Picking the 10 greatest wrestlers of all time - Phantom of the Ring

Wrestling Digest, Dec, 2003

Dear Phantom,

In your opinion, who were the greatest wrestlers? Would my hero, the Rock, make your list?

Desmond Davis

Marlton, N.J.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, Desmond, but before answering, I need to set some criteria.

Wrestlers, unlike other athletes, cannot be judged by statistics. What other sport could claim as many as 20 world champions, each of whom defended his title at least 300 times a year, sometimes in locales such' as high school gyms? Historians of the game publish record books for individual wrestlers, but often fail to capture the wrestler's entire record because some results just weren't published.

The only lasting statistic in wrestling is the record of titleholders, but even that is subject to suspicion. One promotion staged a change of title from the champion to the same contender in every major city in the territory. In other words, on Monday, the Crusher dropped his belt to the Mauler in Chicago. On Tuesday, he dropped his title to the Mauler in St. Louis. On Wednesday he did the same in Indianapolis, and so on, until all the major dries in the area saw the title change. Even more incredible, this was done in the era of television. All that needed to be done was just to drop in a localized interview involving the new champion and his main contender, whether it was Crusher or Ravishing Ronald or the Terror. You get the point.

So how do we rate wrestlers? I, for one, take my cues from Dave Meltzer, in my opinion, the greatest journalist in wrestling history. In his foreword to the book, "Top 100 Wrestlers of All Time", he gives the following criteria for judging a wrestler's place in history: 1. Professional success; 2. Importance to history; 3. How good he was in the ring; 4. His drawing power; and 5. The mainstream status he achieved.

Using these criteria, I was able to fashion a list of those I consider the top 10 In wrestling history. See if you agree or disagree.

10. RIC FLAIR

The umpteen time NWA/WCW champion, he also held the WWE belt, no mean accomplishment when one considers the fate of those WCW stars who jumped to the WWE. Equally effective as either a heel or babyface, he's still one of the best when it comes to giving interviews. Flair gave WCW what little credibility it had, and gave more to the organization than he ever received in return. Perhaps 10 years from now I may rank him even higher, but his current position as Triple H's caddy is not exactly bathing him in glory.

9. EL SANTO

The God of lucha libre, his popularity crossed over into a series of highly successful movies. In fact, even after his death, his influence on the game still lives on. Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras were better wrestlers, but no one excited the crowd like El Santo. Mexican wrestling rode a wave of popularity due to his presence in the ring. He's still a household-name Mexican sports fans.

8. BRUNO SAMMARTINO

The WWWF champion, for it was on his broad shoulders that the WWWF was able to survive and become the conglomerate it is today. He was the dominant wrestler of the '60s, a keen ring psychologist who was a much better worker in the squared circle than he is given credit for by experts. Bruno set the standard for big men to be champ; at his height he weighed 275, but was amazingly agile. His record of sellouts in Madison Square Garden has yet to be duplicated, let alone surpassed. Because he refused to compromise, giving 100% in every match, back injuries and a broken neck at the hands of Start Hansen in 1975 diminished his ability, but his mastery of ring psychology kept the fans returning again and again.

7. RIKIDOZAN

He was the God of Puroresu who took wrestling off the sumo mats and made it a top attraction in Japan. Legitimately tough, he could match styles with anyone, and a victory over Rikidozan meant instant credibility for a challenger. His matches with Lou Thesz, the Destroyer, and Fred Blassie are classics, and he was one of the few Japanese wrestlers who could draw in California without the "yellow menace" gimmick. The scandal that arose from his murder at the hands of the Yakuza (the Japanese underworld) almost killed pro wrestling in Japan.

6. FRED BLASSIE

A bleached blond blowhard, he excelled both as a wrestler and a manager. Never at a loss for words, he was the best interview in the history of the game. Known as a wrestler who would do almost anything to win, he was also an apt psychologist giving the fans what they came to see, mainly blood. When he toured Japan he was a hit because fans there had never seen anything remotely like him In America he was a frequent guest on local talk shows, made a cult film ("My Breakfast With Blassie") with comic Andy Kaufman, and had a best-selling record, "Pencil Neck Geek," a term he popularized.

5. HULK HOGAN

The best draw in the history of the sport, he often gave the impression wrestling was secondary to other things, such as posing before and after the match. It was on his bleached blond thinning hair that Vince McMahon conquered the wrestling world. With Hogan as champ, wrestling became less of a sport and more of an entertainment spectacle, which probably explains his short reigns as a drawing card, But when he was hot, no one was hotter, Witness his transformation into a heel in WCW with the NWO. He still had mileage left in the WWE when a contract dispute with McMahon made him expendable.