The evolution of pro wrestling has gone through different stages since the early 20th century. Started as a form of entertainment, it has shaped today’s wrestling slowly.
While many professional wrestlers put their blood and sweat into developing the industry, a very few of them become the best of the best due to their skills, styles, looks, and marketability. From Steve Austin to The Undertaker, everyone has their own legacy in the ring.
In this article, we will go through the list of the greatest wrestlers of all time. To determine the perfect order, we have simply considered the entrance theme, finishing moves, and career statistics. All these 10 wrestlers have helped to shape up the modern WWE.
#10. Mick Foley
Entrance Music
Let’s start with the trickiest part that is the entrance music or theme. In his career, Mick Foley entered the ring under many alter egos, and each of them had a different entrance theme than the others. However, none of them were too great to stay in your mind. Arguably, the “Wreck” can be considered as mankind’s best entrance theme, which he used at the very late of his career.
Signature Finishing Move
The Mandible Claw was a simple but deadly move. The main objective was to grasp the opponent, stick fingers in their mouth, and use pressure underneath. The opponent cannot bite Dude Love’s finger due to excruciating pain and is forced to tap out of the ring. Later Foley improvised the move by combining with Mr.Socko.
The Double-Arm DDT is pretty standard but twice the deadly as Mandible Claw. Cactus Jack used this move to block his opponent’s hand, undertook them, and drops to the mat. The opponents cannot block this move as their hands are tied and end up taking a huge blow on the skull.
Career
One of the iconic moments in WWE history is when The Undertaker threw Mike Foley from the top of the hell in a cell cage straight to the announcing desk. Two years after the incident, Triple H threw Mike Foley through the cell and canvas of the wrestling ring, which was a more astonishing stunt. The former WWE wrestler won three WWF championships, one WWF hardcore championship, and eight WWF tag team championships, which makes him one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
#09. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Credit: WWE
Entrance Music
Roddy Piper was a Canadian professional WWE wrestler who had one of the most effective entrance themes a WWE fan could ever imagine. It used to set the stage on fire when Roddy walked down the ramp while his entrance song was playing in the background.
Signature Finishing Move
Piper had a signature finishing move, which is the sleeper hold. He was the first wrestler ever to master the techniques of a sleeper hold. The submission maneuver is the only thing that makes it a deadly finishing move. However, Piper’s signature move was not as famous as others.
Career
Do you know who turned WWE into dramatic and jaw-dropping theatre? Yes, it’s none other than Roddy Piper. The ‘Hot Rod’ was a headline start during his era, including some annual events like WrestleMania and Starrcade. In his whole career, Piper won 34 championships and two WWE/WWF belts. The one-time tag-team champion Piper was instated into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by Ric Flair. The ‘Hot Rod’ passed away in 2015 due to cardiac arrest.
#08. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
WWE
Entrance Music
No offense but Randy Savage had one of the worst entrance themes you can ever imagine. It’s still a mystery why a wild egoistic character like Randy could choose bad music while walking down on the ramp to the wrestling ring. His entrance music is not something that makes him a legend.
Signature Finishing Move
The finisher Randy developed was simply extraordinary. His trademark signature, Flying Elbow Drop, is the main reason why the Macho Man gathered so much popularity.
In an era where wrestlers were afraid to even climb the turnbuckle, Randy’s signature move was something that could ignite the whole audience.
Career
Undoubtedly, The Spider can be considered as one of the best pro wrestlers of all time. During his 32-year career, Savage dominated in 11 title matches and 29 championship matches, including 4 WCW World Heavyweight Champions and two WWF World Heavyweight Champions. It was believed that Savage had the same power as Hulk Hogan. The one time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion was inducted into the prestigious WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.
#07. John Cena
HOUSTON – APRIL 05: John Cena shows off his new World Heavyweight Championship belt after defeating The Big Show and Edge in triple threat match at “WrestleMania 25” at the Reliant Stadium on April 5, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/WireImage)
Entrance Music
Don’t lie, but the music popped up in your head just by reading the name, right? Without question, John Cena has one of the best entrance themes you listen to for hours. From the first ten seconds to the last, it’s the song that can ignite you every time you listen.
Signature Finishing Move
From the Attitude Adjustment to the Five Knuckle Shuffle, John Cena has the power to blow some dramatic finisher moves. The fan-favorite Attitude Adjustment works when the opponent is weak. John Cena picks them up and drops them sideways along with his weight. The STF or Toe Hold Facelock is a submission move. And lastly, the Five Knuckle Shuffle starts by signaling, ‘You Can’t See Me.’
Career
The 16 times WWE World Champion, John Cena, also is a 5 time United States Champion including 4 times World Tag Champion. Only two players in WWE history, John Cena and Ric Flair, have the most World Championships. Despite his greatest comeback at Royal Rumble, Cena Won 2 Royal Rumble Matches and one Money in the Bank match.
#06. The Undertaker
Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Entrance Music
The entrance music of The Punisher, renamed as The Undertaker, is one of the best experiences. The lights going out with the sound of a heavy bell will give you Goosebumps regarding your age. The slow walk and eerie atmosphere with the dark costume adds a whole other level of chilling ambiance.
Signature Finishing Moves
The Undertaker had only two finishing moves: the Tombstone Piledriver and the Chokeslam. Generally, he used both of his finishing moves to pin down the opponent, but one is enough to do the trick. However, the Tombstone was far more superior to Chokeslam. Not only had it required a great amount of strength, but also a devastative force.
Career
Undoubtedly, The Undertaker was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Basically, many WWE fans grew up seeing Undertaker in the ring. He had 21 consecutive winning streaks in WrestleMania until Brock Lesnar defeated him. The Undertaker won 7 World Heavyweight Championships as well as 4 WWE Championships and 6 WWE tag team Championships which makes him one of the best.
#05. Bill Goldberg
Entrance Music
Few wrestlers can spark the whole stadium with their theme song, and Goldberg is one of them to do the job meticulously. The background of the American saxophone with people chanting ‘Goldberg, Goldberg’ is one of the best themes that prove his attitude and greatness.
Signature Finishing Move
Goldberg is especially famous for his finisher, The Spear, but he also has another deadly move known as The Jackhammer. Generally, Goldberg loves to combine them one after another. Starting with The Spear to knock off an opponent and finishing with The Jackhammer is one of the best finisher moves you can ever witness in WWE history.
Career
Goldberg competed in WCW, where he became 2 times WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and won WCW Triple Crown for the 5th time. After becoming the World Heavyweight Champion in WWE (2004), Goldberg took a 12 years break and came back to WWE in 2017. He won the WWE Universal Championship for the first and second time in 2017 and 2020.
#04. Hulk Hogan
Image: WWE
Entrance Music
Hulk Hogan performed under many theme songs throughout his entire career, including ‘Real American,’’Eye of the Tiger’ and ‘Voodoo Child.’ While he had an inconsistent performance, the entrance music was the only thing to make a revolution. The goal of the entrance theme is to recognize the person behind immediately, and Hulk Hogan was the wrestler who invented this technique.
Signature Finishing Move
His finisher, the Leg Drop, might seem like an ordinary move, but back in his era, the Leg Drop was undoubtedly one of the greatest finishing moves in the wrestling world. However, climatic Leg Drop lost its popularity in the modern age.
Career
From WCW to WWE, Hulk Hogan dominated everywhere. He won 6 World Championships in both WCW and WWE. Hogan was the first wrestler in history who won consecutive Royal Rumble matches in 1990 and 1991. He received the WWE Hall of Fame award in 2005.
#03. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
The Rock Expresses Gratitude towards the CFL for how it changed his life
Entrance Music
You were eagerly waiting for this name, right? I would feel the same if I were you. Only a few entrance songs in WWE history have enough spice to give an opening punch, including Rock’s. The starting of the song ‘If you smell…” is more than enough to cheer the entire audience and blast the speaker.
Signature Finishing Move
You might prefer Goldberg’s Spear or Jackhammer, but the Rock had a better setup and combo as far as WWE knows. The Rock Bottom is enough to crush the opponent down within a second. If the opponent could stand after one Rock Bottom, he would receive another one immediately, and it was pretty much game over.
Career
The Rock was an exceptional wrestler but far more successful in his acting career. From winning the first WWF Championship in 1998 to 10 World Champions, Rock wrestled consistently. He also won 2 Intercontinental Championships along with 10 World Championships and one Royal Rumble match.
#02. Shawn Michaels
Credit: WWE
Entrance Music
Are you ready to know who had the best entrance theme ever? It’s none other than Shawn Michaels. If you consider a score from 1 to 10, Shawn Michael would get more than full marks just for his entrance theme. The Heartbreak Kid wasn’t just a charming guy, but also one half of the famous D-Generation X, which ultimately gives him two greatest entrance songs.
Signature Finishing Move:
The famous Sweet Chin Music, invented by Shawn Michaels, is the ultimate proof of his greatness. Shawn Michaels was one of the few extraordinary wrestlers who used a long-running kick to the face.
Career:
Shawn Michaels was so consistent that he should be considered one of the most popular wrestlers. The leader of D-Generation X is a four-time World Championships winner as well as two times Royal Rumble. He also won the Intercontinental Championship and World Heavyweight Championship. Michaels also proved his ability in tag-team matches, where he won 6 of those belts with four different partners.
#01. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Credit: WWE
Entrance Music
The starting of Austin’s song will stay superior for many years. The entrance song of the Stone Cold became the WWE anthem for over a decade. Unlike The Rock’s entrance, Austin’s song gathered much more popularity from the beginning.
Signature Finishing Move
If you’re wondering who is the best wrestler in the world? You have your answer. Not only is Steve Austin on the throne of the best WWE wrestlers of all time, but also the Stone Cold Stunner is the best finisher in WWE history. The Texas Rattlesnake crush beer cans with bare hands and deliver a huge blow by grabbing on their head, stunning them. It’s pretty much impossible to stand after getting hit by Stone Cold Stunner.
Career
Because of the fatal neck injury in 2003, Austin was forced to retire from the WWE wrestling ground. However, he won 19 championships throughout his entire career. He is the 4 time WWF Tag Team Champion, 2 times WWF Intercontinental Champion, and 6 time WWF Champion. His legacy doesn’t stop here. The two-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion also won 5 WWE Triple Crown awards.
Our list concludes here. If you couldn’t find your favorite wrestler here, then don’t be disappointed. Whether or not they get a place in the top 10 list, they are still legend in their fan base.
