This is a continuation of my previous post. I'll be talking about my Top 5 favourite ProWrestlers of all time.
Let's hit the road!
Let's hit the road!
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin
I waited till 3:16 AM to start typing this.
For all the other wrestlers, I used a solo picture of them. But for Austin, I had to use a picture where he stares defiantly into the eyes of Vince McMahon. Because, that precisely sums up everything I love about the "Texas Rattlesnake" Stone Cold Steve Austin!
Bold, brazen, uncouth, rugged...all these words can be used to describe him. He is a person who does what he wants to do, whenever he wants to do it and wherever he wants to do it. If a tyrannical jerk of a boss like Vince McMahon tries to order him around, Stone Cold will take it upon himself to give his boss the finger and make his life a living nightmare. I just described the entire Attitude Era for you, didn't I? Yup, Austin-McMahon rivalry is, in my opinion, the most entertaining rivalry ever and it played a major role in helping WWE win over WCW, thus changing everything forever. So, Stone Cold Steve Austin revolutionized the entire industry.
Also, Austin was an absolute brawler in the ring and a phenomenal mic worker. He invented the "What?!" chants that fans still use to mock wrestlers when they're talking. And as a testimonial to how extraordinary Austin was, just listen to the crowd when his entrance music hits. Nobody gets a thunderous reception like Stone Cold. When he walks into an arena, like Jim Ross used to say, "Business is about to pick up!"
My favourite Steve Austin quote:
"Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16...Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!"
4. Triple H
There's only one word that comes to my head whenever I see Triple H: Tenacity. On-screen and Off-screen, this man has a level of tenacity that I absolutely worship. Having been on the receiving end of a brutal burial after "Curtain call" incident and multiple career threatening injuries, he has always bounced back better than before. That is textbook definition of tenacity right there.
Talking about who Triple H is as a ProWrestler, he's a ruthless brawler who would go to any lengths to win a match. He can be the perfect fan favourite and can make an entire arena cheer for him. Or he could be a sadistic villain who can make even his dearest fans hate him enough to wish death on him. Truth be told, he would go down in history as one of the most hated heels ever. That's how good Triple H was. Criminally underrated is the term that would define his mic work. And his list of achievements is something many wrestlers can only imagine in their wildest dreams.
One another facet I appreciate about Triple H is that the King of Kings is a beacon that heralds the future. He has played a role in the creation of top stars like John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. And he still continues his work as a creator of WWE's developmental territory NXT which far outshines the main roster in terms of story telling and wrestling. Thus, the Game has proven that he is an irreplaceable asset for WWE and has been that way for the past two decades. Because, he's that damn good!
My favourite Triple H quote:
"You talk about being students of the game...well, I am the fucking Game, J.R.!"
3. The Rock
Here comes the second biggest star of the Attitude Era, a wrestler with so much charisma and electricity that he could light up an entire city, The People's champ himself...The Rock!
His charisma and mic skills are sky-high. In my eyes, this man is the best talker in WWE history. You could bring up "Cream of the crop" or "tear in my eye" or "cow palace" promos but The Rock is perfectly capable of delivering something similar (without snorting coke). Am I saying that he's better than Flair, Savage or Piper? Hell No. But he can stand toe to toe with them on mic work.
Secondly, he's an outstanding entertainer. From addressing himself in the third person to talking about Stephanie's breasts to shoving things up people's asses to monkey nipples to poontang pies, The Great One is capable of getting even a dead wood to laugh its butt off. He bullies the interviewers and makes an ass-clown out of every one of his opponents, literally burying them with his words. I'm yet to find someone who is capable of doing half of what this man can do. Hell, his eyebrow alone has more personality than many wrestlers today.
My favourite The Rock quote:
"Now, seeing as The Rock is done with you Chris Benoit, The Rock wants you to take your tongue and stick it through that goofy gap of yours and go lick a Wolverine's anus!"
2. Shawn Michaels
Remember Bret Hart and Kurt Angle? Here's one another guy who is capable of performing to their level. Heck, I'd even say he's above their level. Shawn Michaels is, as Matt Striker said, "The Greatest in-ring competitor in WWE history" and I am one of those guys who believe that. There have been days when I've spent hours and hours watching Shawn Michaels matches because I just venerate his in-ring work.
Because when it comes to big match situations, Shawn can put up a performance that would be talked about for decades after that. If you try to search for some of the best matches in WWE's history books, it would not be complete without this man's name on it. He is capable of selling his opponent's moves and some sensational mic work that Bret Hart can't match up to. I said Kurt Angle is one of the most humorous wrestlers ever, right? Well, before Kurt even entered the company, Shawn Michaels was doing some groundbreaking adult comedy with Triple H as a part of D-Generation X. Additionally, he can be savage at trolling the fans ("Who's your daddy, Montreal?"). Who else has the balls to step in front of a Canadian crowd and pick his nose with the Canadian flag? Well, he did it.
Call him 'The Show Stopper', 'The Icon', 'The Main Event' or 'Mr.Wrestlemania'...each one of those nicknames fit him perfectly. Sure, he has had behavioural problems back in the 90s. But he changed. He has put over innumerable amounts of younger talent later on in his career. For all that, he's worth respecting.
And if you're not down with that, I've got two words for ya!
My favourite Shawn Michael's quote:
"I'll give you a show like you've never ever seen before. Why? Because I can!"
1. The Undertaker
You must probably have guessed this. Yes, The Phenom is my most favourite ProWrestler of all time. There are tons of reasons as to why I love this guy. No, love isn't the word for it. I worship and idolize him. If I start talking about all the reasons for me idolizing The Undertaker, I may need a separate blog post altogether. So, for now, I'll just state three summarized reasons.
First, his character! For all intents and purposes, this character is completely ridiculous from a modern day perspective. A supernatural character that comes back from the dead, shoots lightning with his hands and takes people's "souls"? Unrealistic. But what then makes ProWrestling fans love The Undertaker? Why then has this gimmick been popular for 30 years while so many similar gimmicks in 90s barely lasted a few weeks? The reason is not because people believe in his satanic character. The reason is that Mark William Callaway has managed to perform the role of The Undertaker in a stellar way and captured the hearts of fans, both young and old, for 30 years. Nobody except him could ever perform such a feat and uphold such a different character. That's an untouchable fact!
Second, his work. The Undertaker has faced all the big names in ProWrestling. From Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair to every wrestler on this list, The Undertaker has had a wonderful rivalry with each of them, having provided some sensational matches in history. That in itself is a master stroke! In the ring, he is a dominant powerhouse. One of the best "big man" to ever do this! On the microphone, The Lord of Darkness is a man of few words but when he does talk, he leaves the fans hanging onto every word he says. That is rare. And given the longevity of his career, all this is no ordinary feat.
Third, his dedication. The Undertaker has been with WWE throughout its highs and lows. He's been the cornerstone of all eras...Golden Era, The Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression Era, PG Era and whatever era we're in right now. That shows his dedication to the business.
Conclusively, I believe that The Undertaker is the embodiment of all things I love about ProWrestling. The in-ring work, the aura, the drama, stories, entertainment, personality...this man brings it all to the table. Like Triple H once said, "He is the benchmark of what this business is about!"
My favourite Undertaker quote:
"The spirit of The Undertaker lives in the souls of all mankind."
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