Stone Cold has won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship six times and the Tag team championship four times and is the fifth wrestler to emerge as a Triple Crown Champion. Wherever he goes, Heartbreak Kid leaves a mark. High school wrestling: What are the nation's best venues to watch a meet. He notched third-place state finishes as a freshman and sophomore . He qualified after his senior campaign but the World Championships in Iran were boycotted by the United States following a credible threat to the U.S. team. Smith retired from active competition the day before his 27th birthday after winning his second gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. Winston woulda been a 4x if he didnt break his wrist. He also placed fifth at the 1986 NCAA Championships at 158 pounds, which earned him three All-American honors at three different weights. Several weeks later, Snyder made the World team at 97 kg by knocking off 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner in straight matches. Hey man. In fact, Nebraska was one of the few schools that showed interest in the budding superstar. Davey Boy Smith. Any top 100 list without Greg The Hammer Valentine is completely illegitimate. If you go down the list of qualities tht make for an elite top-tier performer, Valentine doesnt score high in any category. Those three wrestlers have combined to win 10 World and Olympic gold medals and 16 total medals over four different weight categories (74 kg, 79 kg, 86 kg, and 92 kg). Dylan Cedeno, Fair Lawn and Bergen Catholic, 2020 145. Gable pinned 31 of 33 opponents and pinned his way through the Big Eight Championships and the 1969 NCAA tournament. WyoPreps would like to recognize the rankings of the teams and wrestlers in each weight class during this disparate season. Joe DiCesaro Cleveland West Tech 1939, 1941 5. Great questions, specifically on the difference in ranking between Hawk and Animal. Why does Hawk outrank Animal so much? His year at 174 pounds makes . Also, Undertakers Tombstone Piledriver was one of his finishing moves that few in the WWE ever survived. Your list is pretty good and I cant argue with it too much. Jan 10, 2023, 10:00pm PST. Give Guerrero credit. Hawk was the mouthpiece for the tag team, he was the stronger worker in the ring for the tag team, and his iconic, grizzly, Oooooh, what a rush! hook is in the pantheon of wrestling catchphrases. Top 10 wrestlers of ALL TIME good list of great & POPULAR wresters but they were all wrestling at the same time. If yes, you must be aware of the thrill and excitement that the game provides to its audience. Jack Van Bebber 71 . A four-time state champion, he won state titles at 160 and 171 pounds and two titles at 189 pounds. Both have vastly different career resumes and character types. Late Roddy Piper was a hot topic among fans during his hay days for his distinctive entrance with bagpipe and kilt music. He lost by touch fall to Turkeys Celal Atik despite leading late in the match. Gable won a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics by going 6-0 without surrendering a single point. The 100 Greatest Professional Wrestlers of All-Time. All told, Dustin has wrestled for 33 years and won 18 belts between WWE and WCW. I would say that Goldberg should replace Nick Foley. However, also like a lightning bolt, he was short-lived and destructive. He went 16-13 and went 1-2 at the 2007 NCAA Championships. Top 50 wrestlers in the last 40 years. He won NCAA titles in 1946, 1947, and 1948 and he never lost a college match. Snyder faced three-time World and Olympic champion Abdulrasheed Sadulaev in the finals. He made Olympic teams in 2004 and 2008 along with four consecutive World teams from 2003-07, including a bronze medal in 2007. Batista had an exceptional physique and certainly moved well for his size. His savage response would drive fans crazy, and his moves were incredible. Her international wrestling credentials certainly warrant a name change. Leaping Lanny Poffo, wrestling star known as The Genius, the brother of Macho Man Randy Savage, died at the age of 68 on 2 February 2023. Here is my list of the best college wrestlers of all time: Cael Sanderson gets his hand raised after winning his fourth NCAA title and finishing undefeated. School: Immaculate Heart . Like a lightning bolt, he was flashy, electric, powerful, and memorable. The first edition of our Class of 2022 Rankings is out. Only a handful of top talent can be named the best wrestlers to date. That, indeed, is an epic entry. He showed that both during the summer in national competitions as well as with a seventh-place finish at Ironman. He will be featured on the cover of each game edition, striking three of his signature poses in the WWE 2K23 game franchise developed by Visual Concepts. The Hokies would not release Metcalf to the Hawkeyes so he missed out on his first season of eligibility, but Metcalf made his three seasons in Iowa City count. Hence, below, we present the list of the top ten wrestlers of all time. If there ever was a poster child for American wrestling, Kyle Snyder should probably be the first person that comes to mind. Hey Anthony! That success would spill over into the next decade as Baumgartner won medal after medal at the World and Olympics. No star in WWE competes against The Rock for his completely shocking attack. a 15-year period during the entire history of wresting.! 1 - 157 lbs Cons. But there is no denying that Helen Maroulis was the first wrestler from the United States to win an Olympic gold medal in womens freestyle wrestling. In all, Snyder has seven World/Olympic medals: three gold, three silver, and one bronze. Attendance at Iowa State doubled when he was there. He wrestled everyone from Lou Thesz to Mick Foley. His sophomore campaign saw him place second at the 1985 NCAA championships but was handled in the finals by Wisconsins Jim Jordan, 7-4. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships all four years and was just the second wrestler to win four NCAA titles and the first to win in consecutive seasons. Not only do I agree with your comment, but Michael Hayes is also actually in the top-100 (#94) and Jesse, Mad Dog, Tommy Rich, and the Ax are on my honorable mention linked below, https://www.the100greatest.com/2021/02/17/the-greatest-professional-wrestlers-of-all-time/. We analyzed input from droves of reporters and historians. Put together any kind of ranking of wrestlers or wrestling programs. Although freshmen were ineligible to compete at the NCAA Championships at the time, the 18-year-old Gable won the 1966 Midlands by defeating an Olympic silver medalist and a 28-year-old NCAA champion. 8. In addition, his rambles come with layers of humor and insults. Payson's Trevor Frank and Bingham's Banks Love compete in a 157-pound bout at the Ross Brunson Utah High School All-Star Duals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 10 . And you list Foley, Undertaker and Savage GIMMICKS! Baumgartners 13 World and Olympic medals are the most in mens freestyle history. Comparing these two is like comparing Apples to Pepperoni. He also made the Olympic team and, at the age of 20, became the youngest American wrestler to win a gold medal. Mocco was consistently intense and punishing at a different level than any heavyweight who played at high school. These famous people might not have been famous college wrestlers, but they represented their high schools and universities in the sport, and found fame off the mat as well. Davino recently won his third Illinois state championship, defeating Marmion senior Jameson Garcia 6-1 in a highly anticipated showdown. 6 Dan Gable. No. He did a great job filling the foreign heel role in the 80s with Nikolai Volkoff but hes probably most known for being the wrestler that Hulk Hogan beat to win his first WWF Heavyweight Championship. John followed his older brother, Lee Roy -- a three-time All-American and 1980 NCAA champion to Oklahoma State University. Id argue the most significant angle he ever participated in was Sgt Slaughters betrayal of America angle when he portrayed Colonel Mustafa. Fans may disagree that he is WWEs greatest wrestler. Its not a coincidence that six of the seven you named are outside of the top 70. Michael Shawn Hickenbottom, known by his ring name Shawn Michaels is an American former professional wrestler. product posted a 228-0 high school record with four state titles and signed with Virginia Tech . However, its important to recognize his talent and contributions to the industry. Super surprised by that. He is an acting ambassador signed to WWE under the companys Legends program. 23. ' It's the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. Batista is ranked 75 out of 100??? He made four World teams (1999, 2001-03) and the 2004 Olympic team between the weight classes of 58 kg and 60 kg. Burroughs was favored to win a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics but failed to medal after going 1-2. Nash stuck around for a minute but nothing compared to the runs near the top by Kane and The Big Show. Desmond Bane Bio: NBA, Net Worth & Awards, Tom Bradys Son, Jack Edward Bio: Family, Football, Summer Job, Who Is Aaron Rodgers Wife? Those guys were all champions and stars in their day. Metcalf redshirted as a freshman then followed Brands to Iowa when he took the job. His Olympic haul includes gold in 1984, silver in 1988, gold in 1992, and bronze in 1996. For me, hes just outside of the top 100. It was part of a team performance that saw the United States knock off Russia by one point. But also his signature entry song, Pomp and Circumstance, was well-recognized in WWE. Martin, from Buchanan High School, is currently ranked in the #5 at 170 lbs. He died at 58 as paramedics declared him dead at the scene. Also, his showmanship was very high. As tempting as it is to put as much thought and effort into my comment as you did yours, Im going to choose to support my viewpoint with words. He was his first World title after his junior season then won the Olympic Games after his senior campaign. Bro how could you leave out Rob Van Dam?? Snyder won his third NCAA title in 2018 followed by a silver at the World Championships. The NWO angle might be the greatest in history. On one hand, he was in DX and the NWO. Who would emerge victorious in matchups between the best wrestlers from New England to Southern California, and everywhere in between? The former Husker star has made six straight teams (2015-19, 21) and is the only American to represent the weight at the World Championships. McGowans notable accomplishments include a Florida state title as an eighth-grader and a gold medal in 2019 at the World Championships Cadets. Alger posted 131 career college wins with 49 falls. The only negative for Wyatt is that he was badly misused in the WWE. Top 20. AND hes higher than Batista? Not as well . Ive got a solid explanation on RVD and it goes something like this I mistakenly deleted his name. Cena and Flir are the bookends, and careers were at different stages but nobody from the 70s (Flair), 60s 50s? Famous people who wrestled in high school or college are on the list below. He also snagged a silver at the 2014 University Worlds. She is one of just three to qualify twice, joining . Who is the best of the best at 132 pounds? Cael-mania gripped the nation during and after his incredible run. You are wrong. Theres no question that it becomes akin to splitting hairs the further down the list you go. He picked up his fifth World medal when he secured a bronze at the 2019 Worlds then followed that up with silver medals at the 202One Olympics and the 2021 World Championships. He appeared completely a different person from his usual look while sporting a full face of makeup. 100-91. Resume: A three-time state runner-up, he was an All-American and 2010 Colonial Athletic Association Wrestler of the Year at Binghamton. Anonymous. He reached the finals of the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Trials and was a member of Greco World teams in 1981 and 1983. The U.S. coaching staff was so excited with his win that they tossed him up and down in the air during a memorable victory celebration. One of the most colorful wrestlers in and out of the ring, Randy "Macho Man" Savage became a larger-than-life pop icon along with other wrestling superstars, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka (aka "Superfly Jimmy Snuka"), Jesse Ventura and Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock"). What you are about to read is not a joke. Mason Gibson, Bishop McCort (Pennsylvania). Otherwise, hed be much, much higher on the list. He was undoubtedly the strongest wrestler in the ring. Cormier built a successful MMA career, compiling a 22-3 record with UFC belts in two divisions. I have a master list that I transfer names to and from and somehow he got lost in the wash. So hats off, job well done sir! Thats on top of a gold medal at the 1986 Goodwill Games, seven World Cup gold medals, four World Cup silver medals, three Pan American Games gold medals, and three Pan American Championships. I currently have Vader, The Big Show, and Kane ahead of Nash. Wawasee has had its share of bumps in the road in 2022-23. John Cena Posing With His Hand Signature (Source: MARCA). Burroughs is a young American wrestler whose name often pops up during discussions about who is the best wrestler ever. One of Florida's top pound-for-pound wrestlers, Degennaro took home a state championship as a . High School Rankings. South Eastern Region. His WWE run had some good moments but it was unsatisfying overall and I dont think his career is strong enough to break into the top-100, yet. Gable entered the match with 181 consecutive wins over high school and college but dropped his final college match, 13-11. McIntyre is a hard wrestler to know where to put in these rankings. When Smith returned to college competition he went on a tear that the United States hasnt seen before or since. The 126/133-pound brackets during this era included multiple Olympians, NCAA champions, and All-Americans. 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Short-Lived and destructive a lightning bolt, he won state titles at 189 pounds layers humor! Pomp and Circumstance, was well-recognized in WWE stuck around for a minute but nothing to. Honors at three different weights high school or college are on the list you down... In straight matches and won 18 belts between WWE and WCW Championships at 158,!
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