WWE News: Lex Luger, the Rock and Other Great Oversellers in Wrestling History

Selling is a critical art form in the field of professional wrestling that goes a long way in determining the success or failure of a typical wrestling match. 

Since pro wrestling is a worked "sport," one's selling, overselling, or lack thereof often makes or breaks the believability of a match and therefore the believability of the eventual winner as a viable competitor. 

Over the history of pro wrestling, a handful of pro wrestling superstars have garnered a reputation for being too good at selling, sometimes to their own detriment. 

In many cases, these often athletic combatants' version of taking a wrestling move stands out just as much (if not more) than the move itself. 

In the end, it's no surprise that many of the better oversellers in pro wrestling also happen to be some of the better workers that the game has ever seen, if not the most athletic. 

Cody Rhodes

While it is still early in his career with WWE, Cody Rhodes has earned a prominent reputation for overselling based on multiple flopping incidents after his moonsault missed the mark. 

Rhodes' "fish out of water" sell following a missed moonsault is simply a spectacle unto itself.

Lex Luger

Lex Luger's selling has always been seen in a more negative comedic light.  Instead of putting his opponent over as a strong adversary, Luger's selling always tended to take center stage for its ridiculousness. 

"Owfff!!!" says the muscularly rigid former wrestling star. 

This incredible sell of a simple slap from Hulk Hogan remains one of the lower points of Luger's in-ring career.

Evan Bourne

As a smaller guy, and an otherwise talented competitor, Evan Bourne will always have a role in the WWE as he is proficient in making his opposition look good. 

Bourne's electrifying acrobatics are just as impressive on offense as they are on defense, and the way Bourne takes high-impact moves has helped him become one of the more coveted niche talents on the RAW roster.

The Rock

As a former National Champion with the once-prestigious University of Miami football team, the Rock's athleticism is unquestionably elite. 

Rock used such athleticism to make his opponents look strong in his overselling of their maneuvers.  The move that Rock was most known for overselling was the Stone Cold Stunner from his greatest rival, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Shawn Michaels

HBK was proficient in putting big men over as monsters in his tireless selling of their high impact power moves.

However his most infamous bout of overselling came in a match against Hulk Hogan where Michaels made it a point to make a mockery of his SummerSlam dream match against the Immortal One. 

After Hogan made the backstage decision that he would not be doing any jobs to Shawn Michaels, Michaels put on a theatrical performance aimed to embarrass his Hall of Fame opposition.

Rob Van Dam

Rob Van Dam takes DDT's so well, sometimes it actually appears that he may have broken his neck. 

RVD's receipt of this RKO is no different, as he put a unique spin (or flop) on taking the move with an overly athletic somersault.

Ric Flair

Ric Flair pretty much invented the art of overselling. 

Flair's old man flop has always been a pillar in the history of the great sell, and nobody does it better than the Nature Boy himself. 

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