Your Favorite Wrestlers Ever: Bryan Douglass

Now that my own favorites list is out of the way, I posed the question to some of my colleagues in the fan/writer community. Who are your favorite five wrestlers?

Today's entry comes to us from Bryan Douglass. He used to be a blogger/editor at a fairly well-known site, but now, he's the content manager for a new social media project called Wayin. He's also a pretty big old-school wrestling fan. Here is his top five as well as some honorable mentions.

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Snuka and Piper, pre-coconut crunch
Photo Credit: WWE.com

When I was a child, growing in the midst of corn and the heathen Methodists on the plains of farmland Illinois, my mother would drag us to church, forcing my sister and I not only into the one-hour service about fictional characters not named Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but also pushing us into an additional hour of bible studies.

I hated it. I hated God, I hated the Bible, and I hated every schedule-making Christian on the planet... and for two hours every Sunday morning, I hated my mother.

Back then, Sunday mornings were THE time for wrestling. There was no wrestling during the week, much less in prime time. Cable didn't exist. For me, there was a set of rabbit ears, one hour starting at 8am on channel 11 out of St. Louis, and the weekly knock-down-drag-out with mom. I didn't want God. I wanted Piper's Pit.

When I was nine, my father finally intervened. One fateful Sunday morning my dad interrupted my mother's yelling about my lack of progress away from channel 11 by stating truth.

"I am sick of this shit. All he cares about is wrestling and he's willing to go to hell to have it. And I'm tired of pretending I care because I don't believe in either one. Let the boy watch wrestling."

He won. That day, college and my Star Wars figures are the three greatest things my father ever did for me... and after I go and as I burn in hell, I'll thank him for it.

So... as a preface, it should be clear I am a proud, card-carrying member of the old school. I don't have nearly as much love for the WWE as I do for the WWF, and while I continue to enjoy the entertainment provided by the ring today, my allegiance is firmly rooted in world of wrestling that was.

That's clearly reflected here. Nothing against The Rock, Cena, Triple H or CM... they're great, but they will never register as favorites with me.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

- Andre the Giant
An icon involved in some of the most memorable matches ever.

- The Undertaker
If you rooted for the bad guy (as I often did), he was a god.

- KoKo B. Ware
In terms of entertainment, one of the most underrated bangers of all time.

- Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Made me laugh EVERY TIME Mean Gene put the microphone to his mouth. Truly a gifted entertainer.

- Junkyard Dog
Personal bias... I don't want it get into it, but this is where he belongs in my mind.

5. Hulk Hogan - I didn't ruin my shirts ripping them off as an homage to Hogan. That said, anyone discussing this era of wrestling without giving Hogan his due isn't worthy of your ear... because he was the king. He did it all. Even if you weren't a fan, there were times you couldn't help but get caught up in the madness. He worked with the biggest stars on the planet. He was Hot Lips. He made cage matches obsolete, so tacks and chairs and ring bells had to come into the picture.

He was Hulkamania, he was running wild, he is an icon... and he was Public Enemy #1 for my #1, so I have to have him on the short list.

4. Razor Ramon - And you think you know machismo?

I loved this guy. He was such a dick, but he was cool about it... his comfort in being a dick might only be matched by one of the guys below and Jay Cutler. In truth, his prowess in the ring wasn't exactly on par with guys you want to put on this list. It might be fair to say most of the guys on my list fail to rank if you talk about technique and artistic execution of physical presentation, but for me, the entertainment is in the character and the ability to play that character to the point of reaction from the audience. I want to TRULY hate you... and I don't see how you avoid mentioning the Razor when you mention the best at doing that.

And at his very worst, Ramon was the only one who ever made the Intercontinental Championship relevant. Otherwise, it was amateur hour.

3. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka - If I'm going to make a pick, as I mentioned before, based on the joy of physical acts of aggression, I want Snuka.

He is to wrestling as Michael Jordan is to the dunk. Not to basketball... please, Snuka was beyond awesome, but there are some places you simply do not go... but to the dunk, to the art of the dunk... THAT is what Snuka did to wrestling.

There were guys before him that went to the top of the ropes, and there were certainly plenty throwing their bodies to the wind. There just weren't any guys that were as pretty doing it. Snuka took a flying slam and made it into a spectacle, something you couldn't believe possible from a man that large. The Splash... it's commonplace now for anyone who takes to the top rope, but Snuka is the benchmark.

Besides, I have to get at least one of the Captain's guys on the list.

2. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - If the truth were told, I would admit to ranking Hacksaw so high because (a) it was SO much fun to be him when we wrestled in the backyard, and (b) I continue to imitate him to this day (yes, there aren't many who get it... more often than not, those in attendance report me to management and suggest drug testing, but I don't care because it's really f*@%in' fun).

He's about as lovable as a wrestler could be for most, but to me, he was an entertaining reminder of how simple wrestling can and should be. Give me a 2x4, let's get the crowd pumped up, and let's beat some ass. His role was simple as well, the perpetually ignorant ape taking on the cocky, elitist prick.

What's not to like about that... unless, of course, you want to cheer for the elitist prick, which brings me to #1.

1. Rowdy Roddy Piper - When it comes to picking my favorite wrestler of all time, there is no delay in response and there never has been. I have always been enamored with the villain and drawn to the guy you love to hate. During my formative years, I was presented with two of the best the world has ever known and I continue to endorse their greatness today - Darth Vader and Rowdy Roddy Piper.

Nothing thrilled me more than seeing Roddy emerge from the tunnel as "Green Hills" pumped through the sound system and Piper marched out to the set of the Pit. Every single episode was monumental occasion for me, and for me, the return of the Pit has formed an exciting reconnection to the WWE today... despite Bill Simmons' transparent attempts to ruin it.

But beyond the Pit, I simply loved watching Roddy wrestle. He was every bit as strong and technically capable as the greats of the game, and he managed to translate character and emotion as well as wrestler on the roster. He was as exciting and dedicated in loss as he was during the Pit, during locker-room interview, and during victory (which never came as often as it should). Tack on the unappreciated career in movies and I'm sold.

And if you still aren't sold, I'd remind Piper was - without question - the most diabolical nemesis Hulk Hogan ever battled, serving as wrestling's most hated man during wrestling's most glorious place in time... at least in my mind.

That's why I rank Roddy as the greatest that ever lived, and that's my take on the historical elite of professional wrestling.

My Favorite Wrestlers Ever: #20 through #11

Since I missed posting this yesterday, a DOUBLE ENTRY.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

20. The Miz

The Miz is like the main eventer that I watched grow up. He was always in John Morrison's shadow, but just by looking at both guys, I knew Miz was the much better guy. I mean, he talked better. He worked better (I was never fooled by the flipz). The only thing he didn't have going for him was the "stink" from being on the Real World, but seriously? You were going to hate on him because he got famous on MTV? Christ, if that's the case, then your priorities are out of whack.

From the point where he really arrived, no, not the Chicken Crumbs promo, the moment where I started marking for him hard was when he shot Hornswoggle in the dick with that t-shirt gun. Seriously, you didn't know how much I hated that midget. From there, he just kept building and building on that resume until he came out at WrestleMania through the "AWESOME" blow-up for his match against Cena. He was my guy. I feel so proud of the tyke.


19. Ted DiBiase

Photo Credit: WWE.com

This is more of a retroactive fandom. When he was around, I booed the shit out of him, but of course I did. I was a kid that booed the heels and cheered the faces. It's how kids watch. And to be fair, DiBiase was one of the best at what he did. He mistreated the black guy, stuffed dollar bills in people's mouths, bought and sold wrestlers like cattle and had one of the BEST evil laughs in wrestling history. Plus, what a boss theme song, the best in wrestling history for my money:



EVERYBODY'S GOT A PRICE

Later on in life, I grew to appreciate him as an ace performer, as a guy who could bring it in the ring and a guy who played his role so well, maybe a little too well. Any time he comes back to WWE programming, it's a welcome sight, even though he's more of a good guy now. Kind of a waste for the best villain in the Rock 'n Wrestling Era (THERE, I SAID IT), but still, I'm not even sure I wanna boo Ted anymore.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

18. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

Like I booed DiBiase because he was a heel, I cheered the shit out of Hacksaw because he was a good guy. Unlike DiBiase, I never stopped giving my positive reactions to Duggan, mainly because HOW COULD YOU NOT LIKE HACKSAW? It'd be un-American. I mean yeah, I should by all rights hate the guy, because he was a pandering gimmick who couldn't really work. But you know what? Wrestling isn't about adhering to roles, it's about what makes you feel good inside. Watching Hacksaw makes me feel good.

I think a lot of it has to do with his new fake Twitter account too. It's not really Hacksaw, but it's such an exaggerated version of him that it puts what he really was in perspective... which is that Duggan was always goofy, silly but at heart, endearing. That's why after all these years, I still mark for Hacksaw, tough guy. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Photo Credit: Pro Wrestling Wikia

17. Stevie Richards

Stevie Richards, the lackey who made good. Starting out as Raven's ne'er-do-well henchman, Richards slowly but surely climbed up the ranks to lead his nWo-knockoff group, the Blue World Order. Something strange happened along the way though. The bWo, not to be confused with the clothing line that was the New World Order (one of the greatest veiled slams in wrestling commentary history, courtesy of Vince McMahon), turned out to be the better faction in wrestling history. Seriously, while the nWo kept adding members, the bWo stayed with three, never going more than four or five, and always had a great sense of humor. Meanie and Nova both were great members, but it really was all about Stevie, whose rise from comedic foil to unlikely hero was really my favorite ECW storyline ever. Christ, it got to the point where I was pissed when he didn't win the chance to take out Raven at Barely Legal. Yeah, they wanted me to pull for Terry Funk, but my fandom belonged to Big Stevie Cool.

Along the line, companies did their best to try and dilute him and marginalize him. WWE thought that making him head of Right to Censor was a good idea. It only served to give Vince his jollies at getting vicarious "revenge" against the Parent Television Council. TNA thought that giving him a therapist gimmick would make good feud fodder with Abyss. Yeah, no. Yet, no matter where he goes or what he does, he still puts in 100 percent. It's evident by the way he keeps himself in shape.

He's also a really nice guy. True story, when I was living with my parents while I was in college, around the RTC time, Richards lived right up the block from me. Imagine that, a true-blue WWF wrestler lived five or six rowhomes away from me in Northeast Philadelphia. I saw him all the time, coming back from the corner deli with hoagies wrapped in white paper, or whatever. One day, I stopped him on my way home from school and talked to him, asking him about being in WWF and all. He was happy to talk to me. He didn't have to, but he did. That's not the reason why he's on here, but it definitely shows that he's one of the cool ones.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

16. The Road Warriors

It might be cliche to name the Roadies as your favorite tag team ever, but you know what? I really don't care. They're really popular for a reason, and it's because fuck man, they were the best tag team ever. Two guys that just exuded bad-ass from every pore, from their appearance (aped by the WWF when they couldn't sign them with Demolition) to their gruff voices to their roughneck style. I got legit chills when Hawk would gutturally rumble "OOOOOH WHAT A RUSH!"

And really, they stand as the last of the great tag teams. I used to bemoan that Hawk never got a singles run, but y'know what? Maybe it was better that way. Given how every other great tag team of the last 20 years has split up and gone solo with great success for at least one member - even Team 3D/the Dudleys have now produced at least a critically acclaimed singles star in Impact with Bully Ray - it could be knee jerk to treat a tag division as a place where people temporarily go before they break out as a singles star. The Roadies though were a force as a team, something completely missing from wrestling nowadays, at least on the mainstream level.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

15. Rowdy Roddy Piper

Unless you stopped watching wrestling around 1985 as a small child infected with Hulkamania, I think it's impossible to be a wrestling fan and not love the shit out of the Rowdy Scot. There was just something so manic and so unpredictable when watching him on the mic. Even when he was bad, he was so charming that you couldn't help but at least fight the smile when you were supposed to dislike him.

He also made it outside of wrestling. Yeah, Rock and Hogan were both the megastars, but Piper has actually appeared in stuff that's actually good rather than just moneymaking. I mean, how many wrestling fans are going to go out and enjoy The Tooth Fairy? How many people, fans or not, thought No Holds Barred was actually good? Piper though? From They Live to even his appearance in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he brought the goods in projects that weren't totally shitty.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

14. Christian

Christian running with the World Heavyweight Championship right now is great. It is, and I'm glad he's getting the ball. A lot of people look at what he is right now and moan because he's being "made to look weak" or is fodder for Orton. I see it as the glass-half-full. I'd much rather see Christian as a babyface performer too, but he's taking this opportunity and running with it, having excellent matches and doing some good promo and character work too. He's proving everyone who naysaid him wrong.

And obviously, I'm a huge fan of good in-ring work, which Christian for whatever reason always had over Edge, and recently, over 95% of all the workers in America, really. Watching him wrestle is just a treat, whether it's in a highly technical affair against Chris Jericho or a trash-brawl against Tommy Dreamer. He may justifiably be Captain Charisma, but he's got a hell of a lot of talent in the ring too.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

13. Davey Boy Smith

I was too young for the British Bulldogs, so this was all solo, or at least his team-ups with Owen Hart and the new Hart Foundation. I always found something endearing about the Bulldog. I guess I blame the build to SummerSlam '92. It was so well-done that I was rooting for Davey Boy over Bret Hart, and Hart was one of my favorite wrestlers at the time.

It was funny too because he didn't really have a lot of promo talent. However, he was still very much a likable character. Plus his powerslam was tight. I guess it was his smile, and the way he carried himself. But yeah, I always dug the Bulldog.

Photo Credit:
Scott Finkelstein

12. Claudio Castagnoli

Talk about a guy who has embraced social media as a way to interact with his fans. Claudio is all over Twitter, and he's very good at responding to fans sending him messages. Plus, he's embraced Youtube with Claudio's Cafe.

But there are other guys who are all over social media and not this high on this list. Claudio is an awesome worker, a big guy among the smaller guys on the indie scene. Whenever he puts up the Big Swing, it's a sight to behold. He's got amazing tag chemistry with Chris Hero as well.

Photo Credit: Slam Canoe

11. Tommy Dreamer

I always loved ECW, but looking back on it, there weren't a lot of guys that I really liked enough to call them my favorites. It was a great show with very few great characters. Shane Douglas was annoying, Raven scuzzy, Sandman low-rent, RVD falsely bombastic. Together though, they all made for good television. But aside from the bWo and the tag scene, there was one guy who embodied ECW and whom I loved. That was Tommy Dreamer.

He was the living spirit of Extreme. He was the Innovator of Violence, yeah, but he also was the eternal underdog, a guy who was popular for putting everyone over but doing it in a way where he showed tenacity and fight. He was blue collar. He was ECW, because ECW was always fighting a losing battle with the WWF and WCW, trying to gain a market share while having them poach their best talent.

So when Dreamer won the ECW Championship from Taz, it was amazing... until I read that he dropped it to Justin Credible. The fucking asshat who used to wear a jockstrap on his head. Ugh. WWE made it right 10 years later by giving him their version of the ECW Championship, but that's just not the same. But yeah, even if he was never the biggest guy, he was alwas the most tenacious. That's why I love Tommy Dreamer, and still do.

Wrestling Six Packs: Patriotic Gimmicks

HOOOOOO
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Yesterday was Independence Day, in case this is the first time you've read this blog all day and live, say, in Kazakhstan or some other country where July 4th is just another day. But yeah, in America, it's a big deal. Since pro wrestling has become ingrained in American culture, of course several gimmicks within the artform have certain patriotic tinges. Here are six of my favorites.

1. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

HOOOOOOOOOO! Ol' Hacksaw may be the most iconic embodiment of the Red, White and Blue. I've written about him at length before, so here's what I wrote in honor of his Hall of Fame induction:

Duggan was always a sentimental favorite of mine. Back when I first really got into wrestling, he was my second favorite guy behind Hulk Hogan, a guy whom today would probably have gotten a title run or two because of how over he was. Of course, Duggan was a hero of a long gone era, back when it was cool to be a patriot. Even for how jingoistic wrestling crowds still are and how well foreign heels still can get over, the all-American face has disappeared. Even if his gimmick was cheap and he acted like a borderline mental patient, Duggan's affable spirit and gung-ho, take no prisoners approach in the ring endeared him to several of the WWF's devoted fans, myself included.

And here's what I wrote about him last Fourth of July:

Was Duggan the best technical wrestler? Hell no. Was he the most handsome wrestler? No, he was as homely as a mule. However, he was resilient. He was tough. He never said die. He embodied America better than anyone else did. A blue-collar, flag-waving hero for all the kids to look up to. He made it proud to be an American. He fought Nikolai Volkoff and Iron Sheik. His flag waving made Communists everywhere shit their pants. When Ronald Reagan told Gorbechev to "tear down that wall", you know why Gorby complied? Reagan had Duggan standing right behind him. Jim Duggan's "HOOOOOOOOO!" haunted Fidel Castro's nightmares until the day his brain finally gave out. Any time China starts shit, Duggan heads over there with his 2x4 and reminds them why they'll never stand a chance, even though they outnumber us 4 to 1. So, let's hear it for America, July 4th and Hacksaw Jim Duggan, tough guy.

In short, fuck you, Hacksaw's the man.

2. The Great American Bash

The name of the event always conjured up images of summer. Cookouts, fireworks, the American flag. There's just such a tradition behind the name, even if the event had become "just another PPV" in its later years. I think there's a lot of potential for a special event here. I know the logistics of having PPV outdoors can be rough, but a cookout-themed event? Yeah, I'd go in a heartbeat.

3. The Lex Express

I extolled the virtues of the event that launched this bus-tour around the country earlier on today, so why wouldn't I list this? While Luger didn't exactly pan out for WWE as a top guy, I loved the Lex Express as a kid. So cheesy, but so fun at the same time. Plus, it's inspired the Flex Express today, so it gets a lot of replay value as well.

4. Kurt Angle

Angle made the American hero character archetype and flipped it on its head, playing up his persona so geekily that he got boos instead of the cheers that his forebears would have garnered. In the early days, Angle's character was so fresh and goofy that he was truly an innovator. It didn't hurt that his comedic delivery was on point.

5. Steve Austin

When you think Stone Cold, you generally don't imagine the Stars 'n Stripes. In fact, he generally embodies nihilism, selfishness and rampant recklessness. But for a hot second, he was the leader of an unlikely group of invaders into Canada to battle the Hart Foundation. Yes, Canadian Stampede, generally regarded as the best In Your House and one of the greatest overall PPVs ever, featured a 10-man main event that saw Austin defend America's honor, along with Goldust, Ken Shamrock and the Road Warriors, in the heart of Hart country, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He wasn't singing Lee Greenwood or draped in Old Glory, but on that day, Austin was a de facto patriot.

6. Tribute to the Troops

In a serious note, one of the best things WWE does each year is the Tribute to the Troops. It can be hip to forget the military or to bash them for the sins of the political fat cats who send them to war for their own personal gain, but the WWE never forgets these brave men and women. They actually are treated well all year long, gaining free entry into WWE events, but the best is when the company brings the action to them. It's a total fanservice show, but for these fans who may not be there to enjoy the show next year, well, it's well-deserved.

Celebrate Flag Day, Jim Duggan Style

USA! USA!
Photo Credit: WWE.com

I know I'm a bit late on this, but hey, it's better to get on something late than not at all, right? I got a Facebook invitation yesterday declaring today to be Hacksaw Jim Duggan Day. While it might make more sense to celebrate that kind of day on February 4th (2/4... GET IT?), well, I see the symbolism in having it on Flag Day as well, since he probably was the flag-wavingeset, most patriotic superstar in WWE history. Forgetting that entire episode where he joined the Canadian faction, but hey, that's Vince Russo at work. OF COURSE he'd take a shit on America in the name of TEH SWERVEZ~!

So, in honor of the day, in addition to waving your flag high, make sure you go up to a random person and just start chanting "USA! USA!" or "HOOOOOOOOO!" with your thumb raised up in the air. Hell, do it tomorrow too if you didn't catch on today, and blame me for not giving you the heads-up.

It's the only way any wrestling fan, nay, TRUE PATRIOT would celebrate the banner of this great nation!

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!