This is done based on a year-by-year look at the biggest draws, to
normalize between guys around in hot and cold periods and to factor out
things like the economy and ebbs and flows with the business. It’s
based on being a top draw as well as having longevity at the top, which
is why Steve Austin isn’t top five, Ultimate Warrior is only No. 84 and
Bill Goldberg, Junkyard Dog and Kerry Von Erich aren’t on the list.
We also give added emphasis to guys who dominated their eras and
completely carried the business. Keep in mind this list would be unfair
to those in Mexico pre-1988 because there are not complete records
available. Japanese are hurt to a degree due to lack of major arenas
and not figuring that historically they charged much higher ticket
prices until the late 90s, although the top Japanese names do make the
list.
1. Jim Londos; 2. Bruno Sammartino; 3. Lou Thesz; 4. Bill
Longson; 5. Hulk Hogan; 6. Ed “Strangler” Lewis; 7. Argentina Rocca; 8.
Ric Flair; 9. Buddy Rogers; 10. Joe Stecher; 11. Dick the Bruiser; 12.
The Sheik; 13. HHH; 14. Killer Kowalski; 15. Bob Backlund; 16. Andre the
Giant; 17. The Rock; 18. John Cena; 19. Whipper Billy Watson and
Stanislaus Zbyszko (tied); 21. Yvon Robert; 22. John Pesek; 23. The
Undertaker; 24. Frank Gotch; 25. Konnan; 26. Mistico; 27. Everette
Marshall; 28. Gene Kiniski; 29. Ed Don George; 30. Harley Race; 31. Dick
Shikat; 32. Gus Sonnenburg; 33. Steve Austin and Antonio Inoki (tied);
35. Danno O’Mahoney, Johnny Valentine and Randy Savage (tied); 38. Perro
Aguayo Sr., Shawn Michaels and Gorgeous George; 41. Freddie Blassie and
The Crusher; 43. Superstar Billy Graham and Shinya Hashimoto; 45. Ray
Steele and Dory Funk Jr.; 47. Verne Gagne and Ray Stevens; 49. Kane; 50.
Pat O’Connor and Randy Orton; 52. Keiji Muto, Rikidozan, Dusty Rhodes
and Sandor Szabo; 56. Vincent Lopez; 57. Bret Hart and Wladek Zbyszko;
59. Edouard Carpentier and Pedro Morales; 61. Bobo Brazil, Earl Caddock,
Jerry Lawler, Miguel Perez, Road Warriors and Chris Jericho; 67. Perro
Aguayo Jr., Primo Carnera, Stan Hansen, Big Show and El Santo; 72. Kurt
Angle, Man Mountain Dean, Wlasislow Talum, Maurice “French Angel” Tillet
and Fritz Von Erich; 77. Batista, Jim Browning, Dr. Jerry Graham,
Ultimo Guerrero, Kenta Kobashi and Ivan Koloff; 83. Yukon Eric and Sgt.
Slaughter; 85. Ultimate Warrior and Ernie Ladd; 87. Giant Baba, Henri
DeGlane, Eddie Graham, George Hackenschmidt and Paul Orndorff; 92. Chris
Benoit, Cien Caras, Wilbur Snyder and Genichiro Tenryu; 96. Bobby
Managoff, Nobuhiko Takada and Brock Lesnar; 99. Nick Bockwinkel, Bronko
Nagurski, Roddy Piper, Bob Sapp, Hans Schmidt and Frank Sexton.
Of the top 100, the highest ranker not in the Hall of Fame is
Mistico (26), who becomes a very interesting case study given where he
currently stands. After that it’s Dick Shikat (31), followed by Danno
O’Mahoney (35), Kane (49), Randy Orton (50), Vincent Lopez (56), Pedro
Morales (59), Miguel Perez Sr. (61), Perro Aguayo Jr., Big Show and
Primo Camera (67), Man Mountain Dean, Wlasislow Talum and Maurice Tillet
(72) and Jim Browning, Dr. Jerry Graham, Ultimo Guerrero and Ivan
Koloff (77).
Shikat is an interesting character, since he was a major part of
history in the 30s, perhaps in not a good way. He and O’Mahoney are
historically linked since Shikat shot on and stole the title from
O’Mahoney. This pretty much led to O’Mahoney no longer being a top
draw, and because of how the news coverage was at the time, hurt pro
wrestling badly in many parts of the country.
Kane and Orton are current guys and it’s a different ball game
today, with the brand drawing and all, but this does show they’ve had
the longevity on top and as top tier stars. In the case of Kane, people
don’t think of it as much because he’s been often in the middle, but
he’s had a lot of successful runs.
Orton is a guy who was pushed and protected, and is a major star,
but was never “the” major star, although there was a long period,
really until the past year, where almost every PPV featured Cena and/or Orton in a title match.
Lopez was a big California star before television. Morales was
WWWF champion for three years, and was also a major California star
before that, but he’s hurt in other ways. As WWWF champion, he was
actually a better Madison Square Garden draw than anyone up until that
point, even Bruno Sammartino, but he didn’t draw as well in the other
cities and the company practically begged Sammartino to come back at the
end of 1973, so it’s hard to call the run a success. Plus, Morales,
outside of his huge New York ethnic base, was always resented as the guy
who replaced Sammartino.
Perez Sr. is not a Hall of Famer as a single, but Argentina Rocca & Miguel Perez as a team absolutely belong. But Rocca is already in.
Aguayo Jr. is hurt because he’s current and because Mexico has gone down, and his star has faded even though he’s still on top.
Big Show is very much like Kane, only for not quite as long, but he’s probably had more high profile runs. Carnera was a poor worker, and really just an attraction because he was the world heavyweight champion in boxing when there was only one and when the holder was one of the biggest names in sports, even though Carnera was really a gimmick muscular giant, almost a Khali or Andre of his day. He didn’t get into pro wrestling until his boxing days were over and he was left broke, in 1946. He was given a winning streak gimmick until, for world title credibility sake, Lou Thesz pinned him. He was booked much like Andre and while not much as a wrestler because he was old, he was a legitimate household name in that era and continued to wrestle, and mostly headline, until retiring in 1962.
Dean was the original fat man attraction, the role later used by people like the McGuire Twins, Happy Humphrey and most notably Haystacks Calhoun. Calhoun, like Dean before him, was one of the most well known pro wrestlers during the 60s and early 70s, to the point that when sports announcers covering games talk pro wrestling, his name is mentioned right up there with Bruno Sammartino, Argentina Rocca, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan.
Tillet, who was not tall like Andre but with his acromegaly, had the same exaggerated proportions, with the huge head, hands and feet, was not strong wrestler, but was a big drawing card in the early 40s billed as the world’s ugliest man.
Koloff was actually a great worker in his day and had a long career. Browning should be the subject of a history piece at some point. He was one of the great shooters of his era, arguably all-time. Lou Thesz ranked him top five history and noted that Strangler Lewis told him that Browning was the one guy from the era that he couldn’t beat (Browning was 12 years younger than Lewis). Browning was made world champion, but cut down in his prime as he started to go blind at the age of 31. He continued to wrestle with diminished eyesight, but then started having severe health problems with his heart, liver and intestines, and lost 70 pounds. He was only 33 when he died in 1936.
Ultimo Guerrero has been one of Mexico’s best workers for years and was the prime opponent for Mistico in his heyday. He’s hurt by being current. Jerry Graham certainly was a major star who could draw, but his alcohol problems and weight issues destroyed his career.
Perez Sr. is not a Hall of Famer as a single, but Argentina Rocca & Miguel Perez as a team absolutely belong. But Rocca is already in.
Aguayo Jr. is hurt because he’s current and because Mexico has gone down, and his star has faded even though he’s still on top.
Big Show is very much like Kane, only for not quite as long, but he’s probably had more high profile runs. Carnera was a poor worker, and really just an attraction because he was the world heavyweight champion in boxing when there was only one and when the holder was one of the biggest names in sports, even though Carnera was really a gimmick muscular giant, almost a Khali or Andre of his day. He didn’t get into pro wrestling until his boxing days were over and he was left broke, in 1946. He was given a winning streak gimmick until, for world title credibility sake, Lou Thesz pinned him. He was booked much like Andre and while not much as a wrestler because he was old, he was a legitimate household name in that era and continued to wrestle, and mostly headline, until retiring in 1962.
Dean was the original fat man attraction, the role later used by people like the McGuire Twins, Happy Humphrey and most notably Haystacks Calhoun. Calhoun, like Dean before him, was one of the most well known pro wrestlers during the 60s and early 70s, to the point that when sports announcers covering games talk pro wrestling, his name is mentioned right up there with Bruno Sammartino, Argentina Rocca, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan.
Tillet, who was not tall like Andre but with his acromegaly, had the same exaggerated proportions, with the huge head, hands and feet, was not strong wrestler, but was a big drawing card in the early 40s billed as the world’s ugliest man.
Koloff was actually a great worker in his day and had a long career. Browning should be the subject of a history piece at some point. He was one of the great shooters of his era, arguably all-time. Lou Thesz ranked him top five history and noted that Strangler Lewis told him that Browning was the one guy from the era that he couldn’t beat (Browning was 12 years younger than Lewis). Browning was made world champion, but cut down in his prime as he started to go blind at the age of 31. He continued to wrestle with diminished eyesight, but then started having severe health problems with his heart, liver and intestines, and lost 70 pounds. He was only 33 when he died in 1936.
Ultimo Guerrero has been one of Mexico’s best workers for years and was the prime opponent for Mistico in his heyday. He’s hurt by being current. Jerry Graham certainly was a major star who could draw, but his alcohol problems and weight issues destroyed his career.
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