Steve Yohe organized a vote on the "Greatest 100 Wrestling Stars". This list was published Dec 2013. The voters were selected by invite/approval.
A simple list from 1-100 of the top wrestling stars in history in the eyes of each voter.
Keep in mind:
RESULTS
CHRONOLOGICAL LISTI went ahead and organized it chronologically (wrestlers that appeared on 4+ ballots)  Thanks to Steve Yohe and all the voters for their hard work on this poll! TOP 100 WRESTLERS VERSUS WRESTLING OBSERVER HALL OF FAMEExcluding promoters, commentators and managers (like Heenan & Albano), the wrestlers that are in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame which I didn't see on the list here were: * The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane and Dennis Condrey) * Masa Saito * Martín Karadagian * Hiroshi Hase * Most of The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts) - Terry Gordy was ranked #305 * Último Dragón * Lioness Asuka * Devil Masami * Jackie Sato * The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello, Roy Heffernan, and Don Kent) * Dory Funk Sr. * Tony Stecher * Stu Hart * Kensuke Sasaki DezWalker noted: Born in 1970's (peak would be 2000's) - 7Born in 1960's (peak would be 1990's) - 20 Born in 1950's (peak would be 1980's) - 19 Born in 1940's (peak would be 1970's) - 21 Born in 1930's (peak would be 1960's) - 15 Born in 1920's (peak would be 1950's) - 29 (19 of the top 100) Born in 1910's (peak would be 1940's) - 11 Born in 1900's (peak would be 1930's) - 15 Born in 1890's (peak would be 1920's) - 7 Born in 1880's (peak would be 1910's) - 5 Born in 1870's (peak would be 1900's) - 6 PERCENTAGE ON BALLOTSLou Thesz (1), Jim Londos (2), Ed “Strangler” Lewis (4), Frank Gotch (5), Bruno Sammartino (6), Andre The Giant (8), Rikidozan (9) 85%+ of Ballots Hulk Hogan (3), Ric Flair (7), Buddy Rogers (10), El Santo (11), Antonio Inoki (12), Steve Austin (13), Joe Stecher (14), Gorgeous George (16), Verne Gagne (17), The Rock (18), George Hackenschmidt (19), Harley Race (20), Antonino Rocca (21), Nick Bockwinkel (22), Dory Funk Jr (23), Mil Mascaras (24), Stanislaus Zbyszko (26), Terry Funk (27), The Destroyer (29), Edouard Carpentier (33), Freddie Blassie (37), Pat O’Connor (47), Johnny Valentine (52) 70-85% of Ballots Shohei Baba (15), Dusty Rhodes (25), Gene Kiniski (28), Mitsuharu Misawa (30), Wild Bill Longson (31), Jack Brisco (32), Jumbo Tsuruta (34), Killer Kowalski (35), William Muldoon (36), Randy Savage (38), Stan Hansen (39), The Sheik (40), Bret Hart (42), Whipper Watson (43), Yvon Robert (44), John Cena (45), Dick The Bruiser (46), The Undertaker (50), Ray Stevens (55), Bobo Brazil (57), Bob Backlund (61), Keiji Muto (62), Danny Hodge (78) 55%-70% of Ballots Farmer Burns (41), Gus Sonnenberg (48), Shawn Michaels (49), Kenta Kobashi (50), Blue Demon (53), John Pesek (54), Earl Caddock (56), Bruiser Brody (58), Tiger Mask I (Sayama) (59), Riki Choshu (60), Maurice Tillet (63), Genichiro Tenryu (64), Akira Maeda (66), Bronko Nagurski (67), Evan “Strangler” Lewis (68), Toshiaki Kawada (69), Fritz Von Erich (70), Perro Aguayo (72), Tatsumi Fujinami (73), Big Van Vader (76), Ed Don George (79), Abdullah The Butcher (81), Triple H (85) 40%-55% of Ballots The Great Gama (65), Tom Jenkins (71), Don Leo Jonathan (74), Roddy Piper (75), Jerry Lawler (77), Dick Shikat (80), Billy Robinson (82), Kurt Angle (83), Ray Steele (84), El Hijo Del Santo (86), Shinya Hashimoto (89), Ricky Steamboat (90), Orville Brown (92), Mad Dog Vachon (92), Wladek Zbyszko (94), Billy Graham (95), Hans Schmidt (96), Rey Misterio Jr (98), Henri De Glane (100), Pat Patterson (103), Mildred Burke (106), Mick Foley (110), Wahoo McDaniel (140) 25%-40% of Ballots El Solitario (87), Frank Sexton (88), El Canek (91), The Crusher (97), Gory Guerrero (101), Dara Singh (102), Karl Gotch (103), Bill Miller (105), Everett Marshall (107), Sandor Szabo (108), Jushin Liger (111), Dynamite Kid (113), Jim Browning (114), Danno O’Mahoney (116), Mick McManus (117), Eddie Guerrero (119), Nobuhiko Takada (120), Enrique Torres (121), Chris Benoit (122), Col. J. H. McLaughlin (123), Eddie Graham (125), Steve Casey (126), Brock Lesnar (133), Bert Assirati (137), Pedro Morales (147), Sting (163), Ted Dibiase (168) 15%-25% of Ballots Ray Mendoza (99), Joe Savoldi (108), Ad Santel (112), Toots Mondt (115), Primo Carnera (118), Rene Guajardo (124), Negro Casas (127), Bobby Managoff (132), Villano III (133), Cavernario Galindo (137), Man Mountain Dean (139), Fred Beell (141), Atsushi Onita (142), Manami Toyota (142), Masahiro Chono (145), Wilbur Snyder (147), Danny Mc Shain (150), Duncan C. Ross (151), Big Daddy (Shirley Crabtree) (152), Dos Caras (153), Bill Watts (153), Cien Caras (157), Ivan Koloff (157), Joe Acton (159), Dr Ben Roller (161), Mark Lewin (163), Don Eagle (165), Ernie Ladd (167), Clarence Eklund (169), Chigusa Nagayo (173), Dump Matsumoto (181), CM Punk (184), Hiroshi Tanahashi (188), Pepper Gomez (194), Earl McCready (203) POINTS PER BALLOT1. Lou Thesz: 2425 points on 26 ballots = 93.3 points/vote 3. Hulk Hogan: 2318 points on 25 ballots = 92.7 points/vote 2. Jim Londos: 2384 points on 26 ballots = 91.7 points/vote 11. El Santo: 2091 points on 23 ballots = 90.9 points/vote 7. Ric Flair: 2225 points on 25 ballots = 89 points/vote 4. Ed “Strangler” Lewis: 2303 points on 26 ballots = 88.6 points/vote 5. Frank Gotch: 2300 points on 26 ballots = 88.5 points/vote 6. Bruno Sammartino: 2247 points on 26 ballots = 86.4 points/vote 13. Steve Austin: 1975 points on 23 ballots = 85.9 points/vote 8. Andre The Giant: 2220 points on 26 ballots = 85.4 points/vote 9. Rikidozan: 2208 points on 26 ballots = 84.9 points/vote 10. Buddy Rogers: 2102 points on 25 ballots = 84.1 points/vote 12. Antonio Inoki: 1987 points on 24 ballots = 82.8 points/vote 15. Shohei Baba: 1801 points on 22 ballots = 81.9 points/vote 14. Joe Stecher: 1929 points on 24 ballots = 80.4 points/vote 16. Gorgeous George: 1770 points on 23 ballots = 77 points/vote 18. The Rock: 1765 points on 23 ballots = 76.7 points/vote 17. Verne Gagne: 1769 points on 24 ballots = 73.7 points/vote 19. George Hackenschmidt: 1725 points on 24 ballots = 71.9 points/vote 20. Harley Race: 1637 points on 23 ballots = 71.2 points/vote 99. Ray Mendoza: 401 points on 6 ballots = 66.8 points/vote 25. Dusty Rhodes: 1459 points on 22 ballots = 66.3 points/vote 30. Mitsuharu Misawa: 1323 points on 20 ballots = 66.2 points/vote 36. William Muldoon: 1246 points on 19 ballots = 65.6 points/vote 21. Antonino Rocca: 1573 points on 24 ballots = 65.5 points/vote 24. Mil Mascaras: 1481 points on 23 ballots = 64.4 points/vote 22. Nick Bockwinkel: 1562 points on 25 ballots = 62.5 points/vote 31. Wild Bill Longson: 1308 points on 21 ballots = 62.3 points/vote 87. El Solitario: 498 points on 8 ballots = 62.3 points/vote 41. Farmer Burns: 1118 points on 18 ballots = 62.1 points/vote 23. Dory Funk Jr: 1487 points on 24 ballots = 62 points/vote 27. Terry Funk: 1421 points on 23 ballots = 61.8 points/vote 28. Gene Kiniski: 1349 points on 22 ballots = 61.3 points/vote 26. Stanislaus Zbyszko: 1443 points on 24 ballots = 60.1 points/vote 35. Killer Kowalski: 1253 points on 21 ballots = 59.7 points/vote 65. The Great Gama: 709 points on 12 ballots = 59.1 points/vote 32. Jack Brisco: 1298 points on 22 ballots = 59 points/vote 53. Blue Demon: 941 points on 16 ballots = 58.8 points/vote 34. Jumbo Tsuruta: 1283 points on 22 ballots = 58.3 points/vote 39. Stan Hansen: 1217 points on 21 ballots = 58 points/vote 50. Kenta Kobashi: 964 points on 17 ballots = 56.7 points/vote 48. Gus Sonnenberg: 1013 points on 18 ballots = 56.3 points/vote 38. Randy Savage: 1231 points on 22 ballots = 56 points/vote 33. Edouard Carpentier: 1285 points on 23 ballots = 55.9 points/vote 40. The Sheik: 1152 points on 21 ballots = 54.9 points/vote 49. Shawn Michaels: 982 points on 18 ballots = 54.6 points/vote 44. Yvon Robert: 1080 points on 20 ballots = 54 points/vote 29. The Destroyer: 1333 points on 25 ballots = 53.3 points/vote 54. John Pesek: 902 points on 17 ballots = 53.1 points/vote 43. Whipper Watson: 1086 points on 21 ballots = 51.7 points/vote 91. El Canek: 464 points on 9 ballots = 51.6 points/vote 37. Freddie Blassie: 1236 points on 24 ballots = 51.5 points/vote 63. Maurice Tillet: 765 points on 15 ballots = 51 points/vote 50. The Undertaker: 964 points on 19 ballots = 50.7 points/vote 45. John Cena: 1064 points on 21 ballots = 50.7 points/vote 60. Riki Choshu: 807 points on 16 ballots = 50.4 points/vote 56. Earl Caddock: 852 points on 17 ballots = 50.1 points/vote 42. Bret Hart: 1101 points on 22 ballots = 50 points/vote 46. Dick The Bruiser: 1043 points on 21 ballots = 49.7 points/vote 88. Frank Sexton: 492 points on 10 ballots = 49.2 points/vote 71. Tom Jenkins: 630 points on 13 ballots = 48.5 points/vote 58. Bruiser Brody: 823 points on 17 ballots = 48.4 points/vote 59. Tiger Mask I (Sayama): 814 points on 17 ballots = 47.9 points/vote 64. Genichiro Tenryu: 757 points on 16 ballots = 47.3 points/vote 84. Ray Steele: 515 points on 11 ballots = 46.8 points/vote 102. Dara Singh: 373 points on 8 ballots = 46.6 points/vote 103. Karl Gotch: 356 points on 8 ballots = 44.5 points/vote 57. Bobo Brazil: 844 points on 19 ballots = 44.4 points/vote 47. Pat O’Connor: 1018 points on 23 ballots = 44.3 points/vote 97. The Crusher: 433 points on 10 ballots = 43.3 points/vote 68. Evan “Strangler” Lewis: 649 points on 15 ballots = 43.3 points/vote 74. Don Leo Jonathan: 605 points on 14 ballots = 43.2 points/vote 69. Toshiaki Kawada: 647 points on 15 ballots = 43.1 points/vote 67. Bronko Nagurski: 685 points on 16 ballots = 42.8 points/vote 75. Roddy Piper: 594 points on 14 ballots = 42.4 points/vote 70. Fritz Von Erich: 636 points on 15 ballots = 42.4 points/vote 72. Perro Aguayo: 629 points on 15 ballots = 41.9 points/vote 115. Toots Mondt: 251 points on 6 ballots = 41.8 points/vote 101. Gory Guerrero: 374 points on 9 ballots = 41.6 points/vote 61. Bob Backlund: 787 points on 19 ballots = 41.4 points/vote 62. Keiji Muto: 781 points on 19 ballots = 41.1 points/vote 77. Jerry Lawler: 572 points on 14 ballots = 40.9 points/vote 52. Johnny Valentine: 960 points on 24 ballots = 40 points/vote 82. Billy Robinson: 517 points on 13 ballots = 39.8 points/vote 83. Kurt Angle: 516 points on 13 ballots = 39.7 points/vote 105. Bill Miller: 355 points on 9 ballots = 39.4 points/vote 80. Dick Shikat: 551 points on 14 ballots = 39.4 points/vote 55. Ray Stevens: 855 points on 22 ballots = 38.9 points/vote 66. Akira Maeda: 695 points on 18 ballots = 38.6 points/vote 118. Primo Carnera: 229 points on 6 ballots = 38.2 points/vote 95. Billy Graham: 448 points on 12 ballots = 37.3 points/vote 79. Ed Don George: 554 points on 15 ballots = 36.9 points/vote 96. Hans Schmidt: 435 points on 12 ballots = 36.3 points/vote 76. Big Van Vader: 578 points on 16 ballots = 36.1 points/vote 86. El Hijo Del Santo: 500 points on 14 ballots = 35.7 points/vote 92. Orville Brown: 456 points on 13 ballots = 35.1 points/vote 89. Shinya Hashimoto: 488 points on 14 ballots = 34.9 points/vote 98. Rey Misterio Jr: 407 points on 12 ballots = 33.9 points/vote 113. Dynamite Kid: 270 points on 8 ballots = 33.8 points/vote 73. Tatsumi Fujinami: 607 points on 18 ballots = 33.7 points/vote The Remaining by points/ballot - for those that appear on at least 6 ballots 85. Triple H: 505 points on 15 ballots = 33.7 points/vote 90. Ricky Steamboat: 469 points on 14 ballots = 33.5 points/vote 114. Jim Browning: 268 points on 8 ballots = 33.5 points/vote 107. Everett Marshall: 328 points on 10 ballots = 32.8 points/vote 92. Mad Dog Vachon: 456 points on 14 ballots = 32.6 points/vote 103. Pat Patterson: 356 points on 11 ballots = 32.4 points/vote 94. Wladek Zbyszko: 452 points on 14 ballots = 32.3 points/vote 106. Mildred Burke: 349 points on 11 ballots = 31.7 points/vote 119. Eddie Guerrero: 220 points on 7 ballots = 31.4 points/vote 116. Danno O’Mahoney: 249 points on 8 ballots = 31.1 points/vote 108. Sandor Szabo: 308 points on 10 ballots = 30.8 points/vote 117. Mick McManus: 246 points on 8 ballots = 30.8 points/vote 81. Abdullah The Butcher: 520 points on 17 ballots = 30.6 points/vote 122. Chris Benoit: 203 points on 7 ballots = 29 points/vote 123. Col. J. H. McLaughlin: 202 points on 7 ballots = 28.9 points/vote 100. Henri De Glane: 392 points on 14 ballots = 28 points/vote 125. Eddie Graham: 196 points on 7 ballots = 28 points/vote 78. Danny Hodge: 559 points on 20 ballots = 28 points/vote 111. Jushin Liger: 277 points on 10 ballots = 27.7 points/vote 141. Fred Beell: 150 points on 6 ballots = 25 points/vote 142. Manami Toyota: 146 points on 6 ballots = 24.3 points/vote 133. Brock Lesnar: 167 points on 7 ballots = 23.9 points/vote 121. Enrique Torres: 209 points on 9 ballots = 23.2 points/vote 126. Steve Casey: 181 points on 8 ballots = 22.6 points/vote 110. Mick Foley: 291 points on 13 ballots = 22.4 points/vote 120. Nobuhiko Takada: 219 points on 10 ballots = 21.9 points/vote 150. Danny Mc Shain: 129 points on 6 ballots = 21.5 points/vote 152. Big Daddy (Shirley Crabtree): 127 points on 6 ballots = 21.2 points/vote 161. Dr Ben Roller: 120 points on 6 ballots = 20 points/vote 167. Ernie Ladd: 114 points on 6 ballots = 19 points/vote 137. Bert Assirati: 163 points on 9 ballots = 18.1 points/vote 163. Sting: 118 points on 7 ballots = 16.9 points/vote 147. Pedro Morales: 132 points on 8 ballots = 16.5 points/vote 168. Ted Dibiase: 113 points on 7 ballots = 16.1 points/vote 181. Dump Matsumoto: 87 points on 6 ballots = 14.5 points/vote 140. Wahoo McDaniel: 157 points on 11 ballots = 14.3 points/vote TOP 21 WRESTLERS AMONG THE TOP FIFTEEN RANKS This looks at two pieces of information: (A) How did the top 21 wrestlers fare among the top 15 places? (B) How would a hypothetical "weighted point" vote compare to the current system? (A) #1. Lou Thesz had 26 votes - all placing in the top fifteen places. The second most top-15 votes was #4. Ed Lewis (24 votes) followed by #2. Jim Londos and #5. Frank Gotch with 23 votes apiece. #3. Hulk Hogan and #9. Rikidozan had 22 top-15 votes while #11. El Santo and #8. Andre the Giant both had 21 votes. #6. Bruno Sammartino and #7. Ric Flair both had 20 top-15 votes. Only #10. Buddy Rogers had less than twenty top-15 votes (with 19). (B) Montreal Historian and Author Pat LaPrade had lobbied for a "weighted voting" system where a #1 vote would be worth far more than a #2 vote. Using this system with descending point values (125, 115, 110, 105, 102, 99, 96, 94, 92, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85), I scored the top 15 places for each wrestler against the "traditional" points they received under the original system (100, 99, 98, ...). The top five places remain the same. No surprise that Lou Thesz remains first place under both methodologies (since he's the only wrestler to get all 26 voters to place him in the top fifteen). Jim Londos retains his #2 spot (though he's only 2 points ahead of Ed Lewis on this restricted ballot). Hulk Hogan, who finished third in the regular balloting, is also in third place with a weighted scoring on the basis of nine votes putting him either #1 or #2. The original #4, Ed Lewis, is still in fourth place and Frank Gotch stays in fifth. Then the upsets start to occur -- Rikidozan and El Santo fare far better with a weighting scoring (though they have the same ranking if you look at the "restricted" ballot original points scoring) -- it really says that the voters that didn't put them in the top 15 are the ones that drove their final placement at #9 and #11 respectively. Those that originally finished in places #6 through #8 (Sammartino, Flair, Andre) drop behind the regional legends (Santo/Rikidozan) on both the restricted ballot and weighted ballot scoring to places #8 through #10. The only other major move of note would probably be Hackenschmidt who would go from barely being top twenty (#19 in original scoring) up to #15 (largely on the basis of a voter delivering at least one strong #3 ranking). Jim Londos has 23 votes here; his remaining 3 votes yielded 124 points = 41 points/voter = 60th place. avg. Hulk Hogan has 22 votes here; his remaining 3 votes yielded 175 points = 58 points/voter = 43rd place. avg. Ed Lewis has 24 votes here; his remaining 2 votes yielded 45 points = 23 points/voter = 79th place. avg. Frank Gotch has 23 votes here; his remaining 3 votes yielded 113 points = 38 points/voter = 63rd place avg. Rikidozan has 22 votes here; his remaining 4 votes yielded 163 points = 41 points/voter = 60th place avg. El Santo has 21 votes here; his remaining 2 votes yielded 130 points = 65 points/voter = 36th place avg. Ric Flair has 20 votes here; his remaining 5 votes yielded 328 points = 66 points/voter = 35th place avg. Andre The Giant has 21 votes here; his remaining 5 votes yielded 302 points = 60 points/voter = 41th place avg. Bruno Sammartino has 20 votes here; his remaining 6 votes yielded 383 points = 64 points/voter = 37th place avg. Buddy Rogers has 19 votes here; his remaining 6 votes yielded 359 points = 60 points/voter = 41th place avg. Steve Austin has 17 votes here; his remaining 6 votes yielded 407 points = 68 points/voter = 33th place avg. Joe Stecher has 15 votes here; his remaining 9 votes yielded 580 points = 64 points/voter = 37th place avg. Antonio Inoki has 14 votes here; his remaining 10 votes yielded 701 points = 70 points/voter = 31th place avg. George Hackenschmidt has 9 votes here; his remaining 15 votes yielded 913 points = 61 points/voter = 40th place avg. Shohei Baba has 9 votes here; his remaining 13 votes yielded 991 points = 76 points/voter = 25th place avg. Gorgeous George has 8 votes here; his remaining 15 votes yielded 1031 points = 69 points/voter = 32th place avg. Verne Gagne has 8 votes here; his remaining 16 votes yielded 1049 points = 66 points/voter = 35th place avg. The Rock has 7 votes here; his remaining 16 votes yielded 1143 points = 71 points/voter = 30th place avg. Harley Race has 4 votes here; his remaining 19 votes yielded 1278 points = 67 points/voter = 34th place avg. Antonino Rocca has 2 votes here; his remaining 22 votes yielded 1386 points = 63 points/voter = 38th place avg. |
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