The Wrestling Bard 12.20.09: Wrestlers of the Decade – #35-21

Welcome to Part 2 of the countdown of the greatest wrestlers of the 2000’s. This is the point on the list where the wrestlers I included are not interchangeable. While some wrestlers of the last fifteen could have been left off the list and others included without killing the credibility, I think it is very difficult to argue an informed case for any of these wrestlers’ inclusion. Well, maybe one.

Two reminders.

1) Women and tag teams are not included in the interest of fairness.
2) In no way, shape or form do I consider this to the be “THE List”. While objectivity was a main goal in making the list, it is still MY list and thus certain wrestlers are going to benefit or suffer based on my opinions of them.

Let’s get this show on the road!

#35: Brock Lesnar size=6>
Active Years: 2000-2004, 2005-2006
Achievements: WWE Champion (3 Times), IWGP Champion (1 Time), IGF Champion (1 Time), OVW Southern Tag Team Champion (3 Times w/Shelton Benjamin), Royal Rumble 2003, King of the Ring 2002
Promotions Worked For: WWE, NJPW, IWF, OVW
Why He’s #35: Usually when one uses the phrase “God’s Gift to Wrestling”, it’s preceded by the word “not”. Well, “not” in this case. Brock Lesnar was 6’4″, 290 lbs. He had strength, speed, and endurance. All the physical tools necessary to stand out in wrestling. He was a two time NCAA Champion in college wrestling. He had a competitive drive where he wanted to have the best match on every card. All the technical skill necessary to please the wrestling purists. He also had the ability to cut an intense, psychotic promo. All the charisma necessary to be a champion. And all these tools combined to make Brock more “real” than any other wrestler in history. If he was putting on a clinic with Kurt Angle, you believed it. If he was schooling Eddie Guerrero for thirty minutes, you believed it. If he was suplexing the Big Show, you believed it. Brock Lesnar was God’s Gift to Wrestling. He should have been #1 on this list, and he should have been #1 on the list when people make it in 2019.

Instead, Brock gave us two years in OVW, two years in WWE, and sporadic appearances in Japan. During his two year tenure with the WWE, he was unquestionably the top guy in the company, regardless of Triple H’s attempts to take that spot. He won the WWE Championship five months within his debut, defeating The Rock. He also defeated legends like Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker before having a stellar feud with Kurt Angle in 2003, winning two more WWE Championships. Before he left, he made Eddie Guerrero a credible World Champion in the span of forty minutes. People often talk about the void that Steve Austin and The Rock left, but Brock Lesnar left a void that hasn’t really been filled either. John Cena may be popular, but he doesn’t have the credibility that Brock had. Brock’s impact on WWE can still be felt to this day.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Brock Lesnar has no one to blame but himself for not being in the top ten, or even being #1. He had all the physical tools. He had the charisma. He had the booking. But he decided it wasn’t for him. While I respect Brock’s decision to put his happiness above wrestling, that decision will mean that he is ultimately remembered for having more potential than anyone, instead of being the star of this decade and the next decade. Then again, health problems aside, he’s riding high in UFC, so he probably doesn’t care that much.

#34: Hiroshi Tanahashisize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: IWGP Heavyweight Champion (4 Times), IWGP U-30 Champion (2 Times), IWGP Tag Team Champion (2 Times, w/Shinsuke Nakamura & Yutaka Yoshie), GHC Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Yuji Nagata), New Japan Cup 2005 & 2008, G1 Climax 2007
Promotions Worked For: NJPW, TNA, AJPW, NOAH, CMLL
Why He’s #34: Every company has an ace. A wrestler that can be relied upon to draw the crowds and put on an entertaining and worthy main event. WWE has John Cena. TNA has Kurt Angle. ROH has Austin Aries. NOAH has KENTA. CMLL has Mistico. And New Japan Prop Wrestling has Hiroshi Tanahashi. TNA fans may remember him for his one-off match with AJ Styles in 2006 or his brief run in the company in 2008, but that is only a taste of his work in his home promotion. Hiroshi has held the top championship four times and put together a stellar resume of great matches. His most recent run as IWGP Heavyweight Champion came at the expense of former partner and perennial rival Shinsuke Nakamura, and after that win, Tanahashi declared himself “The Ace of the Universe”. And he has certainly made a good case for it.

While the bulk of his work has been in NJPW, he has had no problems going to other companies. In 2003 he and Yuji Nagata won NOAH’s GHC Tag Team Championships, while he and Nakamura toured Mexico for CMLL in 2005. He went to All Japan for the Champions Carnival in 2008, experiencing the Block From Hell, defeating Taiyo Kea and Satoshi Kojima and drawing with Toshiaki Kawada and Keiji Mutoh. Recently, he has taken on all comers to defend his IWGP Heavyweight Championship, from NOAH’s Takashi Sugiura to TNA’s Kurt Angle. Perhaps the biggest boon for Tanahashi is the relationship between NJPW and TNA, as he may one day have an extended run in the company where he can show American fans why he is arguably the best Japanese Heavyweight Wrestler of the past five years.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Much like John Cena in America, Tanahashi was given a title win that excited fans and polarized critics. Yes, he was talented, but did he deserve to represent NJPW as its champion? While the eventual answer was a resounding yes, it is only in 2009 that Tanahashi has truly proven his worth. He’s worth his weight in gold and his success will only continue in the next decade.

#33: The Big Showsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2006, 2008-2009
Achievements: WWE Champion (2 Timed), ECW Champion (1 Time), WWE U.S. Champion (1 Time), Hardcore Champion (3 Times), WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Chris Jericho), World Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Kane)
Promotions Worked For: WWE, Memphis Wrestling
Why He’s #33: Big Show entered the new millennium with the WWE Championship around his waist. While he lost the title in days to Triple H, no one can ever take that away from him. Show has been a regular part of WWE since then and has filled many roles. At times, he has been as comedic relief, such as his hilarious impression of Hulk Hogan at Backlash 200. Other times, he has found himself as the hired muscle for authority figures like Shane McMahon and Paul Heyman. He has formed partnerships with other powerful big men like Kane and Brock Lesnar, and battled other giants like The Great Khali and Snitsky. On two occasions, he has battled celebrities from other combat sports at Wrestlemania, and on two other occasions he has challenged for the WWE Championship at the Big Dance.

While many smart fans may disregard Big Show as nothing more than a carnival attraction, they rarely think about what this decade would look like without Show. Paul Wight is a very unselfish man and has never forced himself into the main event scene, though his size makes him an instantly credible challenger. In this way, he is bulletproof, a trait shared only by Kane and the Undertaker. However, unlike Undertaker, Show has no mystique. He’s just a huge friggin’ guy that can serial crush the entire WWE locker-room if he wants to. Because he isn’t a supernatural being, Show can lose without it hurting his character. He has been used to elevate many stars, from Cena to Lesnar to Lashley. And unlike Kane, Show is hardly a magnet for wrestle-crap. Indeed some of the most memorable moments of the decade have involved Show, including Lesnar superplexing him to break the Smackdown! ring, Ric Flair being thrown into thumbtacks, and the electric confrontation with Mayweather where his nose was broken. And even the most cynical of fans have to be impressed by Show’s most recent run, where he has lost an incredible amount of weight and dominated the tag ranks with Chris Jericho.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Big Show has the worst motivation on the planet. He’s not stupid, he’s just laid back, like Andre the Giant. He isn’t self-sufficient. Big Show is at his best and most successful when he has someone with a clearer plan giving him focus. Whether it’s Paul Heyman, Shane McMahon, Vickie Guerrero or even other wrestlers like Chris Jericho or Kane, Big Show is better with a partner than by himself. When Show is focused, he is arguably the most dangerous man in WWE. When he doesn’t have goals, he gets lost in feuds with Floyd Mayweather, Akebono and the Great Khali.

#32: Christopher Danielssize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: X-Division Champion (4 Times), NWA Tag Team Champion (6 Times w/Elix Skipper, Low Ki, AJ Styles & James Storm), ROH Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Matt Sydal & Donovan Morgan), IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Bryan Danielson), 1 Zero1-Max United States Openweight Champion (1 Time), World X Cup 2005 (w/Jerry Lynn, Elix Skipper & Chris Sabin), King of the Indies 2000, Numerous Independent Championships
Promotions Worked For: TNA, ROH, NJPW, NWA, ZERO-ONE, APW, Numerous Independents
Why He’s #32: Like Low Ki, AJ Styles, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk, Christopher Daniels started the decade as an Indy Darling and ended it as one of the most respected men in the business. In ROH, he made his name as the top heel of the company, leading the Heel Stable of the prophecy and making constant bids at the World Title, though none of them were successful. He would mentor Xavier, a young rookie who won the championship in a fluke victory, and would bring Samoa Joe into the company, assuring that ROH would never be the same. From 2005 to 2007, Daniels made another go around in Ring of Honor, staying firmly in the midcard but winning the tag team championship with Matt Sydal, the future Evan Bourne.

But it is in TNA where Daniels has his true legacy. First, he teamed with Low Ki and Elix Skipper to take over the Tag Team Division as Triple X. He and Skipper would engage in a long and bitter war with America’s Most Wanted, a feud which saw them compete in TNA’s first cage match. But it was another cage match that would define the rivalry. At Turning Point 2004, the two teams settled their rivalry for good in a brutal Six Sides of Steel that was the TNA Match of the Year for 2004. After the match, Triple X was forced to split, which allowed Daniels to strike solo. He had a career year in 2005, having great matches with AJ Styles and going thirty minutes with him on two occasions. He would hold the X-Division Championship for a record 182 days before losing it in one of the best matches of the decade, a triple threat with AJ Styles and Samoa Joe at Unbreakable. In 2006, he would turn face and have a memorable feud with Joe before teaming with AJ Styles, defeated old foes AMW for the tag team titles before losing them to the Latin American Exchange after another war.

In 2007, Daniels would adopt a darker, quieter persona, losing a short feud with Sting and reuniting with Triple X, but he was unable to wrest the X-Division Championship from Jay Lethal at Bound for Glory. The Daniels character would take a lengthy sabbatical so that Daniels could introduce his Curry Man character to the TNA Audience and getting a fourth X-Division Title under the mask of Suicide. In 2009, he would return to help rivals Joe and AJ battle the Main Event Mafia, but has since returned to the rivalry that has defined TNA. At Turning Point, Daniels, Joe and AJ recreated the magic with another classic confrontation, this time for the TNA World Championship. Tomorrow, Daniels challenges AJ for the World Championship. While he is reaching 40, the next decade looks fairly bright for one of the most underrated talents to grace a four or six-sided ring this decade.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Unless Daniels defeats AJ tonight, he will have never held a World Championship. While a case can be made that he hasn’t deserved the TNA World Title, he certainly deserved to be an ROH World Champion over fare such as Xavier. That such a talented individual has never held a World Title is a travesty and it keeps him out of the top 30. Also…Curry Man. Enough said. And do I really have to mention Suicide again?

#31: KENTAsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion, GHC Jr. Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Naomichi Marufuji & Taiji Ishimori), NTV Cup (2007, 2008 w/Taiji Ishimori)
Promotions Worked For: NOAH, ROH, AJPW, Kensuke Office
Why He’s #31: Technically speaking, KENTA isn’t much of a wrestler. His style is based mostly on kicks. But oh what kicks. And I think wrestling has evolved to include aspects of all forms of combat. If you want to look at his resume of exciting matches, KENTA is an amazing professional wrestler. I have yet to see a truly bad KENTA match, and that is more than I can say for 95% of wrestlers. KENTA’s resume reads much like Christopher Daniels. In 2004 through 2005, KENTA teamed with Naomichi Marufuji and redefined tag team wrestling during their extended run as GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Only a very few elite teams (The Briscoes, The Motor City Machine Guns) have been on their level since then. But he is most remembered for his hard-hitting, intense and exciting matches in the Jr. Heavyweight Division.

While KENTA’s offense is a little one-dimensional, he has managed to modify it slightly to pull great matches out of whoever he is facing. Whether it is the uber-heeldom of SUWA, the high-flying of Marufuji, or the technical wizardry of Bryan Danielson, KENTA has complemented them all as an opponent. And if it’s another striker like Low Ki, Davey Richards or Katsuhiko Nakajima, you will never see a more intense and physical battle. KENTA has also made a huge impact stateside in Ring of Honor, participating in dream match-ups and having an incredible war with Danielson that produced some of the finest matches in any ring this decade. His rivalry with Naomichi Marufuji has been almost as good as their partnership, as their GHC Championship match took Japanese MOTY honors in 2006 and they wrestled to a one-hour draw in 2008. In 2009, KENTA has stepped up his game even more and helped elevate young talents like Nakajima, Richards, Roderick Strong and Chris Hero. He has also started to flirt more with the Heavyweight Division, wrestling stars like Kensuke Sasaki, Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada in tag matches. While he is currently sidelined with an injury, KENTA will almost assuredly continue to wow audiences well into the next decade.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: KENTA is out of the top 30 for the same reason Christopher Daniels isn’t. He has never held a World Heavyweight Championship. The thirty men above him have. It is for that reason and that reason only that he isn’t ranked MUCH, much higher. As it is, he’s probably the best Jr. Heavyweight competitor in the world.

#30: Naomichi Marufujisize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: GHC Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), GHC Jr. Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/KENTA), GHC Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Sugiura), GHC Openweight Hardcore Champion (1 Time), Super J Cup (2004)
Promotions Worked For: NOAH, ROH, AJPW, WEW
Why He’s #30: If there is anyone than can challenge KENTA for the title of NOAH’s in-ring ace, it’s Naomichi Marufuji. Were it not for two things, KENTA would be ranked above Marufuji. Their careers have followed similar paths. As a team, they were the best in the world for their existence. As rivals, they have proven to be just as exciting as their heavyweight counterparts. They have both shared their talents with Ring of Honor to critical acclaim. And they have both managed to elevate themselves from being simply Junior Heavyweights to compete with the big boys, literally and figuratively. But Naomichi Marufuji has had more success with that than KENTA. In 2006, Marufuji won the GHC Heavyweight Championship from Jun Akiyama. While it was a transitional reign to get the title back to Mitsuharu Misawa, Marufuji had fantastic matches with both men and had the Japanese Match of the Year when he defended his championship against KENTA. Marufuji remains the lightest GHC Heavyweight Champion and one of the most surprising.

While one title win and two title defenses isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire, regardless of the quality of those matches, it has allowed Marufuji to achieve another accolade. He has held all five NOAH titles, the first and only one to do so. That Marufuji accomplished this feat shows how valuable he has been to NOAH. But it is not just in NOAH where he has made his mark. Marufuji returned to All Japan after an extended absence and won the promotions Jr. Heavyweight Championship, something which really meant something after Keiji Mutoh helped raised its stock. Marufuji has now become co-vice president of NOAH with Kenta Kobashi and will continue to be a powerful force in the company, both in and out of the ring.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: At this point, the reasons for a wrestler not being higher has more to do with the quality of the wrestlers higher on the list than the any faults of the wrestler holding the spot. While there are a very select few higher on this list that are Marufuji’s peer in the ring, most either have more titles to their credit, more influence on the business as a whole, or more exposure. However, Marufuji is the fourth highest Japanese Wrestler on this list, and when you look at the names above him, then that is some really good company to be in. Still it’s rather fitting that two men as inseparable from each other as KENTA and Marufuji are right next to each other on this list.

#29: Christian Cage/Christiansize=6>
Active Years: 2000-20009
Achievements: NWA World Champion (2 Times), ECW Champion (2 Times), Intercontinental Champion (3 Times), World Tag Team Champion (9 Times w/Edge, Chris Jericho & Lance Storm), European Champion (1 Time), Hardcore Champion (1 Time)
Promotions Worked For: WWE, TNA, ROH, 1PW
Why He’s #29: Tag team innovator. Midcard comedy act. Heroic fighting champion. Main event heel. Brutal ladder matches. Romantic soap operas. WWE Superstar. TNA Wrestler. Christian has played many roles in the last decade, but has excelled at them all. In 2000, he and Edge brought tag team wrestling back to prominence with their three way feud with the Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boyz. Together, they invented the TLC genre and made it one of the most exciting matches in WWE history. After the split, Edge was headed for greatness, while Christian would flounder somewhat, forming a makeshift team with Chris Jericho before finally breaking out in 2003 by winning the newly brought back Intercontinental Championship. People really started taking notice of Christian after a terrific ladder match with RVD. In 2004, he would feud with Chris Jericho and defeat him at Wrestlemania XX with the help of Trish Stratus. Christian than received the aid of Tyson Tomko, his problem solver, and started to gain momentum heading into 2005.

And then, Christian made an unexpected decision to leave WWE and go to TNA. TNA had just gotten their deal with Spike TV. Christian had hit a glass ceiling in WWE. After adding Cage to his name, Cage won his first of two NWA World Title reigns by beating Jeff Jarrett. This was a heroic reign marked with a terrific feud with Abyss during one of TNA’s shining periods. Christian would turn heel and feud with Sting, but would win the NWA Championship again. This time, Christian was the leader of a heel stable that featured AJ Styles, Scott Steiner and old friend Tyson Tomko. Christian would never win gold again, and his teammates turned on him and joined with Kurt Angle. Christian would feud with Tomko before being emphatically kicked out of TNA by the Main Event Mafia in late 2008. During his three years, Christian gained valuable experience as a main event talent and improved his already impressive wrestling skills.

Christian would return to WWE in February of this year, on its ECW feud. Christian showed the WWE fans just how much his TNA run had benefited him with a fantastic match with Jack Swagger, he would defeat for the ECW Title. Since then, Christian has been the undisputed MVP of ECW, defending against veterans like Tommy Dreamer and William Regal and young stars like Zach Ryder and Yoshi Tatsu. He has quietly had a fantastic year and may be the most underrated wrestler in 2009. But that’s par the course for one of the most underappreciated grapplers of the last ten years. Are the WWE and World Championships in his future?
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: In WWE, Christian faced the glass ceiling of John Cena, Triple H, Batista and others. While talented and charismatic, Christian was small and had the stigma of being a comedy act. He made the right decision to come to TNA. Two words sum up why Christian isn’t higher on this list: Kurt Angle. If Angle had not come to TNA in 2006, Christian would have undoubtedly continued to be a top main event talent. While Christian is not as talented as Kurt Angle, he is talented enough to deserve a run at the top, as he has proved in ECW.

#28: Mitsuharu Misawasize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: GHC Heavyweight Champion (3 Times), GHC Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Yoshinari Ogawa), Global Tag League 2009 (w/Go Shiozaki)
Promotions Worked For: NOAH, AJPW, ROH
Why He’s #28: Were this the best of the 1990’s, Misawa would be about twenty-five spots higher and this section would be filled with glowing testimonials of his amazing in-ring work. But it is the best of this decade, and the Misawa of this decade, bar one incredible match with Kobashi in 2003, was simply a good worker. Part of that was age and part of it was that Misawa abused his body for his entertainment more than just about anyone. The results were that he had some of the greatest matches ever in the 1990’s, that he was a shadow of himself in this decade, and that he died in June of this year by internal decapitation.

If I was ranking this match based on in-ring ability, Misawa might have shown up at #50, maybe. Misawa is this high because of my attempt to be objective and acknowledge other accomplishments. In the ring, Misawa was a three time GHC Heavyweight Champion and his last reign lasted well over a year. In 2008, Misawa followed in the footsteps of Kenta Kobashi and defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against KENTA in Ring of Honor. But perhaps his greatest achievement was separating from All Japan Pro Wrestling and forming Pro Wrestling NOAH, which has carried on the great tradition of quality wrestling and epic storytelling that Japan was once famous for. As a promoter, Misawa has given us a Kenta Kobashi reign that people can be proud of, and introduced the world to KENTA, Marufuji, Morishima, and Go Shiozaki. Indeed, when I think of Misawa this decade, it will be as the promoter and not the wrestler.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: In the 1990’s, Mitsuharu Misawa was arguably the greatest in-ring worker, ever. EVER. In the new millennium, he was…not. Misawa in NOAH was a shadow of the near flawless wrestler he was in his prime. In the 1990’s, Misawa stinking up the joint was almost unfathomable. This decade, it become commonplace. Compare this with his contemporary Mutoh, who is almost indistinguishable from the man he was in the 1990s aside from his appearance and the Shining Wizard. And while men like Kobashi and Akiyama were easily his superiors in the ring, Misawa still dominated NOAH’s Heavyweight Division in a way that would make Triple H blush. In fairness, Misawa outdrew Akiyama and Kobashi has battled cancer, so it made sense from a business standpoint. But when people remember Misawa, they are going to remember him in his prime and gloss over this decade. For me, it’s very sad that a man who may have been “The Best Ever” at one point is on the lower half of this list because of his poor in-ring work.

#27: Chris Benoitsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2007
Achievements: World Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), WCW World Champion (1 Time), Intercontinental Champion (4 Times), United States Champion (3 Times), WWE Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Kurt Angle, first), World Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Chris Jericho & Edge), Royal Rumble 2004
Promotions Worked For: WWE, WCW
Why He’s #27: Chris Benoit’s time in this decade started in controversy and ended in even bigger controversy. WCW gave Benoit a one-day title run with the WCW Championship before he left for greener pastures in the WWE. And Benoit’s WWE year in 2000 erased every bad memory that Chris had been involved in before that. His matches with Chris Jericho and Triple H brought pure wrestling back to the WWF. His feud with the Rock proved that even though Benoit did his talking in the ring and Rock wasn’t half the wrestler that Benoit was, they could have a very entertaining sports entertainment match-up. In 2001, Benoit would go on a role of great matches that proved he was the best wrestler in the company at that time. A Ladder Match with Chris Jericho at the Royal Rumble. A series of technical classics with Kurt Angle that culminated in an amazing steel cage match. A tag team match with Chris Jericho against Steve Austin and Triple H that many still regard as a classic. And in his hometown of Edmonton, Benoit would challenge Steve Austin in a match that may very well be the best match seen on television this decade. Had it not been for his neck injury, Benoit probably would have become World Champion then and given Austin a run for his money as the best in the business at that point.

In 2002, Benoit came bake with a furious vengeance. He reignited his feud with Kurt Angle, who by this point was just as good as Benoit in the ring, and the two had incredible technical matches, the most prominent being a match at Royal Rumble 2003. They also teamed together and had classics against Edge & Rey Mysterio and the Guerreros as part of the famous Smackdown Six. Benoit would spend the rest of the year in various feuds and challenge Brock Lesnar for the title in another great match. But in 2004, Benoit would finally get his due. Entering at #1, Benoit would win the Royal Rumble, last eliminating the Big Show in memorable fashion in the best rumble ever. Benoit would follow this up by winning the World Heavyweight Title in a triple-threat match with Shawn Michaels and Triple H that some consider to be the greatest match of all time. His post-match celebration with his good friend Eddie Guerrero, then WWE Champion, was perhaps the most perfect moment in wrestling history.

Benoit would drop the title to Randy Orton five months later and would never hold another world title. He would rekindle rivalries with Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, William Regal and Booker T and also find new feuds with Edge, John Bradshaw Layfield, and Finlay. Finding a perfect niche as United States Champion, Benoit spent the last six months of his life putting over Montel Vontavious Porter and making his career. Benoit would have a short-lived run in WWE’s ECW and was scheduled to wrestle CM Punk in a dream match at Night of Champions for the vacant ECW Championship. Due to unbelievable tragic circumstances that match never occurred. Benoit was perhaps the greatest technical wrestler to grace a wrestling ring, a hero to fans of workrate, and popular even with casual fans who respected his toughness and skill.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Benoit’s last acts on this world were the murder of his wife and seven year-old son and his suicide. The murders took place over a three-day span and were clearly well-thought out and premeditated. Fans and critics will always debate whether Benoit should be included on any Best of Lists and where he rates. Some say his last actions overshadow his career so completely that he doesn’t deserve any accolades. Personally, I feel there’s nothing wrong with having that belief. Others feel that critics should have a degree of objectivity and if Benoit’s career accomplishments are worthy of being on Best of Lists, then he should be mentioned. Some go halfway and say that he should be put on lists but have an asterisk or a penalty of some kind. Personally, I see nothing wrong with that belief either. I’m sure Benoit’s inclusion and his placement will be the most controversial one on this list, from all sides. But consider this. Benoit only had one World Title Reign, which was a financial failure, and after that was over, he was never the same in the ring. Still amazing, but not the virtually perfect wrestler he had been from 2000-2003. While in-ring performance is only a part of what is rated here, in Benoit’s case, it is the main reason he was praised so highly.

#26: Stone Cold Steve Austinsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2003
Achievements: WWE Champion (2 Times), World Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Triple H), Royal Rumble 2001, WWE Hall of Fame
Promotions Worked For: WWE
Why He’s #26: I debated long and hard as to whether Stone Cold deserved a spot this high on the list. Austin only wrestled one full year, and outside of that he has hardly done anything worth putting him on this list. But…look at that one year. 2001. Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble. He held the WWE Championship on two occasions, for most of the year, and held the World Tag Team Championship with Triple H in one of the greatest super-teams of all time. And perhaps more importantly, Austin pushed his body, already breaking down, to the absolute limit during that year. He squeezed every bit of talent and effort he could out of it. The result was that Austin produced some of the best matches of the decade, and you will find many of them mentioned on Best of the Decade Lists. Triple H at No Way Out. Benoit on Smackdown. Angle at Summer Slam. Teaming with Triple H against Benoit and Jericho on RAW. And yes, The Rock at Wrestlemania X-Seven. Indeed, if one match is enough to justify putting both participants on the list, then it would be that one. It was the end of the culmination of the Attitude Era and one of the most important and best matches of the decade. Austin would have his last match with The Rock at Wrestlemania XIX in a losing effort, but it was a fitting end to one of the most successful and entertaining characters to ever grace a wrestling ring. He may not have been with us that long, but while he was here, he gave us his all. And when Austin retired from in-ring competition, it was the end of an era and wrestling has never fully recovered from it, much like it has never recovered from Hulk Hogan. I feel that is enough to put him at the top of the bottom half of this list.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: One year and one match. 2001, and The Rock at Wrestlemania XIX. These are great credentials worthy of mention. But they are also his only credentials worth mentioning. 2000? Mired in a feud with Rikishi. 2002? The nWo, Ric Flair, and taking his ball and going home. Unless you are one who completely ignores wrestling outside of WWE, and I know there are many of you, there is no reason Austin should be any higher on this list. On an All Time List? Near the top, no doubt.

#25: Jeff Jarrettsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: WCW World Champion (4 Times), NWA World Heavyweight Champion (6 Times), WWA World Champion (2 Times), WCW U.S. Champion (2 Times), King of the Mountain (2004, 2006)
Promotions Worked For: TNA, WCW, WWA, NWA, AAA,
Why He’s #25: Much like Misawa, Jarrett’s legacy in this decade is going to be as a promoter, as he founded TNA, currently the second biggest promotion in America (and depending on how nationalistic you are, the world). Like Misawa, Jarrett dominated the World Title Scene of that company during its early years. Unlike Misawa, Jarrett allowed himself to fade into the background after dropping the title to Sting in 2006, when old age, a need to promote, and family issues kept him from being his absolute best in the ring. Jarrett saw Angle, Joe, AJ, Christian, Daniels and the rest of the company and realized he didn’t have to carry it anymore. I admire that and it’s reflected in the fact that Jarrett is ranked a little higher than a man with similar accomplishments in Japan.

I think time has made many fans who hated Jarrett see him in a better light. While it was a bit annoying to see him hold the NWA Title for a full year, we recognize that Double J was the biggest name in the company that was a sure thing. Still in his thirties, Jarrett was serviceable in the ring and was not likely to be injured from years of wear and tear. The owner of the company, he would not leave it high and dry. And when he lost the title, it wasn’t to Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, or Jeff Hardy, but to a TNA original, AJ Styles, arguably the face of TNA. It is obvious that whatever Jarrett’s faults may be, he has TNA’s best interests at heart. Sadly, I believe it took the passing of his wife Jill to soften people’s hearts enough so they could look at Jarrett’s contributions to TNA without blind hatred. Jeff has also reminded us in recent years that he is an underrated worker by having great matches with Kurt Angle.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Above, I called Jarrett a serviceable worker. What I mean by that is he is a good worker and does not need to be carried. But he is not a great worker and cannot carry a bad wrestler to a good match by sheer force of talent. Now, combine this with Jarrett’s situation. He’s running a fledgling company and is trying to get attention, and the biggest names on the market are all over the hill. WAY over the hill. He has to try to carry DDP and Nash to entertaining matches, and he can’t do it, and they can’t hold the title. But he is a heel champion and the fans want to see him lose. So he can’t beat them cleanly. The result? TNA Main Event Style. Crowd brawling, interference and Screwjob endings, all in an attempt to entertain the crowd. Is it understandable? Yes. Is it good business? Yes. Is it forgivable? Yes. Is it entertaining and worthy of recognition? No. A thousand times no.

#24: Austin Ariessize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: ROH World Champion (2 Times), NWA Midwest X-Division Champion (1 Time), ROH World Tag Team Champion (1 Time, w/Roderick Strong), Various Independent Championships
Promotions Worked For: ROH, TNA, Dragon Gate, CHIKARA, NWA, Various Independent Promotions
Why He’s #24: To say Aries exploded into ROH would be a drastic understatement. In 2004, after TNA pulled most of their talent from ROH for the Rob Feinstein incident, ROH was in desperate need of new stars. Alex Shelley, Jack Evans, Roderick Strong, and Austin Aries were those new stars. While Shelley was the leader of Generation Next, Aries would be the breakout star, as he would have two memorable encounters with Bryan Danielson, first at Survival of Fittest in a losing effort, and then at Testing the Limit in a 70+ minute 2-Out-Of-3 Falls match in a winning effort, en route to ending Samoa Joe’s 21 month reign as Ring of Honor World Champion at Final Battle 2004. Talented, intense, and athletic, Aries was a fighting champion who defended his title non-stop in the first half of 2005 before losing to CM Punk. In the span of a year, Aries went from playing second fiddle to Alex Shelley to setting himself as one of the elites in ROH. So great was his reputation that would TNA had a poll to decide which unsigned talent should get a shot in TNA, Aries won with 55% of the vote. While Aries never achieved any real greatness in TNA, it was certainly an indicator that his star was rising and rising fast.

At Final Battle 2005, Aries and Strong would win the ROH Tag Team Titles and bring some much needed stability and credibility to the titles in 2006, defending them in the Dragon Gate Promotion to officially make them World Tag Team Titles. 2007 was marked with a lengthy feud with Strong after Strong betrayed him, which Aries won. Aries would try to become ROH’s first two-time world champion by beating Nigel McGuinness, but was unsuccessful. His failure started to drive him crazy, but he would get sidetracked in a brutal, violent, and deeply personal rivalry with Jimmy Jacobs that only came at the end of an I Quit Match. However, with his foe defeated, Aries had no distractions and was forced to remember his failure to become ROH Champion again. These thoughts were made worse with the presence of Tyler Black, a man with remarkable similarity to Aries. Black had been brought into ROH under the leadership of Jimmy Jacobs, but his talent and heart had made him the biggest star in The Age of the Fall, just as Aries had been the biggest star in Generation Next. The two had a great match at Final Battle 2007, which Aries would win. After the match, Aries would finally take out his frustration and deliver a steel chair shot to Tyler.

Aries reinvented himself in 2009, taking aspects of his Austin Starr gimmick in TNA and calling himself A-Double. The change came at a perfect time, as Aries came across as the biggest star in ROH when it debuted on HDNet. Within six months, Aries finally achieved his dream, defeating Tyler Black and Jerry Lynn to become the first two-time world champion. Aries was far from a fighting champion for half of his second run, and probably wouldn’t be were it not for Jim Cornette feeding quality challenger after quality challenger after him. Last night, Aries defended his World Title against Tyler Black in a match one year in the making. Whether Aries won or lost, he will always be the first two-time ROH Champion and leave behind a legacy as one of the most talented wrestlers of his era.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: You will see a similar explanation used on a couple more people on this list. While Aries is a tremendous talent and an ace of ROH, he suffers from not being a mainstream wrestler. Aside from two brief and uneventful runs in TNA, one as Austin Starr, Aries has never made an impact outside of the independent scene. Moreover, while Aries is always mentioned among the greats of ROH, he is rarely mentioned first.

#23: The Rocksize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2004
Achievements: WWE Champion (4 Times), WCW Champion (2 Times), World Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Chris Jericho), Royal Rumble 2000
Promotions Worked For: WWE
Why He’s #23: FINALLY…The Rock has made the list. The Rock was undoubtedly the Superstar of the Year in 2000, the biggest box office draw in wrestling anywhere in the world. His feud with Triple H was the classic babyface vs. heel rivalry, updated for the new millennium. While Rock wasn’t the World’s Greatest Wrestler, he was more than able to hold his on in the ring with a skilled technician, as he proved in matches with Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, and especially in his Iron Man Match with Triple H. In 2001, he would face Steve Austin in arguably the greatest match of this decade, and possibly of all time, especially if you consider relevance and storytelling above moveset. A year later, he defeated Hulk Hogan in the biggest dream match ever. While many people will talk bad about the build to Wrestlemania X8, all you have to do is watch Hogan and Rock setting up their match in Chicago, and the actual match in Toronto, and realize that booking doesn’t mean a thing. It’s Hogan. It’s Rock. And it was the most electrifying match in wrestling history. Rock would finally beat Steve Austin at Wrestlemania XIX, retiring him in the process and cementing his legacy.

But it wasn’t only The Rock who benefitted from Rock’s tenure. This decade saw The Brahma Bull give Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Brock Lesnar the biggest wins of their careers up to that point. Those who didn’t beat him, like Booker T and Chris Benoit, still came out smelling like roses. The Rock was absolutely immune to losses, as witnessed by the most one-sided feud in history with Steve Austin. All it took was a raised eyebrow and a catchphrase to undo any damage to his credibility. And in that sense, he truly WAS The Great One. His time in wrestling was WAY too short, but he was the living embodiment of entertainment. And regardless of what some smart-alecks on the internet have to say, Rock could show up on RAW with no hype and have every single person in the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Rock stopped being a full-time competitor after 2002. He made brief returns to the ring and had his last match at Wrestlemania XX. Nearly six years have passed since then. While Rock’s impact on wrestling is undeniable, his lack of longevity puts him behind the next twenty-two wrestlers. Had he competed even on a semi-regular basis for the rest of the decade, he may very well have made the top ten. At least that’s what I…”IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK! The Rock says you can take this list, shine it up really nice, turn it sideways, and stick it straight up your CANDY ASS! If you SMELL-ELLL-ELL-ELLL…WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN’!”

#22: The Great Muta/Keiji Mutohsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: IWGP Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion (3 Times), AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champion (3 Times w/Taiyo Kea, Arashi & Joe Doering), IWGP Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Taiyo Kea), WCW Tag Team Champion (1 Time, w/Vampiro), Champions Carnival (2002, 2004, 2007), World’s Strongest Tag League (2001 w/Taiyo Kea, 2007 w/Joe Doering, 2009 w/Masakatsu Funaki )
Promotions Worked For: AJPW, WCW, NJPW, NOAH, ROH, Various Japanese Indies
Why He’s #22: The Great Muta is Hulk Hogan if Hulk Hogan was Japanese, smaller, and could do a moonsault. He has always relied more on his mystique and crowd psychology than workrate to get himself over. On one hand, that’s a travesty, because he certainly had the talent in his prime to be the best wrestler in the world. But in 2009, it’s hard to blame him for taking that approach. While Mitsuharu Misawa is dead from the years of abuse he put on himself by pushing his body to the limit, Muta is alive and well. While Misawa deteriorated and became a shell of himself, Muta is arguably as good as he ever was. Sure, he’s a tad slower and tad less graceful, but he can still have a match that looks like the ones he was performing twenty years ago. So perhaps it’s more accurate to compare him to The Undertaker.

Muta has undoubtedly been the most influential man in Japan for the last decade. After Baba’s death, Muta came into All Japan to create interest. While his ideas for the company contrasted with Misawa’s and led to Misawa creating NOAH, Muta managed to keep All Japan afloat. He added the Shining Wizard to his repertoire and focused on improving himself, and the results paid off as he had one of the best matches of 2001 with Genichiro Tenryu. While All Japan has been his home, Muta hasn’t shied away from lending his name value to New Japan or even NOAH. Even more surprising, Muta has made appearances for various Indy promotions in Japan as well as ROH. While he is another veteran who has held world championships in the promotion he runs, Muta ultimately appears to be the least selfish.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: On another man’s list, Muta may have ranked a lot higher. I personally don’t find Muta entertaining, as his particular brand of psychology, while logical, lends itself to stalling and relying on formula. I also dislike that he came into All Japan and radically changed the style of the company to where there is virtually no difference between All Japan’s main event style and New Japan’s.

#21: John Bradshaw Layfieldsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: WWE Champion (1 Time), U.S. Champion (1 Time), Intercontinental Champion (1 Time), WWE Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Faarooq), Hardcore Champion (17 Times), European Champion (1 Time), OVW Southern Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Faarooq)
Promotions Worked For: WWE, OVW
Why He’s #21: More people called Sheamus beating John Cena than those who called JBL beating Eddie Guerrero. Even though he had been in WWE for nearly a decade, and even though he had taken Eddie to the limit in a bloodbath at Judgment Day, nobody believed that JBL could be WWE Champion. He was the flavor of the month. When he did win, it was a fluke, a technicality that was only pointed out by Kurt Angle. Smarts and marks alike were left in shock. JBL held that WWE Championship for nine months before losing it to John Cena at Wrestlemania 21, the longest heel run with the WWE Championship since Superstar Billy Graham and the longest title reign of any WWE Champion since Diesel in 1995. Only John Cena has held the title for a longer run uninterrupted than JBL, and for that, JBL deserves credit.

John Bradshaw Layfield is proof that you don’t have to be a great, or even good wrestler to be entertaining. He is also proof that you don’t have to be a dominant and intimidating world champion to be a successful and useful one. Heck, you don’t even have to be taken seriously. JBL was a guy that was most entertaining on the mic because he had charisma. He could make you laugh in spite of yourself because of his wit and ability to roast anyone, a trait he showed in spades in his glorious run as Smackdown Color Commentator. More importantly, he was so smarmy that people were literally dying to see someone take the belt off of him. ANYONE. A heel Booker T? Put him against JBL and he’s a fan favorite and fans want him to be champion. A past his prime Undertaker? Put him against JBL and fans want another Deadman title run. A midcard comedy act like John Cena? Have him beat JBL and watch everyone explode with jubilation that someone beat JBL for the title. By nature of being the least worthy title-holder on Smackdown!, JBL proved to be the best choice, because he made everyone who faced him that much more loved. It was one of the most brilliantly booked world title reigns that gave us John Cena, WWE Champion and put JBL’s name on the list of champions.

JBL’s character is that of a loser. He’s out of shape and talentless. He’s also a coward and a bully. Oh, and he thinks he’s the greatest thing to ever enter a wrestling ring. God’s Gift to Wrestling? NO, he’s a WRESTLING….GOD! JBL played his character to a tee, had a ton of fun doing it, laughed all the way to the bank, and provided his own unique brand of entertainment that I will always remember fondly. JBL’s career ended at Wrestlemania 25 in a way that summed up everything the JBL character was about: he strolled into Texas with a million dollar smile, bragging about his own greatness, savagely attacked Rey Mysterio before the opening bell, and lost in less than thirty seconds. JBL is surely Hall of Fame bound, and I cannot wait to see it because it will be the greatest acceptance speech in history bar The Rock.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: John Bradshaw Layfield didn’t even exist until 2004. Before that, he was Bradshaw, a Texas Cowboy and Barroom Brawler who’s biggest claim to fame was being part of the Acolyte Protection Agency with Faarooq, bodyguards for hire. After his run as champion, he spent most of it jobbing to the entire Smackdown Roster, like The Honkytonk Man years before him, except at the main event level. Then, he spent the better part of two years in the commentary booth. Yes, he was an awesome commentator, but this is a list of wrestlers. In 2008, he stunk up the joint every night, not for lack of effort, but because he has the self-described technical acumen of a drunken hippopotamus. That same lack of technical acumen made his WWE Championship reign every bit as boring inside of the ring as it was entertaining outside of it.

Come back next week to see who makes #20-11, and then who makes the top ten.