Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle Are a Dying Breed of Wrestler Today
Matt Morgan and Kane strike fear in their opponents be shear power and domination. You would never expect them to mat wrestle with anyone.
They simply come into the ring, beat them opponents into submission and then walk out of the arena.
The late 1970s and early 1980s displayed some of the greatest mat wrestling the sport has ever scene. It has never been duplicated.
And while high flying acts have made their way into the arena and gained popularity, those who are true fans of wrestling are watching a watered down version of what used to be.
Ratings, different athletes and the need to appeal to short attention spans have gotten in the way of what once was.
On any given night, Ric Flair, Rick Steamboat and Terry Funk (before he became an Extreme Wrestling Clown) could walk into any arena, wrestle any man for 60 minutes and walk away knowing they gave their fans the best they had.
Flair once said in his book “To Be The Man,” he used to do this all the time and twice on holidays and the weekends.
There was stronger competition back then and while he worked with many top performers and mid card players, at times, it wasn’t even work, more like a dance or ballet.
Now, if you get a performer who can mat wrestle and show the purity (if there is such a thing) of the sport, they are booed or fans lose interest.
That is the way wrestlers like Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio are vital to the survival of the sport.
Here is a look at 10 of the best mat technicians ever to lace up boots…
10. Lou Thesz
1 of 10
Before there was Ric Flair and Buddy Rogers, there was Lou Thesz.
The first real known champion in the sport was a great tactician who used the "Thesz Press" to knock the wind out of his opponents and win matches decisively.
9. Jack Brisco
2 of 10
The Oklahoma native with great amateur credentials was a hit with fans in the 1970s. He also was a great tag team wrestler with his brother Gerald.
Brisco was a major part of the Mid Atlantic and Florida promotions and held the NWA Heavyweight Championship.
8. Bruno Sammartino
3 of 10
The WWE's first truly recognizable face. Sammartino feuded with everyone and was dominant in the northern states for decades.
He set the stage for wrestlers like Bob Backlund to come through the ranks as a champion.
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7. Ricky Morton
4 of 10
This may seem odd to choose a tag team wrestler, but Morton wrestled Rick Flair 16 times in 14 dates back in the late 1980's and proved he could have held his own as a singles competitor.
He stuck with his partner Robert Gibson and may have missed out on greatness.
6. Bob Backlund
5 of 10
Backlund was the bridge to Hulk Hogan.
But besides Sammartino, before the birth of Hulkamania, there may have not been a more beloved wrestler in the WWE.
He was a great amateur wrestler and his chicken wing and cross stretch finishing hold was lethal.
5. Rick Steamboat
6 of 10
Before his run in the WWE, Steamboat and Ric Flair had a rivalry that was one of the greatest of all time, Steamboat is the gold standard by which Flair measures a competitor, which is pretty high praise.
When he returned to WCW in the 1990s to renew his rivalry with Flair, it was like time stood still and magic happened for a new generation of fans.
4. Dory Funk Jr.
7 of 10
He beat Gene Kiniski with a spinning toe hold. the Texan was mainstay in Florida and other southern promotions in the late 1970s and 80's.
Great mat wrestler who relied on technique instead of athleticism. His forearm uppercut knocked the wind out of many an opponent.
3. Kurt Angle
8 of 10
The former Olympian can mat wrestle maybe as well as anyone in a hundred years.
Also used the ropes to fly through the air before a neck injury put an end to that.
His ankle lock makes wrestlers submit. his mat skills are unparalleled
2. Ric Flair
9 of 10
He was the best for so long.
Figure four leg locks, Knife-edged chops. Spinning toe holds. It was all part of Flair's rep.
He had and may have the best cardio training EVER.
And when someone needed to be put over, Flair used 60 minutes, the ropes, the outer part of the ring and the fans to make that happen.
1. Shawn Michaels
10 of 10
He left tag team wrestling and became a SUPERSTAR. Maybe the best the WWE ever had.
He can mat wrestle, he can fight, he can fly through the air and he can put people in the seats.
Pound for pound the best wrestle of his generation.
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