Dylan Waco Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Was randomly thinking this over the other night with my brother. In no particular order I settled on Terry Funk, Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, Stan Hansen, Rey Mysterio, Buddy Rose, Nick Bockwinkel, Eddie Guerrero, Ricky Morton and Barry Windham. This is not so much a list of guys who I think are the ten best in U.S. rings only (i.e. Hansen would not be so high though I don't think it would effect the others), but rather the ten U.S. guys who would probably be the highest in a GOAT list if I were to ever do another (and let's face it, I will). Non-native born guys like Dundee, Finlay and Regal feel weird to leave off, but I'm not sure I'd rate them above any of those ten anyhow. I definitely wouldn't rate Bret above any of them. I'm really high on Arn and Savage, but can't quite see them above anyone on that list though I'd listen to arguments. Steamboat and Vader feel like omissions, but the older I get the less sure I am (I'm not positive I would rate Vader over Blackwell at this point - probably, but not positive). Bobby Eaton feels like an outside contender. I'm higher on Greg Valentine than most but top ten feels like a stretch. Daniel Bryan actually seems really close and I could maybe be convinced. Am I missing any other obvious names? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 What about Pillman? I would also consider Tully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvd356 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Couple questions. We're talking guys born in the US I take it by your 3 mentioned exclusions. And are we only taking into account their matches/feuds/angles in the US(sorry if this is a dumb question, I just want my list to be within guidelines). For example most of Hansen's best stuff was in Japan. Should be tough but fun. Â EDIT: is this our favorite or some kind of mythically 'objective' GOAT list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Without putting in too much thought : Funk (Terry), Hansen, Flair, Windham, Morton, Guerrero (Eddie), Savage, Steamboat... hum... Vader, Mysterio or Tully or Eaton or Anderson (Arn)... Haven't seen enough Rose or Bock to really compare, ditto Race and the old masters like Brisco, Thesz and such... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soup23 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 The Destroyer seems like an omission. I know Dylan is not high on him as some others and I haven't watched a ton of him but I would at least place him in the conversation and can see him comparable to guys like Windham. I can also already hear Parv formulating an argument for Dibiase. I can also see arguments made for Tito and Backlund.  My ten: Flair, Hansen, Lawler, Mysterio, Terry Funk, Vader, Ricky Morton, Bobby Eaton, Daniel Bryan, Savage.  Just missing was: Tully, Arn, and Eddie Guerrero  I recused myself from voting for Bock and Rose because I have not seen enough footage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpchicago23 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 My top ten off the top of my head would probably be Funk, Lawler, Flair, Arn, Vader, Mysterio, Eddie, Punk, Dustin, and ten would be a hard decision between malenko, rude and maybe prime angle. Â Guys I have only seen a little of but definitely have the possibility of being in there are Murdoch, Rose, Hansen, and Gordy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 At some point later this year I am going to watch a lot of Funk and Hansen. I've already made up my mind on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankensteiner Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 In no particular order: Backlund, Bock, Martel, Hennig, Hart, Steamboat, Windham, Santana, Savage, and ? (could see this going to Vader, Dustin, Gordy, or even Slaughter or Kerry). Â I have not watched any Funk or Hansen in All Japan so I'm not including them on my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpchicago23 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 I think Martel and Hart wouldnt qualify for this list if he means US born. If im mistaken i'd easily add Hart to mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo-Yo's Roomie Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Bock, Flair, Terry Funk, Hansen, Murdoch, Rose, Windham, Eaton, Austin, Savage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 This was hard to pick just 10 and this is no particular order. Â Ric Flair Jerry Lawler Terry Funk Terry Gordy Ricky Steamboat Nick Bockwinkel Stan Hansen Dick Murdoch Barry Windham Randy Savage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Dustin Dustin Rhodes? Â Want to say any more on this? Just interested. Â For myself, I just don't feel qualified to answer these sorts of things any more. Any list I come up with seems hopelessly JCP-WCW / WWF centric. I'd feel more comfortable doing a top 10 JCP-WCW or top 10 WWF. Â Until I've seen Memphis and the rest of AWA and some Buddy Rose in Portland, it feels wrong to come up with a all-time US list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Re: Dustin. Â http://board.deathvalleydriver.com/forum/3...__all__st__1920 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpchicago23 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Dustin is just a personal favorite of mine and I really don't have an elaborate explanation. I guess its because he never bored me. I always felt satisfied watching a Dustin match and he had a large quantity of average to good matches. I can understand the argument of him maybe not having that great match but to me my top ten guys are guys I could watch multiple times and never get tired of. I know I'm probably in the minority on him but that's just me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Here are 10 in no order. Â Flair Lawler Funk Hansen Bock Mysterio Rose Steamboat Morton Guerrero Just missing Vader, Eaton, Tully, Windham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Cooke Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Ric Flair Jerry Lawler Stan Hansen Destroyer Eddy Guerrero Vader Rey Misterio Jr. Â After those guys, Tully, Arn, Austin, Eaton, Morton would be in the next category for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteF3 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Don't ask me to think about order:  - Terry Funk - Ric Flair - Nick Bockwinkel - Stan Hansen - Rey Misterio, Jr. - Jerry Lawler - Randy Savage - Vader - Tully Blanchard - Eddie Guerrero  Guys Bubbling Under or Whom I Could Be Swayed On, or Could Otherwise Get There in the Future: Buddy Rose, Ronnie Garvin, Ricky Morton, Bobby Eaton, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham, Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, Terry Gordy, CM Punk, Destroyer, Daniel Bryan.  I suspect Garvin would vault into the top 10 if we had more Knoxville or '70s footage in general--from what little we see he looks like an absolute tornado. This brings up another point in that I'm a little uncomfortable declaring "all-time" to mean "late 1970's to the present," as is the case for the lists here including mine. There's some token love to the Destroyer and that's it. Yes, footage is an issue, and this is a group that relies on what can be seen first. There aren't records and stats like there are for real sports where it's (somewhat) easier to evaluate Johnny Unitas against Drew Brees. Still, I have a hard time believing the 10 greatest (unmasked) workers of all-time all had their peaks after 1970.  Having said THAT I'm equally as lost as to who to actually nominate from the pre-'70s era. Actually I think Pat O'Connor would probably make a personal top 10 GOAT because he looks better than Thesz in contemporary footage, had awesome stuff from 1975, and he looked pretty spry all the way up to the Bockwinkel match in 1981 or so. But...he isn't "U.S." If Regal doesn't fit the criteria then neither can Pat. Thesz will be a hard one to evaluate because there's a temptation to backlash against the deification he receives at places like Classics. I think he's a worthy contender at least. Buddy Rogers' career came to a rather sudden halt in 1963 and primo footage is spotty--honestly, I didn't much care for the Comiskey title change last time I saw it. Verne Gagne is another guy who strikes me as being better than Thesz at the same time period and was also a high-quality worker into the early '80s even with (or because of) a greatly reduced schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted January 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 O'Connor is the best of the workers from that era that I've seen. If I were doing a top hundred again he would be the only guy from that era I would put on right this second. Which goes to your point about the use of the word "all time." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomk Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Yeah, I think there is enough Verne footage to get him in consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlittlekitten Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Bear in mind this is just a list of guys I enjoy watching the most from the WWF and the small amount of JCP I've seen. (Watched next to nothing from the other territories. I'm working on it.) No order.  Flair Windham Tully Funk Hogan Dusty Savage HBK Punk Fab Moolah  Jerry, Eddy, Buddy, Vader and Harley are all likely to make my list once I've seen more footage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted January 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Gotta admit I didn't expect Moolah to come up in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlittlekitten Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Ha, I do enjoy her more than most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpchicago23 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Yea i never thought i'd see her name on the site period. I've never watched an actual peak moolah match. Probably never will either unless there's some footage of torturing a young upstart like i think i've heard before. Then again probably wouldnt be hot at all since Moolah looks too much like Warwick Davis to me, Leprachaun or Willow either one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 I dont think it is fair to exclude foreign workers who have a great volume of work here in the states (I really want to put Bill Dundee here) so I am going to eliminate American workers who would be on this list for their overseas work. Â Jerry Lawler Ric Flair Buddy Rose Randy Savage Ricky Morton Rey Mysterio Arn Anderson Dick Murdoch Bryan Danielson / Daniel Bryan JC Ice (just to represent a Dundee here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpchicago23 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Man i fucking love JC Ice and if i see more of him i can definitely see him in my top 15 creeping to top 10 list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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