Pro Wrestling and WWE's 11 Greatest Debates

We can't let the ball sports have all the barroom debate fun.

They have their questions about whether steroid-era players should be allowed in the Hall of Fame, who the greatest quarterback of all time is and who the greatest NBA team is. 

Wrestling's great debates have their compelling questions as well.   

Wrestling fans are some of the most passionate, educated and opinionated people around.  Any of these debates could drag on long into the night and border on a fistfight. 

Part of the fun is that there is no one true answer to most of them.  They're are presented here in no particular order.   

Grab a stool, clear your throat and let's dive in. 

What Is the Best Era?

Everyone has their own idea of what the good old days were.

Depending on age and personal taste, some folks will tell you that the best wrestling occurred in the '50s or the '80s.  For some fans, wrestling begins and ends with the Attitude Era. 

Arguing what was the true golden age could eventually leave you voiceless. 

Old-school purists point to the days of Bruno Sammartino selling out Madison Square Garden.  Those in favor of anointing the Attitude Era the best ever would point out the record crowds the Rock vs. Stone Cold drew. 

What about 2002-2007?  Hard to beat pay-per-views that featured battles between the Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.

What time period had the greatest matches, the biggest stars and the most entertaining moments?

Who’s to Blame for the Montreal Screwjob?

The image of Shawn Michaels locking Bret Hart in a Sharpshooter and Earl Hebner calling for the bell can't be shaken from our minds.

The fallout from that controversy divided the locker room just as much as it divided the fans.

Did Vince McMahon screw Bret or did Bret screw Bret?

You could argue that Bret was refusing to do what was best for the company.  McMahon was afraid that Bret would take his WWE championship with him to WCW.  Was Bret being too prideful or selfish?

The other side of the argument is that Bret wanted to go out his own way. He didn’t want to lose in front of a Canadian audience and having been the major star in the company, felt that he deserved to choose how his last chapter was written. 

He did agree to give up the title on RAW the next night. 

In the documentary Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, you hear Bret and McMahon spell out the finish for the match.  McMahon tells Bret that HBK will put on the Sharpshooter, Bret will reverse it and there will be a big run-in at the end. 

It didn't happen that way, and fans talk about why it all went down to this day. 

Greatest Wrestler of All Time

It's comparatively easy to name the greatest basketball player of all time.  To argue for or against Michael Jordan as the king of the hardwood, one simply points to stats; six championships, five MVPs, 10 scoring titles.

But what defines greatness in wrestling?

You can't simply add up the number of championships or Jeff Jarrett may be considered a Top 5 all-time wrestler.  Instead, wrestling fans have to measure one's impact on the sport, their charisma, their in-ring skills and their ability to construct great matches. 

The list for those considered the greatest of all time is an unwieldy and cluttered one.

You could make a compelling case for Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart, The Undertaker or Lou Thesz.

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Is John Cena Good for Wrestling?

"Let's go Cena!"  "Cena sucks!"

There is no wrestler, and perhaps no athlete, as polarizing as John Cena.  ‘

His fans are rabid.  They show up to WWE shows in Cena headbands, wristbands, hats and shirts, all while doing the "you can't see me" wave of the hand.

His detractors now have their own shirts as well.  But the anti-Cena sentiment has been growing for some time.  They despise his goofiness, his Boy Scout routine, his limited repertoire in the ring. 

He's the new Hulk Hogan to some and the worst wrestler in the world to others.

WWE is in a unique position.  One of their biggest and most beloved stars angers and alienates a large group of fans. 

Does all the seats he fills, all the merchandise he sells make up for how turned-off some fans are by his act?

Can Women’s Wrestling Ever Make Money?

WWE has apparently convinced itself that the female side of wrestling isn't good for anything other than eye candy and sex appeal.

Women in the '30s had to convince men they belonged in the ring.  To a lot of male fans, the thought of a woman wrestling was a joke.  Have things really changed all that much?

With only the rarest exception, women have not been awarded main-event status.  They've been considered at worst, a waste of time and at best, a novelty. 

Women-only promotions have popped up over the years only to eventually collapse under the weight of our apathy. 

It isn't a question of talent.  Right now, there are a good number of amazing female athletes.  The question is, do enough people care about watching them to make it profitable?

In Terms of Controversial Storylines, What’s Too Far?

For better or worse, WWE has never let us forget about the entertainment side of sports entertainment. 

We've seen some compelling storylines over the years, injecting feuds with drama and helping turn matches into cathartic events.  But attempting to shock us, to gain publicity and ultimately to entertain, WWE has rolled out some unsettling angles.

Vince McMahon vs. God, the Katie Vick angle and exploitation of Eddie Guerrero's death come to mind right away. 

At what point does what's done for entertainment cross over into tasteless territory?

What's fair game?  What should be off limits? 

Is hanging a wrestler on a cross or a wrestler's real-life alcoholism fodder for plot or untouchable subjects?

Who Had the Bigger Impact on Wrestling, Stone Cold or Hulk Hogan?

Without Hogan, WWE may not have built the empire it did in the '80s.  He was the Muhammad Ali of wrestling, transcending the sport and transforming into a star beyond the ring. 

You could argue too that the concept of WrestleMania may not have succeeded without the Hulkster.  He main evented the first three of them. 

Later on, he helped swing the Monday Night Wars by turning heel and forming the NWO, one of the most popular and influential stables in wrestling history. 

Even today, Hogan is one of the most recognizable faces in wrestling. 

But where would wrestling and the WWE be without Steve Austin?

He spearheaded the Attitude Era and took wrestling's popularity to new heights.  When Austin was on top, stunning everyone in his way, wrestling was cool. 

Few feuds have drawn people in as deeply and as long as his bad blood with Mr. McMahon. 

As popular as Hulkamania was, Austin broke records in terms of ratings, attendance and merchandise.  Was that simply a product of the era or proof positive that Stone Cold was bigger than Hogan?

What Could Have Been Had Sting Joined WWE?

Not so much a debate as a haunting "what if?" question, Sting choosing not to join his WCW brethren in Vince McMahon's company when WCW folded conjures up any number of possibilities. 

Instead of signing with WWE, Sting wandered in wrestling limbo for a few years before rolling with TNA.  He's said that he was afraid of how McMahon would utilize him, afraid that he'd be made into a joke.    

It is possible McMahon and WWE could have given him some ridiculous version of his gimmick.  If he'd signed in the days of Doink and Bastion Booger, I'd imagine Sting coming out in a scorpion costume and spitting poison.

But in 2001, the company was not as cartoonish as it had been.  Would Sting have thrived there? 

Would he have won the Royal Rumble?  Would he have feuded with Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho or the Rock? 

What would the dream match of Sting vs. Undertaker have been like?

Who Deserves to Be World Champion?

This is a debate that constantly shifts. 

Unfortunately, it's in our nature as wrestling fans to complain and criticize a promotion's creative decisions and there is never a time when 100 percent of a fanbase is happy with who is champ.   

WWE has two top-tier championships and of course, only two guys can hold them.  Everyone wants to see their favorite guy be on top. 

Some fans clamor for Christian to be champion again.  Others gripe about Daniel Bryan holding the World Heavyweight title. 

Does Bobby Roode deserve to be TNA's world champ?  Is CM Punk the right choice for WWE?  Should we see an extended reign from one guy or see the title change hands often?

What Should Happen with Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak?

At 19-0, the Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania won't ever be matched.  The only question that remains is how should WWE handle the ending to this story?

Perhaps he rides out into the sunset at 20-0 or 21-0 as an untouchable legend. 

If there's no one fitting to end it, then this might be the best route.  But wrestling traditionally has had its legends go out by putting someone younger over on the way out. 

If they decided to have someone break it, how do you go about choosing the man who does what no one else has been able to do?   Do you hand that honor to Triple H or some more up-and-coming star?

What would it feel like to see Wade Barrett or Sheamus finally be the one to beat the Dead Man?

Regardless of what happens, there's sure to be debate about if WWE got it right. 

Greatest Match Ever

According to its nickname at least, the greatest football game ever played was between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants in 1958.  What's wrestling's greatest clash?

You will get more answers than you can handle if you pose this question to wrestling fans.

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III has a case to be deemed the best.  But is it better than any of the Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat battles in 1989?

Though I'm not sure you can award the greatest match of all time without including Shawn Michaels.

He's given us a plethora of matches that could be considered for that honor.  His two classics against the Undertaker at consecutive WrestleManias have to be up there. 

A case could be made for the first Hell in a Cell match, the first Elimination Chamber match and the first WrestleMania ladder match as well. 

A number of amazing matches out of the Japanese promotions only serve to make the argument harder to settle.