#bobby richter icons | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

theseaeaglelives · 5 years ago

Text

Special Edition

THE SEA EAGLE

MAKING RUGBY LEAGUE GREAT AGAIN!!!

Simply the Best???

By this stage most of us have had the misfortune of viewing this year’s NRL season opening promo. The 2-minute (thankfully shortened for TV) expose based on the iconic 1980’s Tina Turner advert highlights 30 of the greatest NRL moments from the past 30 years. Unfortunately, unless said greatest moment features some fringe minority group of indigenous, or progressive agenda rugby league highlight it misses the final editors cut.

Obviously put together by some leftie earing wearing, pony-tailed marketing tosser, who has never been to a game, the only thing missing is poor Old Izzy Folau nailed to a cross begging for penance.

Let’s face it, most rugby league fans, including the all-important angry old white men segment don’t for a second relate to or buy into this progressive gibberish and at the end of the day just want to see two teams of grown men spend 80 minutes bashing the crap out of each other without too many refereeing f#$kups. In the Sea Eagle’s opinion, a more appropriate season opening promo would have been to highlight the 30 most memorable atrocities committed by NRL players during the past 30 years. With this in mind the Director of Controversy in conjunction with marketing gurus Les Boyd Creative, has come up with this. Open the link and pump up the volume!!

https://youtu.be/FwrUTsN_mJE

Off-Season Controversy

In any other off season, the following incidents would be considered yet another shameful off-season of NRL players running amok. Of course, in season 2020 and the 2019/20 off-season there wasn't even a murmur of outrage over what happened. Basically the public is immune to all of it and expects it. And yet the tale of the tape reveals this :

Nelson Asofa Solomona

With the off-season barely a few weeks old Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa Solomona on Oct 19 was reportedly seen throwing punches outside the La Favela nightclub in Seminyak Bali. Witnesses allegedly say the 23-year-old New Zealand Test prop was defending a teammate after they were set upon in an unprovoked attack. No action was taken ultimately by the NRL but the Sea Eagle certainly noticed it, and can only commend it as a great opening gambit .

Sam Burgess AVO and charges Oct 19.

Although the great player has now retired, at the time he was still contemplating being involved in season 2020. Unfortunately, things got a bit out of control when he ended up being charged with an intimidation type offence involving his father in law and also had an AVO brought against him again by allegedly attending his father in law’s premises (presumably when not invited). How Mr Burgess could be charged with intimidation is anyone’s guess.

This one still has to be played out in the Courts but again it was a fantastic entrée, with more and the best yet to come .

Mansa Fainu – Manly Hooker stabbing incident https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/manly-star-involved-in-church-dance-brawl-where-man-was-stabbed-20191028-p534ut.html.

This one was a Bobby dazzler . Manly had pinned all their hopes on this bloke to be there star #9 going forward. Regrettably things went incredibly haywire and allegations surfaced that he attacked someone whilst still recovering from a shoulder operation and his arm in a sling, allegedly with a knife carried in said sling. Bail was refused and as far as the Sea Eagle can ascertain, he remains incarcerated. It is pretty hard to top this in terms of an off -field atrocity but there you have it . Naturally, the NRL has deemed him unfit to play until this matter has been determined by the courts, although how he could play whilst serving time in a prison cell and recovering from a serious shoulder operation is anyone's guess.

David Fifita https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/david-fifita-bali-arrest-security-guard-assault-nrl-brisbane-broncos-star/news-story/8b06bdf6ab9609c48eb2c9e9a63d67d1

Another beauty this one, with Brisbane Broncos star forward again travelling to Bali and running amok. The allegations of course are all untested and unproven but the suggestions are that he was wildly swinging and landing punches on passers-by whilst travelling on a motorbike or perhaps walking in the street (one can't be entirely sure). Mr Fifita suggests he was set up. How hard would that be for an NRL player to achieve after a few drinks in Bali, the Sea Eagle suggests? In any event, he found himself incarcerated in a Bali hell hole, and allegedly having to make some sort of Brown paper bag payment to the Bali authorities in order to make this one go away. The Sea Eagle of course casts no blame against Mr Fifita for this one, as it is all supposition and hype. But the usual rules apply. That is, where there is smoke, there's usually some little F&&^%cker lighting matches.

Broncos hooker James Segeyaro doping charges.

James Segeyaro has been provisionally suspended by the NRL under the league's anti-doping policy after testing positive to a banned substance. At the time of writing this one still has to play out but it is certainly the sort of stuff you expect in any NRL off season .

Penrith Panthers NRL player Tyrone May Sex Tapes

Tyrone May narrowly avoided gaol and was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order over a sex tape scandal in January 2020. Tyrone May pleaded guilty to four counts of intentionally recording an intimate image without consent. The magistrate said his behaviour was "reprehensible" and "criminal". Apparently May and his teammate Nathan Cleary left the court without making any comment. May has been sidelined for nearly a year since being arrested over the videos from 2018, which were filmed without consent. One incident occurred at a Coffs Harbour motel and a second involved a woman in western Sydney three months later.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty in November 2019 to four counts of intentionally recording an intimate image without consent.

Magistrate Robyn Denes sentenced May to 300 hours of community service, as well as psychological intervention, during his three-year community corrections order.

"This behaviour is not only morally reprehensible, it's criminal," she told Parramatta Local Court. "Ultimately, this is an offence which takes what was consensual sexual acts to another level. It does breach trust." Magistrate Denes warned May's offending placed him "on the cusp" of a custodial sentence and questioned whether he showed any remorse.

Not much more can be said about this one other than one must marvel at what would be revealed in a psychological intervention for an NRL player of this atrocity calibre. The facts speak for themselves and it is nothing less than a pure off field atrocity by an NRL player.

Josh Reynolds, AVO and domestic violence charges against ex partner https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/tigers-playmaker-reynolds-charged-with-domestic-violence-offence-20191212-p53jd5.html

This one showed that not all NRL players are guilty by association or by press release. Ultimately Mr Reynolds managed to persuade the New South Wales prosecutions to drop the charges on the basis of some ulterior or alleged ulterior motive of the complainant. Nevertheless, it is definitely controversial and pure Rugby League and worthy of a place in an off-field atrocity listing.

Eels winger Maika Sivo fronts court in traditional dress, barred from leaving Fiji over indecency charge https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/teams/eels/maika-sivo-tugged-on-female-bartenders-dress-before-fiji-pool-party-arrest/news-story/fb6dda5023f22790903b768a41c8c740

Maika Sivo was charged with indecent annoyance after allegedly touching the skirt of a waitress on Boxing Day during a trip home to Fiji. The NRL allowed the winger to play in the Nines tournament in Perth and the stand down policy did not apply to this player. Is there anything more fundamentally Rugby League than this one?

NRL player Curtis Scott Tasered after allegedly punching officer in the face (Australia Day 2020) https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nrl-player-curtis-scott-tasered-after-allegedly-punching-officer-in-the-face-20200127-p53v0w.html

Curtis Scott allegedly assaulted a police officer in January 2020 and faces up to five years in jail if found guilty. Scott, who joined the Canberra Raiders in the off-season from Melbourne Storm, was arrested earlier this year after he allegedly kicked and punched a police officer in Sydney.

New South Wales Police said officers were forced to taser the 22-year-old to subdue him in the early hours of January 27, 2020 after members of the public reported a man "acting erratically" in the Moore Park sports precinct.

Scott was charged with two counts of assault, resisting police, behaving offensively in public and trespassing after being told to leave.

The NRL says he is free to play this season but warns against interpreting its decision as "a view on [his] innocence or guilt". In its statement, the NRL acknowledged Scott's charges were "extremely serious" but added "he should not be prevented from playing whilst he responds to them".

Scott's charges carry a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment but the NRL had been considering applying its stand-down policy to him regardless.

Raiders coach Ricky sticky Stuart was naturally infuriated over this one, with his high profile and high paid recruit caught up in what can only be described as at best unprofessional. Yet again the old adage applies, nothing good happens after midnight (particularly in the Moore Park precinct after Australia Day). And, certainly as the NRL knows in seasons past, when we start talking Australia Day we usually end up with at least one NRL player going above and beyond .Who can forget what happened to Mitchell Pearce and that poor dog a few years back, after his efforts on an Australia day bonding session went right off the Richter scale.

STOP PRESS

but wait there is more. And this one takes the cake.

Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor stood down by Bulldogs just two days before their NRL season-opener- 10 March 2020

The Bulldogs stood down Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor just two days before their NRL season-opener.The players were issued a show cause notice by the NRL as to why they shouldn’t face further disciplinary action for alleged breaches of the game’s code of conduct.

It is still somewhat unclear as to what the players did but neither is the subject of a criminal investigation (at this stage). What "sources" close to the Sea Eagle can reveal is that it involved young high school girls (apparently over the age of consent) in a room after a trial was played at Port Macquarie.

It is understood that following a “promotional” visit to a local High School Messrs. Harawira-Naera and Okunbor hooked up with a couple of the girls and ended up back in their rooms for a consensual encounter. How these two knuckleheads thought that this was OK is anyone’s guest suffice to say these are NRL players and should be dealt with, with the highest of caution at the best of times.

Port Macquarie is South of Coffs Harbour where a few years back all hell broke loose in similar circumstances. Again, it was the Bulldogs.

Canterbury referred the matter to the NRL Integrity Unit after receiving concerning reports of alleged misconduct by the two players.

Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill confirmed the players were stood down “Each was issued a show cause notice by the NRL as to why they shouldn’t face further disciplinary action for alleged breaches of the game’s code of conduct,” Hill said.

If this is in fact the case Bulldogs management also have a bit to answer for in failing to issue both Harawira-Naera and Okunbor with the simplest of instructions prior to the school visit - that being “do not f#@K any of the students”.

All the Sea Eagle can say is why do Clubs let players of limited mental ability or capacity, make decisions of any kind. Why do they play trials at seaside locations like Port Macquarie at all? The only place the Bulldogs should play a trial is in Parklea against the best local 17 inmates. There will be more to play out in this one. Rest assured. The Sea Eagle is thinking St George player Jack De Belin here.

THE SEA EAGLE

2 notes · View notes

placetobenation · 7 years ago

Link

“The revolutionary force for over 50 years in sports entertainment” was a clever tag line used in the mid 90s before every WWF show. For most United States wrestling fans that are still alive, it is a way of life. Greater by the day is the lack of variance in the answer of what wrestling an individual grew up on. For better or worse, WWE has been the standard bearer. Throughout that rich history, performers ranging from Nature Boys to Undertakers have graced the squared circle. Foreign legends have had extended runs and some of the most iconic figures in pro wrestling history have been aces of the promotion reaching unequivocal mainstream pop culture heights in the world of wrestling.

With such a large history to play with, discovering the beauty of Bob Backlund’s charisma or the connection of Bruno Sammartino to the MSG crowd was a new development throughout this project similar to rewatching The Godfather and On the Waterfront to rediscover the genius of Marlon Brando. WWE may not have always been YOUR promotion but for the better part of 50 years, it was THE promotion in the United States and transformed the pro wrestling landscape. This project serves to praise the individuals that best helped shape the vision of Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr. Place to be Nation is proud to present to you a ranking of the Greatest WWE Wrestlers Ever.

– Chad Campbell

Note: Results of this list are based on 118 ballots received between May and December 2017. Voters were asked to submit their list of the 100 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of all time and consider only their WWWF/WWF/WWE career. Ties were broken based on 1) number of ballots a wrestler appeared on and 2) high vote.

Every wrestler who received at least one vote will be recognized in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to Place to Be Nation as we reveal all of the honorable mentions right through the cream of the crop. Read the other installments, both written and audio, of this project here.

174. Wendi Richter Total Points: 309 Total Ballots: 10 Average Rank: 70.1 High Vote: 28 Low Vote: 89 High Voter: El Groino

Key Matches & Moments: Was a hugely over babyface during the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling era; Cindy Lauper’s surrogate at the inaugural WrestleMania; Defeated Leilani Kai for the Women’s Title at that same WrestleMania; Wendi then screwed Wendi at the inaugural MSG screwjob

Staff Thoughts: Wendi Richter will forever be an iconic character of the 80s due to her involvement in the legendary Cindy Lauper angle. To this day she probably screams “SCREW YOU SPIDER!” as she smashes every arachnid around her lavish, swimsuit filled home.

From the Voters: “Second only to Hulk as the most over babyface of the Rock & Wrestling Connection. Needed a better foil than Moolah or Leilani Kai. Sensational Sherri would’ve been a great feud.” – Tim Tetreault, June 3, 2017

“Much like Hillbilly Jim, she was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Lousy in the ring and on the mic. No chance of making it on my list.” – Brian Bayless, June 3, 2017

173. Barbarian Total Points: 319 Total Ballots: 15 Average Rank: 79.7 High Vote: 57 Low Vote: 98 High Voter: David Carli

Key Matches & Moments: Debuted alongside the Warlord as the Powers of Pain; CRUSHED communism at SummerSlam 1988; Showed their bias towards imperialist Japan at Survivor Series that year; Unsuccessfully challenged Demolition for the Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania V; Sold to Bobby Heenan and to celebrate the occasion killed many deer to make a sick half coat; Gave Tito Santana the sweetest top rope clothesline at WrestleMania VI; Fun romp with the Big Boss Man at Royal Rumble 1991; With Haku had a hell of an opener at WrestleMania VII against the Rockers; Changed his name to Sionne…

Staff Thoughts: An underrated big man from the age of the giants. Barbarian could move in there for a guy his size. Sure his promos sounded like random grunting but that’s why Bobby Heenan was there to tell us he wasn’t a hairdresser on his day off. Had he been given a push to match his talent we’re probably talking about someone who finishes much higher. The true shame is that he wasn’t the one paired with Slick; with the way Barbarian rolled his shoulders he would have made a perfect dance partner for the Doctor of Style rather than that stiff-ass Warlord.

From the Voters: “Would’ve loved him and Haku tagging more in the WWF. And am I the only one who thought the fur and antlers look was cool? Very few guys could’ve pulled that off without looking ridiculous (I’m looking at you, Mantaur!)” – Tim Tetreault, June 3, 2017

“Underrated in the ring, no promos to speak of. He was a fine middle-of-the-card heel who didn’t seem to have any ambitions to go further than that.” – Ben Morse, June 9, 2017

172. Koko B. Ware Total Points: 319 Total Ballots: 18 Average Rank: 83.8 High Vote: 40 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Vince Male

Key Matches & Moments: “The Birdman” was a favorite among 80s WWF fans especially kids who liked his colorful outfits and Frankie, The macaw that accompanied Koko B. Ware to the ring; Defeated Nikolai Volkoff on the November 1986 Saturday Night’s Main Event; Sang the title track on the Piledriver album; Appeared at WrestleMania III losing to Butch Reed; First wrestler to fall victim to both the PefectPlex and the Undertaker’s Tombstone piledriver; Teamed with Owen Hart as High Energy, blazing a trail in the baggy pants genre of this industry; Appeared in the first match on the first Monday Night Raw where he was squashed by Yokozuna

Staff Thoughts: Koko B. Ware doesn’t have a signature match or promo to make his case, but I would wager most fans who grew up in the 80s remember him, for whatever that’s worth. Between flapping his arms and bringing Frankie to the ring to the suspenders and pants that looked like parachutes (not parachute pants those were different) you couldn’t forget Koko. He also seemed to pop-up in a lot of significant spots like taking the first PerfectPlex, Tombstone Piledriver and in the first match on Raw. He never WON any of those, but since Koko was really enhancement talent he wasn’t supposed to, and a win over a memorable jobber likely got more mileage than a win over a forgettable one.

From the Voters: “I want to give Koko some credit – he was great in his role, and he’s one of those guys that anyone who watched from that time period remembers. Koko (and George Steele) really trailbazed in the WWF for creating the “kid friendly” role on the main men’s roster. Guys like The Hurricane, Eugene, The Bushwhackers, etc really followed where he helped to lead.” – James Proffitt, May 31, 2017

“I can’t see him making my list BUT he was a very beloved character in his era. Probably one of the most rootable guys in the business during his WWF stint despite never getting a break. I’ve always wondered if there are any High Energy hidden gems.” – Dylan Hales, July 7, 2017

171. Beth Phoenix Total Points: 323 Total Ballots: 15 Average Rank: 79.5 High Vote: 52 Low Vote: 96 High Voter: Eric Miller

Key Matches & Moments: Debuted as an ally of Trish Stratus in her feud with Mickie James; Returned from injury as The Glamazon heel character defeating Candice Michelle for the WWE Women’s Championship at No Mercy 2007; Had a two-out-of-three falls match with Michelle that was touted in the Facebook comments; Teamed with Melina to win the Playboy Bunnymania Lumberjack match at WrestleMania XXiV; Defeated Melina in the first women’s I Quit match in WWE history; Was one-half of power couple Glamerella, playing the straight woman to Santino Marella’s wacky antics; Glamerella defeated Kofi Kingston and Mickie James at SummerSlam 2008 resulting in Phoenix winning James’ Women’s title and Santino winning Kingston’s IC title; At WrestleMania XXV Phoenix competed in the Miss WrestleMania battle royal eliminating 12 divas before being eliminated by “Santina;” causing the split of Glamerella; Became just the second woman to enter the Royal Rumble in 2010, eliminating Great Kahli by kissing him out of the ring; Defeated Michelle McCool in an Extreme Makeover match at Extreme Rules 2010 for her third Women’s Championship; Teamed with Natalya to defeat LayCool in the first Divas Tables match at TLC 2010; Formed the Divas of Doom with Natalya feuding with the “perky bimbos” that made up the rest of the division; Defeated Kelly Kelly at Hell in a Cell 2011 to win the Divas Championship; Lost a tag team match with Eve Torres to Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos at WrestleMania XXVIII

Staff Thoughts: Beth Phoenix was the highlight of the Women’s Division during a dark period for the division, making her the equivalent of the tallest midget or, as Steve Williams put it on one of the FYC podcasts, “the prettiest waitress at Denny’s” (this naturally led to Good Ol’ Will telling about the Denny’s waitress he once dated.) Anyway, Phoenix stood out from the other divas of the time with her power offense and was real good in her role as straight woman to Santino Marella in Glamerella. She was also the second woman to compete in the Royal Rumble.

From the Voters: “I think she could have done way more than what she was restricted to. I’ve seen her cut a decent promo. She could be funny or serious. Not a great worker, but she could be fun throwing girls around. I liked her as the ‘straight man’ with Santino, and liked her team with Nattie too. She had that killer submission match with Melina. There’s 4 or 5 women ahead of her though, and I don’t think she has enough to make it.” -Adam Russell, July 13, 2017

“She stood out during a dark period of women’s wrestling. I’m not going to hold that against her so she’s probably going to make my list. Would love to see here against the current roster.” – Brian Meyer, May 31, 2017

170. Road Warrior Animal Total Points: 342 Total Ballots: 14 Average Rank: 76.6 High Vote: 47 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Ray Miller

Key Matches & Moments: At SummerSlam 1990 helped The Hart Foundation defeat those no-good copycats Demolition; Part of the awesome WARRIORS team at Survivor Series 1990; Finally won the WWF Tag Team Championships from the Nasty Boys in a fun match at SummerSlam 1991 making The LOD the first team to hold each of the WWF, NWA and AWA Tag Team Titles; Began attending strategy sessions from a wooden 1950s greaser dummy that seems to have perpetuated the decline of the LOD’s WWF career; Returned to the WWF in 1997 and had an endless feud with two pig farmers, but then went on to help make the New Age Outlaws; Were part of the uber-fun Chicago Street fight at WrestleMania 13.

Staff Thoughts: The Legion of Doom is still one of the most popular teams in company history, but when you strip it down their accomplishments, while decent, they don’t really amount to an all time great team. Perhaps it’s because they never were given that huge blowoff with Demolition, or maybe because they were never fed the Rockers but you’re hard pressed to find a GREAT LOD match in the WWF. All the same people will forever remember Animal as the glue that held the team together, a solid in-ring performer and the best “TELL EM HAWK” guy in the business. The less said about his partnership with Heidenreich and his complicity in the rape of Michael Cole the better.

From the Voters: “I’ve tried to wait to comment on Animal seeing as how I’m very biased because they are myself and my fathers favorite tag team of all time. I wish they would have had a longer stay in the WWE or just had gotten there sooner. They are multiple time WWE champions but I think the only way they make the list is very low and they would have to be together. Fingers crossed” – Eric Boyd, May 28, 2017

“If this was a NWA/ WCW list, Animal and Hawk for that matter would be locks. But it’s not so they are not.” – Matt Souza, May 28, 2017

169. Tony Garea Total Points: 347 Total Ballots: 16 Average Rank: 79.3 High Vote: 42 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Scott Herrin

Key Matches & Moments: Teamed with Haystacks Calhoun to defeat Mr. Fuji and Professor Tanaka to win his first WWWF Tag Team title; Continued feuding with Fuji and Tanaka and won his second Tag Team title from that pair teaming with Dean Ho; After a three year singles run, Garea formed one of his more well-known tag teams with Larry Zbyzsko eventually defeating the Yukon Lumberjacks for Garea’s third Tag Team title; In 1980 Garea formed his most popular and successful tag team with Rick Martel, winning the titles from the Wild Samoans for Garea’s fourth Tag Team reign; Garea and Martel had a hot feud with the Moondogs eventually dropping the titles in March 1981; In July 1981 Martle and Garea recaptured the belts from the Moondogs for Garea’s fifth and final Tag Team Championship; The team continued to have great matches with teams like Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito, who they eventually dropped the titles to after Martel took salt to the eyes; After Martel left the WWF in 1982, Garea teamed with Eddie Gilbert and B. Brian Blair before sliding down to enhancement talent and retiring from in-ring duty in 1986

Staff Thoughts: With that luxurious head of hair, Tony Garea would’ve been right at home guest starring on C.H.i.P.S., but luckily for us, he used his genetically gifted follicles in the squared circle. A true tag-team specialist, Garea won the tag titles five times and had very good notable runs with Larry Z. and Rick Martel. The team with Martel was especially good in the ring having excellent matches with the Moondogs and The Misters (Fuji and Saito, and did WWF miss the boat not calling that team Mister Mister? No, probably not.) The guys talk about Garea’s resume and his tag teams on this episode of FYC.

From the Voters: “Runaway winner for best hair – he has quite the tag resume when you look at his entire run and the number of titles he was given . His stuff with Larry and Martel is really good but I don’t think you could ever say he was the best guy on the team. Did his job well though.” – Brad Warren, June 4, 2017

“Underrated talent, and was pretty relevant for a surprisingly long time. And just a fantastic head of hair!” – Tim Tetreault

168. Val Venis Total Points: 347 Total Ballots: 18 Average Rank: 81.7 High Vote: 41 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Blaise Perrone

Key Matches & Moments: The wrestling porn star was introduced in a series of vignettes featuring real porn star Jenna Jameson; First feud with Kai En Tai resulted in the “choppy choppy your pee-pee” angle, so Val Venis was memorable from the start; Starred in one of his movies with Terri Runnels prompting a feud with Goldust; Made another film with Ryan Shamrock, kayfabe sister or Ken Shamrock, prompting their feud, with Venis winning the Intercontinental title from Shamrock; Lost his title to Road Dogg, but challenged for the IC belt at WrestleMania XV in a mess of an angle and four-way match; Won the European Title from the British Bulldog and lost it to Kurt Angle; Won his second IC title from Rikishi and successfully defended it in a good cage match at Fully Loaded 2000; Joined the Right to Censor, dropping the porn star gimmick; Lost a six-man tag match with RTC against the APA and Tazz at WrestleMania X-7; Returned from injury at Royal Rumble 2002 under his old gimmick and calling himself the Big Valbowski; In late 2002 began using his real name of Sean Morley and was appointed Raw Chief of Staff, becoming Chief Morley; Appointed himself Lance Storm’s tag team partner when William Regal was unable to compete, making him a Tag Team Champion; Continued with the company is reduced roles until 2009

Staff Thoughts: Helloooo Ladies! (and gentlemen we don’t want to exclude anyone in our audience) Val Venis (rhymes with penis) owned the wrestling porn star gimmick, from his fantastic entrance videos featuring trains heading into tunnels and hot dogs being mass produced to his double-entendre laden promos and towel-twirling pre-match routine. Was the biggest beneficiary of a case of shrinkage in history during the “choppy-choppy your pee-pee” angle with Kaientai. And the star of such notable flicks as Saving Ryan’s Privates was not just a Russo created gimmick only wrestler, he was a solid hand in the ring. The master of the Money Shot’s cage match against Rikishi at Fully Loaded 2000 is a bit of a hidden gem on a fairly loaded card. Unfortunately, the gimmick had a relatively short shelf life and the Big Valbowski was type-cast as every subsequent character from repentant Val in the RTC to Chief Morley delivered less bang for the buck than Venis (which rhymes with penis.)

From the Voters: “He is making my list. I don’t care… I enjoyed the choppy choppy angle. Loved the Goldust feud. Liked the Rikishi match. He will be likely in the bottom 10 but I finding a place for him on my list.” – Good Ol’ Will From Texas, June 3, 2017

I appreciate the work in the tail end of his run, when the pornstar gimmick was done and he was just a solid hand busting his ass as enhancement talent. Could work face or heel, modified the character a few times, and had a reasonable amount of success. I think he has a shot at the back end, I’m certainly not saying no chance just yet.” – Jeremy Ray, June 4, 2017

167. Luke Harper Total Points: 348 Total Ballots: 15 Average Rank: 77.8 High Vote: 51 Low Vote: 96 High Voter: Microstatistics

Key Matches & Moments: Won the NXT Tag Team Championship with Erick Rowan; Debuted with the Wyatt Family feuding with Goldust & Cody Rhodes and CM Punk & Daniel Bryan; The Wyatt Family feuded with The Shield in early 2014 and had an incredible six-man match at Elimination Chamber; Teaming with Rowan he challenged WWE Tag Team Champions the Usos at Money in the Bank and in a two-out-of-three-falls match at Battleground; After dissolution of the Wyatt Family Harper joined Team Authority at Survivor Series 2014; Won the Intercontinental Title from Dolph Ziggler; Lost the title back to Dolph Ziggler in a very good ladder match at TLC 2014; Challenged for the IC title in the seven-man ladder match at WrestleMania 31; Reunited with the Wyatt Family tagging with Wyatt against Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam 2015; Wyatt and Randy Orton won the SmackDown Tag Team titles at TLC 2016 and Harper was recognized as a champion under Freebird Rules; Was a co-winner of a battle royal to name a number one contender for the WWE Championship, setting up a singles match with A.J. Styles to name the number one contender; Reformed his tag team with Rowan currently competing as the Bludgeon Brothers

Staff Thoughts: The matches with The Shield are fantastic and Luke Harper is a big reason why. He’s got a strong list of very good matches, but is one of the more underutilized members of the roster, and has also been unlucky with some injuries. Hopefully, he and Rowan can get a solid tag run as the Bludgeon Brothers despite the dumb team name.

From the Voters: “Tremendous stuff with the Wyatt Family vs. Shield and Usos, as mentioned, and what I felt was a great ladder match against Dolph Ziggler. Also had a good singles match at Fastlane against Randy Orton. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s enough to make my list. Love this guy though.” – Greg Phillips, June 1, 2017

“Makes it on the strength of being the best Wyatt in those awesome Shield vs Wyatt Family matches. Then having a super unheralded brutal violent classic ladder match with Dolph Ziggler of all people. yes underutilized but still good enough to make it for me.” – Martin Boulevard, November 19, 2017

166. Akeem Total Points: 353 Total Ballots: 23 Average Rank: 85.7 High Vote: 23 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Jason Drake

Key Matches & Moments: As the One Man Gang had a memorable house show feud with Hulk Hogan; Part of Andre the Giant’s winning team at Survivor Series 1987; Got to the semi-finals of the much beloved WrestleMania IV WWF Title Tournament; Returned to his roots in deepest darkest Africa; Formed the Twin Towers with Big Boss Man; Was involved in the feud and match in which the Mega Powers exploded; Fun match with the Rockers at WrestleMania V; Eventually was crushed by Big Boss Man after their partnership went awry

Staff Thoughts: Who could forget this big son of a bitch all dressed in blue getting funky like a monkey. Jim Johnson will no doubt tell you that the Ultimate Warrior had the most perfect entrance theme, but we’ll argue that no theme embodied a wrestler more than Jive Soul Bro embodied Akeem. Did he lie to his friends? Absolutely, otherwise why would the incorruptible Big Boss Man feel the need to kick his ass at WrestleMania VI? Did he never get nothing in the end? I don’t see a universe in which he was able to walk out of that company with one of those dashikis let alone one of those glorious hats. Akeem was pure fun: the deepest darkest Africa skit, twirling his hands in the air (as though he didn’t care) and the Akeem promos were hilarious as he attempted to channel Dusty Rhodes; all the while he had the size and ability to carry a more serious feud if needed. If anything we should commend this dude for learning a lesson and not messing with a woman that was seven feet tall.

From the Voters: “Akeem is one of my all time favorite characters. Just the mere sight of him makes me want to laugh. He really did a good job with it and it really showed how underrated he was as a performer with how well he did with it. Only problem that he was too goofy to be taken seriously which kind of hurt his value. I think they missed the boat not turning him face. It’s also too bad he left before his feud with Saba Simba over who the true African of the WWF was could get off the ground. Those matches would’ve been quite interesting to say the least.” – Wade Ferrari, May 28, 2017

“I hate the Akeem to a nearly irrational level. He is just so fucking annoying in every match with those shitty dance moves. Fuck Akeem! Demolition vs Twin Towers thats made for wrestling Hell.” – Martin Boulevard May, 29, 2017

165. Dick Murdoch Total Points: 368 Total Ballots: 11 Average Rank: 67.5 High Vote: 49 Low Vote: 95 High Voter: Richard Land

Key Matches & Moments: Won the WWF Tag Team Championship with partner Adrian Adonis in 1984; Carried Afa to a watchable match on the October 1984 MSG show; Had an excellent match with Barry Windham in February of 1985; Was called DICKIE Murdoch by Jim Ross during the 1995 Royal Rumble

Staff Thoughts: Dick Murdoch was an incredible worker who had his best stuff outside the WWF. His time in the promotion was as short as his son Trevor Murdoch’s. The WWF just doesn’t care for Murdochs. And before you get angry we know he’s not his son, but look at those foreheads for fuck’s sake!

From the Voters: “Match with Afa on 10/84 MSG show is greatest broomstick performance in history. It’s on the Network” – Kelly Nelson, May 31, 2017

“So much stuff elsewhere that doesn’t count in here (he was an easy overall GWE vote) – don’t see him making first pass” – Brad Warren, May 31, 2017

164. Jim Neidhart Total Points: 378 Total Ballots: 17 Average Rank: 78.8 High Vote: 48 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Vince Male

Key Matches & Moments: Was the second to last guy eliminated in the WrestleMania 2 battle royale; With partner Bret Hart defeated the British Bulldogs to become the WWF tag Team Champions; Check out ANY of the Hart Foundation/British Bulldog matches you can on the WWE Network; He and Bret had an excellent opener against the Brain Busters at SummerSlam 1989; Won the WWF Tag team Titles from Demolition at SummerSlam 1990; Was briefly proclaimed Mr. SummerSlam before Bret Hart whined and got Vince McMahon to hand HIM the sash; Got killed in one of Ric Flair’s first matches on Superstars in 1991; Wore shiny blue pants and formed a team with Owen Hart; Would later support Owen in the Hart feud of 1994; Part of 1997’s excellent Hart Foundation angle and participated in the EPIC 10 man tag at IYH Canadian Stampede

Staff Thoughts: If you’re a certain age and you have had a beard at some point you have looked at yourself in the mirror, pulled it down to a point and let out a huge “HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Bret Hart himself, possibly with tears in his eyes, credits the Anvil for helping him get out of the blocks of his WWF career. Jim Neidhart was a great part of one of the greatest teams of all time, but his lack of singles work hampers his ability to climb this list any further. He will forever be remembered for his laugh, his high impact moves, his big heart and that weird pink cap that we wore on his head a few times.

From the Voters: “Hart Foundation absolutely would not have worked without Anvil. Excellent character and promos, surprisingly athletic, knew where to be for Bret’s innovative tag ideas.” – Greg Phillips, May 31, 2017

“Who?” – Jeremy Ray, May 30, 2017

163. Stan Hansen Total Points: 379 Total Ballots: 14 Average Rank: 73.9 High Vote: 50 Low Vote: 97 High Voter: ElliottPWO

Key Matches & Moments: Feuded with Bruno Sammartino in 1976 breaking his neck and claiming it was from the power of his lariat; Upon Sammartino’s return challenged him for the WWWF Title before leaving the company; Returned for a run in 1980 challenging Andre the Giant and Pedro Morales as well as rekindling his feud with Bruno; Developed a rivalry with Bob Backlund challenging him for the WWF title in numerous very good matches, including a steel cage match at Madison Square Garden

Staff Thoughts: The Lariat was great pretty much everywhere he went, bringing intensity and hard-hitting action (possibly because he couldn’t see his opponent well enough to know if he was stiffing them.) His work in WWWF/WWF was brief compared to his runs elsewhere, but Stan Hansen still made an impact. He’s most known for breaking Bruno Sammartino’s neck and having intense brawls with the champ, including this steel cage match from 1976. He developed an intense rivalry with Bob Backlund, culminating in this cage match from MSG in 1981.

From the Voters: “I love Hansen, but he’s known from his work in Japan. Could be put on the list simply for breaking Bruno Sammartino’s neck.” – Boyce Antrim, June 2, 2017

“Broke bruno’s neck. And had a decent feud with Bob. He could get in the last few spots, if you are inclined.” – Will Olson, June 3, 2017

162. Dash Wilder Total Points: 398 Total Ballots: 16 Average Rank: 76.125 High Vote: 38 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Sam Symonds

Key Matches & Moments: Began teaming with Scott Dawson as the Mechanics in 2014 in NXT though the name was later changed to Dash and Dawson and finally The Revival; Competed in the 2015 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic losing to Finn Balor and Samoa Joe at NXT Takeover: Respect; Won the NXT Tag Team Titles from the Vaudevillains on the November 11, 2015 episode of NXT; Defeated Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady at NXT Takeover London; Successfully defended their titles against Enzo and Cass at Roadblock in March 2016; Lost their titles at NXT Takeover Dallas to American Alpha before regaining them at NXT Takeover The End with both matches being stellar; Began a feud with #DIY, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa successfully defending their titles at NXT Takeover Brooklyn II in an excellent match, before dropping the titles to #DIY in a two-out-of-three falls match at NXT Takeover Toronto in a Match of the Year Contender; Challenged for the NXT Tag Team Titles at NXT Takeover Orlando in a three-way match with #DIY and the Authors of Pain; The Revival answered an open challenge and defeated the New Day on the Raw after WrestleMania 33, Faced Dustin Rhodes at Starcade live event in November

Staff Thoughts: Your mileage on Dash Wilder will depend on how much you value tag team wrestling as he doesn’t have much of a singles body of work. But The Revival can make a strong case as one of the best in-ring tag teams to ever compete under the WWE banner. Their work in NXT is some of the best tag team matches the company has ever put on. The two Takeover matches with #DIY are instant classics with the Toronto two-out-of-three falls match a strong contender for 2016 MOTY. The matches with American Alpha weren’t far behind. You can make a strong case their matches have been some of the best U.S. tag team matches since at least the late 80s or early 90s. The way the Revival cuts off the ring, their teamwork and timing and storytelling during a match is just superb. They’ve been unlucky lately, with both Wilder and Dawson suffering injuries after they were called up to the main roster. But if they can stay healthy and the company gives them the ball to run with both Wilder and Dawson may climb up the rankings in future lists. You can hear the guys talk more about the Revival on this episode of the FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Revival are going to be tough for me to leave off just based on their output the past two years. They really don’t have a ton of matches that make tape but all of them at worst are entertaining and at best are some of if not the best US tag matches I have ever seen. Tough for me to leave someone like that off that peaks so high.” – Chad Campbell, May 29, 2017

“Too soon into his career to gauge his flexibility at all. We’ve seen him do one thing. Very, very well. He and Dawson carry themselves as main event talents though. They bring as sense of legitimacy to every thing they do. They embody old school.” – Aaron George, May 31, 2017

161. Freddie Blassie Total Points: 399 Total Ballots: 7 Average Rank: 44 High Vote: 9 Low Vote: 69 High Voter: TheBestThereNeverWas

Key Matches & Moments: Had runs with both Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino; earned the name Classy in a tournament that took place in Rio De Janeiro.

Staff Thoughts: Fred Blassie was a hell of a heel in the 50s, 60s and 70s but perhaps sadly most remember him as a manager. And WHAT a manager! His performance in the famed Land of a Thousand Dances is one for the ages.

From the Voters: “I don’t think he spent much time as a wrestler in the WWWF other than a run against Bruno in the mid sixties. He was primarily a west coast guy. I think his contributions as a manager and longevity earn him a spot along with the other two members of the trio of terror Albano and The Grand Wizard” – Todd Hall, May 30, 2017

160. Brian Kendrick Total Points: 404 Total Ballots: 19 Average Rank: 79.7 High Vote: 42 Low Vote: 97 High Voter: Microstatistics

Key Matches & Moments: Debuted by delivering a singing telegram to Undertaker and taking the Last Ride for his troubles; Pandered to Stephanie McMahon for a few weeks to earn a job (who doesn’t); Tagged with Paul London mostly on Velocity in 2003 before leaving the company; Reformed his team with London upon his return in 2005 winning the WWE Tag Team titles from MNM; Had a good and notable four-way ladder match best known for Joey Mercury’s graphic facial injury; Held the Tag Team titles for 331 days, a record that stood until surpassed by the New Day in 2016; Drafted to Raw along with London where they defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch for the World Tag Team titles before losing them back a few days later; Returned to SmackDown as THE Brian Kendrick with bodyguard Ezekiel Jackson; Participated in the Cruiserweight Classic in 2016 defeating Raul Mendoza and Tony Nese before losing to Kota Ibushi in the quarterfinals; Kendrick’s run in the Cruiserweight Classic told the story of a veteran trying to hold onto his career; Won a #1 contender four-way match to challenge Cruiserweight Champion T.J. Perkins at Clash of Champions 2016, losing the match and turning heel on Perkins afterwards; Won the title from Perkins at Hell in a Cell 2016; Lost the Cruiserweight title to Rich Swann on the first 205 Live; Challenged for the title with Swann and Perkins at Roadblock: End of the Line; Feuded with Akira Tozawa and Jack Gallagher

Staff Thoughts: The tag team with Paul London was really strong, but could have been even more notable if they’d had better teams to work with and that the tag team division was a higher priority at the time. The title run may have been a record, but London and Kendrick were forgotten about for long stretches even though they always delivered in the ring. Kendrick showed good character work when given the chance, as THE Brian Kendrick and particularly in the Cruiserweight Classic. Once the cruiserweight division was revived, the WWE could get back to ignoring the Cruiserweight Title, just like in glory days of the division (whenever that may have been.)

From the Voters: “Very likely he makes my list, but probably in the latter half because of how short his previous runs with the company were. That being said, the tag team with London was great, his brief “THE Brian Kendrick” run had some solid character work, and his run in the CWC and cruiser division has had some good matches. Hell, his comedy stuff as Spanky was entertaining.” – Greg Rossbach, July 7, 2017

“Y’know what? He could sneak in. Great tag team run with Paul London, nice character reinvention as a solo after that, and his Cruiserweight tenure has been a feel good story that have seen him do nicely as both face and heel. Also evolved his style to move from high flyer to technician rather seamlessly. Missing that blowaway singles match, though the stuff in the Cruiserweight Open may come close.” – Ben Morse, May 31, 2017

159. D’Lo Brown Total Points: 407 Total Ballots: 22 Average Rank: 82.5 High Vote: 44 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Blaise Perrone

Key Matches & Moments: Was a member of the Nation of Domination and eventually formed a tag team with Mark Henry; Began wearing a chest protector for a torn pectoral but it became a signature for D’Lo using the loaded chest protector for his Lo Down frog splash finisher; Feuded with X-Pac over the European Title in 1998 with the matches being highlights for the time and the European Title; Had a good match with Val Venis over the European title to open SummerSlam 1998; Held the European Title and the Intercontinental Title simultaneously, one of of only four wrestlers to do so; Tagged with Godfather dressing like a pimp before turning heel on Godfather; Formed the Lo Down tag team with Chaz, managed by Tiger Ali Singh coming to the ring in turbans; Was part of Theodore Long’s Thuggin’ and Buggin’ Enterprises stable before being replaced by Rodney Mack

Staff Thoughts: D’Lo Brown was a solid hand during the days of Crash TV when matches weren’t emphasized. He was known for his chest protector and head bobbing. His run with the European title and feud with X-Pac and match with Val Venis (rhymes with penis) at SummerSlam were highlights for the European title (for whatever that’s worth). Lo Down could’ve easily been named Lo Point, though being replaced by Rodney Mack is likely not anything D’Lo talks about either. Solid matches throughout his career but lacks memorable moments.

From the Voters: “Could sneak into the top 100, always entertaining and passable in the ring. One of the guys that, when the Radicalz, Y2J, Angle et al came along was exposed as not being on their level though.” – Mike Coxon, May 29, 2017

“I like D-Lo, but even in era that was more about “moments” than anything else, I struggle to think of any really memorable moments. Maybe I need to revisit? Doesn’t look like he’ll make it right now.” – Jacob Williams, June 12, 2017

158. Shinsuke Nakamura Total Points: 413 Total Ballots: 20 Average Rank: 80.4 High Vote: 35 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Scott Herrin

Key Matches & Moments: Depending on your mileage had an all time classic with Sami Zayn in his first outing in the promotion; filled the rest of the with solid stuff with Samoa Joe and Finn Balor; excelent match against TJ Perkins on March 8th 2017; Debuted on the main roster to a MONSTER reaction; had a wonderful encounter with John Cena on the August 1st 2017 edition of Smackdown.

Staff Thoughts: His placing on your list really depends on which Nakamura you’re going to get. Are you going to get workhorse machine that killed it with Sami Zayn or the guy who sleepwalked his way through his feud with Jinder Mahal? I do think it’s possible that we’d be having a different conversation had AJ Styles spent 2017 as WWE champion but Nakamura certainly has to bear some of the load for not wrestling beyond deficiencies his opponents have. That being said his charisma is off the charts and every inch of him screams STAR. When he’s on his game he’s legit got a claim to being the best in the world; when unmotivated he makes you question what the big deal is.

From the Voters: “His New Japan stuff is about 5 zillion times better than everything he’s done here. Easy to blame WWE, but he’s not innocent of mailing in performances either.” – Jordan Duncan, June 3, 2017

“I’m not the biggest Nakamura fan; I just don’t “get” him. That said, he’s over like crazy, he’s fully locked in to his character, and he’s strung together a year of great matches. Is that enough to get him on the list? Probably not given his abbreviated tenure thus far.” – Ben Morse, June 9, 2017

157. Neville Total Points: 422 Total Ballots: 17 Average Rank: 76.2 High Vote: 44 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Sam Symonds

Key Matches & Moments: Carried NXT main events after winning the title in a decent ladder match with Bo Dallas at NXT Arrival; His bout with Sami Zayn where he lost the title at NXT Takeover R Evolution is an all timer; Excellent bout with John Cena in a US title open chalenge on May 11, 2015; Turned heel and carried the cruiserweight division until he left; Avoided being put into a Mighty Mouse costume

Staff Thoughts: The man that gravity forgot is an easy contender for greatest NXT superstar of all time. Every main event he carried was electric and helped elevate the guys in the ring with him. A gem to watch in the ring, Neville is only hurt by his longevity and the trust the company lacks in him. Yes they built the cruiserweight division around him and he excelled but it’s a crying shame they don’t see him as beyond said division. If they did, we’d be witnessing another Rey Mysterio-esque career.

From the Voters: “In the case of 205 Live, he’s been outstanding and arguably the best heel in the company other than The Miz. I actually think he’s probably been better than everyone in the WWE this year on a match to match basis other than Pete Dunne, though AJ, Reigns, and Braun arguably have higher peaks. That said its being done on a largely irrelevant brand that already feels like a failure.” – Dylan Hales, July 6, 2017

“His current heel run has been great. The Cruiserweight Division would be completely in the shitter without him too. He can be a high flying babyface or a complete jerk heel. I think he makes my list.” – Brian Cullinane, June 1, 2017

156. Scott Dawson Total Points: 433 Total Ballots: 18 Average Rank: 76.944 High Vote: 39 Low Vote: 98 High Voter: Sam Symonds

Key Matches & Moments: Joined NXT in 2012 and teamed with Garrett Dylan and later Alexander Rusev managed by Sylvester Lefort; Upon his return from injury he began teaming with Dash Wilder as the Mechanics in 2014 in NXT though the name was later changed to Dash and Dawson and finally The Revival; Competed in the 2015 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic losing to Finn Balor and Samoa Joe at NXT Takeover: Respect; Won the NXT Tag Team Titles from the Vaudevillains on the November 11, 2015 episode of NXT; Defeated Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady at NXT Takeover London; Successfully defended their titles against Enzo and Cass at Roadblock in March 2016; Lost their titles at NXT Takeover Dallas to American Alpha before regaining them at NXT Takeover The End with both matches being stellar; Began a feud with #DIY, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa successfully defending their titles at NXT Takeover Brooklyn II in an excellent match, before dropping the titles to #DIY in a two-out-of-three falls match at NXT Takeover Toronto in a Match of the Year Contender; Challenged for the NXT Tag Team Titles at NXT Takeover Orlando in a three-way match with #DIY and the Authors of Pain; The Revival answered an open challenge and defeated the New Day on the Raw after WrestleMania 33

Staff Thoughts: Scott Dawson’s team with Dash Wilder has produced some of the greatest tag team matches held under the WWE banner. The top-end feuds with #DIY and American Alpha are classics, but The Revival have mastered southern style tag team matches, but revitalized it for the 21st century. The formula works adding interest, intrigue and crowd heat to most every match they have. The lack of a singles resume, a relatively short run and injuries and bad luck on the main roster hurt his placement, but the votes he received speak highly for the quality of the NXT tag feuds. With Dawson returning from injury I expect big things from The Revival going forward.

From the Voters: “He has a shot. The Revival are incredibly important in WWE history for bringing back great tag wrestling. Great character work in his matches. Hard hitting. Good offense. Good stooge. Good facial expressions. All-time classic feud with DIY. Great feud with American Alpha. It’s a long shot, but the quality is there.” – Devon Motivator Hales, June 2, 2017

‘I’m a big fan of his and he’s the glue of his team. Thought he was great live too. Lack of Longevity probably keeps him off of the list.” – Brian Cullinane, June 2, 2017

155. Alexa Bliss Total Points: 441 Total Ballots: 18 Average Rank: 76.5 High Vote: 38 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Ray Miller

Key Matches & Moments: Lost a memorable NXT women’s title match to Sasha Banks in her hometown of Columbus Ohio (March 25, 2015); Channeled her inner brat and began managing Blake and Murphy, becoming the best part of the team; Upon her ascent to main roster found her footing as a spectacular heel winning the Smackdown women’s title; Became the first woman to hold both the Raw and Smackdown women’s titles when she defeated Sasha Banks on Raw

Staff Thoughts: Alexa Bliss walks, talks and wrestles like a main event player. Her ascent to the top of the promotion has been a surprising, yet fun ride. With all the talk of Bayleys and Sasha Bankseseseses and the legend Nikki Bella, it’s Alexa Bliss who has been quietly running both women’s divisions for the last year. Her matches are solid and perpetually improving and her character is top notch. A couple more years and she may be a slam dunk in a top 100, as it stands she’s an excellent stalwart and far more than an evil Trish Stratus clone. Oh and that double jointed arm trick is phenomenal.

From the Voters: “Obviously there’s a longevity issue, and you can decide for yourself how much credit to give her for good matches when she’s been working with a lot of better wrestlers, but she has her character down pat and plays it perfectly. She’s also a testament to WWE’s occasional (you might say spotty) ability to develop, debut, and maintain a wrestler at a high level even when they’re not coming off of a long indie run.” – Glenn Butler, May 28, 2017

“After seeing it discussed on Twitter, I watched her “This is Your Life” segment on Raw. Thanks to that, she would not make my list even we expanded it to 1,000.” – Jordan Duncan, May 30, 2017

154. Road Warrior Hawk Total Points: 444 Total Ballots: 17 Average Rank: 74.9 High Vote: 34 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: TheBestThereNeverWas

Key Matches & Moments: At SummerSlam 1990 helped The Hart Foundation defeat those no-good copycats Demolition; Was part of the awesome WARRIORS team at Survivor Series 1990; Finally won the WWF Tag Team Championships from the Nasty Boys in a fun match at SummerSlam 1991 making The LOD the first team to hold each of the WWF, NWA and AWA Tag Team Titles; Began attending strategy sessions from a wooden 1950s greaser dummy that seems to have perpetuated the decline of the LOD’s WWF career; Returned to the WWF in 1997 and had an endless feud with two pig farmers, but then went on to help make the New Age Outlaws; were part of the uber-fun Chicago Street fight at WrestleMania 13; Attempted to kill himself on an episode of Monday Night Raw; Miraculously survived a fall off the Titantron; Lost the court case to Darren Drozdov, the court decided that since Hawk was intoxicated he ultimately was responsible for his fall despite the clear footage of Mr. Drozdov shoving him, Hawk’s lawyer Clarence Mason was quoted as saying “This is a travesty of Justice. Yes Mr. Hawk assaulted some of my friends and purposefully broken Henry Godwinn’s neck in 1997, but that doesn’t mean he gets to be shoved from a Titantron like some kind of cattle.” When reached for comment Darren Drozdov’s attourney Clarence Mason declared, “We are very happy with the court’s decision and we stand by it.”

Staff Thoughts: Weeeeeeeeeeellllll!!!!! It seems to me, that is seems to be that Hawk fell juuuuuusssst short of the top 100 WWF wrestlers of all time. If this list were based on coolest face paint he would be a few notches below partner Animal but as it stands the voters have spoken and Hawk wins by 17 slots! He was more charismatic and had the better haircut but few would argue he was a better worker than Animal. Despite all that he looked great in those shoulder pads and his voice is STILL one of the more iconic in wrestling. Luckily we have the WWE network to go back and revisit all his highlights: the doomsday devices, the flagrant neck breaking, the time he exposed the business by talking about no-selling the piledriver on commentary. It’s all there. What a rush!

From the Voters: “The problem I am having with the LOD is that watching the matches gives me the warm fuzzys. The music, the look, the finisher, and the enthusiasm of the crowds brings me back. Objectively, the matches aren’t very good and their runs are largely disappointing in terms of the big matches vs high profile opponents” – Michael DeDamos, October 7, 2017

“Would have been interesting to see what Hawk could have gotten out of a singles run in WWF as he certainly had the look and intensity they liked, but alas.” – Ben Morse, June 7, 2017

153. Lex Luger Total Points: 451 Total Ballots: 21 Average Rank: 79.5 High Vote: 34 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Taylor Keahey

Key Matches & Moments: Originally signed to participate in the World Bodybuilding Federation, Lex Luger debuted as The Narcissist after the WBF closed down; Defeated Mr. Perfect at WrestleMania IX; Became Made in the USA, flying in on a helicopter and body slamming WWF champion Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid on July 4, 1993; Traveled the country in the Lex Express to promote his title match with Yokozuna at SummerSlam 1993; Defeated Yokozuna at SummerSlam by countout and celebrated like he won the Super Bowl anyway; Fought for America against dastardly Finland and Ludvig Borga; Was “co-winner” of the 1994 Royal Rumble with Bret Hart, Challenged Yokozuna for the WWF title again at WrestleMania X and again was unsuccessful when he was DQ’d by referee Mr. Perfect; Did NOT sell out at SummerSlam 1994, but shockingly Tatanka did during their match; Formed the Allied Powers tag team with the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith defeating the Blu Twins at WrestleMania XI and challenging for the Tag team Titles at In Your House 2

Staff Thoughts: The Lex Express turned out to be a less popular mode of travel than the Ho Train for WWF fans. Despite flying Lex Luger in on a damn helicopter to bodyslam Yokozuna on the 4th of July and tour him all around the country, they didn’t feel the need to let him win the title in the blowoff at SummerSlam. Having the entire babyface locker room celebrate a countout win in his only title shot made everyone look dumb. Having him as a co-winner of the Rumble just showed how much more popular Hart was with fans. Lex was just the wrong guy at the wrong time, and while the company pushed him hard, they did it in such a way that did him no favors. Add in the motorcycle accident and ringwork that didn’t match what Luger showed elsewhere, and his WWF run was not what it could’ve been. Then he goes to Suncoast at the Mall of America for a copy of his thrilling countout victory at SummerSlam 1993, wanders out to see what all the fuss and TV cameras are about and gets forever banned from Vince’s Christmas card list. Rough luck.

From the Voters: “Another case of missed potential. His match against Yoko at Summerslam was good for what it was but that really was the high point of his WWF run.” – Dennis Nunez, May 31, 2017

“They did the slam on the USS Intrepid, then the summmer of Lex Express, and still no title run. Not Sure if it is all Lex Luger’s fault. Needless to say…unless something drastically changes, He is out of my list.” – Will Olson, June 1, 2017

152. Bobo Brazil Total Points: 462 Total Ballots: 11 Average Rank: 59 High Vote: 16 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: Timothy Drake

Key Matches & Moments: Was WWWF US Champion for 4,072 days; Was probably the number two face of the WWWF in the 1960’s behind Bruno; Inducted into the WWF Hall Of Fame in 1994

Staff Thoughts: Bobo Brazil was an incredibly important figure in the heyday of the WWWF. Always near the top of the card Brazil was a perpetual crowd favorite whose career spanned nearly four decades. His crowning achievement of becoming the first Afriacan American to win the NWA Championship happened outside of the WWWF which may explain his ranking in this WWF centric project.

From the Voters: “Huge star in 60s WWWF, probably #2 babyface draw to Bruno. Unfortunately most footage available is from the 70s where he was in full on phone it in mode” – Kelly Nelson, May 28, 2017

“New York wasn’t the center of the promotion at Bobo’s peak with the company though… He was doing flying head scissors in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Even his Japan matches in ’72 he is still agile and not the dinosaur he became in the final matches of his career during the 80’s.” – Lee Wes, November 28, 2017

151. Brian Pillman Total Points: 477 Total Ballots: 17 Average Rank: 72.9 High Vote: 24 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Taylor Keahey

Key Matches & Moments: First wrestler signed to a guaranteed contract by WWF; Began stint as a commentator while he was recovering from a broken ankle; Initially aligned himself with Steve Austin, before Austin attacked him, using a chair to break his ankle in a move now sometimes referred to as Pillmanizing; During the feud Austin traveled to Pillman’s home to do further damage while WWF interviewed (and PTBN Legend) Kevin Kelly was taping an interview, Austin entered Pillman’s home resulting in Pillman producing a gun and the camera feed fading as the sound of shots being fired could be heard; WWF and Pillman later apologized for the controversial angle; Joined forces with the Hart Foundation often serving as the mouthpiece for the group and taking part in the great main event of Canadian Stampede; Feuded with Goldust having matches at SummerSlam 1997 and Ground Zero over Marlena eventually winning her “services” and recording the XXX-Files; Was found dead in his hotel room the day of the Badd Blood PPV

Staff Thoughts: One of the most tragic cases on the list for many reasons. Gone before his time, and sadly was physically unable to perform in the ring at anywhere near his previous levels by the time he made it to the WWF. Still, his Loose Cannon character was revolutionary and cutting edge. In his sixteen months in the WWF he was involved in the Pillman’s Got a Gun home invasion angle, the Austin beating that created the term Pillmanizing, the Hart Foundation angle and the legendary main event of Canadian Stampede and the Goldust feud and XXX-Files. That is an incredible impact for such a short period of time. His character work and promo skills were top notch during his time with the company and fans are left to wonder how fantastic he could’ve been with the Loose Cannon character and Flyin’ Brian workrate. Even with just his character work there’s no telling how high he could’ve climbed on the list with more time.

From the Voters: “His in ring tenure was not even 5 months, but talk about peak moments. The red hot Hart Foundation and the Calgary Stampede tag match. And the iconic Pillman’s got a gun episode of Raw. Sadly, not enough to be in contention, but makes me really wonder what could have been.” – Eric Miller, June 6, 2017

“He’s killed here by his lack of longevity. Shame because the guy is pure intangible. He had a quality that NO ONE had; he lived that loose cannon gimmick. He had exactly the right look for the right time. He was attitude before attitude.” – Aaron George, June 3, 2017

150. AJ Lee Total Points: 485 Total Ballots: 21 Average Rank: 77.9 High Vote: 42 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Patrick Fenton

Key Matches & Moments: Teamed with Kaitlyn as part of the Chickbusters with Natalya as their mentor; Natalya turned on Lee and Katilyn forming the Divas of Doom with Beth Phoenix and the Chickbusters feuded with them; Had an on-screen romance with Daniel Bryan, who won the World Championship; Bryan began being verbally abusive to Lee; Lee gave Bryan a good luck kiss causing him to lose his World Heavyweight Championship in 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII and Bryan blamed Lee for the loss; Lee began showing signs of being mentally unstable attacking Kaitlyn and Natalya; Interfered in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship between Bryan, CM Punk and Kane helping Punk retain his title; She focused her attentions on Punk but he was disinterested so she shoved both Punk and Bryan through a table; Later she proposed to Punk who refused and she slapped both Punk and Bryan; Later accepted Bryan’s proposal but left him at the altar to accept the role of Raw GM where she made life difficult for Punk and Bryan; Stepped down from her GM duties and became embroiled in a scandal storyline with John Cena, eventually forming a relationship with Cena before turning on him at TlC 2012 and forming an alliance with Dolph Ziggler and a debuting Big E Langston; Challenged Bryan and Kane to defend Tag Team TItles at WrestleMania 29 where they defeated Langston and Ziggler; Won a battle royal to become number one contender for WWE Divas title and defeated Kaitlyn for the belt at Payback 2013; Competed at SummerSlam 2013 with Langston against Ziggler and Kaitlyn; Feuded with the cast of Total Divas defending her title against cast members; Successfully defended her title at WrestleMania XXX in a 14-diva match; Had the longest reign with the Diva Championship ever at 295 days before losing to the debuting Paige; Regained title from Paige before losing it and regaining it again making her a record-tying three-time Divas Champion; Feuded with Nikki and Brie Bella teaming with Paige to defeat the twins at WrestleMania 31

Staff Thoughts: Known for her skipping and kissing, AJ Lee was heavily involved in the main event scene as a character and then later was the focal point of the Divas division. Showed good versatility and character development and was better in-ring than most of the divas of her time, before injury and being caught between CM Punk and the WWE led to her retiring.

From the Voters: “For my money, the most over woman wrestler for a 3 year stretch, and maybe the greatest, most fully developed and executed woman’s wrestling character of my 30 years of fandom. She was special for sure, and aside from Elizabeth, she’s the only woman I can think of who was the centerpiece of a WWE title angle for 3 or more months.” – James Proffitt, May 28, 2017

“I think she and Katilyn had a couple good PPV Matches in 2013. Payback and Money In The Bank. I also remember her & Natalya on a Main Event episode in that stretch thats very good.” – Jay Hinchey, June 7, 2017

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

1 note · View note