So Blackjack Fletcher put out a Greatest Wrestler of All-Time bracket and to say it piqued my interest is a fair assessment. I figure I know the biz (that's what people in the know call it, nbd) well enough to have some credible takes. The first round for said bracket is complete and some of the results are what drove me to make the corrected version; I won't get into those now since they can be covered as we go through them. There is also an issue with some of the seeding, but I won't be changing any of it. We're just gonna go as its presented to us.
To make it manageable I'm thinking we do one round and one region per post, so we'll start with the "Hogan Region".
(1) Hulk Hogan v. (16) Sycho Sid
Originally going by names like Sid Justice and Sid Vicious, Sycho Sid (on the left in that photo) was at one time billed as the new Hulk Hogan (on the right), and it was easy to see why. Standing 6'9" and weighing 317 lbs with the flowing blonde hair, he was two inches and 15 lbs larger than the Hulkster. The two had a feud that included the main event of WrestleMania VIII, which Hogan won by disqualification. Sid had a nice career, don't get me wrong. But Hulk Hogan is the OG wrestling superstar. He also has a fantastic Twitter account:
WINNER: HULK HOGAN
(8) Edge v. (9) Goldberg
Two staples of their eras that overlapped a little. Bill Goldberg went from playing in the NFL to having a 173-match undefeated streak in WCW, and is widely regarded as one of the most dominant and athletic pro wrestlers of all time. His run in WWE was less glamorous which tarnishes some of his legacy, but not by a lot. Edge, meanwhile, is one of the slimiest, sleaziest, best heels in history. His feuds with Matt Hardy and John Cena in the early to mid-2000s is some of the best villain work I have ever seen. But at the same time, the dude was incredibly talented and has been adored for years. His career was over after a bad neck injury but he recently made a return. Edge takes the edge and I am going to kick my own ass for that pun.
WINNER: EDGE
(5) Ultimate Warrior v. (12) Diamond Dallas Page
You know how you love those "RKO outta nowhere" memes? Well DDP is basically responsible for that trend. The innovator of the "Diamond Cutter", which is the precursor to Randy Orton's "RKO", Diamond Dallas Page had a very solid career in the ring but he has arguably made the greatest impact in his post-competition days. He runs DDP Yoga, which people from all walks of life have credited with not only getting them in shape, but getting their lives together as well. Opposite him is perhaps one of the most insane and hyper humans to walk the planet. Almost no one can match Warriors intensity.
(seriously, go down a rabbit hole of Ultimate Warrior promos)
WINNER: ULTIMATE WARRIOR
(4) The Undertaker v. (13) British Bulldog
Look, British Bulldog is a legend and I fully acknowledge that. But we are talking about The Undertaker here. The Deadman should be a 2-seed AT LEAST.
WINNER: THE UNDERTAKER
(6) Eddie Guerrero v. (11) Kane
Potentially one of the harder to call matchups in the first round. Eddie's passing in 2005 cut short what was looking to be a great end to a career, while Kane has had longevity matched only by the greatest of the great. Kane even serves as the mayor of Know County, TN right now, the man just knows what he's doing. As a big man, Kane definitely did not have the repertoire of moves and technicality Eddie did, but his character work was top-tier and he played his big man role as well as anyone could. Where he runs into trouble is the fact that Eddie also had amazing character work and the over-the-top skills to boot. Him winning the WWE Title form Brock Lesnar in 2004 is one of the signature moments in modern wrestling:
He Lies, He Cheats, He Steals! VIVA LA RAZA.
WINNER: EDDIE GUERRERO
(3) Chris Jericho v. (14) Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter had one of the more shocking heel turns in history strictly based on the fact he went from the consummate American military man to an Iraqi sympathizer for no reason other than he believed the US had gone soft while the Iraqi government were brutal, something that really got his blood flowing. But he, like British Bulldog, has run into a buzzsaw. Y2J is arguably one of the best of all-time all things considered. He's spanned multiple decades, held title after title and been the top guy in every major promotion he's ever worked for. Chris Jericho is one of the greatest wrestling minds we have ever seen, and the fact he is still going stronger than ever as he approaches his 50s is not to be taken lightly. Not to mention he got a goddamn LIST over. He actually made people cheer for some paper on a clipboard.
WINNER: CHRIS JERICHO
(7) Pat Patterson v. (10) X-Pac
X-Pac was wildly popular as a sort of common man amongst the immortals. His comedy tag team with Kane is generally thought of as a huge success and his runs in DX and NWO really elevate him. Pat Patterson, on the other hand, is one of the forefathers of the WWE. He is the inaugural Intercontinental Champion and creator of the Royal Rumble match. He also serves as a producer and as Vince McMahon's right hand man. Pat Patterson is a huge reason why WWE is such a global monster, not all for his in-ring product but for what he brings behind the scenes.
WINNER: PAT PATTERSON
(2) The Rock v. (15) Vader
Vader was good. But this is The Rock he's up against. As in the jabroni-beating, pie eating, trailblazing, eyebrow raising, step off the break, put your foot on the gas, always ready to whoop some ass, People's Champ, The Rock.
I could watch Rock highlights all day for multiple days. There is nothing the man was not good at. He was an athletic monster with charisma, so his matches would deliver in some way, and he was GOLD on the mic, so even if he wasn't wrestling you're still entertained. His catalog is so deep, the mans hits just keep going. And if you think I'm wrong...
WINNER: THE ROCK
Next installment coming at some point...
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