Four strong competitors moved on last time out: Hogan, Taker, Y2J and Rocky. We'll take a look at the Sammartino Region next.
(1) Bruno Sammartino v. (9) Jake Roberts
I won't profess to be some big fan of either of these men but I can recognize that they've both done incredible things in the industry. This is an interesting matchup because it basically pits titles against character work. Bruno's character was that he was strong and the champion. He drew crowds but that was in the earlier days of wrestling. Jake wasn't nearly as accomplished as far as titles and overall prestige go. He wasn't the name selling out MSG every time. But his type of villainy was so good, and kind of ahead of its time. The cold and calculated snake was a brilliant gimmick. This is a big upset but I think I'm going with Jake The Snake.
WINNER: JAKE ROBERTS
(4) Ricky Steamboat v. (5) Rey Mysterio
There's no denying that Ricky Steamboat was good, but Rey went above and beyond, especially for someone of his stature. These two are distinct in being two of the only wrestlers to go their entire careers as faces and it never felt like they needed to turn. Rey was just too much a part of my childhood though.
WINNER: REY MYSTERIO
(6) Roddy Piper v. (14) Batista
Similar in some ways to the Bruno and Roberts matchup, but with the heel character work in the better position. Roddy was essentially a perfect charismatic heel. The dude just got it. And shown in his later life were the acting chops that really put him over the edge and made him a legend. But, like Mysterio, Batista was just too important to my childhood, and this is my bracket. He has titles, played great good guy and bad guy roles, went on to have a successful acting career, he even fought some MMA. Not much Dave can't do.
WINNER: BATISTA
(2) Dusty Rhodes v. (7) Scott Hall
Scott Hall is quite frankly an icon, even if for fairly controversial reasons that stem from the Kliq Incident to showing up to shows hammered drunk and on drugs. He's had more notable moments in his career than some wrestlers int his tournament combined. Bust Dusty was so important not just for his era but for every era that followed due to his teachings, especially for the current crop of stars.
We've eliminated half the field, and now its time for more. Here's how the bracket looks so far...
First things first, please ignore the "2014 NCAA March Madness" title, and also ignore the sadness you may feel when you see that; there are a shocking lack of just blank bracket templates you can just fill out int his style. I'm thinking we do each region again like round 1 and then go from there. Also thinking of making them shorter now that we've gotten the bulk of each competitor's resume out of the way in round 1. Make them manageable pieces, ya know? So we return to the Hogan Region...
(1) Hulk Hogan v. (8) Edge
These two crossed paths as Hogan's career was ending and Edge's was just starting to enter it's prime. I would say that as far as all-around performers go, Edge may take the...edge... god dammit. But then again, Hulkster did the same AND raised the prestige of pro wrestling at the same time.
WINNER: HULK HOGAN
(5) Ultimate Warrior v. (4) The Undertaker
Two guys who are essentially polar opposites despite being very similar. Both have an incredible intensity, but while Warrior lets his run rampant, Taker is the silent assassin. The aura Undertaker ahas created gives him the advantage.
WINNER: THE UNDERTAKER
(6) Eddie Guerrero v. (3) Chris Jericho
This could end up being one of the sneaky most difficult matchups, which I know I say every time but I rally mean it now. Eddie was SO GODDAMN GOOD. And Chris Jericho is also SO GODDAMN GOOD. Jericho's runs in NJPW and now AEW in addition to being a top guy in WCW and WWE (just like Eddie) moves him on, but I'm very sad Eddie Guerrero's tournament is over.
WINNER: CHRIS JERICHO
(7) Pat Patterson v. (2) The Rock
It's very possible we wouldn't even have The Rock as we know him now without Pat Patterson helping to discover and hone him. But it's The Rock we're talking about. The fact he's one of the few performers from his era (thinking Stone Cold, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, etc.) who could realistically still give you a banger of a match right now speaks volumes.
WINNER: THE ROCK
Hopefully back soon with the next region, since this went pretty fast while writing. Might expand more int he next ones, but I fell behind schedule a little and just wanted to get this out. We move.
I truly mean no disrespect to Lex Luger here--he was a pretty good heel that had some main event programs. But he has to go up against the Texas Rattlesnake in Round 1, so he's up outta here. AND THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE! CAUSE STONE COLD SAID SO!!!
WINNER: STEVE AUSTIN
(8) Owen Hart v. (9) Mick Foley
This is honestly one of the sadder matches, as both men are synonymous with pain and tragedy. Owen Hart was the youngest son of the legendary trainer Stu Hart and the youngest brother of Bret "The Hitman" Hart. He's widely thought of by his peers as being one of the best in-ring performers ever. He had very good singles success and won a number of titles, including winning the 1994 King of the Ring Tournament. He both teamed and feuded with Bret, the latter of which won Feud of the Year from Pro Wrestling Illustrated. The tragedy comes when, in 1999 on a live PPV, Owen's entrance equipment that was supposed to lower him from the rafters to the ring malfunctioned and dropped him, resulting in his death. It's one of the saddest and most harrowing moments in WWE, really all of wrestling, history. Mick Foley, on the other hand, is downright insane. The amount of pain, the pure torture, he put himself through is nothing short of psychotic. Whether he was in character as Cactus Jack, Mankind or Dude Love, or just plain old Mick Foley, he was probably going through a table, being lit on fire, falling on thumbtacks or barbed wire, really anything that could make him bleed or potentially die. His signature moments, winning the WWF Championship and being thrown off Hell in a Cell by The Undertaker, came while portraying Mankind:
Both of those moments are also notable for other reasons. When he won the title, it was on a pre-taped episode of RAW, so when WCW (the rival company at the time) went live on that Monday they decided to spoil the result for their viewers, thinking it would keep eyes on their live program. Well not backfired and viewers flocked to WWF's broadcast to watch this big, regular dude win the title. And the Cell toss is accompanied by maybe the best call in all of sports or entertainment, that being Jim Ross yelling "THEY'VE KILLED HIM! WITH GOD AS MY WITNESS, HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!!" He would team with The Rock as well to form The Rock N' Sock Connection, named in part for Mr. Socko, Foley's dirty gym sock he'd wear when applying the mandible claw finisher. As good as Owen was, Mick Foley was just so important in the Attitude Era.
WINNER: MICK FOLEY
(5) Mr. Perfect v. (12) Kevin Nash
Mr. Perfect is one of the best Intercontinental champions of all-time and had incredible vignettes to hype him up:
An all-time gimmick. Kevin Nash, meanwhile, started out as "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel before jumping to WCW and being a major player there as part of the NWO. He's important in the ring for sure, but he is maybe more important out of the ring as part of The Kliq and the MSG Incident. He played a good big man heel, whereas Mr. Perfect was more of the cocky heel (fitting given the fact he was literally named Mr. Perfect). This is a tough one to call, but I'm going with the man with glass quads given his importance in shaping the wrestling industry in the 90's and 2000's. I also had his Bashin' Brawler that talked and I never lost to that thing.
WINNER: KEVIN NASH
(4) Daniel Bryan v. (13) Jim Duggan
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan is not the most complex character to dissect. He loves America, USA chants, his 2x4 and just yelling "HOOOOOOO!!!!!!" while giving a thumbs up. He was the first ever winner of the Royal Rumble match in 1988. He had a fine career, but runs into one of the most important figures in modern wrestling: Daniel Bryan. Few people just "get" wrestling like D-Bry does. One of the premier striker and submissions specialists in the business, Daniel Bryan has been part of more high profile matches and segments than some of these legends combined. Whether in Japan, Ring of Honor or WWE, Bryan has always been a draw despite his smaller stature and look. Remember the "YES! YES! YES!" chants? That was him. Heel or face, tag team or solo, Daniel Bryan is pure wrestling porn.
WINNER: DANIEL BRYAN
(6) CM Punk v. (11) Booker T
DOOZY of a matchup. Booker T is sneaky one of the most accomplished wrestlers since the early-90's, and he is absolutely one of the greatest black wrestlers ever. As a member of the page team "Harlem Heat" he won titles and called Hulk Hogan the n-word, a legendary moment in its own right. His run as King Booker, or as he would say it in a posh accent, "Keeeng Bookahhh", is one of the best heel runs of the post-Attitude era. He could get intense, had good comedy chops, could go all day in the ring, oozed charisma, the man could really do it all. He also became a commentator known for his weird but fun sayings. He was involved in a highly publicized feud with Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship in which racism played a major yet underlying factor, with Triple H making veiled racist remarks about "people like" Booker (it's honestly pretty gross and I haven't even scratched the surface, and as much of a good person Triple H is now, this was for sure a very bad mark for him); despite his skyrocketing popularity as the "underdog", he was buried by Triple H at WrestleMania 19 in the eyes of most fans. Seriously, go look at his Wikipedia and read up, he's one of the best people in wrestling and wildly accomplished in an industry not exactly known for being progressive, especially in his prime.
CAN YOU DIG IT? SUCKAAAAAA!!!!! Now, he has the luck of having to face CM Punk in this matchup. CM Punk is what Daniel Bryan was before Daniel Bryan was in WWE, and then you had to mix that with some Stone Cold Steve Austin. CM Punk is someone who does not care what you think, even if you're vince McMahon. He was talented in the ring and was one of the best in terms of ring psychology, but his promos work is really where he made his bread. He had so much charisma and delivered some off the best speeches I have ever heard. There's the Pipe Bomb, obviously, which is his most famous:
The feud with Vinny Mac that led to him walking out of WWE as the champion in his hometown of Chicago:
I could go down a multi-hour rabbit hole of CM Punk content no problem. His "Box with God" promo with The Rock, his feuds with Undertaker and Jeff Hardy, him doing commentary, his return with "Cult of Personality" as his theme music (which was PERFECT, by the way). In fact, I may rush the rest of the region just so I can have more time to watch CM Punk videos.
He's just so good...
WINNER: CM PUNK
(3) Shawn Michaels v. (14) Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund is synonymous with longevity, having a career that spanned over 30 years. Over two separate reigns as WWE Champion in the 70's and 80's he accumulated the third longest time as champion behind only Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan, with the first reign lasting six years. He could arguably be higher than a 14-seed. AS is the case with most of these math cups, a good option just runs into a buzzsaw, and thats what we have with 'The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. One of the most popular and flamboyant superstars in wrestlings storied history, Michaels epitomizes the big match feeling, earning the nickname "Mr. Wrestlemania". He lost his smile, he was part of DX, he had historic feuds with The Undertaker and Ric Flair at the end of their careers, he made people want to super kick each other in the face, he truly did it all.
WINNER: SHAWN MICHAELS
(7) Randy Orton v. (10) Lita
The last of our weird matchups. Lita was the pre-eminent highflier in the women's division, captivating audiences with her patented moonsault. She managed The Hardy boyz when she dated Matt Hardy in the 90's, before cheating on him and leaving him for Edge, sparking one of the realest feuds in WWE history. After that, she was a heel until she retired, but fans have decided not to let that define her career and she's gotten great receptions anytime she comes back to WWE. Randy Orton was once WWE's golden child, a 3rd-generation wrestler with the look, the skill, the personality and the pedigree to be the top guy for a long time. He was part of Evolution, went on to target the stars of yesterday as The Legend Killer, teamed with the "Rated R Superstar" Edge as Rated-RKO, led his own stable akin to Evolution called The Legacy, with Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes (sons of Ted DiBiase and Dusty Rhodes respectively) as his proteges, and has been the Apex Predator for years now. The RKO is one of the most well-known moves in wrestling history at this point and has gained mainstream notoriety. Randy is one of the sickest bastards to grace a WWE screen.
WINNER: RANDY ORTON
(2) Andre The Giant v. (15) Honky Tonk Man
Last but not least, Andre The Giant battles The Honky Tonk Man. Andre was literally and figuratively the biggest star in the world for a time. A literal mountain of a man, in his younger days he was actually quite agile. Years on the road in a world not built for a man pushing 7'4" and 500 lbs hampered his abilities by the time WWE really took off but he was still a hugely integral piece to the puzzle. He won titles but he didn't need them. He was the biggest draw in the world when he was alive. I highly recommend checking out HBO's documentary about him, it's one of the best things I have ever watched. He was also in The Princess Bride, which rules.
The Honky Tonk Man had a great career and is regarded as a good Intercontinental Champion, but we're talking Andre The Giant here...
Slowly but surely we are making our way through the first round. Halfway home and about to be 75% complete. I think once it gets past this round it'll take way less time, but I could also be terribly wrong! Today we have the "Sammartino Region":
(1) Bruno Sammartino v. (16) Bam Bam Bigelow
Bruno Sammartino is a massive part of what WWE is today. The biggest draw in the early days of regional wrestling, Sammartino packed MSG for the McMahon's on the regular on his way to two World Heavyweight Champion reigns that totaled 4,040 days--over 11 YEARS. His first reign went 2,803 days, the longest single title reign in all of WWE's history that dates back to the early 50's. While Sammartino had a God-like physique up until he passed away in 2018, Bam Bam Bigelow was notable for his near-400 lb frame and false tattoo that covered his bald head. Bigelow, despite being one of the better big men of his era, was also known for his natural ability and agility in the ring. While he had a nice career, Sammartino needs to take this one.
WINNER: BRUNO SAMMARTINO
(8) Jimmy Snuka v. (9) Jake Roberts
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka is widely credited with bringing a more high-flying style to WWE, at a time in the 80's when the big stars like Hulk Hogan were totally committed to a ground-based, powerhouse style. He also had a great entrance theme, with the "SUPER, SUPER, SUPERFLYYY" being iconic at this point.
Now, he's also known for the murder case of his former girlfriend Nancy Argentino in 1983; he was arrested and charged in 2015 but was declared unfit to stand trial due to dementia. So he's a very controversial figure these days in the eyes of some wrestling fans. While Snuka was a big fan favorite in his prime, Jake 'The Snake" Roberts was exactly that: a snake. One of the hated heels of the 80's, Roberts would bring a python named Damien to the ring to scare and harm opponents, and he was the innovator of the now-common DDT move. Roberts was especially known for his dark, cerebral attitude and he is one of the best of all time when talking about ring psychology. He fell on hard times throughout the 2000's, but turned his life around when he moved in with Diamond Dallas Page in 2012. It's an incredibly inspiring story that was documented in The Resurrection of Jake The Snake. Both men are innovators, but one ALLEGEDLY killed someone and the other has done a 180 on life in a positive way.
WINNER: JAKE ROBERTS
(5) Rey Mysterio v. (12) Dynamite Kid
Another one of my favorites, Rey Mysterio is one of the best luchadors of all time and perhaps the best underdog in WWE history. A cruiserweight for the most part until the death of his great rival and dear friend Eddie Guerrero, Mysterio elevated to the heavyweight level in the mid-2000's despite being just 5'6" and weighing a bit under 200 lbs. His run to becoming the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 22 is one of the best burns I have seen from that company. He won the 2006 Royal Rumble after entering at #2 out of 30, lasting over an hour and eliminating 6 participants including Triple H and Randy Orton in the final three.
He follows that up by losing his main event spot and title shot at WrestleMania to Orton, egged on by Orton's disparaging remarks of Eddie Guerrero, who had literally JUST died a few months prior. Added back into the match to make it a Triple Threat with Mysterio, Orton and then-Champion Kurt Angle, Mysterio pinned Orton to win the title, and was embraced by Eddie's widow and nephew, Vicky and Chavo. Seriously one of the more emotional wraps to a storyline.
Now, there may not be a Rey Mysterio if there wasn't a Dynamite Kid. Teaming with cousin Davey Boy Smith (aka The British Bulldog) as the British Bulldogs, Dynamite Kid upped the level of athleticism in pro wrestling and blended styles from Britain, Mexico, Canada and Japan. He also has the distinction of being in the first ever 5-Star rated match by famous wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, a feat held in high regard by many in the industry. But is that enough to beat Rey Mysterio? I mean, Rey was what Eddie was going to be. He has been so huge for the LatinX fanbase and has moved so march it would make your head spin. The fact WWE has been looking for the "new Rey" for so long is telling. One of the most natural babyfaces ever.
WINNER: REY MYSTERIO
(4) Ricky Steamboat v. (13) Chyna
A huge part of any great wrestler is their biggest rivalry, as is natural. Well Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is a massive part of Ric Flair becoming Ric Flair. His charisma and work rate worked incredibly well with Flair, and he served as a great foil for Flair's stylin' and profilin'. One of his greatest accomplishments as a performer was the simple fact he stayed a babyface for his entire career and didn't get stale. That is so unbelievably hard to do in wrestling, especially considering the general consensus among wrestlers is that playing the heel is far easier and more fun. After Steamboat's era ended, the Attitude Era was just starting to take off, and one of the staples of that time was Chyna, the Ninth Wonder of the World. As part of DX, she served initially as a sort of body guard to Triple H and Shawn Michaels, before breaking off and then coming back together with Trips. She became the first woman to enter the Men's Royal Rumble and the first woman to win the Intercontinental Championship. She was a trailblazer in women's wrestling long before people recognized what she was doing as such. She was the first woman who, in story, could do legit damage to male opponents. Her post-wrestling life is nothing short of saddening and I won't get into here; you have the same Google I do. As good as she was, I don't think she can take down The Dragon here.
WINNER: RICKY STEAMBOAT
(6) Roddy Piper v. (11) Ted DiBiase
It's almost criminal to have two of the best villains in history meet in the first goddamn round, but we roll with the punches. Ted DiBiase had one of the most genius characters I have ever come across: a rich dude who would buy wins and titles and paid others to fight for him unless he really had to be the one in the ring. He even made his own title called the Million Dollar Championship. Look the title belt and tell me this dude isn't the definition of opulence:
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper played this Scottish psycho known for his quick wit, spontaneous nature and pure rage, wearing his signature kilt and coming to the ring to the now-famous bagpipes:
"Hot Rod" had a sixth sense when it came to entertaining. Legends of all eras have regarded him as one of the best entertainers and heels in the history of pro wrestling. Some may recognize him from his appearances on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia as the deranged wrestler "Da' Maniac":
DiBiase always said everyone has a price, but not me right now.
WINNER: RODDY PIPER
(3) Randy Savage v. (14) Batista
Another tough matchup. "MachoMan" Randy Savage was one of the biggest names in the business due to his association with Hulk Hogan; starting in the 80's as faces in WWE through the 90's in WCW when they were both part of NWO. He screamed 80's wrestling: the flamboyant attire, the deep and raspy voice, the high intensity charisma, the catchphrase "OHHH YEAHHHH!!!" like he was the original Kool Aid Man, the Slim Jim commercials. His storyline of getting his kayfabe (and real life) partner, Miss Elizabeth, back brought tears to the eyes of fans:
But Batista is BATISTA. The Animal. A six-time world champion. He's Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy films! He was in Infinity War and Endgame! Starting as a Triple H protege, he turned on his leader and took his title after giving his signature "thumbs down" taunt:
He was in a successful tag team with friend Rey Mysterio, the two of them sharing a close bond with Eddie Guerrero, and their run together was a massive part of my fandom as a kid. Batista also own maybe the best entrance of anyone:
The number of kids who did that machine gun thing pretending there was pyro behind them has to be in the hundreds of thousands. When Batista turned heel on Rey I damn near cried and I wasn't even a regular fan at that point anymore.
WINNER: BATISTA
(7) Scott Hall v. (10) Jerry Lawler
Scott Hall's later life may be more well-documented than his prime, which is saying something considering he was one of the mainstays of WCW in its heyday. Substance abuse issues, and very public ones at that, have not derailed the legacy of the former Razon Ramon, though. He was a monster of a man portraying a sort of Scarface-Miami-Cuban villain, complete with the toothpick he'd throw in your face before saying his famous phrase, "Say hello to the bad guy." His ladder match with Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental title is widely considered one of the greatest matches ever. Jerry "The King" Lawler is one of the guys from the EARLY, early days of wrestling. The undisputed king of wrestling in the south for a bit, he is most notable to many for his role as a great color commentator and an outrageous heel foil for Jim Ross' straight-man play-by-play calls. He was for sure horny at almost hours and would exclaim "Puppies!" a whole lot when there were scantily-clad women around. The man that won't stay down, he has overcome health complication after health complication, including a heart attack DURING a live broadcast. There's no doubt he's an icon in wrestling, but I'd rather hear him commentate a Hall match than fight in one.
WINNER: SCOTT HALL
(2) Dusty Rhodes v. (15) Becky Lynch
Yet another weird matchup, but this one is VERY interesting. Becky Lynch is the first ever Women's Double Champion in WWE history, holding both the Smackdown and RAW titles simultaneously after defeating Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey (THAT Ronda Rousey, correct) in the main event of Wrestlemania 35, the first time a women, let alone three, headlined the biggest wrestling event in the world. She has totally reinvented herself in the past 3 or so years and has become something of a modern, female Stone Cold Steve Austin. She refers to herself as "The Man" and with good reason. She is one of the best going right now. But she owes it all, as she has said, to Dusty Rhodes. She very much looked up to Dusty as a father figure, someone who helped her become what she is now. 'The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes is one of the most creative men wrestling has ever seen. Before being a major backstage presence for WWE, and especially NXT where he worked with the developmental talent, he was the common man, the son of a plumber. He was influential in the early days of wrestling becoming more mainstream, working in NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions (later called WCW). His promo skills are legendary, with his "Hard Times" speech perhaps his most notable and one of the best by anyone anywhere:
The more I think, the more Dusty has a chance of winning this whole thing. Almost no one is as beloved by EVERYONE in the industry as Dusty Rhodes.
