Shawn Michaels and the 102 Most Beloved Wrestling Personalities of All Time

What makes us love the wrestlers we see on the screen today?

Flash?

Great microphone skills?

What about a certain finishing hold?

A smile?

A great body?

There are so many things to think of. We love wrestling for all that it encompasses in the business and the continued soap opera that it has become.

We love our wrestlers because they give us something to believe in, something to look forward to.

And over the years, we have come to immortalize heels and faces because there is a blurred sense that in some way each character is a little like us or someone like we want to be.

For me, it was always Jack Brisco, Ric Flair and Barry Windham. I loved watching Eddie Gilbert and honored the skills of Harley Race. These men will forever be etched in my mind as the best at what they did. The best at their craft.

There are more than 100 wrestling personalities on here. They are not ranked in order, mainly because it would not be fair to the reader. Everyone loves who they love for one reason or another.

What I did do, however, it try to link the past to the present and the styles of wrestling to each other.

I am sure I missed a few on your list, but I would love to hear who you feel is the most loved and cherished of ring masters.

Miss Elizabeth

Let's start with a pretty face, shall we.

Her main goal in the WWF was to be the beauty to Randy Savage's beast. And for a few years, it worked as one of the best duos in wrestling.

They were really a couple and that played out on the screen, sometimes all too much.

Elizabeth was in a class of her own as one of the original divas in wrestling.

Antonio Inoki

He reached legendary status in Japan like his friend Giant Baba.

He wrestled in three decades and was a mainstay overseas as well as making appearances in the states.

The Hardys

Young and energetic, well before their time came the Hardys.

A tag team made of pure adrenaline, who were better than the Rockers and way ahead of those who followed them.

The team was non-stop-action.

And when they teamed against the likes of Edge and Christian or the Dudleys or whoever got in their way, it was pure excitement.

Sting

The Icon has been wrestling for four decades and still looks to be in phenominal shape.

The Stinger has beaten everyone there is in this business and is easily one of the most recognizable faces in wrestling.

His time as a heel did not prove to be as beneficial as hoped, but when he is a face representing the NWA, WCW or TNA, there aren't many who are better.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan

He appears on this list twice because of the impact he has made in the this business,

When Hulk Hogan dropped the Red and Yellow for the Black and White, it changed the course of wrestling.

Maybe for the better.

Hogan plays the role of heel almost as well as he does the role of hero.

He is that believable.

Mil Mascaras

One of the true innovators of luchador wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s.

He was an IWA champion and was a major attraction when he came to the states.

Many of the luchadors of today copy from his style of wrestling.

Roddy Piper

He may be the craziest wrestler to ever put on a pair of boots.

And he liked it that way.

Roddy Piper was a great performer in the ring and on the mic.

His acts are the stuff of legend.

AJ Styles

He is Mr. TNA.

A Triple Crown winner and a TNA original, he is the best the promotion has to offer.

And whether he is a heel or face, he is the most loved wrestler of all time in this organization.

Undertaker

He still gets the same rise out of the crowds even at his age.

It is amazing how many people love the dark theme and the shtick.

It never gets old.

Terry Funk

The man who was once an NWA champion is now a hardcore legend.

And one of the most loved for it.

He does things event today at his age that defies logic.

And he still looks ready to fight.

Jack and Jerry Brisco

The Briscos were a favorite tag team and were favorites as singles competitors.

Jack won the NWA World Title twice and Jerry won Jr. World Gold.

They also won the World Tag Team titles together.

Mick Foley

Another Hardcore legend and WWE superstar.

He defined an era where wrestling took on all genres.

He adds an intelligent side to interviews and can be a big help in the corporate game.

He is loved for his cartoonish appeal.

Tenyru

He became a national hero.

As a promoter and booker he has also headlined many matches over the years.

He is a icon in the Japanese sport of wrestling.

Bruno Sammartino

The WWWF's first ever world champion.

He met and took on everyone.

He was a fighting champion who helped put the company on the map.

He was adored by everyone in the northeast.

Shohei Baba

At 7-foot tall, he was agile as they came.

Baba was a three-time NWA World Title holder and was a pioneer in the Japanese wrestling circuit.

The Road Warriors

Once you heard Iron Man, you knew who was coming to the ring.

They beat their opponents within inches of their lives, and lived the lifestyle of brawlers and bullies in the ring.

Still the best tag team of all time.

CM Punk

The Anti-Hero gets a spot on this list.

He is loved for everything that wrestling is not.

He is charismatic and maybe the best on the mic right now.

A true original.

The British Bulldog

Maybe one of the most underrated wrestlers ever in the WWF.

Davey Boy Smith was a member of the Hart family and wrestled with a great mat style and power like a cannon.

He never got the proper respect he deserved, but the fans showed their appreciation every time he got into the ring.

Randy Orton

He can be as good as he wants to be.

Orton is still robotic, but getting better.

He was the face of Smackdown and could have been the face of the WWE.

He still has plenty of room to grow.

Edge and Christian

Whether in singles competition or in tag team action, these guys were loved both as faces and heels in the WWE.

Both are great on the mic and can hold their own in many "extreme" matches.

And if they "both" were working today, they would be in the thick of the title picture.

The Von Erichs

They were the pride and joy of Texas.

David, Kevin, Kerry and Mike Von Erich could do no wrong and they ruled the state when it came to professional wrestling.

Daddy Fritz made his boys into stars and was loved for it as well.

The Von Erichs suffered through tragedy after tragedy starting with David and ending with Kerry.

Kevin in the lone remaining son and Fritz passed away from cancer.

They are still loved throughout the state.

Haystacks Calhoun

He was a larger than life attraction in the AWA.

Very mobile and held his own against quicker heels.

He was one of the first recognizable big men in the business who was a featured  main eventer.

Tatsumi Fujinami

Another great Japanese star. He has been described as a noble warrior amongst his countrymen.

He was an main event star in the states as well and competed against pure heavyweights during his career.

Eddie Guerrero

One of the greatest, if not the greatest Latino star ever in wrestling.

Don't let the diminutive size fool you.

Guerrero could beat the best of them.

He held WWE gold as a cruiserweight.

Triple H

He just looks mean.

But over the years, this heavyweight brawler has become a mainstay with the WWE and one of the most loved and popular wrestlers of his generation.

Whether its part of DX or as a singles champion, Triple H has always been the goods.

Kelly Kelly

She is the new Sable of the WWE.

While she is not a great wrestler and cannot handle the mic as well as she should, her beauty alone allows for more viewing and more entertainment.

She is the female version of John Cena in terms of marketing in the WWE.

Bobo Brazil

Helped wrestling break the color barriers.

Brazil wrestled in five decades and fought the likes of the Sheik, Johnny Valentine and Killer Kowalski.

He was an original from Detroit and gave one of the hardest headbutts around.

Lex Luger

He was a champion, a big strong wrestler and a fan favorite.

But he did little else.

In an era when Sting and Barry Windham drew more praise, Luger held his own.

He was stiff and robotic, but had a place in the business because of his superior athleticism.

Stacy Keibler

Please tell me I do not have to explain this...

Stone Cold Steve Austin

The leader of the Attitude Era.

Austin is a great performer and one of the best ever at the interview.

Austin beat the crap out of his boss and the fans ate it up.

Give me a "Hell, Yeah!"

Wahoo McDaniel

He was as fierce as they come.

A strong-willing Indian who was a fan favorite and helped to make the likes of Ric Flair and Magnum TA household names.

It was Wahoo who used the knife-edged chop and passed it on to Flair and others.

If there were tougher wrestlers in the 1970s and 1980s they were very short in list only.

Rock and Roll Express

One of the best tag teams of the 1980s.

They caught fire and kept blazing.

They are still talked about today.

Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were four-time world champions and fought the likes of the Horsemen, the Midnight Express and others.

They were undersized, but they were long on action.

Jimmy Snuka

Brother, he could fly.

He was the innovator of the aerial move and many wrestlers today credit him with their game plan.

Snuka was a ripped wrestler who was said to be second in line to carry the WWF torch if Hulk Hogan did not take the lead.

He never won WWF gold but he was loved by all.

Tiger Mask

The gimmick has been used in so many organizations by many wrestlers.

But the fans still love the concept.

Aerial moves and quickness of the wrestler with a touch of drama.

Fans love to cheer the non-stop excitement.

Jushin Thunder Liger

MOONSAULT.

When he was at the top of his game, fans world-wide loved him for his speed, his agility and his ability to climb the ropes.

When he came to WCW, no one had seen anything like him.

Kane

Glen Jacobs has made Kane one of the best characters in the WWE of all time.

He is still big, strong and agile.

He can still do things that normal men his size cannot do.

And when the mood hits him, he reaches down deep to find some of that older magic he had when he first set foot in a WWE ring.

Magnum TA

Loved by everyone who saw him.

Young, fiery and fierce. He was a crowd favorite and was poised to be the next big thing.

Terry Allen could do no wrong. He was trained by the best, had the looks of a television star and fought the good fight against the likes of Nikita Koloff, Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard.

He was that damn good.

Curt Hennig

He was as popular as any wrestler in the AWA.

He was a complete package and a former world champion.

His pedigree of being Larry The Ax Hennig's son did him well.

Whether face or heel, he drew lots of attention.

Chris Benoit

Maybe the most intense and most talented wrestler ever in the WWE.

Benoit did things for his size that were unheard of and he did them with ease.

Held the World Title and challenged much bigger men along the way.

The Freebirds

They may have been heels when they feuded with the Von Erichs, but the Freebirds were loved througout wrestling.

Their brash, arrogant style was perfect for the era and when they added Jimmy Garvin to the mix, they struck gold.

Some of the best tag team combinations ever.

Trish Stratus

When I first saw her on the screen, my eyes almost popped out of my head.

A beauty who could wrestle, manage and now train for Tough Enough.

She embodies the complete package in the WWF/WWE.

The Four Horsemen

I add them and, yes Ric Flair is on this list.

The originals are still the best and they may be the best stable people loved to hate.

Yes, they were that popular and in the southern part of the country, even as heels, they were heroes.

Ric, Tully, Arn, Ole and JJ were the best of their time.

Pedro Morales

His popularity rivaled that of Bruno Sammartino.

The two wrestled to a 75-minute draw back in the 1970s.

Morales represented the Hispanic community of the WWF with pride.

Strong, powerful and gave his best in the ring every time.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan

A true brawler if ever there was one.

Carried a 2x4 to the ring in the WWF and WCW.

A patriot character who captured the hearts of wrestling fans.

Started out in the NWA in the UWF in Jim Watts' promotion.

Gordon Solie

The Dean of all announcing.

Solie is one of the few announcers that could make a match as real as any "sport".

And what Solie could also do is use his long list of vocabulary to make up a new language we still use today.

Barry Windham

I won't get on my soap box.

He was a great talent.

Tall, lanky, strong and great as a face or heel.

He was loved in Florida and the Carolinas and as a tag team champion in the WWF.

Torrie Wilson

A body goddess who rose to fame in WCW and then the WWE.

She was not as accomplished a wrestler as Trish or Lita, but she was definitely a crowd favorite and a beautiful object of man wrestlers' affection.

Carlos Colon

When it comes to wrestling in Puerto Rico, there is no one better or more loved than Carlos Colon.

He helped to make wrestling a fixture in Puerto Rico and feuded with some of the best talent ever in the business.

Goldberg

He came through the pyro and look out!

Was there ever any wrestler who you thought would kill his opponent?

Goldberg just powered his way to the top and when all was said and done, he was loved for his sheer power.

Kevin Nash and Scott Hall

They made being bad cool in WCW.

When they took over the company and used their own brand of wrestling and style show the world how wrestling was really done, it was the greatest idea in wrestling history and will never be duplicated.

Kurt Angle

Maybe the best pure technician ever.

The Olympic gold medalist was great coming out the gate and at 43 years old still remains that good.

He can give these younger wrestlers a true run for their money.

RVD

He is like a cult following.

He is all legs and arms and flips and some of the most agile moves we could ever hope to see.

RVD rocked in the WWE, ECW and now TNA.

There are few like him and the fans love him for that.

Jake Roberts

He was a great performer in the NWA. He goes to the WWF and wields a snake and he is a Superstar.

Roberts could wrestle with the best of them and he feuded with the best of them as well.

Had he been completely sober the whole time he wrestled, he could have been better.

Andre the Giant

There was no one more loved and respected as Andre.

He was the Embassador for everything that was good about the business and the "sport".

Even in his last years in the business, he was failing and still did what was right for the business.

The Dudleys

More of the "extreme" side of wrestling.

They were big and powerful and goofey, but the fans adored them and ate up everything they were selling.

Did someone say get the tables?

Lou Thesz

Another wrestler who became a household name in the golden age of television.

Thesz set the stage for the likes of Ric Flair, Harley Race and others.

A true technician in the ring.

The New Age Outlaws

As part of DX, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg Jesse James made a name for themselves as one of the best tag teams in wrestling.

They were loved for their comedic rhythm and their rap. They were loud, on the edge and part of the Attitude Era.

They also proved that they could not make it one their own outside the WWE.

Chris Jericho

Don't ever bet against Jericho.

The first unified champion in the WWE and a great mic man who became better at everything once he came over from WCW.

Jericho has really refined his skills and the fans love him whether he is a face or heel.

Lita

Beauty and great wrestling skill.

She helped redefine women's wrestling in the 1990s and the nest decade.

When she teamed with the Hardys, she hit gold and when she feuded with Trish Stratus, male fans were in love with the idea of two women who really knew their craft.

Giant Baba

An international success.

A three-time NWA champion and multiple Japanese title holder.

He helped to revolutionize the international wrestling scene.

Sgt. Slaughter

Few were as patriotic as Sarge.

A good wrestler in both the WWF and before that the NWA.

He was both a face and heel with both companies, but will be most remembered for his GI Joe like persona where no one could tear down old glory.

A true icon in the business.

Junkyard Dog

Never played the heel and was always a crowd favorite.

He was one of the faces of the UWF and a talent in the NWA and WWF.

He used to be a great interview until the circus got a hold of him.

Mike Graham

The son of Eddie Graham, he was the golden boy of Florida.

A small competitor who held many regional titles in Florida, he now works as with the WWE.

He helped to create the Dusty Rhodes aura and he was a tag team champion with Steve Keirn.

Jumbo Tsuruta

He was a revered wrestler in Japan until he died 12 years ago.

He was trained by the Funk family and brought along by the Giant Baba.

He also defeated Nick Bockwinkle for the AWA Title.

Hillbilly Jim

Southern Backwoods Wrasslin'.

Hillbilly Jim was a great character in the WWF during the mid 1980s and really resonated with the crowds and fans.

He was basically everyman, and everyone loved him.

Tito Santana

Merced Solis is one for the ages.

Today, he would probably be a mid card wrestler. But in the mid 1980s he was solid gold for the WWF.

He never challenged for the world title, but he was good enough to be considered the best technical wrestler of the era.

Verne Gagne

He was so fed up with wrestling politics he started his own brand.

Gagne was also an innovator and was adored by everyone in the Great Lakes area.

He gave wrestlers a chance they would not have had elsewhere.

Bret Hart

He defined technical wrestling.

He was great as a singles and tag team wrestler.

And even today, he is still adored by the fans.

Hulk Hogan

He still bleeds yellow and red.

Hogan defined a new wrestling era and made the mainstream conscience stand up and take notice.

Everything he touched turned to gold.

He was a real life cartoon character who rode the wave of success.

Sable

She was the beauty queen of all beauty queens in wrestling and set the tone for the new look of the diva.

Tall, curvy and stunning. Sable had it all.

And when she posed in Playboy, she took the WWF to another extreme in mainstream entertainment.

Jim Ross

If Gordon Solie is first amongst announcers, Jim Ross is a very close second.

Ross is the big southern announcer with a love for the microphone. He makes words sound more believable when he is calling a match.

Ross spent his time in the UWF, WCW, NWA and the WWF and has gotten better as he has gotten older.

Bob Backlund

One of the finest technicians to ever grace a wrestling mat.

He was the last "face" champion before Hulkamania and will always be loved for his class and grace.

Had some outstanding feuds with Bruno Sammartino, John Studd and Billy Graham.

Bruiser Brody

Even as a heel, people loved to come out an see Brody perform.

A big, larger than life character, he became the wrestler and used his size and his SOB image to revolutionize the idea of Americans competing overseas.

Dusty Rhodes

The enigma that transcends the business.

He was loved all over and was known for his in ring work as well as his mind of many things that led to great success all over the wrestling business.

Ricky Steamboat

The one thing Steamboat could never do is play the role of heel.

Steamboat was a great performer who electrified the crowds and feuded with the likes of Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine.

He is arguably one of the Top-20 wrestlers of all time.

Batista

Loved more for his size and physique than anything else.

Batista came into wrestling at the right time.

He is considered a short-timer, but gained plenty of popularity with his feud with the Undertaker.

He benefited from Goldberg's success.

John Cena

This most popular wrestler of this generation.

A good looking, ripped wrestler who is a 10-time WWE champion.

A good character guy in the mold of the original Hulk Hogan.

He is loved by many and despised by many as well.

Jerry Lawler

He may be the second most popular person in Tennessee next to Elvis.

Lawler, a former AWA world champion and a great performer in the NWA.

He feuded with Austin Idol, Randy Savage and Tommy Rich.

He is still a great talker and is a pretty good commentator.

Ric Flair

He was the best heel ever in wrestling.

But in the Carolinas and WCW, everyone loved Flair equally as a face or heel.

A 16-time world champion. One of the best mic men in the business.

He made wrestling.

Rey Mysterio

One of the few wrestlers that appeals to the masses.

Mysterio has made Latin/Mexican wrestling cool again like in the late 1970s/1980s.

His size is his asset in that everyone believes in the underdog and his fanbase stretches worldwide.

Maybe the biggest heart in all of the business.

Randy Savage

He was loved, revered and hated all in one. But people loved to hate "The Macho Man".

Savage was the type of wrestler that lived larger than life and love the business.

Whether it was in the WWF or the NWA, Savage had many adoring fans who loved him and Miss Elizabeth.

Dr. Death Steve Williams

None had the fighting heart as Dr. Death.

A standout in college and then a great professional.

He was loved by all, even when he turned heel and joined the Varsity Club.

One of the toughest around.

The Rock

He just makes it look so easy.

The third generation wrestler is easily the most popular by far.

His moves are crisp and his mic skills are the best EVER.

Shawn Michaels

He is everything the wrestling community wants in a superstar.

And his candle still burns bright after his retirement.

Michaels could have a match with a pencil and make the pencil look good.

He is one of the all time favorites.

Gorgeous George

Every wrestler today owes what they can do to Gorgeous George.

He set the stage for "entertainment" in this business,

He found a gimmick that worked and stayed with it, being the first mainstream wrestler that everyone could identify with.