elliott

Invader I is an amazing wrestler. Top 25 candidate

The Philly Spectrum has proven to be my favorite arena when watching late 70s-mid 80s WWF. It's like the wilder, slightly more unhinged cousin of MSG. The baseball stadiums in Puerto Rico & the arena with the weird multi colored floor in Puerto Rico deserve a mention.

Yes, at the Greatest Matches Ever Board https://gweproject.freeforums.net/

I want to watch more 70s Mil. I love his matches with Destroyer, the Jumbo match, there's a great one with Superstar Graham. I've been pleasantly surprised with the stuff I've watched in recent years without really focusing on him.

The Slaughter feud alone is enough to make me at least want to take a peak at what else he's done before it all falls apart. I know there's some great stuff with Backlund in the 70s too. Anything else?

I love the Slaughter matches and there's some good stuff with Backlund but he's always been someone I wanted to like more than I actually do. I'll keep trying. Throws a hell of a punch. Happy to take recommendations if people are passionate about anything.

Not someone I've ever been crazy about, but he had a longish run as a quality wrestler and I love that bloodbath with Steve Corino where he writes DIE in blood on his chest.

Remember when he got a #1 vote last time? I will always have a bit of a soft spot for the Steiner Brothers and Scott is one of the all time athletic bomb throwing freaks. Not really someone I'm considering but I wouldn't mind watching some of his singles work if people have recommendations.

It's pretty shocking looking back at Rock & Roll Express matches and seeing Robert Gibson in the face in peril role so often. The description of the RnR's being the Ricky one Man Show while Robert is relegated to the corner is false. The most obvious example of Robert in peril is their JCP TV debut against the Russians which is also the best match of the team's entire run. Some of the best matches with the Midnights also have Robert in peril. Don't get me wrong, Ricky Morton is the better wrestler and the elite candidate. But Robert Gibson was a great wrestler.

Patera is another person that is trending up for me. Everyone knows his 1980 is awesome but his 1977 WWWF run is spectacular. The matches with Bruno especially are awesome. Great singles wrestler, great tag wrestler. Among the best stooging strong men style wrestlers. Better than you'd expect later in his career. There's a spectacular match with Andre in 1985 but even as late as 1987 & 88 he's good. Great wrestler worthy of consideration.

Trending up for me. I love the Portland run, I love the East-West team with Ventura, I'm in the process of looking at his team with Murdoch at the moment. Feels like a lesser Buddy Rose in some ways but still quite excellent in his own right. The sort of guy who worked in a lot of different places so a comprehensive goodhelmet comp mightve been the thing he needed to become a more obvious candidate.

Saggs is legit in consideration for my #100 spot both as a personal pick but also as someone I think is deserving. If I could vote for the Nasty Boys as a unit I would feel better about it but since Saggs is the more well rounded on the team he would get my vote. I think there's a broad case that can be made - Saggs was the best worker on one of the best tag teams of the 90s. I think the Nasty's are probably a top 5 male tag team of the 90s. (We're doing Greatest Tag Team Ever in 2024 so I'll figure it out before then) I think there's an output case that can be made - Saggs is in some of the very best tag matches of the decade vs Cactus & Partner, vs Steiner Brothers, War Games 94. He's part of a consistent tag team that has good/quality matches with a variety of different opponents of varying skill. They do extremely well in a Random Match Theory experiment as they know how to work with anyone. There's an input case that can be made - Saggs was the bomb thrower of the team. He'd throw out the pump handle slam or gut wrench powerbomb or flying elbow. Was a crazy bumper. Great puncher. There's a character work/knowing his role case - Saggs was a very specific wrestler & he wrestled to the character. He worked like a Nasty Boy should work but could work traditional southern style tags as well as crazy brawls & was able to do it as a babyface and a heel. Jerry Saggs is better than Mick Foley for most of the 1990s.

I watched some Gangstas in SMW stuff recently and there's a parallel universe out there where New Jack kept working traditional tag matches & brawls as opposed to ECW plunder bullshit and became a really strong tag wrestler. He has a real charisma & presence and that apron lariat is a fucking dynamite spot. He's someone who I think could've been a good wrestler in a different environment. But ultimately for a project like this he's a no.

Ever since I watched the 80s PR set, I had Chicky in my mind as a top 50 candidate and he's remained there ever since. I will rewatch some things & make a case for him then but I wanted to renominate him now because he's someone worth exploring.

Teioh has become my favorite of his generation of Japanese Juniors. Worked an old school throwback style in places that pushed the envelope stylistically and managed to fit in while staying true to his gimmick. He was just as comfortable working the big M-Pro 10 mans spot heavy matches as he is against a shoot style worker as he is in a death match as he is in a traditional southern tag. Doesn't look out of place wrestling Jushin Liger or Winger. Someone who consistently delivers in the footage I've seen and I will consider for the top 100.

I wonder if Rob has the most "one of my least favorite wrestlers ever" comments in his PWO thread. He still got a top 20 vote in 2016 by anonymous (who I dont blame for staying anonymous). Van Dam is not someone I'm considering or even particularly enjoy but I understand the appeal and I don't think he looks crazy on a list. He does have some stuff I really like so I don't think he's the worst or my least favorite wrestler. I think the famous match with Bigelow is fantastic and one of the best US matches of 1998. There's a match with Little Guido from 6/00 that I thought was awesome. Its been a while since I've watched it but I remember loving the big match with Cena. I think he has surprisingly good chemistry with The Rock. There's even an RVD & Sabu vs Eliminators match I liked when I watched it a lifetime ago. He's an insane bumper and definitely a unique wrestler. Like I said he's not someone I'm not considering, but I think he's worth re-nominating.

Facial Expressions - Devil Masami easily Best Body Language - Austin Idol Playing to the Cheap Seats - Austin Idol Communicating with a Mask - Destroyer

Great call on Arn's spinebuster. Andre is my pick for best at comedy. Some more ultra specific ones (- Best Collar & Elbow Tie Up - 70s Superstar Graham Ab Stretch - This is a tough one. My gut says Nick Bockwinkel or maybe Mil Mascaras? But I'm not committed to either of those. Best chin lock - Pass on chinlocks , I'll give you a bear hug & full nelson instead Bear Hug - 70s Superstar Graham Full Nelson - Ken Patera Arm lock - Not sure Headlock - Lawler Taking a Back body Drop - Superstar Graham in the 70s He'd just wildly throw himself over the top. Jumping Knee - Jumbo Back Suplex - Jumbo Giving Low Blows - Satanico Armdrag - I agree that Steamboat is the obvious best at armdrags choice. I'd also like to bring up Masato Yakushiji Best bumper in the ring - Heenan Best bumper incorporating the corner - Slaughter Best Body Slam - Hogan Best Knee Drop - Hansen Best Standing Elbow Drop - Hansen Best Stomp - Choshu Best Chop - I revise my Flair pick to go with Baba. HIs hands are enormous. Used knife edge chops & overhand chops so he's got real chop variety. And his hands probably weigh like 15lbs.

Agreed. He almost sent the Anarchy in the Arena match off the rails for me by doing that terrible bullshit in the middle of a ridiculously chaotic brawl. I dunno about top 1000, but he's not top 100 for me.

At her peak in the mid 80s, she's the best I've ever seen.

limiting myself to just one per Selling - Sangre Chicana Comebacks - Bruno Basing - Pass Control Segments - Pass Charisma - 1977 Superstar Graham Being a face - Bruno Being a heel - Dump Matsumoto Face in Peril - Ricky Morton Hot tags - Terry Funk On the mic - Dusty Adding intensity to feuds - Dump Matsumoto Brawling - Terry Funk Athleticism - Kiyoshi Tamura Ring IQ - Jerry Lawler Highest floor - Jerry Lawler Highest ceiling - Dump Matsumoto TV matches - I guess Rey Big matches - Dump Matsumoto Best looking/most impactful offense - Stan Hansen who's the best at chops? - I guess Flair. Chops suck. At dropkicks? - Jim Brunzell Who has the gnarliest lariat ever? - Stan Hansen The sickest DDT? - Jake Roberts Likewise, who's great at selling those moves? - Dunno Who sells a limb like no one else's business? - Roddy Piper selling the ear is my favorite body part selling. Best Rope Runner - Ricky Morton Best planchas or suicidas: El Hijo del Santo Best entrance - Dump Matsumoto Most Creative - Lawler maybe Best Arena -Mid South Coliseum

Terry pulls into the lead! I expect Bryan will win the 2026 poll but I think this is Funk by a mile by any metric. Peak, longevity, consistency, character work, great matches, random matches, singles work, tag work, face work, heel work. Funk is my answer.

Basically for these reasons, Austin Idol for the top 25!

After almost two years this is tied 10-10 and no one has responded LOL!!!

Don Frye I've been watching some Don Frye matches and my goodness what an awesome wrestler. Super charismatic shootstyle heel ass kicker who will punch people in the groin or bite them in the knee if that's what it takes. I kind of figured I was in for a charismatic ass kicker and he has delivered in that regard. I've watched ~15 matches and he is a lot more well rounded than I was expecting. The charisma & aura are there & he brings the violence as you would expect. But what has stood out as a pleasant surprise is his bumping, selling & willingness to completely put over his opponent on the way to beating them. He will absolutely let Yuji Nagata beat the shit out of him & dominate him before finding his opening & beating him thoroughly or he'll sell Akitoshi Saito's kicks like they're the most devastating thing in the world. Watching an American shoot-style guy in the late 90s dominate people in short but convincing fashion I can't help but think about Goldberg and Frye is so much better & more well rounded it's rude to even compare the two. Frye can put over his opponents in ways Goldberg never could while maintaining that badass aura. Given his look, aura & ability it is kind of crazy to me that WCW or WWE never tried to sign him. Anyway, just a super pro-wrestler a couple of years into his career. I'm excited to watch more. Shoot style fans seriously need to give this guy a look. Don Frye vs Kazuo Yamazaki (NJPW - 11/2/97) Don Frye vs Naoya Ogawa (NJPW - 1/4/98) Don Frye vs Kensuke Sasaki (NJPW - 8/8/98)