The 25 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of My Lifetime, 1985-Present

Over the last two plus decades, there have been many wrestlers who have inspired me. Many many unique personalities, funny characters and breathtaking performers.

This is a comprehensive list of 25 of the greatest wrestlers of my lifetime, spanning 1985 through the present. This is only my opinion, and comments or suggestions are welcome. I based this list upon wrestlers in ring ability, mic skills, longevity, title reigns and other accolades, and mostly who gave me the most enjoyment and entertainment while watching them perform.

Now I'm only 30 years old, so I don't wanna hear about Bruno Sammartino, Pat Patterson, or any of the all time greats I may have missed.

This is about who I have seen in my life. I'm interested in hearing from anyone who agrees or disagrees with any part of my list. Thanks for reading.

Some Honorable Mentions

These performers are some of my favorites, but didn't quite make the top 25 list...

-Shelton Benjamin
-Christian
-Rick Rude
-Eddie Guerrero
-Matt Hardy
-Mick Foley

25. Tito Santana

One of the first wrestlers I knew. He was athletically gifted and most of his matches were very exciting. The first wrestler I ever saw use the Figure Four leg lock.

Essential match- VS. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine in a steel cage for the Intercontinental title 1985.

24. Batista

The Animal!! I love watching him clear a ring out. 1 of the more powerful wrestlers I have ever seen. Moves well for a big guy. He's had some great battles with Triple H and the Undertaker. A former tag team champion, and multiple time World Heavyweight champion, he also won the 2005 Royal Rumble, something only 19 other wrestlers have ever done. I look forward to his return.

Essential match- VS. Triple H, Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight title, Vengeance 2005.

23. Dynamite Kid

One of the greatest technical wrestlers I have ever seen. He would rate higher on the list had he had some more time as a singles competitor, or held any singles championships. Awesome talent though. An amazing combination of power and speed.

Essential match- British Bulldogs vs. The Dream team, Wrestlemania 2.

#22. Roddy Piper

Roddy was the first bad guy I ever saw. His feud with Hogan leading up to Wrestlemania I is a big part of what drew me to wrestling in the first place.

Wasn't a great worker, but his mic skills and personality were larger than life and a lot of fun. A true legend in this business.

Essential match- VS. Bret Hart for the Intercontinental championship, Wrestlemania 8.

21. Owen Hart

Owen was an unbelieveable talent, and still getting better when his life was tragically cut short in 1999. Who knows how high his career would have gone. Technically sound, his ability took him out of the shadows he lived in for so long because he was the little brother of Bret Hart. His matches were always very exciting. He was a great one and he is missed.

Essential match- VS. Bret Hart, Wrestlemania 10 opening match.

20. Rey Mysterio

The ultimate underdog and one of wrestlings true good guys. Rey does things nobody else is capable of doing. What he lacks in size and power, he makes up for in speed and unreal moves. He was great as a tag team competitor and even better in his singles career, actually capturing the World Heavyweight championship at Wrestlemania 22.

He's very passionate for each match he has. I really enjoy watching him perform.

Essential match- Royal Rumble 2006, entering as the second participant and lasting an hour to win it, all in the name of Eddie Guerrero.

19. John Cena

Cena always causes a stir no matter where he falls on a list. Some will say he should be top 5, others will say he doesn't belong on a top 100 list.

In my opinion, he's as dedicated and passionate about his work as anyone else you will find. His in ring ability has gotten better over the past couple of years, and he is willing to do just about anything.

Just watch his TLC match vs. Edge at Unforgiven 2006 in Toronto, or his match vs. RVD at ECW's One Night Stand that same year. There is also his I Quit match vs. JBL at Wrestlemania which was a bloodbath.

He took some major bumps and dealt with some very hostile crowds. I enjoy most of his matches.

Essential match- VS. Edge, Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the WWE championship, Unforgiven 2006.

18. Davey Boy Smith

This is another guy that could be slightly higher on my list had it not been for his career getting cut short.

Both of the Bulldogs were incredible workers, both coming over from Stampede Wrestling, where many excellent workers have come from, as you will see the further you get up this list.

But a lack of charisma and no championship reigns aside from a short Intercontinental title run hurts him in my rankings.

I will say though that when I was a kid, me and my brother always wrestled as the British Bulldogs, and he was Dynamite and I was always Davey Boy!

Essential match- VS. Bret Hart, Summerslam 1992 Intercontinental title match.

17. Randy Orton

The legend killer. Has anyone enjoyed so much success in such a short time in the WWE? In less than 6 years in the company, he has already held every major title there is, he's about to compete in his 3rd Wrestlemania Championship match and second main event, and is the company's biggest heel.

His technical ability is limitless, mic skills are excellent, and the scary thing is he will only get better.

Essential match- VS. John Cena and Triple H, Triple Threat match for the WWE championship, Wrestlemania 24.

16. Edge

How many wrestlers have had bigger moments than Edge? His spear on Jeff Hardy from the top of the ladder 20 feet down to the canvas at Wrestlemania 17 remains my favorite wrestling moment of all time.

He has been World Heavyweight champion, WWE champion, IC champion, tag team champions, a King of the Ring, a Money in the Bank winner, basically created the TLC match, and cinched the second biggest screwjob of all time in wrestling stealing Lita from Matt Hardy in real life.

Anyway, his matches are always a treat.

Essential match- VS. Kurt Angle, Judgement day 2002 "Hair match". Any TLC match.

15. Jeff Hardy

I may get some heat for this one, but I just love the guy. His passion for each and every one of his matches is obvious. He is the ultimate risk taker, and has done thee craziest things I have ever witnessed a wrestler do.

He is a breathtaking performer and will always remain one of my favorites.

His match at Wrestlemania 25 vs. his brother Matt will guaranteed become an instant classic. He is just amazing.

Essential match- VS. Triple H, for the WWE championship, No Mercy 2008. Any TLC match.

14. Ric Flair

Now I know I'm going to get a lot of heat for this one. It's probably sacrilegious to say this, but I always thought Flair was a bit overrated.

I will admit I missed much of his early career, being very young and also only watching the WWF at the time, but he just never did for me what he seemed to have done for everyone else.

Now I obviously respect the guy being I ranked him as my 14th favorite wrestler of all time, but I am well aware that 99 percent of the fans out there would have him amongst there top 3 all time.

The man is a 16 time champion, and is one of the top two or three legends this business has ever seen.

Essential match- VS. Ricky Steamboat, WrestleWar 1989.

13. Hulk Hogan

The man who started it all. Sometimes I think Hogan may get a bad rap for his wrestling ability. Most think it was all his charisma and personality that made him such a huge star.

But let's face it, he remained in great shape into his 50's, and had some thrilling matches, vs. Warrior, Rock, Andre, and Savage.

His turn as Heel in the NWO only helped cement his legacy, showing everyone he could succeed without the whole good guy, say your prayers take your vitamins routine.

We probably wouldn't be having this discussion today if it weren't for Terry Bollea.

Essential match- VS. Ultimate Warrior, Title for Title match, Wrestlemania 6.

12. Steve Austin

The rattlesnake! Second only to Hogan as far as popularity is concerned. Absolutely beloved by the fans. Wrestlings comeback came full circle when Austin was at the top.

He's responsible for some of wrestlings greatest matches and moments. His persona and charisma outshined the fact that he wasn't the most technically sound wrestler, but he was a great brawler and made every match work.

His feud and abuse of Vince McMahon is maybe the greatest thing the WWE ever did.

Essential match- VS. Bret Hart, I Quit match, Wrestlemania 13. He never quit.

11. Ricky Steamboat

"The Dragon" was one of my favorite performers as a youngster. He was so quick and technically sound, every match was a joy to watch.

I can remember even at such a young age as a 10 year old, watching his match vs. Randy Savage at Wrestlemania 3, saying to myself, wow this is something special.

I was always a little curious as to why he never held any titles, aside from a short reign as the IC champ. But he gets his due in a few days when he will be inducted into the WWE hall of fame. He was a babyface for his entire career. What other wrestler can say that?

Essential match- VS. Macho Man Randy Savage, Intercontinental title match, Wrestlemania 3.

#10. Undertaker

"The Deadman". He's as popular today as he was 18 years ago when he made his debut at Survivor Series. The business' greatest pure striker, I always thought he moved very well for a big man. Now in his mid 40's, the man has not lost a step. His match against Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 is the stuff of legends.

Nobody commands the crowds and their opponents respect like The Undertaker. The man responsible for the Hell in a Cell and Casket matches has left an indelible mark on this business the likes of which we may never see again. 17-0 at Wrestlemania is all you really need to say.

Essential match- VS. Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania 25.

9. Kurt Angle

The Olympic gold medalist. Not too many wrestlers were as technically proficient as this guy. He made a lot of noise in a rather short period of time in the WWE, and I hear rumors recently of an imminent return.

He was easy to root against, and he always gave us great matches. The WWE is better off with him rather than without.

Essential match- VS. Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania 21

8. Chris Jericho

What can I say about Y2J? He definitley had the greatest entrance into the company of all time.

The man of 1,004 holds, he has four legitimate finishing moves, was the first undisputed champion in WWE history, has been an Intercontinental champion a record 8 times, has been in 3 of the greatest ladder matches I have ever seen, and he sings in a rock band.

It's scary but had he not spent some of his prime wrestling in Japan and Mexico, who knows how high he'd be on this list.

He is a great tactician, a great storyteller, and usually has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. One of those rare situations where he works just as well as a heel or a babyface.

Essential match- Most would say beating Rock and Austin on the same night to become the undisputed champ, but I always go with his ladder match vs. Chris Benoit for the IC championship, Royal Rumble 2001.

7. Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig

Most of you probably think this is way too high for Mr. Perfect. But the man was spot on in everything he did.

His vignettes were priceless, and his matches never let down. He was the kind of wrestler that was more concerned with making his opponents look good and doing what was right for the business.

He was a great IC champ, and had it not been for some nagging injuries throughout his career, I think he would have been a great world champ.

I have heard numerous stories about how injured he was going into matches, but wanted to compete for the fans and wanted to be there for his opponent.

Contrary to his persona, he was a class act, and in my opinion one of the greatest 5 or 6 technical wrestlers of all time. I know I miss watching him.

Essential match- VS. Bret Hart for the IC championship, Summerslam 1991.

#6. Chris Benoit

Talk about great technical wrestlers, the 'Rabid Wolverine" was one of the most exciting and intense performers I ever saw.

He could seemingly take as much punishment as just about anyone else, and man could he dish it out. He had so many memorable matches, against Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and winning the 2004 Royal Rumble as the first entry. His match vs. Kurt Angle at the 2003 Royal Rumble was a pure wrestling clinic.

He is truly missed by the WWE universe.

Essential match- Beating Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a triple threat match for the world heavyweight championship at Wrestlemania 20.

5. Macho Man Randy Savage

Randy Savage was a wrestler truly ahead of his time. He was an amazing mixture of power and agility, and was one of the more extreme WWE wrestlers for his era.

We weren't used to seeing one of the big, muscular guys also being a high flyer and performing daredevil stunts, Everyone of his matches seemed to be an event.

His feuds with Hogan and Steamboat remain to this day 2 of my favorites of all time. When it came to Wrestlemania, he elevated his game even further, having competed in some classics vs. Hogan, Steamboat, Ultimate Warrior and Ric Flair.

Truly an awesome talent, I'll never forget the madness..

Essential match- VS. Ricky Steamboat for the IC title at Wrestlemania 3.

4. Triple H

He is the Game. He is the King of Kings. Who has done more for this business over the past decade?

He's a 13-time world champion, a five-time Intercontinental champion, a former tag team champion, a Royal Rumble winner, a King of the Ring, and the No. 1 man in the business today.

His passion for this business rings true in everyone of his matches. He has put so many guys over in an attempt to create new superstars, always doing what is right for the company.

His matches are epic, and now after 15 years in the business, he hasn't lost a step. He is better today than he has ever been.

His feuds with The Rock, Mick Foley, Ric Flair, Batista, Shawn Michaels, and even Vince McMahon are legendary.

He is responsible for two of the most influential factions known to wrestling history in Degeneration X and Evolution.

Essential match- VS. Shawn Michaels, 2 of 3 falls for the World Heavyweight championship, Armageddon 2002.

3. Bret Hart

The Hitman, without a doubt my favorite wrestler as a kid. Even back then, I just knew he did it better than everyone else.

He was part of the greatest tag team of all time in my opinion The Hart Foundation, he was a great IC champ, and an even better Heavyweight champ.

His battles with Shawn Michaels were the greatest the business has ever seen. His feud with his brother Owen was the first of its kind back then, and his work with Davey Boy Smith, Mr. Perfect, and Yokozuna will never be fogotten.

He helped make Stone Cold Steve Austin a household name..

On my list of 20 greatest matches of my lifetime, Bret would undoubtedly have about 7 of them. He was 1 of a kind. He was the Excellence of Execution. He is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

Essential match- VS. Shawn Michaels, Iron man match, Wrestlemania 12.

2. The Rock

Fiinallly!!! We have gotten to the Rock. This guys makes it to the top of the list for his charisma, funny one liners, catch phrases, and his ability to have a 20 thousand seat audience eating from the palm of his hand alone.

To me he is the greatest wrestler to hold a mic of all time. But let's get to the wrestling part of it. His athleticism in the ring was something to behold.

His matches were always fast paced and exciting, but he'd also execute a power move (spine buster, rock bottom, Samoan drop, etc) seemingly out of nowhere to stun his opponent and set them up for that elbow.

He had very memorable feuds with Mick Foley, Triple H and the McMahons, and his Wrestlemania matches against Steve Austin are some of my favorite of all time.

His Icon vs. Icon match with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 18 was absolutely all we could ask for and more.

Had he not bolted the WWE for Hollywood, who knows where The Rocks career would have gone and how many more unforgettable matches and moments there would have been.

Maybe he has another in store for us at Wrestlemania 25? We could only hope.

Essential match- VS. Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWE championship, Wrestlemania 17.

1. Shawn Michaels

Now what can be said about The Heart Break Kid that hasn't been already? Let me try. Without question, the most gifted man to ever grace a wrestling ring.

The man has taken my and so many others breath away time after time for 20 years now. What he has done and is still doing, will never be done again. He has held every title imaginable.

He is responsible for one of the first and greatest ladder matches the business has seen vs. Razor Ramon at Wrestlemaia 10.

He is responsible for the first and greatest Hell in a Cell match vs. The Undertaker at Badd Blood 1997. HE is responsible for the first and greatest Iron Man match vs. Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 12.

HE is responsible for the formation of DeGeneration X. HE is responsible for the biggest screwjob in WWE history. HE is responsible for the retirement of Ric Flair. HE is Mr. Wrestlemania, the Showstopper, the Main Event

Oh yeah, and HE, is still not done. All I can say is thank you Shawn, for what you have given us, and what you continue to give us. You're the man.

Essential matches- VS. Bret Hart, Iron Man match, Wrestlemania 12.
VS. Undertaker, Hell in a Cell, Badd Blood 1997
VS. Steve Austin, title match, Wrestlemania 14
VS. Ric Flair, I Quit match, Wrestlemania 24
VS. Triple H, 2 of 3 falls, Armaggedon 2002
VS. Chris Jericho, ladder match, No Mercy 2008
VS. Kurt Angle, Wrestlemania 21
VS. Razor Ramon, ladder match, Wrestlemania 10
VS. Undertaker, Wrestlemania 25.