JRGoldman Posted June 7, 2015 Report Share Posted June 7, 2015 So last night and this morning, I went through every nominee thread. I thought with less than a year to go, it might be helpful for people to see lists of where some of the nominees stand. I sorted people in to various lists: number one contenders, top ten, top 25, and top 50. I only sorted wrestlers that someone actually suggested a placement on. I always put them in a group that was the highest possibility suggested. I thought this might engender some controversy and thus people revisiting threads that have been dormant for a bit. I also did not compile a list for wrestlers that some said were in competition for the lower half, spots 80-100, or spot 100. I think Dylan alone has suggested at least 30 people for spot 100. There are probably a bunch of people who will make the overall list that aren't listed here, but I just wanted to filter this using actual posts instead of my best guess for other people's intent. Anyway, this will hopefully get some new conversations going. Potential Number Ones: Satanico Negro Casas Hashimoto Terry Funk Fujiwara Bockwinkel Misawa Jumbo Bryan Hansen Lawler Kobashi Flair Dustin Volk Han Santito Potential Top 10: Tenryu Rey Toyota Kawada Zayn Savage Regal Billy Robinson Fujinami Dundee Bret Vader Liger Eaton Hokuto Yokota Stone Cold Eddy Guerrero Dusty Benoit PotentialTop 25: Buddy Rose Angle HBK Atlantis Steamboat Akiyama Taue Kenya Blue Panther Jack Brisco Jim Breaks Andre Tanahashi Choshu Tommy Rich Steve Grey Hase John Cena Ishikawa Dick Murdoch Sekimoto Finlay Morton Barry Windham Potential Top 50: Dory Funk Terry Ridge Pirata Morgan AJ Styles Onita Dynamite Kid Arn Anderson Ronnie Garvin Martel Tito Santana Harley Race Baba Jon Cortez Tully Aja Kong Johnny Saint Bull Nakano Foley Ohtani Dick Togo Dibiase Kyoko Inoue Virus I'm typing on a phone so please forgive any autocorrect bizarreness. For those of you counting, 16 workers have been put forth as a candidate for one overall, 20 for top ten, 24 for top twenty five, and 23 for top fifty. I hope people find this interesting and it gets some discussion going on candidates you see here and perhaps more importantly candidates you don't see listed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted June 7, 2015 Report Share Posted June 7, 2015 I'm still having a hard time with this because of all of the Japanese watching I have to fill in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBadMick Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Two things that jump out at me - Dustin as potential No 1 and Dusty in the Top 10 - Wow! Odd that the two I can't fathom so highly placed are in the same family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Dusty is an absolute conundrum. He's not one of the best wrestlers I've seen when watching his matches. But he's one of the very best examples of being the total package whereby his promos and angles make the matches that much meatier and more enjoyable. No clue how to rank him but he will rank. Just too special to be ignored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I don't think I'll be ranking Dusty. Promo work doesn't count for this (or surely Flair automatically becomes #1 and undisputed as total package), but I don't enjoy a lot of Dusty's character work. I always think he seems outrageously gay and has very little beyond the standard spots in his schtick. Of all the Flair opponents, he's the only one who has ** and *** matches with him, which should be illustrative. I haven't seen a great deal from him when he's cropped up vs. NWA champions in the 70s or when he's made trips to New York that we've seen on Titans. I think he's just too limited to make the 100 and doesn't make much effort to work around those limitations like Andre or Baba, but rather just leans more and more on the schtick. I can see a lot of people including him but I won't be one of them. I don't see the work there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 I have 126 guys listed so far that are in contention. 24 are guys I want to hear a case for or see more footage. Some are guys that are hanging out in the 90 to 125 range and it is an argument about sneaking on to the final list. About 80 guys are stone cold locks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 12, 2015 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 Lock top ten: Flair Jumbo Hansen Funk Misawa Kawada Absolutely have to make my top 50: All time great babyfaces: Jack Brisco Rick Martel Ricky Steamboat Ricky Morton Kobashi All time great heels: Jim Breaks Ted DiBiase Sgt. Slaughter Nick Bockwinkel Tully Blanchard All time great hands: Arn Anderson Bobby Eaton Greg Valentine Lord Steven Regal Barry Windham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 More guys who are guaranteed a place somewhere on my list: Harley Race Giant Baba Ron Garvin Wahoo McDaniel Andre Bob Backlund Dory Funk Jr. Bret Hart Brock Lesnar Bruno Sammartino Riki Choshu Yoshiaki Yatsu Genichiro Tenryu Curt Hennig Jerry Blackwell Pat Patterson 'Macho Man' Randy Savage Vader Would like to include: Lex Luger Rick Rude Hulk Hogan Masa Saito Tommy Rogers Watching more soon: Billy Robinson The Destroyer Buddy Rose Watching more (ongoing): Tatsumi Fujinami Jerry Lawler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Tag-teams Funks Midnights (Eaton / Lane) Midnights (Eaton / Condrey) Jumbo/Baba Choshu/Yatsu Misawa/Kobashi Kawada/Taue Freebirds Rock n Rolls Arn and Ole Arn and Tully Fantastics Rockers Steiners Kroffat and Furnas Jack and Jerry Brisco The Valiants (Johnny and Jerry) Martel and Garea Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito Doom Hart Foundation The Islanders High Flyers Footloose Steamboat and Youngblood If I had to send in my 25 tomorrow, it would likely be these in some sort of order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Lacelle Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Why Johnny & Jerry over Johnny & Jimmy? Have you seen much of their non-WWWF tag stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parties Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 I always think he seems outrageously gay Beg pardon, love? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Why Johnny & Jerry over Johnny & Jimmy? Have you seen much of their non-WWWF tag stuff? No, just WWF. As an act the Valiants were light years ahead of their time and Johnny was a great promo. They were kind of like prototype Freebirds. Jimmy has never been good in the ring though and when he got injured and they brought in Jerry circa 1979 what they got was a guy who could work and bump with the best of them. I've made the comparison before, Jerry Valiant was a lot like Bobby Heenan, just a phenomenal bumper. Did the Ray Stevens over the turnbuckle flip, the Heenan-style tumble to the outside, and had good psychology when working heat segments. Probably one of the more underrated workers ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliott Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Anybody have any predictions for guys who will appear on every ballot? Pretty sure on the smarkchoice poll the only two guys who made every ballot were Eddie Guerrero and Voldemort. If I had to guess I would say Ric Flair, Vader, and Daniel Bryan make every ballot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Arn Anderson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El McKell Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 My prediction is nobody makes every single ballot. And I can tell you this for sure, Arn Anderson is very unlikely to make every ballot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Flair seems like a safe pick, but you never know who's having a bad day. I'd say the same for the All Japan greats, but have seen enough people who aren't familiar with them that may pass for that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I don't feel qualified to rate them and won't be by the time voting happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 People not voting Arn should out themselves. He seemed like a universal pick from what I've seen. I can't think of anyone who doesn't like him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El McKell Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I don't dislike Arn Anderson, I think he's pretty good and he does have an outside shot at making my 100. However, I've just never seen him in a really excellent match that didn't have at least 7 other people in it. There's lots of Arn stuff that's considered great that I didn't much care for, such as the matches w/Ole vs Rock Roll Express or w/Barry Windham vs Doom from Starrcade '90. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 You don't think Arn/Larry vs Dustin/Steamboat is excellent? Just to name one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InYourCase Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Glad this thread got bumped, I've been meaning to post here. I've narrowed my #1 contenders down to Danielson, Kobashi, and Hansen. Unless someone really blows me away between now and April I just don't see how it couldn't be one of those three. Kobashi, at this point, is my #1. Starting at the 9/4/91 match with Hansen, Kobashi was able to produce MOTYC for almost 15 years straight. 1999-2002 are the only areas I'm a little fuzzy in with him because I haven't seen a lot of late All Japan-early NOAH and Kobashi was hurt for most of that time period. That comes down to him simply having the most "great" matches. In terms of pure in-ring work, I don't think anyone touches him. Danielson is slotted in my #2 but he and Kobashi are basically even at this point. The thing that impresses me most about Danielson is how he was able to produce classics in just about every match style/structure, expect Lucha. He has brawls with Morishima, technical bouts with Doug Williams, strong style matches with KENTA, and shoot-style matches with Sawa and Hayato that I think are all examples of him mastering a certain style. Depending on how I'm feeling, that could put him in the #1 spot. When I watch Hansen, I can't help but feel like he's one of, if not the best ever. I've seen a fair amount of his All Japan work, the Colon feud in Puerto Rico, a handful of his New Japan matches, and nothing from his work in the States. I have a lot more of him to watch but I would be shocked if he didn't finish in my Top 5. Other guys contending for my Top 10: -Genichiro Tenryu -Mitsuharu Misawa -Masaaki Mochizuki -Tatsuami Fujinami -Rey Mysterio Jr. -Ric Flair -Toshiaki Kawada -Kurt Angle -Volk Han -Shinya Hashimoto -KENTA -Chris Benoit -Vader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El McKell Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 You don't think Arn/Larry vs Dustin/Steamboat is excellent? Just to name one. I gave that match ***1/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliott Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Steamboat and Savage are two other guys I could see everyone voting for. I was going to say Rey Jr but I wouldn't be all that surprised if Parv was like "fuck Rey Jr." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Savage could miss out on my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Check out these (both from WCWSN): - Arn Anderson vs Dustin Rhodes (01/04/92) - Arn Anderson vs Barry Windham (06/06/92) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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