Top Five Wrestlers of the 1990s

With apologies to Mankind, Kane, Diesel, Yokozuna, Sycho Sid, HHH, and others:

The top five wrestlers of arguably the greatest period in wrestling history were determined by a number of factors including title reigns, number of wins, quality of wins, and others. However, the most important component is how these wrestlers perform against other elite wrestlers; more clearly, how any one of the top five wrestled against the any of the other four. When wins and losses are mentioned, only quality and relatively fairly finished matches will be mentioned. For example, the Undertaker's DQ win over Bret Hart at Royal Rumble 1996 does not count as a victory over Bret Hart in the same sense that Shawn Michael's WrestleMania 12 win does.

5. The Undertaker. Let's put it this way: with the exception of the Big Show, Kane, and maybe Kurt Angle, no one is going to beat The Undertaker clean. Unfortunately for him, this means an unusual number of interference prompted losses on the record. Taker has lost to The Rock twice, lost to Shawn Michaels twice (interference by Kane at Badd Blood 1997, half the locker room at Royal Rumble 1998), and lost to Bret Hart once (referee HBK mistakenly hits Taker with chair at Summerslam 1997). Against Austin, Taker has accumulated 3 wins and 4 losses in a relatively even feud. 4 WWE Championships and 6 Tag Team Championships later, the Deadman falls into place at #5.

4. The Rock. Other than my #1 pick, The Rock is the only wrestler on the list to boast wins over both The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin. He is also responsible for one of the most memorable feuds and partnerships of the 90s (with Mankind). Unfortunately, The Rock didn't "arrive" on the scene until WrestleMania 13 in 1997. He never faced HBK or Bret Hart, to my knowledge. He also lost to Austin more times than he won (1-3). For these reasons, The Rock, who won the WWE Championship 7 times, the Intercontinental Championship 2 times, and the Tag Team Championship 5 times sits firmly at #4 overall.

3. Shawn Michaels. Michaels boasts two inference wins over The Undertaker as well as two wins over Bret Hart (one clean, one screwjob). However, he never beat Stone Cold Steve Austin, something both The Rock, The Undertaker, and Bret Hart were all able to do. To his credit, Michaels was the first "grand slam" champion of the WWE and held the WWE championship on 3 separate occasions. Not to be overlooked are his 3 Intercontinental reigns, his 3 Tag Team Championships, and his back-to-back Royal Rumble victories. HBK has been involved in two of the four "five star" matches that have ever taken place in the WWE.

2. Bret Hart. Other than the Rock, whom he never wrestled, Bret holds victories over The Undertaker, HBK, and Austin. Other than the Summerslam 1997 victory over Taker, his other notable wins have been clean. Hart is probably the best technical wrestler in the history of the WWE, met only by the likes of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Like all the others, Hart holds a Royal Rumble victory along with two King of the Ring victories, 5 WWE Championships, 2 Intercontinental Championships, and 2 Tag Team Championships. Like Michaels, Hart has also been involved in two of the four "five star" matches that have ever taken place in the WWE.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin. At first, I was hesitant to put a mere brawler with little wrestling ability at my number 1 spot. After looking at his credentials for the position, there was no other choice. Austin holds victories over ALL of the other 4 members of the top five, holding winning records against Taker (4-3), The Rock (3-1), and HBK (who never avenged his loss). His only losing record to an opponent in the top 5 is Bret Hart (1-2). Austin lost to Hart early in his career at Survivor Series 1996 and then again at WrestleMania 13 where Austin never submitted but passed out from a Sharpshooter. Austin would eventually get his revenge on Hart when he injured Hart's leg in a no disqualification match on RAW, which featured Austin refusing to let go of his own Sharpshooter and beating Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. See my list of apologies at the top? The three that Austin wrestled (HHH, Mankind, Kane), he beat. Like the other top 5, Austin boasts a Royal Rumble victory. He also boasts a second and a third Royal Rumble victory, a feat never again accomplished in the WWE. Like Bret Hart, he won the King of the Ring tournament (1996). He held the WWE title 6 times, the Intercontinental twice, and the Tag belts 4 times. It's hard to find belts Austin hasn't held and people he hasn't beat, making him a tough but fair choice for the #1 spot on this list.