Terry Funk got #1 this year to the surprise of me & many others. I think this helped soften the blow of some of the other results this time around. I was going to write about how not to take these things too seriously or how only your list is the one that matters. Forget it. People want to get mad or want to be validated. That's what the internet is for anymore. I'm not going to change that. I'm not into that though. I guess that's why I didn't put a list together.

Anyhow, I am pretty interested in the data from the project. I wanted to use the past results in combination with this year's outcome.

I took the top 25 results from '06, '16 and '26. I assigned points to where they placed in each of the three polls. #1 = 25pts, #25 = 1pt. Then totalled those points. Finally ranked them by most points to least. For instance Flair's total looks like 18+25+22=65pts. I wanted a list that took all three GWE projects into account. Tie breaker#1: Who appears on more GWE top 25's. Tie breaker #2: Who appears most recently in GWE top 25.

1. Ric Flair
2. Terry Funk
3. Kenta Kobashi
4. Stan Hansen
5. Mitsuharu Misawa
6. Toshiaki Kawada
7. Eddie Guerrero
8. Jumbo Tsuruta
9. Bret Hart
10. Bryan Danielson
11. Jushin Liger
12. Rey Misterio Jr
13. Genichiro Tenryu
14. Steve Austin
15. Vader
16. Ricky Steamboat
17. Aja Kong
18. Chris Benoit
19. Akira Hokuto
20. Jerry Lawler
21. Harley Race
22. Randy Savage
23. Hiroshi Tanahashi
24. Dynamite Kid
25. Hijo del Santo
26. Nick Bockwinkel
27. Mick Foley
28. AJ Styles
29. Arn Anderson
30. Nobuhiko Takada
31. Samoa Joe
32. Tatsumi Fujinami
33. Shinya Hashimoto
34. William/Steven Regal
35. Negro Casas
36. CM Punk
37. Jaguar Yokota
38. Barry Windham
39. The Destroyer
40. Akira Taue (Honorary #40, #26 on two GWEs)

Three timers: Jumbo, Kawada, Liger, Kobashi, Eddie, Misawa, Flair, Bret, Hansen, Terry Funk, Ricky Steamboat, Austin, Vader, Tenryu, Rey Jr

• Highest Three timer: Ric Flair (65pts, #1)

Two timers: Hokuto, Aja, Hijo del Santo, Hashimoto, Danielson, Savage.

• Highest Two timer: Danielson (46pts, #9)

One timers: Benoit, Harley Race, Dynamite Kid, Takada, Jaguar, Destroyer, Lawler, Bockwinkel, Arn, Fujinami, Regal, Negro Casas, Windham, CM Punk, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Mick Foley, Tanahashi

• Highest One timer: Benoit (23pts, #18)

Top 40 represented by decade (approximately when wrestler's period of impact began)

Pre 80's: 1
1980's: 15
1990's: 19
2000's: 5

Top 10 North American wrestlers: Flair, Terry Funk, Hansen, Eddie Guerrero, Bryan Danielson, Bret Hart, Rey Misterio Jr, Steve Austin, Vader, Ricky Steamboat

Top 10 Japanese Wrestlers: Kobashi, Misawa, Kawada, Jumbo, Liger, Tenryu, Aja Kong, Akira Hokuto, Tanahashi, Nobuhiko Takada

All that said, it's interesting to see how the list has stayed relatively static. These trends or recent events happen and a one time person cracks the top 25. 

Now my take away: I know the GWE projects were all done with the best of intentions. In the end though, folks use it argue and shit talk. We can call it debating or discourse but let's get real. There's enough of that shit in the world. Everyone is so primed to argue. Wrestling to me is an escape from that. I'm guessing it is for most folks. So, this list above ends it for me. Look at the number of three timers (15). That's an elite list right there. If we wait a decade, I'm thinking many of those folks are going to be top 25ers again. But if I'm also being honest, I don't want to be reading/writing about pro wrestling in 10 years time for the 2036 poll. This all seems like a young person's thing...especially the list making & arguing about it. I don't know about you but I've got a lot of work and worries as an adult.

I'm more interested in watching wrestling and giving recommendations for folks just getting into older wrestling or looking to expand their horizons. If you're using the GWE list to do that then, you're awesome! That's what I think the big purpose of the list (& the hard work Grimmas & others have put into it) is. It is a excellent starting point for someone looking to get into other wrestling & wrestlers. It is also a prompt to get people out of their wrestling comfort zone. I think that is where I'm coming from at least.

So in my book, that list above is my list for greatest wrestler ever. It's not my favorites but the numbers don't lie 😄 But it is another good list for someone to hopefully enjoy and get some ideas from. Perhaps, a watch project where they watch one match from everyone on the list. Or maybe making a thread on here or social media looking for other people's favorite matches by all of the one-time wrestlers. I dunno...I hope everyone reading this gets something out of it. Sorry if me being bummed on other people being aggro & shit has got you bummed now but, cheer up! There's wrestling to watch! Take care!