Which wrestler has been the best at putting over talent in WWE history....

In the wacky world of Professional Wrestling, self promotion & 'protecting your spot' can have a direct correlation to success, fame & earnings most wrestlers who reach the top of there profession are seen as selfish ego maniacs & master back stage politicians.... Putting over a rival could be debtrimental to your own career. However several in the business haven't been scared to 'pass the torch' Who would you say was the greatest at 'making' other wrestlers?

Bret Hart springs to mind for me. Every guy he got it the ring with came out looking better. He made Steve Austin @ Mania 13, he made Michaels @ Mania 12, heck he even made a drugged up Davey Boy Smith a star at Summerslam 92.

Of the current crop I'd go with Chris Jericho not for the same reasons but for the fact he will loss clean to anyone on the roster to try & elevate them.

It is the balancing point between remaining a star and still putting others over. I always got the feeling that Jericho was seen as a stepping stone star rather than the No. 1 guy...

In terms of the No. 1 guys there are very few who have consistently put talent over. Rocky would be the one that comes to mind in that respect.

Good point Josh....

I suppose if you look at the top guys in the WWE & who made who this gives you a clearer indication

Bret Hart made Stone Cold, HBK
Austin made Rock
Rock made Foley, Triple H
Triple H made Batista
Hogan made Warrior

Brady12 wrote:Good point Josh....

I suppose if you look at the top guys in the WWE & who made who this gives you a clearer indication

Bret Hart made Stone Cold, HBK
Austin made Rock
Rock made Foley, Triple H
Triple H made Batista
Hogan made Warrior

Now I quite accept that I may have overlooked some key incidents here...

But I would question Austin making The Rock given that Austin beat Rocky at WM15 & 17.

Also Rock did the deed for Lesnar too at Summerslam and Angle at No Mercy 2000.

Is the general conclusion that Taker mainly buried careers?

Mankind/Cactus Jack/Dude Love for me made Triple H and The Rock the legitimate Main Eventers they became, I also fully believe The Undertaker became better after working with Foley in 96, he also had a great feud with Austin in 98 when Austin needed it as the new WWF Champion, then I felt he went beyond the call of duty with his feud with Edge, I look at what these guys did in the business after working with Foley and thats why for me he is #1

I'm really loving the threads you're creating Brady, some great original topics

And Foley with Orton

Very true, add Randal to Foley's impressive list

Might be a controversial choice buy I would have to say flair.

Cheers Gaffer loving your input as always... Don't really get time to get on in the day due to work commitments but have been try to throw out a few topics that may not of been touched on to stay involved

Foley is a great shout. He's one I consider to be a genuine nice guy in the business.

Josh it was a bit of a quick post about who made who didn't really think about it & I accept that others with have different views on who made who. I consider Austin & Rock great dance partners. One didn't make the other exactly but both needed each other.... Also you don't need to 'go over' to come out of the match better or with credit. I've said it before I think Bret Hart most memorable 5 performances all came in defeat (Iron Man match, Austin Mania 13, Bulldog Wembley, Owen Mania 10 & Montreal)... Similarly you can get rub by association like Orton & Batista got from being in evolution with Flair & Triple H

Fadorock wrote:Might be a controversial choice buy I would have to say flair.

He did a decent job with Sting & he definately enhanced the careers of those who worked with him in the horseman... Not at the top of my list but I'd consider him a team player.

Mick Foley, no doubt. As others have said, he made HHH and Rock into legit competitors, massively enhanced Austin's and Taker's careers, helped get Kane over by association, hardcore matches with Orton and Edge, even though he'd retired from in-ring action.

Undoubtedly in my mind the best ever at getting people over, or turning established wrestlers from stars into superstars.

The Rock has always been willing to put others over him, simply because he knew he'd be back in the main spot eventually. He put Angle over for his 1st title, he put Lesnar over before leaving, he put Goldberg over before leaving again, he put Mankind over for his 1st title win and he'll probably put Cena over next year. The Rock is and was a team player.
Mick Foley and Ric Flair are both very good shouts as well. I always remember Jim Cornette saying that when Flair put someone over, he always made them look better then they ever could.

Brady12 wrote:I've said it before I think Bret Hart most memorable 5 performances all came in defeat (Iron Man match, Austin Mania 13, Bulldog Wembley, Owen Mania 10 & Montreal)

That's a great point Brady, most of Bret's memorable matches have been losses proving he was willing to mput people over. But I also give the nod to Bret in this category because everyone who stepped in the ring with him came out the better for it. And you can also put people over by beating them. Look at Bret's matches with 123 Kid, Hakushi, Owen steel cage match etc. they all came out of these matches looking alot stronger than before because of the level of performance Bret drew from them.

For second place I give it to Rocky, so unselfish. Although it could be argued that recently he hasn't made the Miz or Cena look very strong, especially Miz.

Honourable mention also to Foley, Jericho, HHH (regardless of these rumours surronding him, he has lost alot of Mania matches), Benoit, Mr Perfect and Kane.

Agree with all the names you've mentioned there Animal. Excellent point about Bret putting over talent even when he defeated them. 1-2-3 Kid was a cracking match & whilst you never thought Bret would lose I remember thinking perhaps Kid can hang with the top guys after that match.

Mr Perfect what a great shout if anyone got Bret to the next level it was him

Maybe not the best at it, but Kane always seemed to me like the one a rising star would go over before getting to the Main Event. Kane even made a career out of it, maybe it wasn't his decision, but when you consider the guys who beat Kane on their way to the top first time round, you've got Batista, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar and Triple H to name but 4.

Brady12 wrote:
I've said it before I think Bret Hart most memorable 5 performances all came in defeat (Iron Man match, Austin Mania 13, Bulldog Wembley, Owen Mania 10 & Montreal)

-----------------------------------

Can i just add that Bret wasnt defeated at Mania 13, he actually beat Austin.

I'd like to throw Randy Savage's name into the mix. Always felt he put loads of people over. Steamboat, Hogan, Warrior, Flair to name a few.

loads of good shouts and Mr H got there before with with Savage. Put over some big names in the early days. Also added to the credibility of undertaker and jake the snake with the fued they had.

MetalMotty wrote:loads of good shouts and Mr H got there before with with Savage. Put over some big names in the early days. Also added to the credibility of undertaker and jake the snake with the fued they had.

Very good point. Savage's role in putting over Jake in his heel turn was huge. Savage had that ability to put someone over even if he still won the match. Although he beat Flair at Mania 8, Flair still looked good coming out of that match.

i liked alot of savages fueds thinking about it, His with steamboat, Hogan, warrior, flair, jake roberts, all had good build up and matches to finish with.

Barry Howoritz the greatest "Talent Enhancement" wrestler there ever was!!

There are ways for someone to put over talent without being defeated. Always thought Bret Hart made his opponents look respectable in the ring, and can't remember him ever burying anyone in a squash.

Also the Undertaker put over Jeff Hardy by raising his hand after the ladder match they had on Raw a few years back.

Other than them I think Triple H as put over quite a few talent. Submitting in the main event of Wrestlemania (don't think had ever been done before) to Benoit, and single handedly launched Batista. He also pulled Jeff Hardy up to the main event level.

Mick Foley was the best at it, I think. Honourable mentions to Rock, Bret, Flair and Angle. All five of those wrestlers have almost always given a lot to their opponents in victory and defeat. The likes of 888, Taker and Hogan may have done the occasional job but very rarely has someone come out of a feud with any of those three looking stronger.

What about in todays world, CM Punk?

Davieswasacrippledtart wrote:Mick Foley was the best at it, I think. Honourable mentions to Rock, Bret, Flair and Angle. All five of those wrestlers have almost always given a lot to their opponents in victory and defeat. The likes of 888, Taker and Hogan may have done the occasional job but very rarely has someone come out of a feud with any of those three looking stronger.

Just feel i have to defend Triple H a bit here. (Just for the record the name Mr H is not in any way linked to Hunter incase anyone thinks im a fanboy).

For me, there have been quite a few guys who have come out of a fued with Triple H looking stronger. Although they were his personal hand picked gym buddies, Triple H put both Batista and Sheamus over and both of their careers took a step in the right direction thanks to Hunter. Ok so Hunter beat Sheamus at Mania but the whole fued itself really put Sheamus on the map and it was only bad booking after Sheamus put HHH 'out' which stopped Sheamus taking the next step. Triple H tapped out to Benoit and Cena, and if making your opponent submit in the Main Event of Wrestlemania doesnt make you look stronger i dont know what will.

I also tip my hat to him for dropping the Undisputed Title to Hulk Hogan at Backlash. After only winning the title at Mania against Jericho, and after Hogans huge reaction after the face turn on the NWO, Hunter knew that Hogan was the biggest babyface going and ultimately gave the title to Hogan a month after Mania. Although Hogan was obviously already over, fair play to Hunter for letting Hogan go over him.

In the latest DX run, Hunter and Shawn also put over Legacy at Hell in a Cell which again should have made Rhodes and DiBiase go from strength to strength if it wasnt for bad booking.

For all of his misdemeanours and burying others along the way, i feel Hunter has helped balance the scale with his will to put others over.

Mr H wrote:Brady12 wrote:
I've said it before I think Bret Hart most memorable 5 performances all came in defeat (Iron Man match, Austin Mania 13, Bulldog Wembley, Owen Mania 10 & Montreal)

-----------------------------------

Can i just add that Bret wasnt defeated at Mania 13, he actually beat Austin.

I'd like to throw Randy Savage's name into the mix. Always felt he put loads of people over. Steamboat, Hogan, Warrior, Flair to name a few.

Did the decision not get reversed because Hart refused to break sharpshooter?

No, Bret is in the records book as winning that match.

You may be thinking of his match vs Jerry Lawler when that happened?

H, I'm sure we've discussed this a lot of times before and we'll never agree!

I personally think that being pinned or tapping out is only a small part of putting a wrestler over. 888 did a great job of putting Batista over, and a good job of putting Sheamus over until he then totally destroyed him on his return, but I don't think he helped Benoit, Cena or Legacy or many others.

I also think the decision to give the world title to Hogan's was entirely Vince McMahon's. 888 wouldn't have volunteered to do this in a million years.

Mr H wrote:
I'd like to throw Randy Savage's name into the mix. Always felt he put loads of people over. Steamboat, Hogan, Warrior, Flair to name a few.

While there is no doubt Savage had some awesome feuds with the above mentioned I'd disagree that he put any of them over, they where all insanely over when the feuds took place.

What about someone like earthquake?

HornetsYellowArmy wrote:What about someone like earthquake?

Can you give me an example of who Earthquake 'put over' please?

Hornets, that is such a brilliantly random post!

yokozona in a sumo match? also seem to remember a lengthy programme against jake the snake

He hardly put either of them over, Jake was the one who endorsed Quake and that Sumo match was WrestleCrap at its most glorious and by that time both where well past the point of caring about

I have very foggy memory of it all to be honest, but trying to throw new names into the mix as it seems to be always the same ones that are mentioned.

Thats fair enough mate I just couldn't see Quake in that catagory

so many posts, so little time to read through them all.
imo, i'd plump for the enhancers that got known. barry horowitz, mike sharpe and of course steve lombardi have to be up there.

but for bigger names i'll break it into two:

current wwe roster...
mid card: chavo guerrero; upper card: dolph ziggler

and for a top draw name, flair could make anyone look good.

Davieswasacrippledtart wrote: 888 did a great job of putting Batista over, and a good job of putting Sheamus over until he then totally destroyed him on his return, but I don't think he helped Benoit, Cena or Legacy or many others.

JBL was responsible for putting Cena over.

King wrote:

Davieswasacrippledtart wrote: 888 did a great job of putting Batista over, and a good job of putting Sheamus over until he then totally destroyed him on his return, but I don't think he helped Benoit, Cena or Legacy or many others.

JBL was responsible for putting Cena over.

I didn't say he wasn't???

the way its going for cm punk at the moment he could be added to this list