Top 10 Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time

These titans of the ring have battled it out, leaving everything on the mat and crafting a legacy that echoes in the hearts of fans worldwide. They've been part of legendary face-offs that we still whisper about with awe, and they've starred in contemporary sagas that have reshaped our understanding of what pro wrestling truly is.
The Top Ten
1 The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name The Undertaker, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he has worked since 1990, making him the company's longest tenured in-ring performer . Calaway began his wrestling career with World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984 . After wrestling for World Championship Wrestling (WCW)... read more

There has never been and never will be anyone like The Undertaker. His legacy spans generations, from Hulkamania to the rise of the WWE Universe. The Undertaker has proven time and time again that no one can truly compare to his accomplishments. He's left no stone unturned, and there was nowhere he dared not tread. Unfortunately, his legendary career will likely come to an end at WrestleMania 32 after what will likely be a decisive victory over John Cena, at least if the rumors are true. Although he'll be gone from the ring, he'll never be gone from our hearts, and he will never Rest In Peace.

The Undertaker has always been the top in his field. His character evolved as the years went by but stayed true to his persona. His wrestling has always been top-notch and has remained in the spotlight, and his career spanned many years.

He has been there with almost every other superstar mentioned. Still, he is present and wrestling. Simply the best. Everyone comes into wrestling, they have their shots, even they become champion and then leave it. But Undertaker was there in wrestling, and is still fighting.

2 Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson on December 18, 1964, later Steven James Williams), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American actor, media personality, producer, and retired professional wrestler who is signed to a legends contract for WWE.

He gained significant mainstream popularity in the WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) in the late... read more

Known as the man who changed everything in the pro wrestling business and the toughest SOB in the entire world, some people think Stone Cold Steve Austin was even more popular than Hulk Hogan himself. He sold the most merchandise of any other pro wrestler in history, along with the most tickets, and is a 6-time WWE Champion. Although having such a tremendous career, unlike so many wrestlers before him, he retired from the ring at a very young age after making his fortune and rising to the top quickly so that he could live a healthy life and pursue a very successful acting career. Many people believe that as a wrestler, he was the most popular and respected professional wrestler and superstar of all time.

Stone Cold is the greatest of all time. He revolutionized wrestling and saved WWE. He was great, not the best, before his neck injury. Even after that, he put on some great matches. His promos are excellent and famous, especially his legendary Austin 3:16 promo at King of the Ring 1996. He sold more merchandise than anyone or anything else in pro wrestling. He was the face of the Attitude Era, and every time he entered the arena, the crowd went nuts. His pop were the loudest.

3 The Rock Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American and Canadian actor, producer and semi-retired professional wrestler, signed with WWE.

Dwayne The Rock Johnson was a 3rd generation wrestler who has an extensive career and has recently made the transition to an acting career, and has been very successful thus far. He is a star everywhere he goes, from football to wrestling to acting, and is the most Hollywood-known wrestler today. He now prefers only the name Dwayne Johnson and tends to shy away from his time in the wrestling business. He has stated previously that he wants nothing to do with the pro wrestling business anymore.

Transformed the business, made wrestling appeal to a wider audience, and took it to the next level. TV appearances, movies, TV adverts made wrestling cool to watch, along with many superstars from the Attitude Era. You get a different sort of feeling when The Rock's music hits. He truly is electrifying. Extremely popular as a face and a heel, "Hollywood Rock" is my favourite version of The Rock. Recently came back and proved how big he really is. The highest-grossing PPV of all time. He's WWE's most valuable superstar and, along with Austin, the most popular.

4 Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels was born on July 22, 1965 . He is an American professional wrestler. He is the first wrestler to win all the titles the WWE could have offered. He is known for his moves and looks. His nickname provided by WWE is HBK (Heart Break Kid). He was in DX (Degeneration X) a tag team with Triple H, and was the only nWo to not be in WCW. He is known by many names such as: The Showstopper, The... read more

He was, he is, and he will always be the best pro wrestler to ever step foot in the ring. He was the complete package of almost all aspects of pro wrestling, be it technicality, storytelling, 5-star matches. No doubt, in his 26-year career, 12 of his matches had won the Match of the Year award. He was involved in the first-ever ladder match, Hell in a Cell match, Elimination Chamber match, Iron Man match. That shows the character of this man and the trust of the company in him. He is the role model of a number of superstars and he even topped the WWE Top 50 Wrestlers list. If you build wrestling from scratch, you will get Shawn Michaels.

It is safe to say that HBK Shawn Michaels is the utmost in-ring performer of all time. He has proven that he deserves the praise given to him by delivering some of the best matches in the history of WWE. He is one of the faces of WWE that changed the entire industry on a diverse level. He is one of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time: a 4-Time World Champion, 2-Time Royal Rumble winner. He was the first Grand Slam Champion, among many other achievements. He also has the most number of firsts in the WWE. He was the first WWE superstar to ever win the Royal Rumble as entry #1. He won the first ever Hell in a Cell match, defeating The Undertaker. He won the first ever Elimination Chamber and won the World Heavyweight title. He was the revolutionary of the Ladder Match, and much more. His pay-per-view matches left a mark in the WWE.

His match against The Undertaker in WM 25 is considered the greatest match in the history of wrestling, regardless of brand. He deserves his numerous monikers:

- The Showstopper
- The Headliner
- The Main Event
- The Icon
- Mr. WrestleMania
- Mr. Hall of Famer
- Best of the Bests

5 Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American professional wrestler, actor, television personality, entrepreneur and rock bassist.

Hulk Hogan might be the most famous wrestler. He might not be the greatest wrestler when it comes to wrestling moves. The fans would go nuts when Hogan was wrestling more than any other wrestler. Just watch WrestleMania 3 and 18.

Hogan was the top guy in WWE in the '80s to the early '90s. He even helped WCW in the ratings war in the NWO days 1996-1997. That was my favorite time watching wrestling. 1998 is the start when NWO fell apart, then in 2001 WCW died.

Hogan made WrestleMania what it is today, maybe wrestling what it is today. The Undertaker is a legend. If it wasn't for Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker might not have had the winning streak. Ric Flair will always be known for WCW. Hulk Hogan will always be known for WWE. Hogan should be number 1 for being the most popular wrestler of all time.

The average voter age on this list must be under 21 or didn't start watching wrestling until the Attitude Era. If it wasn't for Gitana, it's very doubtful anybody would even know who these other guys are. Wrestling would still be territorial.

Remember, 10 high spots per match doesn't make a quality match. Everyone talks bad about Gitana's in-ring work, but he must have done something right to draw as much money as he did. Stone Cold and The Rock both have extremely limited move sets too, but it's all about telling a story in the ring, not how many acrobatic maneuvers one can pull off.

The new generation just doesn't give this man enough respect. They only know NWO and old man Hogan. If you want to see work in the ring, just watch WrestleMania 5's main event, Hogan vs. Macho Man.

6 John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. (/ˈsiːnə/; born April 23, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, rapper, actor, and reality television show host signed to WWE, where he is assigned to the SmackDown brand.

Cena started his professional wrestling career in 1999 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), and won the UPW Heavyweight Championship the following year. Cena signed a developmental contract... read more

He can take any kind of knockout. He survived every cage fight. He is a beast. The wrestlers fear him, so they sabotage in the middle of the ring. They go outlaw. Play Cena with the law, and you know how dangerous he is! He is the kind of wrestler that makes you watch WWE because of him. In my country, Ethiopia, people watch WWE because of John Cena! And it is true. He has to be in the top 3. Leading!

Whether you like John Cena or you don't, he deserves to be in the top 10. He's done much for the sport, sold merchandise, and has been one of the most dedicated people the WWE has ever had. Great athlete.

Come on, man, he has just made the record of 11 times WWE Championship, and beat The Rock at WrestleMania 28. Plus, he's the man of his own word and broke the curse of Khali by beating him in the finals. And you just put him at number 5? He SHOULD be at number 1, man, not that freaky old underworld guy.

7 Ric Flair Richard Morgan "Ric" Fliehr, better known by his ring name Ric Flair, is a professional wrestling manager and American retired professional wrestler currently signed to the WWE under a legends appearance contract.

Flair was the most entertaining wrestler to watch. You never knew what he was going to say on the mic. I don't think he did at times. His in-ring antics were a thing of beauty. He had everybody hooked on every move he made. He could also get vicious at times. It didn't matter how big his opponent was, Flair would always find a way to knock them to the mat. People get so caught up in all these other wrestlers because they can relate to their era more. Ric beat every top star from many eras. He's the best! They'll never be another like him.

Nobody has more memorable lines in their mic work than Flair. People talk about him as the greatest wrestler of all time, and what isn't talked about as much is how good he was at selling. He always made his opponents look great.

Woo! Ric Flair, AKA The Nature Boy, is another old wrestler. He started wrestling in 1972 (wow) and you wouldn't believe it, but he stopped using his first finishing move, the diving knee drop, because of aging! That's how old he is!

8 Triple H Paul Michael Levesque, better known by his ring name Triple H, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, corporate executive, and actor.

Changed the business and spearheaded the attitude wave. Now, 18 years later, he is creating the next generation of stars to carry on the legacy of the WWE. Say what you will about his politicking, but the guy's a true pro and one of the greatest ring generals of all time.

I'm kind of hoping WWE lets him have one more title run. Triple H is one of my favorites of all time. He knew how to get heel heat on himself, and he could get some funny moments with Shawn Michaels in. I want him back because WWE is starting to die, and he could save it.

Triple H is supposed to be in the top 5. All the guys that hate Triple H for his authority rule are living examples to show that Triple H's magic worked. He is a legend. He made everyone laugh with great mic skills. He entertained us throughout his career, and now, he is creating new stars through his NXT (Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Rollins, KO, Sami Zayn, etc.).

Even his current rival, Roman Reigns, came up under his own show (NXT).

9 Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine, better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, media personality, actor, author, and businessman, currently signed to AEW.

I can't believe Chris Jericho and Bill Goldberg share the same list. Goldberg is not even in the same league as a true pro like Y2J. By the way, the fact that Goldberg is ranked 11 and Jericho is 20 is embarrassing. I've never seen a bad Jericho match. I've seen plenty from that jabroni Goldberg.

The ultimate performer. Flawless in the ring and on the mic. And still able to put on classics at the age of 45. True legend.

Best talker of all time. He's the GOAT. He was awesome in the ring as well. I think he's better than Cena.

10 Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart, better known by his ring name Bret "The Hitman" Hart, is a Canadian-American writer, actor and retired professional and amateur wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler.

The Excellence Of Execution. The Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There EVER Will Be. A member of both the WWE Hall Of Fame and the Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall Of Fame and Museum. A 5-time WWF Champion, 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion. He is the master of the infamous Sharpshooter submission hold, and arguably the most gifted and technically sound craftsman the wrestling world has ever seen. He never seriously injured ANYONE during the course of his 24-year active-ring career. He is the 2nd wrestler ever to earn WWF's "Triple Crown" by holding the WWF Championship, Tag-Team, and Intercontinental titles. PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year back-to-back in the PWI 500 in 1993 and 1994.

Bret Hart was born to wrestle and rose to the top with an over-the-top personality and strong performances. The loss of his brother was, of course, extremely hard on him, and his career seemed to fade.

The Contenders
11 Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed with WWE, where he is a member of the SmackDown brand. He is a 12-time world champion, having held the WWE World Championship eight times and the World Heavyweight Championship four times.

From his RKO to his Spike DDT, he is one of the most dangerous WWE wrestlers of all time. If you step into the ring with him, I promise he will give you a free RKO and then easily pin you, yeah, that's right.

12 Edge Adam Joseph Copeland is a Canadian actor and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Smackdown brand under the ring name Edge.

Twenty-foot super spears! Five-second poses!

I respect every wrestler that steps into that ring, but Edge is my inspiration.

I feel I must add that I wasn't allowed to watch wrestling in the 1980s (when I was a child), but, dang it, I knew the names Hogan, Macho Man, and Captain Lou!

Has plenty of stardom and charisma. Shakes the arena on entry. Risk-taking character, can hold the company alone on his shoulders. Deserves it.

The spear is my favorite move, and no one does it better than Edge.

13 Sting Steve Borden, better known by the ring name Sting, is an American retired professional wrestler, actor, author and former bodybuilder.

Sting had the perfect combination of a great gimmick, charisma, and wrestling ability. There were a lot of guys with great gimmicks who couldn't wrestle (Ultimate Warrior), guys who could wrestle but had lame gimmicks, and guys who could wrestle but were lousy on the mic. Sting did it all, and he did it all incredibly well.

A face with white paint and sad eyes, and a baseball bat in his hand. He gave wrestling fans hope when everything seems to go bad. Wish the WWE universe could experience the charisma of this man like WCW fans did. He was the biggest superstar in the '90s. There will never be another Sting. LEGEND.

Sting is one of those personalities who could play the strong silent type or talk a big game. Great athlete, sold a lot of merchandise, and definitely the face of the WCW beside Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.

14 Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, actor and former amateur wrestler currently signed to professional wrestling promotion WWE, where he was the on-screen general manager of the Raw brand and an occasional wrestler.

You could not complete this countdown without the Olympic American hero, Kurt Angle himself. As soon as he arrived in major wrestling, he ripped through all the competition and has the most WWE titles won in the shortest time. Obviously deserving to be in the top five.

Won in the Olympics with a broken neck, is one of the most, if not the most, skilled wrestlers of the Ruthless Aggression Era, and is just amazing in general. He needs to be higher on this list. Oh, it's true, it's DAMN true!

He is probably the greatest icon in the Ruthless Aggression era. When The Rock retired after WrestleMania XIX, and after losing his title at XIX, he won it back at Vengeance '04. Is Angle number 1? It's true.

15 Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was born in Pizzoferrato, Abruzzo, Italy, to Alfonso and Emilia Sammartino on October 6, 1935. He then died on April 18, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. He is known for his powerful bearhug finishing move, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

No man has ever held the title longer than Bruno. The human wrecking ball from Italy held the title for more than 11 years. He was the working horse of the WWE in the '60s and '70s and is regarded as the most popular wrestler of that era.

I don't really see how anybody that knows anything about wrestling would vote anyone but Bruno #1. It just doesn't make sense to me if you are treating the poll seriously.

Hands down, the greatest professional wrestler of all time! The one and only true living legend of professional wrestling! True class!

16 CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks, also known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American comic book writer, actor, upcoming mixed martial artist and retired professional wrestler who is signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

He is best known for his career In World Wrestling Entertainment. He had multiple title reigns over multiple titles. While he was in the WWE, he was the leader of the New... read more

He is a one-time ROH World Champ, a 2-time ROH Tag Team Champ, a one-time ECW World Champ, a 1-time Intercontinental Champion, 1-time World Tag Team Champion with Kofi Kingston in WWE, a three-time World Heavyweight Champ, a two-time Money in the Bank winner, and a two-time WWE Champion. He's beaten Chris Jericho, John Cena, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, Jeff Hardy, John Morrison, Edge, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, and more.

Why is he at #16? He cut arguably the best promos of all time. He was the best of the 2000s on the mic. He held the title for 434 days in an era where they usually hold it for 50 days. He defeated almost everyone in this time span. His matches are classics: 2011 MITB vs. John Cena, 2013 WrestleMania vs. The Undertaker, 2013 SummerSlam vs. Brock Lesnar. Lastly, it didn't matter if he was a heel or face. He was still "the best in the world."

Best in the world. Punk should be at #1 or #2 at the least, and only behind AJ Styles. The Rock, Flair, Hogan, and Cena should be way down the list. Instead, they're all ranked ahead of Angle? Hulk Hogan is a better wrestler than Kurt Angle? Maybe have a wrestling fan make the list next time.

17 Kane Glenn Thomas Jacobs is an American professional wrestler, insurer, and actor. He works for WWE, and is best known by his ring name Kane.

The Devil's Favorite Demon is here. Kane, the brother of The Undertaker, is one of the tallest WWE wrestlers at 7'0. He wears a mask, changing it for each different era. He is now a part of The Authority and unlikely to wear a mask again.

Kane came in as the brother of the Undertaker and it fit. His darkness and the mystery of his persona were exciting and fun.

Kane is the biggest energy wrestler, signaling to big fire. Kane does to mask of face, small years problem to fire.

18 Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero Llanes, was a Mexican-American professional wrestler and a member of the Guerrero wrestling family.

Eddie Guerrero was born into wrestling, but he was also born to wrestle. His personality was so strong and enticing that you couldn't help but love and cheer for him. He will always be handsome, will always be young, and always at the top of his career.

Sad to see Eddie go at a young age. His last matches were some of his best. He kept getting stronger. Had he lived another 5 years, maybe.

Unmatched charisma. Watching him execute a common move is like watching perfection, from the snap in one of his suplexes to the execution of the frog splash.

19 Randy Savage

One of the most famous wrestling stars of the 80s and early 90s. The Macho Man has worldwide recognition and has been a hero for many children growing up. He has made movie appearances along with commercials and remains a very wealthy and popular man.

You won't find another wrestler who was more intense. His in-ring work was precise, and his attention to detail in his storytelling is unmatched.

Are you kidding me? 39th best? All you guys better think this one over long and hard. In his generation, he was #2 in putting wrestling over, right after the Hulkster.

20 Daniel Bryan Bryan Lloyd Danielson is an American professional wrestler best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Daniel Bryan. He is a five time WWE world champion.

He thought he would never get a chance to wrestle because he is too small. But he made a giant success in the World Wrestling Entertainment! His famous tag team, Team Hell No with Kane, is one of the funniest and most entertaining tag teams in history.

His passion for wrestling is evident in every match. In my opinion, the single most technically sound wrestler I have ever seen.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. There is "no" other word that says it better.

21 Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler. During his 22-year career, he worked for numerous promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

The obvious stain on his legacy is what he did at the end of his life. Based solely on his in-ring work, he was one of the most intense, captivating performers of all time.

22 Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez, better known by the ring name Rey Mysterio, is a Mexican-American professional wrestler who currently works for WWE on the Smackdown brand.

I think the ultimate underdog is a great wrestler. The kids love him. He wins matches against men double his size. He is one Hall of Fame superstar in the making. Show respect by giving this a thumbs up, just like Rey showed respect for Eddie Guerrero in the 2006 Royal Rumble.

The Biggest Little Man - Rey Mysterio is a Mexican-American wrestler. He retired in 2015 because he felt guilty about the accidental murder of the wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.

The greatest little man of all time.

23 Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler, professional American football player, and mixed martial artist who is currently signed to WWE.

He is a beast. He defeated all the wrestlers who came in his way. He is a beast. And he ended the undefeated streak of The Undertaker. No person can take him down, but Brock did. That's why he is awesome. He has no weakness.

Reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Wrestler of all time. He deserves number 1 although I do not like his attitude.

24 Andre the Giant André René Roussimoff, known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. André He most famously feuded with Hulk Hogan, culminating at WrestleMania III, and his best-remembered film role was that of Fezzik, the giant in The Princess Bride. His size was a result of gigantism caused by excess growth hormone, which later resulted in acromegaly. It also led to him being called... read more

The largest sports entertainer ever known, standing at almost 7'5", was taller than the wrestling ring itself. He weighed over 575 pounds at his heaviest, even though Hulk Hogan claims he weighed 700 pounds when he slammed him at WrestleMania 3. He was featured in a wide number of movies, TV shows, talk shows, and events around the world even before he stepped foot in the ring. Andre the Giant was known as "The 8th Wonder of the World," which people would come from all around the world to see. He was also known for never being pinned or submitted in his entire career, over 10 years up until he met The Immortal Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 3. Some people believe to this day the match was controversial and that Andre never lost. Andre died in France at the age of 47 from gigantism, but his name is still very famous!

Andre the Giant is and always will be one of the best-known wrestlers that will ever be. He was daunting and a force to be reckoned with.

25 Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley Sr. is an American retired professional wrestler, writer, color commentator, actor and voice actor.

He did a lot for the sport. The three personalities of Cactus Jack, Mankind, or Dude Love were entertaining, and what's unique is they all three were different, as if he could tap into some rare type of schizophrenia. I don't know if anyone has sacrificed their body more than Mick Foley. He's one of the greats.

Mick Foley, the wrestler with multiple personalities. I just liked Mick Foley, period.

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