Darth Shiz's top 50 world champions

**Darth Shizzel** · 02-14-2013, 08:18 AM

No Reasoning just my top 50 praise or criticize your choice

1. Hulk Hogan
2. Superstar Billy Graham
3. Bruno Sammartino
4. Ric Flair
5. Andre the Giant
6. Sgt Slaughter
7. Lou Thez
8. Sting
9. Randy Savage
10. Stone Cold Steve Austin
11. Shawn Micheals
12. Kurt Angle
13. Harley Race
14. Verne Gagne
15. Undertaker
16. Bob Backlund
17. Terry Funk
18. Mick Foley
19. The Rock
20. John Cena
21. Ron Simmons
22. Triple H
23. Bret Hart
24. Shane Douglas
25. Big Van Vader
26. CM Punk
27. Randy Orton
28. Edge
29. Big Show
30. Jeff Hardy
31. Eddie Guerro
32. AJ Styles
33. Samoa Joe
34. Mark Henry
35. Kane
36. Jerry Lawler
37. Yokozuna
38. John Bradshaw Layfield
39. Ricky Steamboat
40. Diamond Dallas Page
41. Ultimate Warrior
42. Chris Benoit
43. Bill Goldberg
44. Brock Lesnar
45. Daniel Brian
46. Sandman
47. Christian
48. Sheamus
49. Taz
50. Raven

**RoughRoad** · 02-14-2013, 09:52 AM

So Chris Jericho fails to find a place in your top 50 list of World Champions? Okay I am out of this discussion.

**The Indy Junkie** · 02-14-2013, 09:57 AM

Hogan is at the top there is something very wrong with that.

AJ · 02-14-2013, 10:07 AM

Christian didn't even have a good title run. He was a transitional champion.

No Chris Jericho?

Jeff Hardy was hoding title but he doesn't even begin to be in greatest Champions list.

And I don't recall Jerry Lawler being world champion, not in the WWF/WCW at least

**Darth Shizzel** · 02-14-2013, 10:42 AM

Ok 1 I forgot Chris Jericho

2 I was running out of names

3 Indy u don't like Hogan but he put wrestling on the map

4. Jerry Lawler was awa champ I believe.

**metfan51** · 02-14-2013, 10:50 AM

Andre was barely the Champion. He won the title and sold it.

AJ · 02-14-2013, 10:56 AM

No offense Darth but if you really wanted to put up your Top 50 Champions, you should have dug deeper and done some research, You can't just drop someone out and say I was running out of names

**Goldie79** · 02-14-2013, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by The Indy Junkie

Hogan is at the top there is something very wrong with that.

I agree with Darths choice for #1.
Hulk Hogan is the most significant wrestler in the history of the business.
Just take a look at the way wrestling was pre-Hulkamania to where it was in 1988. In those 5 years wrestling became a mega mega mainstream businessand worldwide phenomenom.
Sure it was Vince McMahons brainchild... but he needed a charismatic, marketable guy as his champion who could connect with the new audiences Vince was trying to sell wrestling to.

I wouldnt have Andre, Slaughter or Billy Graham in my top 10... but even Ric Flair acknowledges on the Hogan 2006 DVD, that Hogan is the greatest champion ever.
I will have a list!..... soon

**Goldie79** · 02-14-2013, 01:56 PM

Darth... just to check here.

I am assuming that your list is based on WWF/WWE, NWA/WCW, ECW, TNA and AWA world champions.
Obviously there are some Japanese greats that would easily make the list... but I take it they are not to be included?

**Darth Shizzel** · 02-14-2013, 06:50 PM

I just felt that I could keep it to American world champions.

I did do some research like who had won world titles and how many for example Ric Flair has 23 world titles not 16.

**Goldie79** · 02-14-2013, 10:19 PM

This is my list.... not 100% sure on it yet but here goes.

So its based on American organisations only:

1 Hulk Hogan
2 Bruno Sammartino
3 Lou Thesz
4 Ric Flair
5 Verne Gagne
6 Harley Race
7 Steve Austin
8 Bret Hart
9 Bob Backlund
10 The Rock
11 Sting
12 Nick Bockwinkel
13 Randy Savage
14 Gene Kiniski
15 Terry Funk
16 Billy Graham
17 Dory Funk Jnr
18 Shawn Michaels
19 Jon Cena
20 Buddy Rogers
21 Triple H
22 Pedro Morales
23 Jack Brisco
24 Kurt Angle
25 Pat O'Connor
26 Undertaker
27 Vader
28 Dusty Rhodes
29 Brock Lesnar
30 The Ultimate Warrior
31 Goldberg
32 Yokozuna
33 CM Punk
34 Rick Steamboat
35 Edge
36 Mick Foley
37 Curt Hening
38 Chris Jericho
39 Jerry Lawlar
40 Batista
41 Taz
42 Sheamus
43 Ron Simmons
44 Scot Steiner
45 Booker T
46 Shane Douglas
47 Kane
48 Bobby Roode
49 The Sandman
50 Kevin Nash

**WWE Gary** · 02-15-2013, 03:21 AM

I have no idea what this list is based on . How can Billy Graham be ahead of Sammartino . And how in God's name does Andre the Giant and Sgt Slaughter get to be ahead of guys like Savage , Austin , Backlund and Michaels . I'm assuming you put Hogan as number one because of the impact on the business . If that is the case then Austin and The Rock deserve to be much higher up on the list . I'm perplexed.

**Goldie79** · 02-15-2013, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by WWE Gary

I have no idea what this list is based on . How can Billy Graham be ahead of Sammartino . And how in God's name does Andre the Giant and Sgt Slaughter get to be ahead of guys like Savage , Austin , Backlund and Michaels . I'm assuming you put Hogan as number one because of the impact on the business . If that is the case then Austin and The Rock deserve to be much higher up on the list . I'm perplexed.

I'm always perplexed as to why people DON'T think that Hogan is the most significant wrestler ever.
You ask any average Joe on the street to name a wrestler and Hulk Hogan will get more answers than anyone else.

I put Austin and Rock high on my list... but were they really better champions than Hogan? I don't think so. There were too many spotty short title reigns amongst the ones they had.... and Hogan had higher profile fueds and defences

AJ · 02-15-2013, 08:53 AM

If we are talking about length of the reigns then Edge never had any long legit reigns so by that he shouldn't even be on the list

**Goldie79** · 02-15-2013, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by AJ

If we are talking about length of the reigns then Edge never had any long legit reigns so by that he shouldn't even be on the list

Title Length is only one of many factors.

AJ · 02-15-2013, 09:06 AM

Come to think of it, Length is one of the key factor I mean lets state facts:

Edge had about 10-11 runs as a champion but as I said none of them were a decent ones, On the other hand, JBL just had one run but it was one of the longest we've got

**Turley** · 02-15-2013, 09:37 AM

Edge has got to be higher than JBL. In reality, whilst entertaining, JBLs run was insignificant.

AJ · 02-15-2013, 09:55 AM

But his matches were good at least better than Edge

**Goldie79** · 02-15-2013, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by AJ

Come to think of it, Length is one of the key factor I mean lets state facts:

Edge had about 10-11 runs as a champion but as I said none of them were a decent ones, On the other hand, JBL just had one run but it was one of the longest we've got

But business went down during JBL's title reign. He was not a draw as champion

Most of Rock/Austins title reigns werer short... yet they were great world champions.

As I said its a culmination of factors

**Turley** · 02-15-2013, 01:47 PM

I'd have Austin ahead if Rocky by a fair bit. His first reign was massive.

**The Legend Killer** · 02-15-2013, 05:27 PM

I'm amazed Cena is right after The Rock, and before Edge! I used to think you were awesome just because of your name, anybody whos a Sith is OK, but now.....you have let ,me down! Must be your inner Jedi talking.

**Maximo** · 02-15-2013, 07:36 PM

Wow this isn't as bad of a list as I thought it was going to be.

But I've got to ask people one question, without Rocky 3, would Hogan of been as important if he wasn't in one of the most well known films of the 80's?