Rey Mysterio took up his uncle’s gimmick and name, and his career took off from there. He was introduced to the US in ECW, where he was noticed by WCW. In WCW, he lead the Cruiserweight division into popularity. He had great feuds with Dean Malenko, Psichosis, Juventud Guerrera, Eddie Guerrero, and Chavo Guerrero. After WCW went out of business, Rey Mysterio was picked up by the WWF. While there, Mysterio amazed new fans who hadn’t seen anyone so athletic. He quickly became hugely popular. After the death of his good friend, Eddie Guerrero, Rey was given the push he deserved, and became the World Heavyweight Champion, even though he weighs well under 150 pounds.
29. Scott Hall
“You know who I am, but you don’t know why I’m here!” Scott Hall’s famous words began the NWO storyline in WCW. But Hall was already a big name in wrestling, having been a tag team champion in the AWA (with Curt Hennig) and an Intercontinental Champion in the WWF. Hall was known as Razor Ramon in the WWF, where he had some of the best feuds of all time. His best match was against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania X, and it was a ladder match. In WCW, Hall was part of the Outsiders with Kevin Nash, and together they made up the core of the NWO.
28. The Road Warriors: Animal and Hawk
Animal and Hawk have the distinction of being the only tag team to reach the same level of fame as the singles wrestlers on this list. The Road Warriors started out in the AWA, where they own the Tag Team Titles. They later won titles in the NWA, WWF, and WCW. They are the greatest tag team in history.
27. John Cena
A few years ago, I wasn’t sure if Cena deserved to be this high. However, he has shown that he does. He gets great crowd reactions every time he walks through the curtain. He cuts great promos and has some of the most entertaining interviews. He has a great deal of respect for the business, and was the ultimate representative of the business in the wake of the Benoit tragedy. He has become the face of WWE, and even had a title reign of over a year, the longest since Hulk Hogan’s four-year reign, and something that Austin, The Rock, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Keven Nash, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and many others never achieved.
26. “Ravishing” Rick Rude
Rick Rude was one of the great heels of all time. He was hated by fans for his cockiness. He claimed to be the sexiest man alive. He was one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions, and had great feuds with Jake Roberts, the Ultimate Warrior, and many others. When he went to WCW, he won his only world title, the WCW International World Heavyweight Title.
25. Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund was a pure baby-face in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Backlund was the champion for the better part of 6 years, losing the title twice, and only briefly, during that time. He was a technical wrestler. He later returned to wrestling and became the WWF Champion for a fourth time at the age of 45, and this time, he was a heel.
24. Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase was a mid-carder in the WWWF in the late ‘70s. When he came back a few years later, he was a seasoned veteran with a new gimmick- “The Million Dollar Man.” DiBiase was a great arrogant heel. He even attempted to buy the WWF World Title from Hulk Hogan. Hogan, wouldn’t have it, so DiBiase hired Andre the Giant to beat Hogan for the title. Andre was successful (with the help of a hired referee), and gave the belt to DiBiase. DiBiase is not recognized as a former champion, but he was announced as champion for several weeks after the incedent. DiBiase main evented WrestleMania that year, losing to Randy Savage. DiBiase would later be a Tag Team Champion, along with Irwin R. Schyster. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
23. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Those who were lucky enough to see Ricky Steamboat’s first feud with Ric Flair in the late ‘70s knew even then how good Steamboat was. When he was in the WWF in the ‘80s, he was one of the most talented and popular superstars, and many thought he was due for a World Title. He never got it, so he left for the NWA. There, he resumed his feud with Ric Flair, and the two put on three classic matches, all considered some of the greatest of all time. In the first of these, Steamboat won the NWA World Heavyweight Title, and in the last, he lost it. When Steamboat returned to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he also stepped into the ring and showed that he still had much of the same skill that made him great years earlier.
22. Mick Foley
Mick Foley dreamed of being a professional wrestler, and he worked hard to make that dream come true. He worked his way through the independent circuits, WCW, and ECW as Cactus Jack. He signed with the WWF, who dubbed him “Mankind.” As Mankind, he showed his sadistic side to the world. He had no problem putting his own body at risk, often falling on thumbtacks, or worse, from the roof of a 15 foot cage to the floor. Foley has taken more sick bumps than anyone. He was rewarded for this hard work with the admiration of the fans, and with 3 WWF World Championships.
21. Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero came from a wrestling family. People who watched him wrestle in ECW and WCW knew that he was one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. WCW allowed Eddie to leave the company, and he arrived in the WWF (along with Benoit, Malenko, and Perry Saturn). Eddie worked great feuds with many top WWF/WWE stars. He also worked through his addictions, and even through getting fired by the company. Upon his return, Eddie was better than ever. Not long after, Eddie was getting more cheers than anyone in the company. Finally, Eddie Guerrero beat Brock Lesnar to win his only World Title. He successfully defended it against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania. After his tragic death, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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