Powerslam's Top 10 US Style all rounders

Many of you who buy Powerslam will probably have noticed this month they did an article on their top ten US all rounders, criteria include a wrestlers abilities to work, talk and draw, just thought I'd put it up as a point of discussion as personally I don't agree with all of it

10) Jerry Lawler
9) Randy Savage
8) Kurt Angle
7) Bret Hart
6) Harley Race
5) Buddy Rodgers
4) Terry Funk
3) Ric Flair
2) Shawn Michaels
1) Steve Austin


Few intial thoughts

• Austin is a worthy #1
  
  Hart has no place on that list, great wrestler, poor promo and was top in a period of poor business for WWF
  
  Would have Savage much higher, phenomenal wrestler and promo and managed to remain one of the top 3 stars in WWF throughout the Golden Era
  
  Might have had Angle higher but that could be because I'm biased towards the modern standard of wrestling compared to the Race's and Rodgers' who I do appreciate as greats of their time
  
  If we are basing this on drawing ability, HBK should be shunted down a few places, possibly the best ever in all other ways but has never proven himself as someone that people will pay to see
  
  Would have had Foley in their, unconventional but a massive talent and was a featured and beloved player at one of wrestlings hottest periods
  
  
  

All thoughts welcomed

I am surprised Funk is in there to be honest.

Savage and Angle should be higher in my opinion.

Adam D wrote:I am surprised Funk is in there to be honest.

Savage and Angle should be higher in my opinion.

I'm ok with Funk, maybe would quibble a few places up or down but few people fit the definition of all round as well as he does, he's sucessfully wrestled all over the world as a top star in the serious NWA, hard hitting Japanese promotions, garbage wrestling promotions like ECW and has made a respectable fist of sports enterainment with WWF both in the golden and attitude eras. He was a very good if not iconic promo and his I Quit match with Flair remains one of my favorites ever.

Forgive me if I’m getting the wrong end of the stick here but if it’s ‘US all rounders’ then why is a Canadian Bret Hart on the list?

The Rock is American right? Born in California right? His ability to talk and draw is second to none and I’d argue he was a decent worker. Surely he should be on there?

Triple H also deserves a mention. He’s been a top draw for 15 years. He can talk and can definitely work. I’d argue he deserves a place ahead of Jerry Lawler.

The biggest omission though for me is The Undertaker. I’m by no means his biggest fan but in terms of working, drawing and talking over the last 20 years he should be in the Top 10 without a doubt.

I presumed it meant judging from their success in the US, rather than in Japan or Mexico etc. rather than the nationality of the wrestler.

There is no better talker in wwe/f history than the Brain.

westisbest wrote:There is no better talker in wwe/f history than the Brain.

Not sure I'd agree with that but regardless he wan't much of a wrestler

Rocky, HHH and Taker are all good shouts.

I should have been more specific, it's US Style all rounders, as opposed to those who have been big stars in Puroresu or Lucha Libre where it may require different qualities.

I just meant the talking part alone.
Certainly the best commentator imo, the King a close second.
 
Christ he couldnt wrestle, although he did pick up a sneaky win or two.

Mr H wrote: Triple H also deserves a mention. He’s been a top draw for 15 years. He can talk and can definitely work. I’d argue he deserves a place ahead of Jerry Lawler.

im sorry but i disagree. Lawler was a better all rounder than HHH. He was on top for decades, not just in Mephis. His work with Andy Kaufman got national exposure. He could wrestle, brawl and promo. Triple H has never really been the main guy was always over shadowed by Rock, Austin, Michaels etc Not saying he isnt top 20 but i would have Lawler above him.

MetalMotty wrote:

Mr H wrote: Triple H also deserves a mention. He’s been a top draw for 15 years. He can talk and can definitely work. I’d argue he deserves a place ahead of Jerry Lawler.

im sorry but i disagree. Lawler was a better all rounder than HHH. He was on top for decades, not just in Mephis. His work with Andy Kaufman got national exposure. He could wrestle, brawl and promo. Triple H has never really been the main guy was always over shadowed by Rock, Austin, Michaels etc Not saying he isnt top 20 but i would have Lawler above him.

You have to ask yourself what Lawler would have achieved if he had competed in the WWE between 1998-2005 when he was at his peak. Would his character, persona, charisma, ability, drawing power and look have got him a main event slot? Would he have achieved more than what Triple H achieved in that era? I don’t think so. And let’s put aside Triple H’s pull backstage, his own attributes alone would have been good enough to justify being a multiple time champion even if he didn’t have the backstage clout. Triple H may not have been ‘the’ guy but that’s because he was the top heel in the company who Rock and Austin feuded with. He might not have ever been the top face in the company but he was definitely at more than one point the top heel. Savage and Angle are on the list but was Randy Savage ever ‘the’ guy? I’d say he was behind Warrior and Hogan in the pecking order. I don’t think Kurt Angle was ever ‘the’ guy either. He was as much ‘the’ guy as what HHH was.

This will seem a bit much to some but possibly because I got into wrestling around the year 1999/2000 mark I think Triple H was/is the best heel I have ever watched.

Mr H wrote:

MetalMotty wrote:

Mr H wrote: Triple H also deserves a mention. He’s been a top draw for 15 years. He can talk and can definitely work. I’d argue he deserves a place ahead of Jerry Lawler.

im sorry but i disagree. Lawler was a better all rounder than HHH. He was on top for decades, not just in Mephis. His work with Andy Kaufman got national exposure. He could wrestle, brawl and promo. Triple H has never really been the main guy was always over shadowed by Rock, Austin, Michaels etc Not saying he isnt top 20 but i would have Lawler above him.

You have to ask yourself what Lawler would have achieved if he had competed in the WWE between 1998-2005 when he was at his peak. Would his character, persona, charisma, ability, drawing power and look have got him a main event slot? Would he have achieved more than what Triple H achieved in that era? I don’t think so. And let’s put aside Triple H’s pull backstage, his own attributes alone would have been good enough to justify being a multiple time champion even if he didn’t have the backstage clout. Triple H may not have been ‘the’ guy but that’s because he was the top heel in the company who Rock and Austin feuded with. He might not have ever been the top face in the company but he was definitely at more than one point the top heel. Savage and Angle are on the list but was Randy Savage ever ‘the’ guy? I’d say he was behind Warrior and Hogan in the pecking order. I don’t think Kurt Angle was ever ‘the’ guy either. He was as much ‘the’ guy as what HHH was.

You cant say would Lawlers character have made it in 2000? would HHH have made it in the 70's and 80's? then the answer is no.

CM punk and Austins characters would not have made it in the 70's and 80's so not just picking on HHH. Just think people seem to underate jerry lawler and only seem to think of his work in WWF/E.

Look at Harley Race, guy is a legend and i would have him above HHH also. If you just based him on his WWF work he aint all that.

I like HHH i think he has done some great work, especially as a Heel just think that Lawler was a better all rounder.

Triple H’s ego and reputation supersede his wrestling ability for a lot of people which is a shame. The guy is a fantastic talent. He’s a very solid worker, his mic skills heel or face are excellent, he draws heat as a heel and the crowd love him as a face, he’s a great storyteller and has massive natural charisma. Sure – his backstage clout may have won him a few world titles but like I said I’m in no doubt that he’d have won the title multiple times based purely on his ability.

I think Motty has a point though, hell, Lawler at least did some interesting stuff after his peak with Bret and ECW too, whereas HHH could easily not have made it in Lawler's real era. 

I'd be putting Foley above them both anyway

I think the criticism that Triple H can't be in the list because he was never the star of the business misses that neither was Kurt Angle. In fact, I'd say Triple H has always been a bigger star in wrestling than Kurt Angle, although I do rate Angle higher.