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Real World Champion


soup23

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I just saw this thread. In terms of the argument over what to weigh, Hogan smokes Flair for drawing power and Flair smokes Hogan in the ring. So then I guess the question is what mattered more - Hogan's ability in the ring or Flair's ability to draw? Was Hogan a better worker than Flair was a draw? I know it's an awkward question, but therein lies the answer.

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My reasoning Loss is that Flair was the number 2 draw in the US for the 80s while also being a GOAT-level worker, whereas Hogan was number 1 draw while being nowhere near that level of worker.

 

When you mediate one against the other, Flair comes out on top.

 

Then in the 90s, when Hogan is still a top draw and Flair drops down a bit, guys like Bret, Shawn etc. are nowhere near the level of draw Flair was, so it's Hogan.

 

Then it's Austin for a bit, then it's Rock.

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Oh, I agree with that and I'm generally on your side on this one, although probably not quite as certain, especially on some of the later years. I just think it's possible to look at the composite view instead of *just* ranking wrestlers by drawing power or *just* ranking them by working ability, which looks like an area where we also agree.

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Bruno was hardly Sid or The Crusher. He also connected with the crowd in an amazing way and had the ability to work almost any variety of opponent.

 

I don't think a poor worker could have been champion for that long.

 

Bruno was probably a better worker than Hogan was. He just wasn't a very good match up for Giant Baba.

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I don't think there's a blanket answer. It depends on the audience and where the appeal of the company lies. Picking a big, charismatic guy as NWA champ who wasn't a great worker would not have worked. Even Dusty never held the belt very long when he was at his peak in popularity. Picking a guy who fits that same criteria in the WWF worked exceptionally well.

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Gene Kiniski was an NWA champ but he was supposedly a great worker in his prime but was a big guy who wasn't very charismatic. The NWA always wanted the "superworker" as champion because of the schedule and the variety of opponents they would have to work.

 

WWF wasn't that way as they went with either ethnic characters or in the rare case of SBG the super charismatic guy. Backlund was the white meat babyface that Vince wanted to anchor the top for years before it was time to move on.

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