Greatness Personified: 10 Current Wrestlers With The Best Careers

A great career, what makes a great career for a pro wrestler?

Is it just winning a lot of titles, or is it just winning two or three titles, but having extremely long reigns, or maybe just having a long career is the definition of a great one.

This question might be one that has challenged the minds of wrestling fans around the world.

I mean, do wrestling fans place the career John Cena has had (nine WWE Titles) on the same level as lets say Shawn Michaels' (four WWE titles) career?

I most certainly don't.

Nor do I believe there will ever be a perfect answer to this question, at least one that will satisfy all fans.

But we can try with this slideshow, of which I have compiled a list of 10 current wrestlers who have had the greatest careers out of all the superstars currently wrestling.

I have only chosen guys out of WWE and TNA, and have included their "stats" history from ECW, TNA, WWE, WCW, and NWA.

Here is the criteria I have followed:
1. Prestige of the title reigns
2. Quality of the matches they compete in
3. Their ability on the mic
4. Popularity with the fans
5. Their in-ring athleticism

However, before I continue, I understand that Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair are technically still wrestling from time-to-time, but I haven't included either one on them in the slideshow, because then they would be locks for the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.

Honorable Mentions

AJ Styles (AJ angry he didn't make it, lol)
Rey Mysterio
Randy Orton
Christian
Kevin Nash
Jeff Hardy
Matt Hardy
Kane
Abyss
The Big Show
CM Punk
Rhyno

10. Rob Van Dam

Stats:

1x WWE Champion
1x TNA World Champion
1x ECW World Champion
2x World Tag Team Champion
1x WWE Tag Team Champion
6x IC Champion

The Whole F'N Show starts our slideshow off.

He is the only man in pro wrestling history to hold the ECW, WWE and TNA World Titles.

Add that with his 6 IC Championship reigns and you have yourself one of the top performers of his generation.

Forgetting the titles for just one sec, this guy has to be one of the best entertainers ever, with his amazing athleticism and gifted legs he might be the most exciting man to step foot in a wrestling ring.

Grade from 1-10 in each category: (10 being highest)
Criteria:

Prestige of his title reigns 7
Popularity amoung fans 10
In-ring ability 10
Quality of his matches 8
Mic ability 7

9. Team 3-D

Stats:

8x World Tag Team Champions
8x ECW Tag team Champions
1x WWE Tag Team Champions
1x WCW Tag Team Champions
1x NWA Tag Team Champions
2x TNA Tag Team Champions

I wouldn't call Team 3-D the greatest tag team of all time because I saw the Hart Foundation as a kid but, they might very well be the most sucessful tag team of all time.

The two partners have been together their entire careers so they have accumlated 21 major tag team titles (not counting the Japan titles).

With their tough hardcore style of wrestling, they have made a living out of putting bodies threw tables.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 6
Popularity amoung fan 9
In-ring ability 9
Quality Of Matches 9
Mic ability 10

8. Jeff Jarrett

Stats:

4x WCW World Champion
6x NWA World Champion
6x IC Champion
3x US Champion
1x World Tag Team Champion
King Of The M. (04, 06)

Founder of TNA, Jeff Jarrett gets on this list.

He was a star in WCW and in TNA won an additional 6x Heavyweight Championships.

He fits my criteria, he is popular with the fans, in his prime had very good ability, he has had good rivalries but also boring ones.And, is as good as it gets on the mic.

Never got a huge push in WWE but still a great wrestler.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 8
Popularity amoung fans 7
In-ring ability 9
Quality of matches 9
Mic ability 10

7. John Cena

Stats:

7x WWE Champion
2x World Heavyweight Champion
2x World Tag Team Champion
3x US Champion
Royal Rumble Winner (08)

The franchise of the WWE check in at #7.

Hands down Cena is the biggest wrestler in the world when you look at his popularity.

With 9 WWE Heavyweight tile reigns, the man has put himself as a lock for the WWE HOF.

He is only 29 so he still has a good decade left in him at the very least. Great WWE Superstar.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 9
Popularity amoung fans 10
In-ring ability 7
Quality Of Matches 8
Mic ability 10

6. Edge

Stats:

5x World Heavyweight Champion
4x WWE Champion
12x World Tag Team Champion
2x WWE Tag Team Champion
5x IC Champion
1x US Champion
Mr. MITB (05,07)
Royal Rumble Winner (010)

Edge has held every title there is to hold in the WWE right now. He has also won Money In The bank and the Royal Rumble, all that adds up to a future WWE Hall Of Famer.

Amazing heel and might just be the greatest heel in the history of the WWE.

Intense wrestler and can make any bad wrestler look good in the ring.

He really knows how to work matches and play his character to perfection.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige Of title reigns 7
Popularity amoung fans 5
In-ring ability 9
Quality Of matches 10
Mic skills 10

5. Triple H

Stats:

8x WWE Champion
5x World Heavyweight Champion
5x IC Champion
2x World Tag Team Champion
1x WWE Tag Team Champion
Royal Rumble Winner (02)

The Game cracks my top 5.

And for good reason, how many wrestlers do you know that have a resume like him?

A 13 time Heavyweight Champion and the first ever World Heavyweight Champion.

Ruthless competitor and will always be a fan favorite.

Boy, I never thought that Hunter Hearst Helmsley would have the career he would have when he first debut.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 9
Popularity amoung fans 10
In-ring ability 8
Quality Of matches 10
Mic ability 10

4. The Undertaker

Stats:

4x WWE Champion
3x World Heavyweight Champion
6x World Tag Team Champion
1x WCW Tag Team Champion
Royal Rumble Winner (07)
Wrestlemaina 18-0

The Phenom is at #4 on my list.

A 7x World Champion, The Undertaker is one of the most feared wrestlers in the world of pro wrestling.

Even at this point of his career he can still put on an amazing match.

His two matches againest Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemaina have been put in the conversation for the top 2 matches in wrestling history.

The legacy of the Deadman will live on forever.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 9
Popularity amoung fans 10
In-ring ability 10
Quality of matches 10
Mic Skills 9

3. Chris Jericho

Stats:

3x World Heavyweight Champion
2x WCW World Heavyweight Champion
1x WWE Champion
9x IC Champion
4x Cruiserweight Champion
4x World Tag Team Champion
1x WWE Tag Team Champion

Y2J is in top 3.

Some might say how can Chris Jericho's career be better then Undertaker's, Triple H's and Edge's well just look at the stats.

The man went from being a underrated and underestimated crusierweight in WCW to becoming a 6 time World Heavyweight Champion.

He is the first ever Undisputed Champion in wrestling history and the best in the world at he does.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 9
Popularity amoung fans 9
In-ring ability 10
Quality of matches 10
Mic Skills 10

2. Sting

Stats:

6x WCW World Heavyweight Champion
2x TNA World Champion
1x NWA World Champion
2x WCW IWH Champion
2x US Champion
3x WCW Tag Team Champion
1x TNA Tag Team Champion

The greatest wrestler of all time to never wrestle for the WWE and easily one of the top 10 wrestlers of all time.

The franchise of WCW is at #2 on my list.

Growing up I was a Stinger fan and loved seeing those classic matches between him and Ric Flair or him vs Hulk Hogan.

Always brought a unique style to the ring.

Again, amazing what a career he has made and not even wrestling a match for the WWE.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 9
Popularity amoung fans 10
In-ring ability 10
Quality of matches 10
Mic Skills 10

1. Kurt Angle

Stats:

4x WWE Champion
4x TNA World Champion
1x World Heavyweight Champion
1x WCW World Heavyweight Champion
1x IC Champion
1x US Champion
1x TNA X Division Champion
1x WWE Tag Team Champion
1x TNA World Tag Team Champion
King Of The M. (07,09)

Maybe, the greatest resume for any wrestler ever.

Kurt Angle is the only man to ever hold the WCW, WWE, TNA and WHC Heavyweight Titles.

With ridiculous in-ring ability Angle has made a career out of proving why he is an Olympic Gold Medalist.

Despite a number of neck surgeries, he still comes back and still gives it a 100% in all his matches.

Grades
Criteria:

Prestige of title reigns 10
Popularity amoung fans 10
In-ring ability 10
Quality of matches 10
Mic Skills 10

Part 2- 11-20 are on this link

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/415544-greatness-personified-part-2-top-current-superstars-careers-11-20