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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2012 19:57:57 GMT -6
This is a bit of a two prong question! I'm really interested in getting everybody's opinion.
1) Who do you consider the best workers in professional wrestling's history?
2) Who are some of the best workers in today's professional wrestling landscape?
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Daisuke Iwakuma
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Pete: Nick, I don't think you'll ever be truly happy unless there's a baby octopus involved.
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Post by Daisuke Iwakuma on Dec 5, 2012 20:06:42 GMT -6
1) Flair, Steamboat, Arn Anderson (so subtle, it's ridiculous), Chono, Misawa, Ted DiBiase Sr., Liger, Mutoh
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi, CIMA, El Generico, CM Punk, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Antonio Cesaro, Mike Quackenbush, William Regal, Masaaki Mochizuki
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Kevin
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First EXODUS Pro Heavyweight Champion
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Post by Kevin on Dec 5, 2012 20:09:46 GMT -6
Daniel Bryan and CM Punk are the best wrestlers alive today, in my opinion. I agree with the rest of the list that Jon posted.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2012 20:28:22 GMT -6
You guys wouldn't put Curt Henning in that first list?
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Daisuke Iwakuma
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Pete: Nick, I don't think you'll ever be truly happy unless there's a baby octopus involved.
Posts: 496
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Post by Daisuke Iwakuma on Dec 5, 2012 20:39:10 GMT -6
You guys wouldn't put Curt Henning in that first list? I hadn't even thought of Hennig or Hart when I put together my list, though I'd wager to put them both on the "past" list and add Ziggler to the present.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2012 20:49:15 GMT -6
Hennig is an incredible worker; problem is, look at Jon's list. All four Americans he listed were at their peaks the same time as him. So, at best, you're looking at Hennig as the third best worker during his peak, because Flair and Steamboat were in a league of their own.
You want other guys that I think should be in that list? Harley Effing Race. There was a badass who knew how to work. People underrate Nick Bockwinkel, probably because he worked a slow mat-based style that doesn't translate to today's viewers. The "lesser" members of the All Japan/New Japan 90s crews (Hashimoto for NJ, Taue for AJ) always held up their ends of matches. Dr. Death Steve Williams, Vader (for my money the best big man of all time), both Dory and Terry Funk.
Kevin mentioned to me Andre the Giant, who had a star presence unlike anyone else. He was also a pretty good worker for a guy his size when he wasn't crippled by weight and back/body problems.
Right now? I'll tend to agree with Kevin that Bryan and Punk are the top guys in the world. Indy guys who deserve a shot are probably guys like Generico, Kevin Steen (who doesn't have the look but has virtually everything else), Eddie Edwards, Adam Cole (who's still very young, only 23, bright future)...
Favorite guys who have no place on this list? Chikara's DEVASTATION CORPORATION, who are essentially the Road Warriors reincarnated in dumpier bodies and a fraction of the presence.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2012 22:53:33 GMT -6
Another note; this isn't even getting into British wrestling, which I'm horribly underinformed on. Guys like Marc Rocco, Johnny Saint, virtually anyone William Regal talks about in his Art of Wrestling episode. Or luchadores that I'm not familiar with, or just familiar with their names.
Oh, and since Jon decided to name Chono, Mutoh, Liger, and Misawa, I'll name the guy he (and I the first time around) neglected to mention, and that's Kenta Kobashi.
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Daisuke Iwakuma
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Pete: Nick, I don't think you'll ever be truly happy unless there's a baby octopus involved.
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Post by Daisuke Iwakuma on Dec 5, 2012 23:44:50 GMT -6
More names from the current that come to mind: Sami Callihan, Prince Devitt, Kota Ibushi, Minoru Suzuki, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Akira Tozawa.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2012 0:09:54 GMT -6
I'm going to go ahead and throw in Takeshi Morishima and KENTA's name into the hat. as well.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2012 1:45:41 GMT -6
What about guys like Rick Rude, Buddy Landell, Dean Malenko and Gran Naniwa? These guys seemed to be able to work their asses off.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2012 7:23:14 GMT -6
If you're looking for guys that were amazing at just putting together moves, Malenko's great. He could tell some stories, but I was never a huge fan of his work. I think Rude's pretty good, but he's not on the same level as Hennig or DiBiase to me...plus he has the opposite issue that Steamboat had: Rick Rude couldn't be a face.
I think Landell was alright, but a bit of a stretch. As for Naniwa, I've never been terribly familiar with his work, but a majority of it was working with guys like Sasuke, Super Delfin, Gran Hamada, and Kaientai. So I wouldn't be able to tell you right off hand how much of his good work was him, and how much was the people he was with/the style they worked.
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