Shrike02

Why is this baffling. I'm asking the question because I find the logical underpinnings about criteria for this project a bit murky with regards to this underlying issue. I thought the stated goals of this project was to present individual rankings of the best 100 wrestlers we've seen as wrestling fans - let's leave aside any other potential controversies for now. I haven't listened to the whole launch podcast yet but I would just like to have clarity on what the criteria are. Is there a character clause, or not?

Another consideration. Let's say you want to examine well-known workers from long ago such as Lou Thesz or Jim Londos or whomever. By 2021 standards they (very) probably hold views you'd find objectionable today. Where does one draw the line?

One can only hope differing views on Bruno are informed by actually watching the footage with an open mind. I don't have much optimism that Bruno will do well in the 2026 voting but lazy dismissive takes are worthless without citing evidence for one's position.

It's always nice to see someone have an open mind and a willingness to explore footage. I hope you enjoy what you find. I'd also suggest this compilation of the Bruno vs. Larry feud in podcast commentary form:

I live in hope. Can't wait to see it, if indeed it shows back up.

I've watched as much of Bruno as I could since 2016 - I didn't vote in that project as I didn't feel able to submit a proper list - and he'll easily make my list for 2026. The emotional connection he has with the crowd is really, really special. I grew up watching WWF (and Stampede) from 1985 onwards and like any kid I liked Hogan, Savage, Santana and Bret and Owen Hart, and so on ... but nowadays I have to say I'm way more invested watching Bruno than just about anyone. I find it impossible to ignore how captivating Bruno is in the ring - and in his best feuds doing promos and mic work in the ring with Larry Z and Piper and Savage - where he works very simple brawls but they hook me in nearly every time.

My observation would be that Bruno accomplishes a whole lot with a simple, rugged style. Less is more. And he had a special charisma with an all-time great feud with Larry Z which featured amazing, amazing promos as an integral part of that feud. And his matches have tremendous crowd atmosphere and heat. Bruno will easily make my top 100 list.

For a project like this judging wrestlers ... yes, I'm with Phil. There are always exceptions, but try to be consistent. Growing up my favourite workers were Bret Hart, Chris Benoit, etc. I can for obvious reasons significantly lower my ranking of the latter - maybe he'll fall off my top 100 - but if I'm being consistent should I also lower my ranking of Hart because I read his biography and discovered he was a serial adulterer? Where does one draw the line?

That's a very likely hypothesis. Busiek's Astro City is creator-owned.

To varying degrees I feel the exact same way with Nick Bockwinkel and Pat Patterson. I want to put them both in my top 20 but the footage doesn't really justify it on what's out there, but it's not hard to extrapolate how great they really were.

They're all out of print? That surprises me. I filled in the gaps in my collection these past few years and bought the new releases at my local comic shop or at Chapters. If the more recent ones are out of stock with online retailers that sucks.

Speaking as a huge fan of Astro City I must recommend buying the trades. They are worth every penny.

In 2021 I have Martel at 11 on my current iteration of my top 100 list. I can't see him dropping out of the top 20 in five years. If anyone is aware of any notable Martel footage has come along in the past five years, please include it in the Links folder.

That was my immediate reaction when I first saw it. A second viewing has not discouraged this view. I think this just emphasizes the elite level Valentine was at during his peak.

Another 1983 Valentine vs. Piper match has surfaced in the past five years. I believe it was a house show match a couple months prior to the famous dog collar match. It's legitimately great.

I think Matt is spot on with his observations. I'm very sure several other workers from the French Catch footage treasure trove merit serious consideration, especially some where unfortunately we don't have a lot to judge from, but from what we have, they are transcendently great.

I'll vote for Bob!

Has to be some of the French Catch luminaries.

That's fair. I find it interesting because I'm coming from the perspective that Jumbo is #1 until I find compelling reasons to rank someone above him. I guess I have to do a deep dive on joshi if such claims are being made and I feel they should be taken seriously or otherwise what is the point of this project for me. We're supposed to watch new stuff and this gives me a good reason to do so.

I would never pretend to have much knowledge of joshi but this dismissive take on Jumbo is pretty absurd in my view. I'd say Jumbo was great from when he started all the way to 1992. Not many wrestlers have a comparable career with both peak and longevity.

I'm with you all the way until this last sentence. It's out on an island and disconnected to the paragraph above it. (And yes, whilst I would presumably have Jumbo at 1 and Funk in my top 5, that's beside the point I am trying to make.)

Jumbo is my default #1. I can't see him dropping outside my top five between now and 2026.

I hope this is a fun thread. At the risk of being pedantic, I hope you'll see if you can edit the thread title to spell prologue correctly and fix the typo.

I plan to vote this time around and could well imagine a scenario where I am the high vote for The Destroyer and some of the French Catch finds. But yes, it depends.

I should add a postscript to my earlier remarks about Captain Marvel, it does pick up significantly once Jim Starlin takes over. His writing can be an acquired taste for some but it is hard to overstate just how much his art stands out for the period. It's pretty outstanding with rich colours and much better detail than what went before it on this title.