elliott

I have never seen this before, thank you for sharing!

Of all the big enforcer folks one could criticize for bumping too much, I think Gordy was the one most effected by it. I've wondered if the same things he was praised for as a teenager in the business (his athleticism and being able to bump so big for a guy his size) hurt him later in his career as a singles performer in terms of being able to reach the peaks we always wished he'd reached. If he was 20% less Ric Flair and 20% more Stan Hansen we might be looking at it differently. I haven't really put this theory to the test mind you, but based on my memory of the very best US Gordy matches (The Killer Khan match, the Dr Death matches in Mid South, there's a Chris Adams match from World Class) he does a much better job portraying himself as a badass than he would at other times when he's bumping around making the babyfaces look awesome. There's a middle ground between a guy Gordy's size bumping, stooging & begging off and Brody no-selling everything in sight. I dunno, he's a fascinating guy for me because he had all the tools in the world and he was a great fucking wrestler. There's definitely a parallel universe where a bunch of pro-wrestling fans are doing a Greatest Wrestler Ever 2026 poll and Gordy, Windham & Dr Death are all #1 contenders.

I ranked Kazuo Yamazaki 67th in 2016 and that's another one I feel good about. OJ referenced it in the last project, the people who like Yamazaki tend to really like him and I really like him. I'm a little surprised I only had him 67th because thinking about it, I really liked him at every stage of his career. I'm not as high on the Takada series as I was in like 2000, but his matches with Fujiwara sort of replaced them as the best Yamazaki matches. I absolutely love him as a Maeda opponent too. Stuff against Tamura and Tenryu. Shit I remember liking a 1996 G1 Climax match against Koshinaka a whole bunch. He was never the best shoot style guy or even the best guy in his promotion (that'll happen when you spend you career in promotions with prime Fujiwara, Fujinami, Hashimoto or near prime Tamura), but he was great enough to merit consideration.

I ranked Naoki Sano 68th in 2016 and I'm happy seeing him on my list but at the same time I feel like I kinda blew it. He's another guy who's absolute peak stuff is outrageously great. Plus he has an advantage over most wrestlers because he was one of the great Juniors of his generation and then went on to become one of the great shoot style workers. To become one of the top performers in two distinct styles is extremely impressive. The Liger feud alone makes Sano a legend but it was the shoot style turn and top level stuff against people like Ken Shamrock or Jerry Flynn that should've pushed Sano into my top 50.I want to give his NOAH stuff a real look this time around.

I ranked Sgt. Slaughter 69th overall and I feel good about that. He's maybe a littler closer to 50 than he should be...but I dunno. Peak Sarge fucking rocks. Big dude, incredible bumper and bleeder. His very best matches are unbelievable and when it comes stuff like character and gimmick, Sgt. Slaughter takes a backseat to very few people.

I ranked Shinobu Kandori 70th in 2016 and I fucking blew it with that one. Kandori is amazing. She's what Brock Lesnar could have been. Amazing seller, unique offense but what really puts her over the top is her aura. She always feels larger than life and that allows her best stuff to transcend the typical best stuff of someones career. One of the talking points you'll often see about Daniel Bryan is that he has the best match wrestlers X, Y, Z etc. Well Kandori is involved in the best 3 Akira Hokuto matches, and maybe the best matches in the careers of Bull Nakano, Devil Masami, Yumiko Hotta & Harley Saito. And while maybe not their absolute best matches, she had top tier matches against Megumi Kudo, Kyoko Inoue, Manami Toyota & Meiko Satomura. Kandori was a special performer.

I ranked Perro Aguayo 71st and I blew it with that one. Perro is a top 25 contender. Phenomenal brawler, has that special charisma that makes everything feel important. Also has great longevity. Could go toe to toe with Sangre Chicana in an all time brawl, but could also drag Konnan to entertaining matches. For an under the radar awesome ridiculously fun match, watch Perro vs Universo 2000 3/30/01. One of the all time babyfaces and characters. Feels like the Bruno of Lucha. If we had a real look at his physical prime in 70s and on into the early 80s, I have zero doubt he'd be a top 10 contender.

I ranked Piper 72nd in 2016 and I fucking blew it with that one. Piper is an awesome wrestler and belongs in the top 50. Great heel and one of the all time babyfaces. Excels in the violent brawls that I love. Awesome in PDX, JCP & WWF. I've even enjoyed the little bit of stuff from Japan.

I ranked MIchael Hayes 73rd in 2016 and I feel good about that. Maybe even semi-blew it. Hayes excelled in my favorite kind of wrestling: wild out of control super stiff brawls in front of insanely hot crowds. I think Freebirds vs Von Erichs lives up to its reputation to the fullest and produced some of the best matches of all time. Hayes wasn't just part of this. He was the star of the show. All time puncher. One of the best brawlers and most charismatic wrestlers ever. If you're including things like promo ability, angles, presence, charisma, all that shit that goes into making a great wrestler that isn't just the bell to bell stuff, then Hayes deserves a major look. The bell to bell stuff is great too. I would probably try and make room for him on a top 50 list.

I'm a big fan of the Rude vs Piper cage match too. Bossman doesn't have a classic in WWF (like Ted) but the match with Barbarian from the Royal Rumble is as good as any Ted in the WWF match I can think of. Realistically though I don't really care about his WWF work because it doesn't really factor into his top 100 case because its not top 100 level work. I agree with Phil that I don't hold the WWF runs against certain territory guys like Dibiase Duggan or Hennig. But there are definitely contemporary WWF workers who did add to their case with their WWF work. Anyway, the Mid-South stuff is great. I didn't watch the week to week stuff like Phil, but the big stuff that made the set is genuinely awesome. Love the Duggan feud. Love the Magnum TA matches. That run definitely makes him a contender for a top 100. I don't think he looks bad on a list. I just doubt he'd make my list.

The Rockers were all post 87. Savage was great post 87. Garvin was post 87. Piper was better post 87. Bret was post 87. Bossman. Ted was as featured as anybody and topped out at very good.

The running boot rake too! How many people have (rightfully) stolen that?

I ranked Wahoo 74th in 2016 and I blew it with that one. Wahoo suffered by a tendency I had to downplay my favorites in a stupid attempt to feel more objective. Fuck that. Wahoo is one of the most awesome wrestlers ever and should be in the top 50. I had it right the first time comparing him to Tenryu/Hashimoto/Choshu. I could watch him bleed and chop the shit out of people all day. Few people are as naturally charismatic and compelling as Wahoo McDaniel. Love him in the Houston footage...that Spoiler match. Love him in the AWA. Love him in JCP. Love him wherever I see him. Wahoo just draws me in. I grew up with the weekly Mike Mooneyham articles in the local paper and occasionally you'd see a reference to Wahoo and the old days and he always just felt like a bigger deal than everyone else even just reading his name in the paper with other old names. That legitimacy never left him and the camera managed to capture it.

I ranked Shinjiro Ohtani 75th in 2016 and I'm ok with that. I think his best stuff holds up really well. He was really good right away and at his best is awesome. Great charisma, could sell, and one of the best offensive wrestlers ever. Other than Liger he was probably the best of the 90s juniors. Cool dad and cool jacket. :)

I ranked Bret Hart 76th in 2016 and I feel fine with that. He'll likely make my list in 2026. I don't think I have anything left to say about Bret Hart.

I ranked Curt Hennig 78th in 2016 and I blew it with that one. He might make a top 178th for me, but I'm not sure. I ranked him that high on the strength of his Portland and AWA work and I like that stuff but 78th is crazy. He's a dynamic athletic babyface but his best rivals are Nick Bockwinkel & Buddy Rose. Two of the 4 best US based workers of the decade. My favorite thing Hennig has been a part of is the Rose/Hennig/Billy Jack Hayes vs Dynamite Kid/Assassin/Rip Oliver feud from June-December 1983. I'd put Hennig behind Rose, Dynamite, Assassin & Rip Oliver in that feud. If you're the 5th best guy in your career best feud and 3 of those guys are Dynamite Kid, Rip Oliver & Fidel Sierra,I can't put you on a top 100. He's terrific as a young athletic up and comer, but the Mr Perfect run doesn't do it for me. Everyone knows the BOckwinkel feud and that's great. I would strongly encourage the Hennig/Buddy Rose/Billy Jack vs Dynamite/Assassin/Rip Oliver stuff because it is the lost great US feud of the 80s.

I ranked Eddie Gilbert 79th in 2016 and I'm happy about that. I fucking love Eddie Gilbert. Even without all the footage we'd ideally have, we still have a picture of a great pro-wrestler who could work babyface or heel, singles and tags and was one of the best at getting angles over and cutting promos and all that extra stuff. I love his matches with Terry Funk, Jerry Lawler & Cactus Jack. The New Fabulous Ones team with Rich is fucking awesome. Eddie Gilbert rules. I'm not a huge Finlay fan, but I'm super stoked to watch that match.

I ranked Gran Hamada 80th in 2016 and that's another one I feel good about. In the glimpses we have in the 80s from either Mexico or New Japan, he looks like one of the most dynamic wrestlers in the world. In the 90s for Michinoku Pro he's spectacular. I disagree with the point made above from the 2016 project about him being interchangeable in those tags. He has credibility as a veteran, he's able to keep up the insane pace, he consistently nails everything he does and theres times where he looks like the 2nd or 3rd best guy in those matches. I LOVE his matches against Perro Aguayo. Jetlag above lays out a nice matchlist and I see he mentions a singles match against Blue Panther and I really wanna watch that match now. After Liger, Hamada is one of the most likely Japanese juniors to land on my list.

I voted Yoji Anjoh 81st in 2016 and I feel good about that one. Hes a great character who kicks ass and you want to see get his ass kicked. Great on the mat as well. Love the matches against Sano & Tamura. Jetlag references it above from the last project, but Anjoh is awesome in an interpromotional setting. His tag work in NJPW or the singles match with Tenryu especially stands out. Anjoh just rules.

I ranked Dan Kroffat 82nd in 2016 and I feel ok about that. I ranked him that high on the strength of his AJPW tag work and that stuff has held up really well for me even when other 90s AJPW stuff hasn't. I also really enjoyed his Dandy Dan Kroffat work in Puerto Rico. Its cool to see him working a more over the top stoogy heel style as opposed to the awesome athletic AJPW tags. It gives him more range as a worker and makes up for the lame WWF run. I feel like hes in that 80-140 range where he could make it one day or miss it the next.

I ranked Terry Gordy 83 in 2016 and I feel l pretty blah about that. I love the Freebirds vs Von Erichs and am probably as high on that feud as anyone, but I would have him behind Hayes & Kerry for that feud alone. I like him in Mid South a lot, especially the Dr Death feud. He's hit or miss for me in Japan. There's just an extra gear missing that I wish was there. He's someone I probably could be swayed on with uncovered footage though because I do really like him and I think he had all the tools, he just never connected the way I always hoped.

I ranked Harley Race 84th in 2016 and I feel good about that. I understand the criticisms, but there's too much stuff that I really like to not at least consider him. The Houston footage is a great help to his candidacy and there's a match against Billy Jack in Portland that is shockingly great. I like him against the Von Erich boys and while the Starrcade match with Flair is a disappointment, there are others that I like. The WWF run is fun from what I've seen considering he's at the end of his run. Not a lock for me but not someone I can dismiss outright.

I voted Tito Santana 85th in 2016 and I feel fine about that. I'm glad I didn't get carried away and vote for him in the top 50, but I'm also glad to see him on my list. He's one of those folks who could land anywhere between 80 and 200. Clearly a great wrestler with a classic feud against Valentine and a great one against Savage. Never bad. During his prime years never worse than very good. Hard to get excited about this time around but someone very worthy of consideration.

I voted Tommy Rich 86th in 2016 and that's another one I feel good about. Footage is a bigger problem with Tommy than with others, but I still think he's awesome just about every step of the way from early stuff in Memphis up through ECW. The Last Battle of Atlanta answered a major question (is his reputed best match ever the classic it was made out to be, yes) and Rich is exactly the sort of punch first bleed first 80s redneck that I love in wrestling.

I ranked Kerry Von Erich 87th in 2016 and I feel good about that. I think Kerry was supremely underrated for a variety of reasons, but looking at the footage I see an awesome wrestler at his peak. . I view Flair vs Kerry as the defining NWA Champ vs Local Hero series that we have on tape and it was so good they took it on the road. The Freebirds feud lived up to the hype and then some. The Dynamic Duo feud is a great 3rd best rivalry. The Jumbo match is an all timer and it ain't a carry job. Kerry is one of the 80s territory guys I voted for in 2016 that I expect to survive the cut. Even if I have to put him at 100.