The Wrestling Bard 12.19.09: Wrestlers of the Decade – #50-36

Welcome to the Wrestling Bard. In this four part column series spanning two weeks, I will be taking a look at wrestlers who I consider to be the best of the decade. For the most part, I have tried to be objective and fair, although there is always a degree of subjectivity. Wrestlers that aren’t in promotions I follow have a harder time making the list. That means there’s going to be a bias to WWE, TNA, ROH, and NOAH above anything else. But as you peruse through these columns, I believe you will see that I at least made an admirable effort. For those wondering, here is the criteria I looked at when I made this list.

• Overall Impact On and Value to Wrestling this Decade
• Kayfabe Accomplishments such as Championships and Tournaments this Decade
• In-Ring Performance, the Ability to Have Great Matches
• Overall Impact On and Value to Individual Promotions

By no means do I consider this THE Definitive Top 50. Part of the fun of list-making is the debate over who made it and in what order that always follows. Especially when we are this early on in the list, there are probably close to 100 wrestlers who have a case for being on this list, and I’m sure many of them will be brought up by the end of this feature.

Two final notes. I decided not to include tag teams in this list, but I’m sure a list of great tag teams could be made, with the likes of AMW, Team 3D, Los Guerreros, E&C, The Hardyz, KENTA & Marufuji, The Briscoes, MNM, The Motor City Machine Guns, DX and the American Wolves. I’ll let somebody else have that honor. The second note is that I decided not to include women as I feel it is unfair. Trish Stratus might have made this list, but she deserves better than a spot somewhere in the forties, and she really couldn’t get that in this list.

Without further ado, let’s kick this off.

#50: Scott Steinersize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: WCW World Champion (1 Time), WWA World Champion (1 Time), TNA World Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Booker T)
Promotions Worked For: WCW, TNA, WWE, WWA
Why He’s #50: 2000 was an unkind year to the WCW Championship. Champions were stripped, left for other companies, it was bounced around numerous times, was self-awarded by commissioners and handed to others for no reason, and held by Vince Russo and David Arquette. It was on life support when Scott Steiner won the title. It is a credit to Steiner that he was able to restore some credibility back to the belt before WCW went under. That has been his biggest legacy in this decade and why he makes the list

But one world title reign is not enough to secure a spot. After WCW was finished, Steiner became one of the hottest free agents in the business, along with Goldberg. While he would have insignificant success in a big company (WWE) and big success in an insignificant company (WWA), it was in TNA that Steiner made his home. With a damaged reputation due to an abysmal run in WWE, Steiner came in and was motivated to deliver quality performances. While he is only a shadow of his former self, Steiner has gone a long way to rebuilding the good will and reminding fans why many once saw him as the future of the business.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Steiner might be a little higher if not for his atrocious year in WWE, where he had one of the worst high profile matches of the decade with Triple H. But even still, Steiner is a prominent reminder of failed potential. In the 1990’s people were pegging him as the future of the business. That didn’t happen. Instead, he’s a story of what could have been.

#49: John Morrison/Johnny Nitrosize=6>
Active Years: 2003-2009
Achievements: ECW Champion (1 Time), Intercontinental Champion (3 Times), World Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/The Miz), WWE Tag Team Champion (4 Times, w/ The Miz & Joey Mercury), OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 Time, w/Joey Mercury)
Promotions Worked For: World Wrestling Entertainment, OVW
Why He’s #49: In 2001, WWE took a big gamble with Tough Enough. It was a realty TV show where aspiring wrestlers would compete for a WWE contract. The show attracted many muscle bound young men with no talent and semi-attractive girls with even less talent, and truly exposed some of the secrets of the business. The first winner was Maven, and while he had a modicum of success, he really never accomplished anything. It seemed that the Tough Enough series would be a failure, and that’s why it has been phased out over the years. However, if John Morrison fulfills the potential many see in him, then the Tough Enough gamble will have been worth it.

Morrison first made his name as Johnny Nitro, teaming with Joey Mercury and valet Melina to form MNM. The tag team was short-lived but successful, but it was obvious WWE wanted to push Nitro as a singles star. In 2006, Nitro became the Intercontinental Champion and had a very competitive rivalry with Jeff Hardy that showed his potential. In 2007, Nitro would take Chris Benoit’s spot as ECW Champion. From the ashes of the greatest tragedy in wrestling history arose a phoenix named John Morrison. And that phoenix has shined brightly ever since.

Whether it was defending the ECW Title in great matches with CM Punk, dominating the tag team division with fellow Tough Enough alum The Miz, or breaking out on Smackdown in 2009, Morrison has cemented himself as one of the most exciting performers in WWE. Far from being a talentless muscle-head, Morrison has the creativity to come up with innovative moves and the athleticism to pull them off. His ability to deliver in the ring, his rock-star gimmick, and his eight abs give him cross demographic appeal to men, children and women. Already, comparisons have been made by experts to a young Shawn Michaels. Morrison’s potential seems unlimited at this point.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Morrison’s best days are ahead of him. As I’ve said before, if Morrison hasn’t held a World Title by 2012, I will truly shocked. However, Morrison has yet to truly break the glass ceiling into the main event, and there’s only so much room for non main eventers on this list. Morrison has also only really been relevant since 2005, which hurts his ranking. Don’t be surprised if Morrison ends up climbing 40 spots when people do the next best of the decade list.

#48: Takeshi Morishimasize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: GHC Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), ROH World Champion (1 Time), GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion (4 Times, w/Takeshi Rikio, Kensuke Sasaki & Mohammed Yone), WLW Heavyweight Champion (2 times), 3CW Heavyweight Champion (1 Time)
Promotions Worked For: NOAH, ROH, WLW, 3CW, HWA
Why He’s #47: Takeshi Morishima was a young singles wrestler in need of a break. He had size and agility, and many had deemed him a future GHC World Champion. He just needed a chance to prove that he could do well in that position. His lucky break would come not in Japan, but in America. During his foreign excursion, Morishima truly benefitted from the negative foreign stereotypes that exist in American Pro Wrestling. He was a massive Japanese wrestler with a tough physical style. For Indy promoters, it was like finding a Godzilla in a horror movie. It didn’t hurt that he had the kind of workrate that could keep fans interested. He received a main event push in every Indy he went to. The most prominent was Ring of Honor.

In only his third match with ROH, Shima pinned Homicide in something of an upset to become ROH World Champion. While some were cynical of the move, it was truly brilliant. Morishima defended his ROH Title against KENTA in Budokon Hall, the largest audience to ever see an ROH Title Match. More importantly, Shima would be champion heading into ROH’s first PPVs. Like Vader, the combination of size and agility made him a seemingly unstoppable force. Shima was a fighting champion, taking on all comers, from main event talents like Austin Aries to lower card guys like Brent Albright. His violent and personal rivalry with Bryan Danielson received critical acclaim and produced two of the best matches in ROH history at Manhattan Mayhem II and Final Battle 2008. Eventually, he would lose the title to Nigel McGuinness at the Undeniable PPV, which gave the image of Nigel as a true dragon slayer. Shima left ROH better for having been its champion. He had also proven that he was worthy of being the top guy, and months after his ROH Title loss he defeated Mitsuharu Misawa to become GHC Heavyweight Champion.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Morishima was a monetary failure as GHC Champion. Whether it was his fault or NOAH’s fault is debatable, but Shima did not connect with audiences as a legitimate world champion. And if beating Misawa can’t get you over as a top star worthy of the championship, there is precious little that can.

#47: Ravensize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: NWA World Champion (1 Time), Hardcore Champion (27 Times), ECW Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Tommy Dreamer & Mike Awesome), King of the Mountain 2005, Numerous Independent Championships.
Promotions Worked For: WWE, ECW, TNA, ROH, NWA, Various Independent Promotions
Why He’s #47: Raven has competed in four of the five top American Promotions to exist in this decade and has made a significant impact in all four. In ECW, he helped get them past Tazz and the Dudley Boyz leaving for WWE, but when go there himself months later. In WWE, he found his niche in the Hardcore Division, winning it a record 27 times and defeating Maven to insure the Hardcore Division stayed on Raw. Raven would be released by WWE, and make huge waves on the Independent scene. His greatest contribution was serving as the object of CM Punk’s hatred. The feud was bloody, violent, intense, and made CM Punk into an independent legend that caught the attention of WWE, where he has had much success.

But Raven’s home has been TNA, where he spent years trying to become NWA Champion and giving TNA its first truly memorable main event feud with Jeff Jarrett. In 2005, Raven would accomplish his dream and win the Title at Slammiversary, and had a four month title reign that was as bloody and violent as any world title reign in recent memory. Since then, Raven’s star has somewhat fallen due to health issues, but the impact he had on TNA will never be forgotten.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Raven’s biggest problem is that he hasn’t really been relevant since 2005. He also suffered from being virtually buried in WWE after the Invasion and his TNA run saw him play second fiddle to Jeff Jarrett for almost two years before finally claiming the crown. Raven has made an impact on TNA in spite of the booking, not because of it.

#46: Umagasize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: Intercontinental Champion (2 Times), AJPW Unified Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Taiyo Kea), FMW Hardcore Tag Team Championship (1 Time w/Matt Anoa’i), MCW Southern Tag Team Championship (3 times w/Matt Anoa’i), HCW Kekaulike Heritage Tag Team Championship (1 time w/Taiyou Kea), World’s Strongest Tag Team League 2004 (w/Taiyo Kea)
Promotions Worked For: WWE, All Japan Pro Wrestling, TNA, HWA, FMW, WXW, Memphis Championship Wrestling, HCW
Why He’s #46: Eddie Fatu had previously been in WWE as Jamal of Three Minute Warning, a tag team that made an immediate impact but failed to have a prolonged one. After some time in Japan, where he had a decent amount of tag success with Taiyo Kea, Fatu would return to WWE in 2006, repackaged as Umaga. Umaga was a throwback to the Wild Samoans gimmick, as he apparently spoke no English and took his orders from Armando Alejandro Estrada. Umaga would tear through the RAW roster, going undefeated until he faced John Cena in a WWE Title match. Cena would be victorious once again in a Last Man Standing Match, a match that was one of the best of 2007 and raised the credibility of both men. Umaga was then involved in the most famous angle from Wrestlemania 23, defending Vince McMahon’s hair against Donald Trump’s Bobby Lashley. While he lost that match, Umaga was involved in a match that received more media coverage than any other on the card, and got an IC Title out of the bargain.

Umaga may have never been a world champion, but his impact on wrestling in the last half of the decade cannot be denied. Umaga was used as a tool to elevate huge stars such as John Cena, Bobby Lashley and Jeff Hardy to be legitimate World Champions, and for the most part he succeeded. He took what could have been a limiting gimmick and played it to a tee. He acted like a savage and wrestled like a savage, and he got the gimmick over. While he will never be confused with the great technical wrestlers of the era, Umaga’s work ethic, strength, toughness and agility gave several matches that he could be proud of. Tragically, Eddie Fatu passed away in December of 2009, but he has a legacy for doing what a wrestler should do. Take an unbelievable character, make it believable, and use it to entertain the crowd.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Umaga never held a World Championship, or even the ECW Title, and that really hurts his position on this list. Additionally, he was only relevant in the States for four years and the last year was mired with injuries and wellness issues. Umaga quietly faded from the WWE, a stark contrast from his explosive debut.

#45: Kanesize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: ECW Champion (1 Time), Intercontinental Champion (2), WWE Tag Team Champion (5 Times, w/The Undertaker, The Big Show, & The Hurricane & Rob Van Dam), Hardcore Champion (1 Time)
Promotions Worked For: World Wrestling Entertainment
Why He’s #45: Perhaps no wrestler has done as much with as little as Kane. For a character who spent his first years in a mask, Kane was able to display his emotions through his body language and connect with his audience. Despite having only a handful of matches that could be considered more than good, his athleticism and strength have provided many memorable moments in the ring. And despite having a character with only a few defining traits (insane, sadistic, and cruel), Kane has shown remarkable character depth as both heel and babyface. Since losing his mask in 2003, his facial expressions have added another layer and have drastically improved his staying power. Staying power is probably Kane’s defining character trait. Considering the preposterous amount of stupidity surrounding Kane, be it his convoluted origins or a ridiculous b-movie level storylines, Kane has managed to get through it all with very few burns. I don’t know of any other wrestler that could deal with the amount of crap that Kane’s character has been put through and still be just as over as he ever was.

Kane is WWE’s “Mr. Reliable”. His character allows him to effortlessly switch between heel and babyface without changing much. He can be made a legitimate contender for a World Title with a single heinous act or show of his awesome strength or agility. He is at a rare level where he can beat anyone, even the Undertaker, and have it be totally believable. Conversely, anyone can beat him and have it be both believable and have it mean something. Beating Kane is not an impossible task, but beating Kane raises a superstar’s credibility. This chameleon like ability to fill any role that’s required of him makes Kane a valuable commodity. In 2008, Kane was rewarded for his years of service with the ECW Title, and while it was something of a vanity title, it did mean something.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: The biggest detriment to Kane’s standing here is that his only World Championship reign was in the 1990’s, and can’t be considered. The other detriment is that Kane has fallen very far from the wrestler he was in 2000-2001. It is not uncommon for Kane matches to consist of four or five trademark moves and punches. Compare this with Undertaker, who improved with age. Kane has also been involved in some of the worst angles, not just of the decade, but of all time. Katie Vick. Pregnant Lita. Spilled Coffee. Kane is a magnet for Wrestle-crap.

#44: Matt Hardysize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: ECW Champion (1 Time), United States Champion (1 Time), Cruiserweight Champion (1 Time), WWE Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/MVP), World Tag Team Champion (5 Times w/Jeff Hardy), WCW Tag Team Champion (1 Time, w/Jeff Hardy), Hardcore Champion (1 Time), European Championship (1 Time)
Promotions Worked For: World Wrestling Entertainment, Ring of Honor
Why He’s #44: Matt Hardy was always considered the lesser Hardy. More conservative both in lifestyle and in the ring, Matt was always overshadowed by his brother Jeff. When the Hardyz were dominating the tag team scene in WWE with Edge and Christian and Dudley Boyz, people hyped Jeff as a future world champion, and never said anything about Matt. In the end, being more conservative helped Matt in the long run, as Jeff was fired from WWE in 2003. In the meantime, Matt had broken out as a singles star on Smackdown, as Matt Hardy, Version 1.0. He found a niche in the cruiserweight division and helped to elevate the title through his feud with Rey Mysterio, which really was that title’s peak in the WWE. Sadly, by 2004, it looked like Matt had reached as far as he would go, wallowing in the muck of irrelevance, feuding with Kane over Lita before suffering an injury.

Then, life intervened. Lita had a real life affair with Edge, and to keep the peace, Matt Hardy was fired from WWE. Suddenly, Matt become a hero to wrestling fans, as his private affairs were made very public. He was a hot commodity. After a brief run in ROH, Matt Hardy returned to WWE to feud with Edge, and the feud that blurred the lines between kayfabe and shoot was almost universally called the feud of the year for 2005. Matt would no longer be overlooked. He rose his own stock by having good matches and popping crowds. He reunited with his brother and won the tag team championship once more. In 2008, he achieved his biggest singles success, defeating MVP for the U.S. Championship and then winning a Tag Team Scramble to become ECW Champion. Matt would turn heel and defeat his brother at Wrestlemania 25, the highest profile victory of his career.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: While Matt has had more success than anyone was predicting in 2000, he hasn’t had nearly as much success as people were predicting in 2005. While the ECW Title is a decent prize, it has nowhere near the importance of the WWE and World Titles. Matt’s spot suffers from never holding one of the big belts. And unlike Morrison, it is unlikely that Matt will have a chance to correct that injustice in the next decade.

#43: Hulk Hogansize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009 (sporadically)
Achievements: WWE Champion (1 Time), WWE Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Edge), WWE Hall of Fame
Promotions Worked For: WWE, WCW, TNA, NJPW, Hulkamania, XWF, Memphis Wrestling
Why He’s #43: Well, first off, he’s Hulk Hogan. But yes, Hogan has actually had quite an impact in this decade. It started on rough ground with him as part of the failed Millionaire’s Club angle in WCW, and had one of the more controversial moments in history when Jeff Jarrett laid down in the middle of the ring to have Hogan pin him before Vince Russo publically humiliated him with a shoot. That seemed to be the end of Hogan. But in 2002, Hogan would be hired by the WWE and brought in as part of the nWo. Despite playing a heel, Hogan was embraced by WWE fans. Hogan had a dream match with the Rock at Wrestlemania X8, which was extremely memorable and had a crowd that was beyond electric. The following months would see a bit of a career renaissance, as WWE capitalized on his popularity by making him the WWE Champion. Over the course of four months, Hogan would have matches with the likes of Triple H, Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho and gave each one a rub. He also won the WWE tag titles with Edge, a move that made Edge even more popular than he already was.

After 2002, Hogan would make sporadic but memorable appearances, wrestling Vince McMahon, losing to Big Show in Madison Square Garden, teaming with Shawn Michaels to face Muhammad Hassan and Daivari, and facing Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton at back to back Summer Slams. He was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Hogan has also made sporadic appearances for other companies, as Jeff Jarrett attacked him in Japan for TNA, which gave TNA one of its most replayed moments, and wrestling Paul Wight at a special event for Memphis Wrestling. In 2009, Hogan made a blockbuster of a deal, signing with TNA. Whether he will wrestle or simply cut promos, Hogan looks to be a force to deal with well into the next decade.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: If I really wanted to, I could probably find out exactly how many matches Hogan has wrestled this decade. I’m actually glad that someone his age is semi-retired from the actual wrestling part of wrestling, but a limited body of work, most of it average at best, really hurts his position.

#42: Stingsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2003, 2006-2009
Achievements: NWA World Champion (1 Time), TNA World Champion (2 Times), WWA World Champion (1 Time, Last), TNA World Tag Team Champion (1 Time w/Kurt Angle)
Promotions Worked For: WCW, TNA, WWA
Why He’s #42: Much like other WCW alumni on this list, 2000 was not a particularly good year for Sting, as he was a part of the Millionaire’s Club and muddled in a long rivalry with Vampiro. Thankfully, he did receive one last great moment, as he defeated Ric Flair in the last WCW match, and a more fitting ending there never was. Sting decided not to go to WWE, and remains perhaps the most popular wrestler to never be in WWE. Sting would go to World Wrestling All Stars in 2002 and was the last WWA Champion before Jeff Jarrett unified it with the NWA Championship. Sting made a return to an American Promotion by teaming with Jeff Jarrett to defeat Sean Waltman and Sting at a TNA PPV. Then he would team with Styles to face Jarrett and Lex Luger, and would defeat Jarrett in a singles match before leaving.

In 2006, Sting made a return to the ring, feuding with Jeff Jarrett for most of a year before taking the title from him at Bound For Glory. He would lose the title to Abyss, who would feud with and later partner with in 2007. Sting would team with Kurt Angle in a brief super team that held the TNA World Tag Team Championships until losing to Team Pac-Man, before defeating Angle at Bound For Glory for the TNA World Championship. 2008 would see him feud with Samoa Joe, making a Bound For Glory hat trick and having his first successful heel run with the Main Event Mafia and having his longest world title reign of his career. He would lose it to Mick Foley at Lockdown and spend most of the year feuding with his former stable mates. At BFG ’09, Sting suffered a loss to AJ Styles in what may be the last match of his career. If it is, then Sting has proved in the last four years that he does indeed “still got it.”
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: After WCW closed, Sting took time off from fulltime wrestling, and never really returned to it. While he has been an active member of TNA’s roster since 2006, his wrestling schedule has been rather light and filled with sabbaticals. That’s not to say that he hasn’t earned them, but not being an active competitor does hurt your chances overall. Sting also only had one world championship reign of decent length, which made him winning the title at Bound For Glory more of a token win than an actual accomplishment.

#41: Mick Foleysize=6>
Active Years: 2000, 2004, 2006-2009 (sporadically)
Achievements: TNA World Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), TNA Legends Champion
Promotions Worked For: WWE, TNA
Why He’s #41: In all realty, Foley should have only wrestled for three months in this decade. It was a spectacular three months highlighted by a violent feud with Triple H and his first and only Wrestlemania Main Event, but it was still only three months. But in 2003 Mick Foley started a feud with Randy Orton, and at Wrestlemania XX, he would make his return to the ring and team with The Rock to face Orton, Batista and Ric Flair. But it would be the next month at Backlash where Foley, with an amazing, incredible, show stealing performance, would cement his place as a legend and set Orton on the path to becoming a legend himself. It was a fitting end to Foley’s career.

Except, it wasn’t the end. In 2005, Foley made a special appearance at Taboo Tuesday to wrestle Carlito as Mankind. In 2006, he put Edge over at Wrestlemania 22 and stole the show once again in a violent hardcore match that will always be remembered as Foley’s greatest Wrestlemania moment. He then formed an alliance with Edge to take on Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer in another memorable match at ECW One Night Stand 2006 before having a heated war with Ric Flair. That would be Foley’s swan song as a WWE regular, as his only other major match was as a participant in the 2008 Royal Rumble. Later that same year, Foley would sign with TNA, and in 2009, he would become a wrestler once more, defeating Sting to become TNA World Champion and then teaming/feuding with Abyss, who seems to be on the road of becoming a hardcore legend himself. Foley’s out of ring contributions cannot be overlooked either, especially his work in ROH, where he feuded with Ricky Steamboat over whether “Pure” wrestling or “Hardcore” wrestling was better, and helped put over stars like CM Punk and Samoa Joe in the process.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Like Hogan, Foley has had a very limited amount of matches. Unlike Hogan, several of Foley’s matches can be considered to be amongst the best the decade. But still, it’s a severely small list of matches and that keeps him fairly low on the list. And really, if it weren’t for his run with the TNA Championship, he’d probably be a lot lower.

#40: Low Ki/Senshisize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: ROH World Champion (1 Time, 1st), IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), PWG World Champion (1 Time), ZERO-ONE International Junior Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), X-Division Champion (2 Times), NWA World Tag Team Champion (3 Times, w/Christopher Daniels & Elix Skipper), NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Champion (1 Time, w/Leonardo Spanky), ECWA Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Bryan Danielson & Xavier), Ted Petty Invitational 2008, Super 8 Tournament 2001, Battle of Los Angles 2008, Numerous Other Independent Titles
Promotions Worked For: TNA, ROH, NJPW, NOAH, ZERO-ONE, FCW, PWG, Numerous American Independents
Why He’s #40: Low Ki is an example of the right wrestler being in the right place at the right time. The Indy Boom saw a massive amount of promotions trying to fill the void that WCW and ECW had left and were looking for young, talented wrestlers to fill their ranks. Low Ki became an immediate success in the two most successful, TNA Wrestling and Ring of Honor, and with good reason. His innovative martial arts based style was right out of Bruce Lee movie, and was a perfect fit for TNA’s X-Division. Along with Jerry Lynn and AJ Styles, Low Ki gave fans their first impressions of what the X-Division style was all about, and also helped boost their tag team division as part of Triple X. Meanwhile, he was the top draw in ROH and was chosen to be their first champion. From 2002 to 2003, Low Ki’s body of work proved he was one of the best performers in wrestling. It is difficult to imagine where TNA and ROH would be without Low Ki there to deliver quality match after quality match in their first years.

Low Ki achieved significant foreign success, competing for Japanese promotions like ZERO-1, NOAH and NJPW, where his style made him a smash hit in each company’s Jr. Heavyweight division. He is one of a select few foreigners to hold the prestigious IWGP Jr. Championship. In 2005, he and KENTA tore down the house at ROH’s Final Battle 2006, a dream match that helped solidify the partnership between NOAH and ROH. He would leave ROH shortly after and return to TNA under the name of Senshi. Senshi owned the X-Division in 2006 before reacquainting himself with Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper in a brief Triple X reunion. Currently competing in FCW as Kaval, Low Ki looks poised to show WWE fans what all the buzz has been about.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Low Ki has been his own worst enemy. His attitude has gotten him fired from TNA and ROH and he has spent many of his years in the relative obscurity of Japanese promotions, which sadly mean even less than ROH to the average American fan. Even without that, his ROH Title Reign ended in embarrassing fashion as he lost to Xavier, and he spent the rest of his ROH career as a flunkie to Homicide. In TNA, he faced a similar problem of being seen as less than Christopher Daniels after Triple X reformed.

#39: Ric Flairsize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: WCW World Champion (2 Times), Intercontinental Champion (1 Time), World Tag Team Champion (3 Times w/Batista & Roddy Piper), WWE Hall of Fame)
Promotions Worked For: WWE, WCW, ROH, Hulkamania
Why He’s #39: 2000 wasn’t the most auspicious of starts for The Nature Boy. Sure, he received his last two world title reigns, but they were hardly noteworthy. Flair’s greatest accolade would be competing in the last Nitro match against Sting. That is, until he unexpectedly returned to WWE in 2001 as the “50% Owner” of the promotion. He would defeat his partner Vince McMahon in a street fight at the 2002 Royal Rumble and would face The Undertaker at Wrestlemania X8. These two performances sparked a less than memorable return to full time competition, but Flair would eventually find his niche as a manager, first for Triple H and later for Batista and Randy Orton in Evolution. Flair still found time to have a great match with Triple H on Raw and to win tag team gold with Batista, and also stepped in the cage with Orton when the young was kicked out of the group in 2004.

In 2005, Ric Flair won the Intercontinental Championship, his last singles title, and he milked it for all it was worth, while still having main event feuds with Triple H and Edge. While fighting Edge, Flair would take his first foray into a new type of wrestling for him: Extreme. After valiant losing efforts in a TLC against Edge and in MITB II, Flair would settle his personal rivalry with Mick Foley in brutal fashion, and would taste thumbtacks for the first time at the hands of the Big Show. Flair would win one more title, teaming with Roddy Piper to become a 3 time world tag team champion. After this, Flair once again settled into the role of a mentor, first to Carlito and then to Batista. In late 2007, Flair would embark on a retirement tour that culminated in an emotional match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XXIV, where Flair gave a performance that reminded everyone why he is “The Man” in professional wrestling.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: While Flair has been an important figure this decade (probably more than the average fan will admit), he was at best a part-time wrestler. Flair spent considerable time playing second fiddle to Triple H and Batista, or worse, Carlito, which was probably best considering his age. But it certainly didn’t help him in his quest to become a 17-Time World Champion. Flair has also tarnished his legacy somewhat by competing for Hulkamania after his retirement match. Regardless, he is still on the short list of wrestlers in contention for “Greatest of All Time”.

#38: Misticosize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), CMLL World Welterweight Champion (1 Time), Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), NWA World Middleweight Champion (2 Times), CMLL World Tag Team Champion (4 Times, w/Hector Garza & Negro Casas), IWRG Intercontinental Super Welterweight Champion (1 Time), FMLL World Champion (1 Time), Leyenda de Plata (2006, 2007, 2008), Torneo Gran Alternativa (2004 w/El Hijo Del Santo; 2007: w/La Sombra)
Promotions Worked For: CMLL, NJPW, Michinoku Pro, IWRG, FMLL
Why He’s #38: Mistico was born a decade too late. In the mid 1990’s, WCW introduced luchadors into the mainstream, and their high-flying style captivated American Audiences, breaking the language and culture barrier by sheer force of talent. Rey Mysterio, Eddy Guerrero, Juventud Guerrera, Konnan, and Psychosis in WCW, Essa Rios in WWE, and Super Crazy in ECW all made lucha libre famous in America. And for anyone who has seen Mistico perform, there is no doubt that Mistico is in the same class as those stars. He dazzles audiences like few before him and few who follow in his footsteps will dazzle crowds as much as him.

Mistico started wrestling in 1998 at age 13. The son of Dr. Karontes, he was repackaged as Mistico in 2004. The name means Mystic and his character is a prodigy of the legitimate wrestling priest Fray Tormenta. Since 2006, he has been the top technico (babyface) in CMLL and is the biggest box office draw in Mexico. In 2009, he become one of only seven non Japanese Wrestlers to hold New Japans Prestigious IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, a sign of Mistico’s impact on the World Level, not just Mexico. The big three American promotions have all expressed interest in signing Mistico, and he would certainly be an outstanding addition to any of the three rosters.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Chalk it up to ignorance on my part. I generally have little interest in Lucha Libre, as the spotfest style and cartoony gimmicks don’t appeal to my taste, and the legions upon legions of Mexican Wrestlers that all seem somewhat interchangeable kind of kill any interest in following it. Whether Mistico deserves to be higher or lower is something of a moot point. That a luchador from Mexico ranks anywhere on a list made by by someone who hates Mexican Wrestling is a far greater accomplishment than his actual placement might represent.

#37: Abysssize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: NWA World Heavyweight Champion (1 Time), NWA World Tag Champion (1 Time w/AJ Styles), Trios Tournament 2006, Fight for the Right 2006, Numerous American Independent Championships
Promotions Worked For: TNA, ROH, NWA, NJPW, Numerous American Independents
Why He’s #37: In the 1980s, Demolition ripped off The Road Warriors, but somehow made the gimmick their own. In this decade, Abyss ripped off Kane and Mankind, but somehow made the gimmick his own. It probably helped that he is own of the best big men in the business today and that he has mastered the psychology of playing a monster. With primal screams and wild movement, Abyss makes himself even more intimidating. He is not unintelligent; rather, he is very creative when it comes to thinking up new ways to torture his opponents. He just has tunnel vision. And when you are as big, strong, scary and tough as Abyss, it’s okay to have tunnel vision. He has been a mainstay in Indy Feds all over the world, where his 6’6″ frame strikes a truly imposing image against the much smaller wrestlers that populate the independents. But it is in TNA where Abyss has truly made his name.

While Abyss is no scientific genius, he does two styles very, very well. His size coupled with his willingness to work and his frightening body language makes him a perfect monster big man in the same line as Kane and Vader. His toughness, craziness and inventiveness combine to make him a wonderful hardcore brawler than would have been at home in the old ECW. Indeed, many of his most memorable matches have been against ECW alumni such as Sabu, Mick Foley, Rhino, Raven and Team 3D. Far from being one dimensional, Abyss has also had memorable feuds with high flyers like Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles, as well as big men such as Monty Brown and Matt Morgon, and has taken on legends like Sting and Kurt Angle. Abyss is Exhibit A for anyone wishing to prove that big men and hardcore wrestling are still viable in the new millennium. Hopefully, he will add the TNA World Title to his lists of accomplishments before he hangs up the boots for good.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Abyss has only been a World Champion once, and it was an unimpressive reign under controversial circumstances. Most people have already forgotten about it. Abyss also suffers from going to the extreme so early in his career, because the thumbtacks and brawling seems somewhat stale now, even though Abyss is as good as he’s ever been. Also, much like Kane, Abyss has endured horrible storylines, such as Judas Messias, that most fans would like to forget about.

#36: Jun Akiyamasize=6>
Active Years: 2000-2009
Achievements: GHC Heavyweight Champion (3 Times), GHC Openweight Hardcore Champion (1 Time), GHC Tag Team Champion (2 Times w/Akitoshi Saito & Takeshi Rikio)
Promotions Worked For: NOAH, AJPW
Why He’s #36: Jun Akiyama was one of the most exciting young stars in All Japan in the ‘90’s and was the heir apparent to Kenta Kobashi’s and Mitsuharu Misawa’s dominance of the All Japan Triple Crown. In 2000, it looked like he would make good on the promise, as he defeated Misawa in a memorable match. Unfortunately, he would never get a chance to hold that belt due to the political upheaval that took place that year, as he left for Misawa’s NOAH promotion. His loyalty to Misawa paid off in huge dividends as he was the second GHC Heavyweight Champion and helped make the company’s reputation in its formative years as its top heel.

Akiyama has continued to be a top force in NOAH, winning the GHC Championship on two occasions and feuding with most of the top stars. His most memorable match was a title challenge against Kenta Kobashi. Although Akiyama lost, he gave the better performance and made a strong argument that he was the real heavyweight ace of the company. Akiyama has found success in the tag leagues, which is hardly surprising considering his reputation as a tag team legend. But perhaps his greatest legacy has been helping young wrestlers get over. When Naomichi Marufuji made the jump from juniorheavyweight wrestler to heavyweight wrestler, Akiyama was the man he beat for the title. When Go Shiozaki was pushed to the moon this year, the champion giving him great matches was Akiyama. While Akiyama will probably never be spoken of in the same reverent breath as Misawa and Kobashi, he deserves a world of credit for his contributions to NOAH.
Why He Isn’t Any Higher: Jun Akiyama is a victim of politics. Despite being talented, over, and younger than Kenta Kobashi, Akiyama never got pushed as THE top guy for NOAH. While his match with Kobashi in 2004 was a great classic, it was the perfect chance for Akiyama to beat Kobashi and become the top guy, but it didn’t happen. Considering the far inferior Takeshi Rikio was the one who ultimately defeated Kobashi for that crown, it’s all the more baffling. While he has been champion twice since then, they came after beating over the hill legends Akira Taue and Kensuke Sasaki, and came too late to save Akiyama. Despite his talent, Akiyama will always be remembered as a paper champion, taking the belt when NOAH had no other option.