Dave Meltzer's Top 100 Workers

[Guest LooneyTune]

Meltzer hates Backlund, not Flair. Woah, he said Hogan was good? I'm amazed. Which reminds me... where is Backlund on this list? Top 100, I'm sure Backlund was a better wrestler than Michael Hayes or George friggin Welles (if thats the same one who was in WWF for WM 2)

[cawthon777 0]

Meltzer loves Flair. He hates Backlund - hence the WWF Champion not even appearing in the list.

 

lol And Looney, I swear I didn't even read your post before writing the exact same thing.

[Guest LooneyTune]

It happens... I still can't believe he put Hogan at #34 on a Top 100 Workers for 1983 list. I thought everyone hated Hogan forever.

[BUTT 0]

22. Andre the Giant (only as a villain in Japan, in fact he may deserve higher)

Huh?

[Guest fanofcoils]

Where is Savage on the list?

[Guest LooneyTune]

I could use the "was he well known" story, but he said about Bret Hart "unknown outside of Calgary", so my best guess is he was still green? (has no idea obviously)

[MrRant 0]

Remember... if he didn't see the guy, he didn't rank him.

 

As far as Andre goes, he meant he only saw him in Japan from what I can tell.

[Guest OSIcon]

For the guy that asked about what kind of bumps Bobby Eaton could have been taking, Meltzer really wasn't talking about any big "stunt bumps" or anything. Eaton always just bumped really hard and convincingly for a wide range of offense.

 

The bumps Eaton took that "not many others would take" are probably just referring to a lot of big bumps from the ring to the floor, taking back bumps on the outside (with not mats), ect.

 

When you think about it, how many guys today in the WWE (or even TNA) bump really hard for a lot of different moves, take big bumps from the ring to the outside, take bumps on the unprotected floor, and so on? You can add all the big falls in the world, but when it comes down it, Bobby Eaton's bumping still looks impressive 22 years later.

 

Interesting list. Meltzer was a much better judge of talent back then. Though it is interesting how high Hogan ranked. If you've read any Observers from after Hogan became champion, he generally despised him and wasn't shy in making that known.

[JoeDirt 0]

26. Ted DiBiase (if he switched styles would be in the top 10)

What did he mean here?

[Jingus 0]

For anyone in the know, what was Meltzer's big problem with Bob Backlund? Not having the WWF World Champion (and a truly great mat wrestler) in the fucking Top 100 is pretty inexcusable.

 

1. Ric Flair (all-around he’s the greatest champion I’ve ever seen)

What a shock.

2. Bruiser Brody (not only the best brawler but the best big athlete in the game)

Bullshit. Brody was the Undertaker of the 80s: damn good when he was on, but often tended to be a lazy no-selling piece of shit.

6. Riki Choshu (great moves, never stops working, he’s got it all)

Great moves?! This is a guy who uses a shitty clothesline as a finish.

26. Ted DiBiase (if he switched styles would be in the top 10)

Probably referring to Ted's generic babyface style, pre-Millionare.

67. Tiger Jeet Singh (a certifiable lunatic in Japan)

So "lunatic" is Meltzerese for "Yakuza-owned"?

83. Stan Lane (also was better in the pre-Fab days, but a good wrestler)

How little did Dave know that Lane's best matches were all yet to come.

.. what the hell bumps were they taking then? That was back when a chairshot put you on a stretcher, and a piledriver was "career threatening"?

Depended greatly on the territory. Plenty of guys even back then would only semi-sell chairshots, and Harley Race had someone kick out of a piledriver in every match he ever had.

I still can't believe he put Hogan at #34 on a Top 100 Workers for 1983 list. I thought everyone hated Hogan forever.

Hogan actually kinda sorta tried to wrestle back then before he got locked into his Hulking Up formula. He had watchable matches with everyone from Tony Atlas to Andre.

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

Where is Savage on the list?

Wrestling for the ICW and not yet in Memphis, where he finally broke out of the outlaw promotions

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

22. Andre the Giant (only as a villain in Japan, in fact he may deserve higher)

Huh?

Andre tried hard in Japan, in America he just got to no sell and squash people

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

It happens... I still can't believe he put Hogan at #34 on a Top 100 Workers for 1983 list. I thought everyone hated Hogan forever.

like most people do; You forget how good of a worker Hogan actually is. Once he got to WWF; he didn't need to work as good as he was anymore. Watch any of his japan matches and you'll see that.

[Some Guy 0]

Hogan was actually quite good when he wanted to be. See some of his 80s matches against Savage, Orndorf, and Piper. If he was in there with a good worker he'd try harder. I think Hogan gets an unfair bad rap because he feuded with Bundy, Studd, Andre, Zeus, Akeem, and other big fat slobs who no one could have a good match with. And he did carry the Warrior to a passable match, which I watched the other day and man, it just doesn't hold up to todays standards, but it was good for the time in WWF.

[Guest Loss]

Hogan wasn't the best of all time or anything like that, but if he was as horrible as he's often made out to be, he wouldn't have nearly the staying power he's had.

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

26. Ted DiBiase (if he switched styles would be in the top 10)

What did he mean here?

Mr. Olympia (unlike DiBiase, the villain style has improved him)

[Tim Cooke 0]

Re: Riki Choshu

"Great moves?! This is a guy who uses a shitty clothesline as a finish."

 

Yea, because a lariat is bad

 

Choshu was the leader in revolutionizing tag team moves with Yatsu and Animal Hamaguchi. Spiked piledriver, neckbreaker drop off second rope with someone holding up opponent, double snap suplex to name a few. Plus he was the first to do the sprint style matches, moving wrestling from 1970's mat based to the stuff we still see today.

 

Tim

[Guest LooneyTune]

I know Hogan was pretty good (in his prime), I was just saying "Wow, I thought eveyone thought he sucked." His gimmick didn't need him to bust out anything special in terms of wrestling moves.

[Tim Cooke 0]

Hogan threw out a bunch of pretty suplexes in his career, even as late as the Rock match from 3/02.

 

Tim

[Guest TheLastBoyscout]

If by Hate you mean blindly love forever

Not really blind love. He recognizes him as one of the greatest American workers ever. He was a mark for him back in the day, but other than Randy Savage, there was no one in Flair's universe as far as being the total package in the 80's.

[Jingus 0]

Choshu was the leader in revolutionizing tag team moves with Yatsu and Animal Hamaguchi. Spiked piledriver, neckbreaker drop off second rope with someone holding up opponent, double snap suplex to name a few. Plus he was the first to do the sprint style matches, moving wrestling from 1970's mat based to the stuff we still see today.

I've only seen a handful of Choshu matches, mostly froms the 90's. Although it was nice to see any crowd as rabid as the one at his 96 G1 Climax finals match with Chono, the work itself didn't exactly set me on fire. What're some good matches he's been in? (Aside from the infamous/hilarious one where Maeda kicked him in the face.)

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

If by Hate you mean blindly love forever

Not really blind love. He recognizes him as one of the greatest American workers ever. He was a mark for him back in the day, but other than Randy Savage, there was no one in Flair's universe as far as being the total package in the 80's.

Nick Bockwinkel - the look, the interview and the ***** matches (All the way up to 1987)

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

46. Ricky Morton (vastly underrated, as good as almost anyone)

 

This is pre Rn R Express isn't it?

 

 

Don Kernodle (excellent tag wrestler, being misused at the present)

 

He was jobbing around the WWF at this point I think? (I seem to remember Snuka beating him rather quickly on TV)

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

Here is the Top 100 from the WON 1984 Year-End Annual

 

1. Ric Flair

2. Dynamite Kid

3. Bruiser Brody

4. Super Tiger (Sayama)

5. Davey Boy Smith

6. Riki Choshu

7. Butch Reed

8. Tatsumi Fujinami

9. Stan Hansen

10. Ricky Steamboat

11. Terry Gordy

12. The Cobra (George Takano)

13. Paul Orndorff

14. Adrian Adonis

15. Masa Saito

16. Bob Orton Jr

17. Dick Slater

18. Randy Savage

19. Kerry Von Erich

20. Ted DiBiase

21. Nobuhiko Takada

22. Chavo Guerrero

23. Don Kernodle

24. Akira Maeda

25. Barry Windham

26. Animal Hamaguchi

27. Harley Race

28. Kevin Von Erich

29. Tiger Mask (Misawa)

30. Yoshiaki Yatsu

31. Sgt Slaughter

32. Kuniaki Kobayashi

33. Masked Superstar

34. Roddy Piper

35. Rick Martel

36. Hercules Hernandez

37. Brian Blair

38. Jumbo Tsuruta

39. Kengo Kimura

40. Bad News Allen

41. Hulk Hogan

42. Black Tiger

43. Scott McGhee

44. El Canek

45. Magnum T.A.

46. Greg Valentine

47. Buzz Sawyer

48. Bret Hart

49. Strong Machine #2

50. Jerry Blackwell

51. Dick Murdoch

52. Terry Funk

53. Mike Rotundo

54. Iron Sheik

55. Killer Khan

56. Bobby Eaton

57. Jerry Lawler

58. Chris Adams

59. Keith Hayward

60. Gran Hamada

61. Tully Blanchard

62. Ron Starr

63. Brad Armstrong

64. Dos Caras

65. Terry Taylor

66. Lanny Poffo

67. Genichiro Tenryu

68. Yoshiaki Fujiwara

69. Buddy Rose

70. Kazuo Yamazaki

71. Jim Duggan

72. Dory Funk Jr

73. Jay Youngblood

74. Nick Bockwinkel

75. Isamu Teranishi

76. La Fiera

77. Tito Santana

78. Pirata Morgan

79. Buddy Landell

80. Pete Roberts

81. Jesse Barr

82. Billy Jack

83. Rip Oliver

84. Eric Embry

85. Jerry Stubbs

86. Ricky Morton

87. Matt Borne

88. Steve Wright

89. Tonga Kid

90. Mark Youngblood

91. Hector Guerrero

92. Michael Hayes

93. Hiro Saito

94. Perro Aguayo

95. Leo Burke

96. Arn Anderson

97. Dusty Rhodes

98. Gino Hernandez

99. Wahoo McDaniel

100. Jack Brisco

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

And 1985's top ten:

 

1. RIC FLAIR (he may have slowed a bit, but he is so

consistently excellent and his aura is such that when he

does make a mistake, it is easily overlooked);

 

2. DAVEY BOY SMITH (without a doubt athletically the

best superstar in the business. I would be surprised if

he isn't number one within two years);

 

3. BRUISER BRODY (limited in many ways, but

nobody gives an aura of violent realism more, and in

Japan he rarely has anything but a great match);

 

4. BOB ORTON JR. (an extremely gifted performer but

often must be held back for fear of overshadowing his

opponents);

 

5. DYNAMITE KID (has lost some stamina with his

added muscle, thus his work rate has dropped, but in

many ways he's still about the best pound-for-pound);

 

6. TERRY GORDY (I can't say enough positive things

about his ability and work rate, but he's been known to

sluff off on occasions);

 

7. BUTCH REED (phenomenal strength and great

athletic skills to go along with it, now that he's gotten to

where he controls heat well, there's no stopping him);

 

8. CHAVO GUERRERO (almost everything he does is

flawless);

 

9. PAUL ORNDORFF (a superior athlete and wrestler

who often doesn't get to show his best because of his

mostly weak WWF baby-faced opposition, but for some

reason is a very boring wrestler when in Japan);

 

10. ADRIAN ADONIS (would be No. 1 if he was in any

kind of condition to wrestle in singles, but his 300-

pound current frame limits him).

[Guest LooneyTune]

What was the first year Ric Flair WASN'T #1? Nice to see though, that Bob Orton got some recognition for being one of the better workers in the mid 80's.

[deancoles 0]

Before anyone asks the readers opinion in 83 here's the history of the Subscribers votes, copied off the WON forum on Wrestling Classics.Meltzer's opinion in the 80s usually wasn't that different from the subscribers, He did disagree with the Sabu 2nd place in 94, there was a huge fear that Sabu would win until Kawada pulled through.

 

1980 Harley Race

1981 Ric Flair

1982 Ric Flair (2) (Runner-Up: Roddy Piper)

1983 Ric Flair (3) (Runner-Up: Hulk Hogan)

1984 Ric Flair (4) (Runner-Up: Dynamite Kid)

1985 Ric Flair (5) (Runner-Up: Riki Choshu)

1986 Ric Flair (6) (Runner-Up: Hulk Hogan)

1987 Riki Choshu (Runner-Up: Ric Flair)

1988 Akira Maeda (Runner-Up: Ric Flair)

1989 Ric Flair (7) (Runner-Up: Akira Maeda)

1990 Ric Flair (8) (Runner-Up: Jushin Liger)

1991 Jumbo Tsuruta (Runner-Up: Ric Flair)

1992 Ric Flair (9) (Runner-Up: Bret Hart)

1993 Vader (Runner-Up: Kenta Kobashi)

1994 Toshiaki Kawada (Runner-Up: Sabu)

1995 Mitsuharu Misawa (Runner-Up: Shawn Michaels)

1996 Kenta Kobashi (Runner-Up: Shawn Michaels)

1997 Mitsuharu Misawa (2) (Runner-Up: Bret Hart)

1998 Steve Austin (Runner-Up: Mitsuharu Misawa)

1999 Mitsuharu Misawa (3) (Runner-Up: Steve Austin)

2000 Triple H (Runner-Up: Toshiaki Kawada)

2001 Keiji Mutoh (Runner-Up: Steve Austin)

2002 Kurt Angle (Runner-Up: Bob Sapp)

2003 Kenta Kobashi (2) (Runner-Up: Kurt Angle)

[Vern Gagne 0]

Are these rankings strictly workrate or is overall performance taken into account?

[deancoles 0]

Are these rankings strictly workrate or is overall performance taken into account?

It's based on Work,Box Office,influence and impact.

[Guest LooneyTune]

In that case, Hogan being ranked #2 in 1986 makes sense, however, didn't Flair wrestle Dusty Rhodes a lot in '86?

 

Sabu in 1994 though is odd. Sure, he made hardcore spot wrestling famous then, but other than that, I can't think of anything.