Roddy Piper is the greatest wrestler to never win a world title. Piper was one of Hulk Hogan’s greatest adversaries, and they feuded for the better part of 1984 and 1985. Piper was a great talker- perhaps the best ever. He held the WWF Intercontinental Title and the WCW/NWA US Title (twice). Piper is a Hall of Famer, and is loved by millions, even though the prime of his career was spent as a heel.
9. Bret Hart
Bret “Hit Man” Hart called himself “The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be,” and that’s not far from the truth. Bret Hart began his WWF career teaming with his brother-in-law, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, to form the original Hart Foundation. After winning 2 WWF Tag Team Championships, Bret struck out on his own, where he won 2 Intercontinental Titles. He followed those up with 5 WWF World Titles. He also won the King of the Ring twice (one was untelevised) and co-won the Royal Rumble. He led the stable of The Hart Foundation, which consisted of himself, Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Brian Pillman. He had several of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time, most notably with his brother Owen, Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels. He also had feuds with Ric Flair, Mr. Perfect, Yokozuna, The Undertaker, Roddy Piper, and many more. In WCW, he won The US Title 4 times, the Tag Title once (with Goldberg), and the World Title twice. Bret later returned to WWE to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and later to compete in one last WrestleMania match against his biggest rival, Vince McMahon. He also one the now WWE US Title for a 5th time.
8. Undertaker
The Undertaker made his debut as an evil heel. However, fans soon learned to love the deadman. The Undertaker has had a stellar career, which has included a few heel runs, but mostly filled with the cheers of adoring fans. The Undertaker has enjoyed several World Championships, and feuds with every top star in the WWE. He is the only man to have taken the title off of Hulk Hogan on two separate occasions. He has never lost at WrestleMania, and has won 18 times (several of those matches being main events). Undertaker has reinvented himself several times, always evolving his character and adding new maneuvers to his repertoire. Some of his best matches have been later in his career against the likes of Batista, Kurt Angle, Edge, and Shawn Michaels.
7. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels began his wrestling career in the AWA as part of the Midnight Rockers tag team. The team soon joined the WWF and dropped the Midnight from their name. It wasn’t long before Michaels broke away from his partner, Mary Jannetty, and began an amazing career. Michaels has been and Intercontinental, Tag Team, European, and World Champion. He is known for being a founding member of D-generation X, but he is more known for his incredible performances at WrestleMania. It seems that every year, you can count on Shawn Michaels giving a match-of-the-year candidate. After taking several years off due too back injuries, he returned a better performer than nearly every other wrestler. In fact, he has put on better matches since his return, due to his improved understanding of ring psychology. He has had legendary feuds with Razor Ramon, Bret Hart, Triple H, The Undertaker, and more.
6. Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino only won the WWWF Title twice. His first reign, however, lasted for nearly 8 years. He was a huge draw for Vince McMahon, Sr.’s company during the ‘60s. After a fallout with Vince, Jr., Bruno has not been involved in the WWE for many years. He is not in the WWE Hall of Fame, though he has been asked several time. Bruno is truly one of the greats.
5. The Rock
“Finally, The Rock has come back to the WWF!” The Rock may not have been the most talented in terms of wrestling, but he was the most entertaining. His matches were always fun to watch, but his interviews were more fun to listen to. He had a seemingly endless stream of catchphrases, and whether he was a heel or a face, he always got a reaction from the crowd. He was the only person who could match Austin in terms of fan favorites, and most would say he passed Austin. The Rock won the WWE Title 7 Times and the WCW Title twice. He has also been a Tag Champion and an Intercontinental Champion. He has eclipsed both his father’s (Rocky Johnson) and grandfather’s (Peter Maivia) achievements in wrestling, and cemented himself as one of the biggest stars of all time. He had great rivalries with Austin, Triple H, Chris Benoit, and Hulk Hogan.
4. Stone Cold Steve Austin
When Stunning Steve Austin was fired by WCW, after winning their Tag Titles (with Brian Pillman) and their US Title, many may have thought his time in the spotlight was over. However, after a brief stint in ECW, Austin showed up on WWF TV, accompanied by Ted DiBiase. Soon enough, Austin broke away from DiBiase and his career took off. He shined on the mic and was good in the ring. He was booked as a heel, but the fans loved him. After defeating Jake Roberts in the finals of the King of the Ring, Austin began a new phenomenon by stating that “Austin 3:16 says, ‘I just whipped your ass!’” Austin was foul-mouthed and out of control, and the fans loved it. Austin went on to win the Royal Rumble 3 times, the Intercontinental Title, and the WWF World Title a number of times. He is also a Hall of Famer. He was the company’s top baby-face for several years, and was a big part of the revitalization of wrestling in the late ‘90s. He main evented several WrestleManias, and was one of the best of all time. “And that’s the bottom line, ‘cuz Stone Cold said so!”
3. Andre the Giant
Andre was the biggest man in wrestling (both literally and figuratively) for many years. He stood 7 feet 4 inches, and weighed around 500 pounds. He toured the world and was the WWF’s main attraction for much of the ‘70s and into the ‘80s. He would often take on multiple opponents and participate in battle royals. For many years, he was never pinned and he never submitted. He never needed a world title. He and Hulk Hogan main evented the biggest card of all time: WrestleMania III, where Andre suffered his first pinfall defeat. Less than a year later, Andre would win his first and only World Title when he defeated Hogan. He only held the title for a minute or so before he handed it over to his boss, Ted DiBiase. He is still one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time. He was the first ever WWF Hall of Famer.
2. Ric Flair
“The Nature Boy” has won more World Titles than anyone else in the business- a whopping 16! Wait…I’m sorry. Stop. I can’t do this anymore. Ric Flair has not won 16 World Titles. It’s just not true. He won the NWA Title 11 Times. He won the WCW Title 8 times. He won the WWF Title twice. Ric Flair has won no less than 21 World Heavyweight Championships! Wooooo! He is also a WWE Hall of Famer. Flair was great in the ring, and better on the mic. He was the leader of The Four (Wooo) Horsemen. He worked well as a face and as a heel. He’s held virtually every major title in existence, something only Bret Hart and Chris Benoit can match him on. His endless stream of catchphrases can only be matched by The Rock. He participated in numerous great matches, including his steel cage match with Harley Race, his three matches with Ricky Steamboat, his WrestleMania matches with Randy Savage and Shawn Michaels, and many, many more. And on top of all that he was “a wheelin’, dealin’, kiss-stealin’, limosine ridin’, jet flyin’, son of a gun!”
1. Hulk Hogan
If you were a wrestling fan at any time after 1984, you can probably thank Hulk Hogan. He is the biggest star in the history of the industry. He sold out the HUGE Pontiac Silver Dome (93,000 people) for his WrestleMania III match with Andre the Giant. He’s been in numerous WrestleMania main events against the likes of Andre, Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, Yokozuna, Sid, Sgt. Slaughter, and The Rock. He has been the WWF/WWE Champion 6 times, and the WCW Champion 7 times. He is also a WWE Hall of Famer. He became a household name in the ‘80s. He reinvented himself as a heel in the ‘90s. His abilities to work a crowd and to talk on the mic overshadowed his lack of in-ring skill. So, what’cha gonna do, brother, when Hulkamania runs wild on you???
Caption for Bruno's picture: BRAAAAIIINNNNSSSS!
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