened last year, he had to be on the card, because his presence helped legitimize it. He’s one of the best and most important wrestlers in NJPW in the past 30 years, and his style and smooth ring work can’t be touched.
Greatest Match/Feud: Pick a match between him and Omega.

36: Brian Pillman

Instead of being sad about how it ended, lets enjoy the Brian Pillman we got to see. His loose cannon gimmick was a prototype for what countless wrestlers would attempt to become. Even before that though, he was one of the best wrestlers in the world. His matches with guys like Jushin Liger, with and against Steve Austin were ahead of their time. Holywood Blondes was an absolutely underrated tag team that just wasn’t pushed properly.
Greatest Match/Feud: Pillman vs. Jushin Liger at Superbrawl 2. Pillman vs. Kevin Sullivan at Superbrawl 6. Any of his promos during his ECW run.

35: Ricky Morton

He’s the greatest tag team wrestler of all time. Don’t @ me. To put his career in perspective, he was in the hottest tag team in the world when he was wrestling in Mid South wrestling in 1984. My mom was pregnant with me, and my dad would take her to see wrestling events in Tulsa. The Rock and Roll Express were wrestling in main events then.
Fast forward 35 years, the Rock and Roll Express is wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and have gained immortal status in the world of wresting. During Wrestlemania weekend, R&R wrestled one of the best current tag teams in the world, LAX, and the Express were treated like royalty. Oh, and Ricky Morton did a Canadian Destroyer in that match. Ricky Morton had been wrestling for 30 years when that move was invented.
Greatest Match/Feud: Express vs. the Soviets for the NWA Tag Team Championship in 1985. British Bulldogs vs. Express in 1989. Taggins with Tanahashi vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon last week in NJPW.

34: Edge

One of the guys behind some of the best tag team wrestling in WWE history. He would go on to become the biggest star from the tag teams that innovated the hardcore style. His singles run was marked with some of the biggest highs in the sport at the time. Unfortunately, a back injury cut his career short, leaving a lot more what-if’s than what was.
Greatest Match/Feud: TLC match at Wrestlemania 17. Edge vs. Mick Foley at Wrestlemania 22.

33: Rob Van Dam

The Whole F’in Show. Mr. Monday Night. Rob Van Dam. One of the biggest crossover stars from the ECW era, Van Dam was an absolute machine whose innovative move set wasn’t made for WCW and WWF at the time, but found a home, and staying power in ECW. It’s no surprise that his style or wrestling has never really been matched. He innovated an almost high flying judo sense of wrestling.
Greatest Match/Feud: RVD vs. Cena at One Night Stand 2006. Pretty much any match he did in ECW.

32: Randy Orton

He’s been the metaphorical rock of the WWE for two decades. The fact that, in 2019, he is still a main eventer speaks to high longevity as a character and a wrestler. He is WWE’s “Break in Case of Emergency” wrestler. Whenever they need a great worker and mic guy to come in and make someone look good or make a title relevant, they send in Orton. His finisher, the RKO, has become one of the most iconic moves of all time thanks to social media.
Greatest Match/Feud: Orton’s feud with Undertaker in 2005. Orton vs. Chris Benoit at Summerslam 2004.

31: John Cena

Yes. Yes. I know. I get it. Yes, he sucks. But he is also great. He doesn’t have any moves. Except when he does. He was never as good as wrestlers who deserved it more. He also reinvented himself in the back half of his career and was the launching pad on the main roster for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. It is going to be impossible in the current to properly rate John Cena for the wrestler he was and his importance. My guess is, 10, 15 years removed, he will probably get his due as one of, if not the more important wrestler in WWE for a long stretch of time.
Greatest Match/Feud: Cena vs. RVD at One Night Stand 2006. His feuds with Randy Orton and CM Punk.

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