Top 10 Greatest To NEVER Win World Gold

One of the top draws in the 80's, does Jake make the list?!

Since I am in the top 10 mood why not take a look at the top 10 Greatest Wrestlers to NEVER win a World Championship. Now I have cheated, because I am not including every World Title imaginable. On my list? Only the WWE/F, WCW/NWA championships count. I would count AWA and ECW but honestly, they can only be considered regional champions, not World.
Now to the list!!

#10
Raven
Anybody who read my blog on Raven’s retirement will understand the reasoning for putting him on this list. WCW never bothered to push him to anything above upper mid card status, and WWE totally missed the boat on the character. Could you imagine Raven kidnapping Stephanie McMahon while she was with Triple H in the WWE? Making Stephanie his flock princess? Raven without a doubt could have been a big time player on a national level…but it just never happened.

#9
The Dynamite Kid
Bret Hart calls Dynamite Kid the greatest wrestler he’s ever been in the ring with, and that is saying something. I guess you could include British Bulldog with Dynamite in this regard, but when it came down to raw ability…not many guys could have matched The Dynamite Kid. If you ever get your hands on some of his stuff in Stampede Wrestling before Vince bought everything up…you will be amazed at the stuff he was doing. Especially considering the time period he was doing it in.

#8
Owen Hart
Talking about raw talent and ability, Owen Hart could do anything in the ring. During his feud with his brother Bret, it wouldn’t have been crazy to actually think Owen could be WWF champion. Try and think of a bad Owen Hart match, and you’ll be thinking for a very long time. He could have a four star match with just about any wrestler.

#7
Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka
One of the top 5 draws of the 80’s, if Hulkamania never existed it’s obvious Jimmy Snuka would have been given a shot at holding the strap. He wasn’t the greatest in the ring and certainly not on the mic, but the guy made a lot of money for a very long time. Was more of an attraction than a technical wrestler, but he got the job done and people paid to see it.

#6
‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted Dibiase
Technically Teddy was WWF Champion, but was ‘stripped’ of the championship since he obtained it in an unethical matter. A gimmick PERFECT for the main event, again he is another casualty to Hulkamania. If Hogan didn’t need to be built up as an unstoppable force (which he did need to be) no doubt Ted gets a nice little world title reign.

#5
Scott Hall
'The Bad Guy' Scott Hall is pretty special for the fact that he got over as the character Razor Ramon…who could have been a main eventer, and he got over in WCW under his own name. Put it this way, if Scott Hall stays in WWF during its ‘transition period’ (WCW buying all their talent) he would have became world champion. Also, if he wasn’t shitfaced drunk all the time…he would have most definitely became World Champ in WCW towards its dying days.

#4
Nick Bockwinkle
In my book he is one of the more underrated wrestlers in the history of the business. And this guy made a living by carrying the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. He was Flair-like in his in ring heel bumping, and his promos were very well thought out. He was extremely loyal to Verne Gagne, but chances are he would have become World Champ on a national level…especially in WCW.

#3
Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts
Without a doubt Jake Roberts is one of the top 10 promo men of all time, and had one of the top 5 gimmicks of all time. Another victim of Hogan’s popularity Jake never really had the chance to shine as a top guy in the WWF. Jake’s main job was to prepare the heels and put them over…essentially feeding them to Hogan. Interestingly enough, WWF ‘tried’ to feud Jake against Hogan but during one of their segments the fans actually started chanting ‘DDT, DDT, DDT’. Vince immediately pulled the plug. That’s how popular Jake was during his run. Amazing performer…had Psychology down to a science.

#2
Mr. Perfect
Heel? He could do it. Face? He could do it. Wrestle? Could do it very well. Curt Hennig is one of the top all around performers in the history of the business. Most fans don’t know this, but before Vince enticed ($$$) Curt into joining the WWF…he had a huge money making feud with Nick Bockwinkle in the AWA that saw him winning the World Title. He was a credible champion and that was before Vince put his personal marketing machine behind him.

#1
‘Hot Rod’ ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper
The man is an Icon. He was, and probably still is, a household name and he did it all without ever winning the World Title. I find that amazing. Anytime a wrestler can reach the level where Piper found himself for years without ever being the clear cut #1 in any company is remarkable. It just goes to show you the type of showman Hotrod really was. People didn’t buy tickets to watch Roddy Piper wrestle. They bought tickets and plenty of them, to watch Roddy Piper perform…to entertain. Hotrod was unique because he never won the World Title…one main reason was…he just didn’t need it. He talked his way to the top of an industry and had the in ring abilities to back it up.

Retro Reel

I have finally decided to make good use of my ever expanding Wrestling DVD Library and take a closer look at the matches some of us may have forgotten. In the Retro Reel, I will review matches that for some reason or another… we have decided not to keep in mind.


Could this man really be in a forgotten classic?

WCW Souled Out

World Heavyweight Championship
Chris Benoit vs. Sid Vicious

Back-story

Bret Hart is stripped of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship due to a concussion. In WCW’s last ditch effort to keep The Crippler, they reward him a much deserved spot in the main event.

Why it was forgotten?

My guess is everything from 2000 in WCW is a blur even to the guys who worked there. Also, Benoit quitting right after the main event and The Radicalz jumping ship just weeks later overshadowed the actually contest.

A more obvious reason is the Benoit tragedy which unfortunately shits all over everything he did inside the ring.

Why it should be remembered?

It is quite possibly the greatest match of Sid’s career. I would say without a doubt it is but unfortunately I have never seen Sid’s match against HBK in 1996 at the Survivor Series. So worst case scenario…it’s at least in his top two.

Why was it good? Well of course Chris Benoit was in control of the entire match, using some very creative ways to work on Sid’s leg. And to his credit, Sid did a convincing job of selling the injury. One minor problem I had during the match was you could actually hear Sid say ‘what’ to Benoit’s orders for spots and such during the contest. But if you can get over that Sid is an awful wrestler, and realize Chris Benoit is performing a minor miracle in the ring, you will without a doubt enjoy it.

Other than the technical aspects of the match it does serve some historic value. It is the last match Chris Benoit ever had in WCW, and it is his first of only two World Title reigns in professional wrestling. For a career spanning over 20 years, with so many accomplishments, the first World Title win should be memorable.

Top 10 Greatest Tag Teams Of All Time

WWE picked Edge and Christian on their list...will they make mine?!

Recently on WWE.com they posted their version of the top 10 greatest tag teams in the history of professional wrestling. Here is my take on the list.

#10- The British Bulldogs
Not a bad choice for the 10 slot but they could have been left off the list and it wouldn’t have killed me. Both very skilled wrestlers and if Dynamite took care of himself a little better, this tag team could have easily shot into the top 6-7 all time.

#9- The Rockers
Amazingly The Rockers never owned WWE tag gold which technically should kick them right off the list, but it was their wrestling style that landed them here and I could probably argue they should be around 5-6 on the list. Simply put Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels in ring styles were revolutionary. Anytime you can throw that word around, they did something right.

#8- The Wild Samoans
Yes they were around a very long time, but top 10 of all time? Maybe the old geezer New York guys could argue it, but I have actually heard of The National Wrestling Alliance. They aren’t top 10.

#7- Harlem Heat
Seriously? Ok they won the WCW World Tag Team Titles…a lot. But Stevie Ray shouldn’t be top 10 anything in pro wrestling. I’m sure Harlem Heat meant a lot more to tag wrestling than The Rockers. Moving right along…

#6- Demolition
I can safely say that I have never enjoyed a Demolition match. Were their gimmicks cool? Yeah when I was six I thought they were awesome, but I have never looked back at the history of wrestling and said to myself ‘Damn I wish I could see that Demolition match’. They were supposed to be a rip off of LOD, they got over on their own…good for them. Not good enough for top 10.

#5- The Fabulous Freebirds
Thank God Michael Hayes still works for WWE or I’m positive the Freebirds would have been left off the list. Their feud with The Von Erichs in Texas was legendary and believe Hulk Hogan all you want…the first wrestlers to incorporate music into their entrance? The Freebirds baby.

#4- Edge and Christian
I LOVED Edge and Christian, they always delivered in the ring, on the mic, and they were friggan hilarious. How they made it into the top 5 is quite the leap of faith. If you put these guys on the list, you HAVE to include The Dudley Boyz. And neither would be close to #4.

#3- The Hart Foundation
Now this is a tag team right here. They are probably better suited out of the top three, but it doesn’t drive me crazy that they are listed here. Talk about all around, mic work, wrestle heel or face, steal the shows in the ring, draw some money…Hart Foundation is an all time great team.

#2- The Hardy Boyz
Much like The Rockers, The Hardy Boyz were revolutionary and really put tag team wrestling back on the map in 1999. But the second greatest tag team of all time? THE SECOND?!?! Unlike a lot of these teams on the list, I lived through the rise of The Hardy Boyz and can basically recall every single one of their ppv matches. They saved a lot of shows with their death defying stunts and marked out for almost all their matches. But I could say the same for Mick Foley…and he’s nowhere near top 10 wrestlers of all time. Do they belong on the list? Yes. Number 2? Not a chance.

#1- The Legion of Doom
You will not hear a peep from me. These guys should be #1 on every list. If you don’t know why, I’ll break it down. People bought tickets not to see the main event, but to see LOD. Anytime a tag team can actually eclipse the main event, its special…and it doesn’t happen very often. LOD #1 is spot on.

So WWE’s list sucked pretty badly, they included some great names, but they also left out some even better ones. I would hate to create a list because I think it’s a lose lose situation, EVERYBODY is going to have their own opinions…but if the booking…GAWD was forced to...

My top 10.

10. The Dudley Boyz
9. The Brainbusters/Horsemen
8. The Steiner Brothers
7. The Hardy Boyz
6. The Rockers
5. The Freebirds
4. The Hart Foundation
3. The Midnight Express
2. The Rock N Roll Express
1. The Legion of Doom

How in the world The Midnight and Rock N Roll Express got left off this list is beyond me. Talk about a tag team outdrawing the main event? You plop Rock N Roll express anywhere in the south, they are selling out the show. Same with Midnight Express, although I think Jim Cornette is as much if not more responsible for their success than Bobby Eaton’s in ring abilities.

It was tough for me to put The Dudley Boyz on there but honestly it’s hard to ignore their title reigns and they weren’t any slouches in the ring either under the right circumstances. The Steiner Brothers have to be on the list as well. Brainbusters…well if you base this list on talent alone they are in hands down. HANDS DOWN. That may have been the Horsemen mark in me putting them in, but they put on a tag team clinic seven days a week and twice on Sundays….Woooooooooooooooo!

I should have put the Brisco Brothers on here but honestly I would be lying through my teeth. Let me get some old DVD’s of them…then I can fairly decide.

Two teams that I thought I could put on here but just didn’t have the room or balls is The New Age Outlaws and The Outsiders. Say what you will about their in ring work and out of the ring personalities, both teams were in the middle and a very significant part of the biggest boom period in the history of wrestling. If you wanted to replace these two teams with Brainbusters and Dudleyz, I couldn’t go crazy.