Timbo Slice

The one thing I will say is that being a WOTY candidate in any year, or a Top 3-5 candidate, puts you in the conversation with the Top 100-200 guys over a 40-50 year period. As good as he's been this year, and there have been flashes of greatness in previous years, there's just not enough. He's had a lot of bright spots, especially in a crap promotion, but I don't think he has enough.

I'm pretty sure that the only way he gets on the Top 100 for most people is if you like his late career stuff. I don't think there's much of anything he did for the first five or so years of his career other than having a good gimmick that made him stand out. And while I do like some of his epics, I don't think they're all-time great matches like some people. He's an interesting candidate.

The Kandori match and the two Nakano matches are both good, especially the Kandori match, which you would think is a huge styles clash but becomes a fantastic match by the end. I'm not sure if early Kyoko is enough for me to put her on the Top 100, although people who are fans of the go-go style she has will probably think differently.

What doesn't make him a work candidate? If it's strictly the style he wrestled, that's why people aren't fans. He wasn't as dynamic as the other guys, which made his nickname ironic as all hell, to be fair, but it doesn't make him a bad wrestler. Of any of the wrestlers on the list that's being done for the GOAT topic, I'm not sure there are many that got more out of the skills he or she had than Taue did. Just because he didn't work the same as Misawa, Kawada or Kobashi doesn't automatically make him bad. It makes him different, for sure. But that doesn't mean bad. Lawler, Funk, Flair, Misawa and Negro Casas don't work nearly the same but they're all considered great in their own rights. Hansen sure figured out how to work with Misawa, Kawada and Kobashi and his style was loads different than the other three. It's not like Taue didn't adjust his style to fit in with the other three. If that was the case, they would have hotshotted Akiyama a lot sooner than they did.

Yeah, what Loss said. Taue wasn't booed because he couldn't keep up. It's because he would use heel tactics in his matches. Every time he dropped someone throat first across the top rope he got booed. I'm actually pretty sure over time it was almost done as a term of endearment since he did it as a regular spot.

I'm with Dylan. I haven't really thought about a "greatest" wrestler in a while even though I have my biases, but I don't have a framework for who my working #1 is.

Easy Top 50 guy. So good he made it look like he was coasting, when in reality he was just that good. Loved his tag team with Dustin, had one of the great all-time heel turns against Luger in 87 to join the Horsemen. The Flair matches were terrific. Even with him not living up to his "potential," he did more than enough to warrant being on the top half of my list.

Gimmicks were memorable, and he had some truly great performances. The Whitmer matches were great. I'm definitely going to consider him for my list. Might also have taken the craziest bump ever with that accidental super bomb against Whitmer in 2006. With indy guys in the 2000s, he's in the Top 5, which means he has a good shot at making my list.

Loved Bock on the AWA set. He'll be way up there on my list. Top 25, maybe even Top 15. Just tremendous in so many facets. The Wahoo match is one of my favorite matches of all time.

Yeah, quick math shows that being on a lot of ballots means more than high placement in this point system unless you're near the bottom.

Considering the setting, I'd put Dump above Sheik and Abby. I never saw Sheik or Abby cause the chaos that Dump did in her heyday.

Everyone has different tastes. It's not like we're looking for a united Top 100 from everyone and we all turn in the same ballot. There's a reason people get nominated. No sense in complaining about it.

Sting & Lex Luger http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/19229-sting-vs-lex-luger/?hl=sting

Oh, boy.

Might be the most complete U.S. wrestler of all time. Not sure that makes him #1 overall or anything, but if you think of someone as a five-tool guy, not sure anyone other than Savage works. Which is awesome considering he played baseball before becoming a pro wrestler. He's not the best in one thing, but he's damn sure great in a lot. Easy Top 50, possible Top 25.

What's interesting is that a lot of what makes the WON HOF right now is that the older wrestlers without tape on them have to be told through historian's points of view through the information they've collected. Considering the recent Chicago footage dump, that's going to change the view of a lot of guys we haven't seen or not seen enough of, but you can't do that with some guys because we don't have access or will never have access to their work. There are definitely guys worth doing the research on and then there's guys that don't get that opportunity because people don't like their work and don't think it's worth it.

Okay, I laughed.

Taue doesn't really relate with a lot of newer fans who want an "active" wrestler more than someone more nuanced. Brody, even though he was a shit worker by comparison, was a lot more active in the ring. It's also basically common knowledge that he did just enough each night he was out there just to get by and his work suffered because of it. He's the king of phoning it in. Kobashi was always more accessible because of his fire. Taue shouldn't be looked down upon because he wasn't as active as a guy like Kobashi (Or Toyota. Or Angle.). He definitely should be in.

Billy Robinson, for sure. http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/13178-billy-robinson-world-of-sport/?hl=%2Bbilly+%2Brobinson

Dump Matsumoto: 8/22/85 with Bull Nakano vs. The Jumping Bomb Angels Crazy start to this match that's set for 2/3 falls before settling in to a nice tag match with the Angels selling big for Dump's offense. 8/28/85 Hair vs. Hair: vs. Chigusa Nagayo (Part 1 of 3, other parts linked within) The match that got AJW kicked off Japanese TV for a little bit as Chig bleeds buckets and Dump looks like the devil incarnate in front of the schoolgirl crowd. One of the most heated matches I've ever seen. 11/7/86 Hair vs. Hair: vs. Chigusa Nagayo (Part 1 of 5, other parts linked within) The rematch, which is either at the same level or maybe even better with Chigusa becoming the face of the company by this point. Dump is probably at the peak of her powers here.

I think he'll make my list. I liked what he brought to the table in the big matches. I'm leaning a lot on performing well in big matches for this list and Kerry in the 80's definitely did that.

Another one of those personal favorites where I can see him getting on my list. There was a stretch in the early 2000s where I thought he could do no wrong. He had the best Akiyama match in the 2003 G-1 Climax, was great in the 2002 Climax, as well.

I'm gonna find some room for him on my list, I think. Up there in the discussion for best tag wrestler ever, great psychology, snug work, great timing, great talker. If he isn't on my list, I'll be surprised.

I haven't watched nearly enough Murdoch. One of the guys where I'm happy I have 18 months to catch up on stuff.

Maybe the most fungible wrestler in this whole thing. He works whatever style is needed and is great regardless. The Irish Swiss Army Knife. Truly one of the all-time greats. Easy Top 50, probably 25.