Steve Austin vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
John Cena vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
Lou Thesz vs. Edge
Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit

Steve Austin vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
John Cena vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
Lou Thesz vs. Edge
Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit

HBK vs. Harley Race
Sting vs. Bruno Sammartino
Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero
Ricky Steamboat vs. Antonio Inoki

missed this one....

HBK vs. Harley Race
Sting vs. Bruno Sammartino
Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero (still kinda sad guerrero beat orton, but i guess he was gone this round either way)
Ricky Steamboat vs. Antonio Inoki

I mean obviously Dylan trying to prop HBK up as the actual #1 of all time is silly, since he only has a viable argument for best in the ring and falls well short in every other category. While that dominance in the ring alone makes him one of the all-time greats, a career where he never cut a single classic promo, never had a truly great gimmick, was a decent draw but far from elite...it just doesn't make for a true GOAT resume. There's simply no way.

I can't see that GIF.

I do really like HBK btw but I'd put him on a similar level to the likes of Jericho, Steamboat, and the top workers from Japan whom I have also been voting against on occasion. While I do believe I made the objectively correct vote under my criteria, I must admit what I wrote was mainly devils advocate; I'm starting my "HBK doesn't deserve to win this whole thing" campaign early.

Also +1 to LKJ.

haters gonna hate

How is any of this hate? "He's awesome, but certainly not the greatest of all time" is hardly full of venom.

Like I don't know how one would possibly prop HBK above Flair in an objective all-time greatness contest.

Ringwork: fairly even
Mic work: significant edge to Flair
Drawing power: significant edge to Flair
Historical influence on the sport: edge to Flair


Before we even worry about HBK-Flair though, HBK's going to have to deal with Ricky Steamboat, and that quite honestly is a really difficult match for Michaels. A person could very reasonably go either way.

Ringwork: fairly even
Mic work: fairly even
Drawing power: fairly even
Historical influence on the sport: edge to Steamboat


I lean Steamboat right now, though my mind could change.

I don't think HBK is the GOAT but I do think he's probably top 5. I think he was much better on the mic than Steamboat, but I could see how someone who disliked DX would disagree. I personally really enjoyed DX and thought that gimmick was very funny and entertaining. I also think HBK probably drew more than Steamboat and probably has a longer lasting influence on wrestling than him. People will remember Steamboat for his matches, people will remember HBK for his matches plus a lot of his promos and skits from the DX era. With all that being said there's no way I would ever vote for him ahead of Flair. Flair is the clear number three behind Austin and Hogan.

HBK vs. Harley Race
Sting vs. Bruno Sammartino
Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero
Ricky Steamboat vs. Antonio Inoki

I have a hard time gauging Steamboat's drawing power, but to me HBK is just another Bret as far as draw is concerned...if even that. Those two were atop the company during a down time like today. Like in 1996, Michaels worked his butt off and put on a ton of great matches, but the company was sinking hard anyway. It was the perfect example of the disconnect between the greatness of his wrestling ability and the meh-ness of his drawing power. I'm sure he was able to add some buys and sell some tickets, but not at a top-of-the-company level. Then again, I don't know of a company even trying to do that with Steamboat (despite his world title reign).

As to characters, heel Michaels, from the time Marty Jannetty tried to jump through the barber shop window to escape from him, to the time that Michaels turned face after WrestleMania XI, was my favorite part of his career from a character standpoint. No question about it for me. He does pretty much have to beat out Steamboat for character stuff during his career; Steamboat was just "that guy who puts on amazing matches." On the mic and in persona he was pretty boring.

if it were possible, hbk would take up all 10 spots in the top 10

Steve Austin vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
John Cena vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
Lou Thesz vs. Edge
Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit

HBK vs. Harley Race
Sting vs. Bruno Sammartino
Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero
Ricky Steamboat vs. Antonio Inoki

Why do you hate great mic work?

How can you not like this mic work?

hbk can say more with one facial expression than rock can say in 10 minutes on the mic

Yeah I've always liked that video package, and the promo interspersed throughout it is good, but in a 15+ year WWE career with perpetual spotlight, that's what we're taking away for best mic work?

I enjoyed him on the mic at times, he wasn't a total greasefire on it like Chris Benoit, but he does pale next to the other all-time elite wrestlers.

yeah im not gonna argue with that

im just arguing that he is a guy that didnt need to be dwayne/flair/angle on the mic to be #1 of all time because he is just that damn good.

(ftr regarding the other names mentioned i have y2j in my top 5, and steamboat at 9 i think, so there is definitely a correlation in what people value)

After watching this video I started watching a bunch of these guys matches on youtube and I've fallen in love.

Misawa to the finals!!!!!



Thank you, Chargersin09, whos allowed me to watch some of the best wrestling ever in the past month or two.

HBK vs. Harley Race

If you think the Attitude Era was one of the better periods in wrestling then I can see HBK going on, but I don't so I'll take Race.

Sting vs. Bruno Sammartino

Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero

Longer career as well as success all around the world.

Ricky Steamboat vs. Antonio Inoki

I could literally flip a coin for this one, it's hard not to get past the Flair feud though as the tipping point in favor of Steamboat.

glad you enjoy it. that video you posted is fantastic. there's another video out there that features Kawada vs Misawa that some company keeps blocking .