From glass-shattering entrances to championship legacies, join us as we count down the greatest superstars to ever step into a WWE ring! Our list celebrates the icons who defined wrestling history with their unforgettable personas, in-ring excellence, and ability to captivate millions. Which wrestling legend tops your personal Mount Rushmore of WWE greatness?
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the GOATS of the WWE.
00:07Number 20. Seth Rollins
00:09This former member of The Shield is nothing if not versatile. Seth Rollins' offense balances
00:14impressive high-flying acumen with a believable toughness in the ring. This varied ring knowledge
00:20has benefited Rollins as a heel and face, although, if we're being honest, we love to hate
00:25the guy. It speaks to one Colby Daniel Lopez's ability to get real heel heat, despite displaying
00:32every notable talent in the ring. Seth Rollins' ever-evolving character work is also great,
00:37as evidenced by his current freakin' persona as a weirded-out, drip-fashion plate.
00:43Number 19. Mick Foley
00:45Mrs. Foley's baby boy has transcended generations to enjoy a place as one of the best to ever do
00:51it. We admit that we're particularly partial to Foley's Cactus Jack persona that he cultivated
00:58during the late 80s and into the 90s. It was here where the man's reputation as a hardcore
01:04wrestling legend was secured. But wait, Mick Foley wasn't finished. He also took two of the
01:10deadliest bumps ever seen in the business and was able to consistently reinvent his
01:15pro-wrestling persona. Mankind, Cactus Jack, dude love, take your pick. They're all faces
01:21of Foley, a wrestling icon that, in giving his all, became a legend.
01:26Number 18. Triple H
01:28It was one of the loudest pops in WWE history. That 2002 return from the injury for Hunter
01:34Hearst Helmsley on Monday Night Raw. Not too shabby for a wrestler who predominantly played
01:39heel, yet whose dedication to the business was respected by just about everyone. It's true that
01:45the cerebral assassin did primarily work his best magic within an antagonistic headspace.
01:52Triple H was able to be both physically intimidating and mentally dominant,
01:57a master manipulator and heel strategist. He may currently lead behind the scenes,
02:02but many fans will never forget how Triple H ruled the locker room back in the day.
02:07Number 17. CM Punk
02:09The Prodigal Son returned to the WWE in 2023 in a move that you either saw coming a mile away
02:16or never guessed in a million years. His feud with Drew McIntyre was particularly spectacular,
02:22proving that Punk could indeed still roll with the big boys. His promo skills, meanwhile,
02:27are as sharp as ever, and Punk has also largely retained his rabidly loyal fanbase. What can we
02:33say? He's certainly Hall of Fame material, and will probably always be tethered to those moments
02:38when professional wrestling stops feeling scripted and starts feeling real.
02:42Number 16. Cody Rhodes
02:44Sometimes you need to bet on yourself in order to prove your worth to others. Cody Rhodes made
02:50history when he departed the comparative safety of a WWE paycheck to co-found AEW in 2019. He
02:58made himself a megastar in the process, proving that this grandson of a plumber could make it as
03:03a main event single star. He returned to the WWE a conquering hero, somebody who could represent
03:09the company while also proving himself in the ring day in and day out. He also plays a proper
03:15babyface, with just enough throwback nostalgia to connect wrestling's past to its future.
03:21Number 15. Randy Orton
03:23There's no telling when the Viper Randy Orton is going to strike. He may be winding down his
03:29career somewhat in the modern day, but this generational talent has certainly done his
03:34father and grandfather proud. There's no shadow whatsoever to block out Randy Orton's talent as
03:40a WWE superstar. He looks great, works well in the ring, can cut promos, and possesses one of the
03:46finest finishers in the business. Randy Orton is another wrestler who tends to work best as a heel,
03:52but we'd be lying if we didn't cop to being fond of his RK-Bro partnership with Matt Riddle.
03:58He's kind of like the ultimate creator wrestler in a video game with maxed out stats. In other words,
04:03he's the real deal. Number 14. Rowdy Roddy Piper
04:07Professional wrestling isn't always a world of legitimate tough guys, but Rowdy Roddy Piper
04:12just has to be one of the coolest outliers. He helped redefine the prototypical unhinged heel
04:18with a charisma that was equally undeniable. Piper could be loathed or loved, but he always
04:24delivered in the ring with a rough-and-tumble style. Hot Rod's innate toughness also translated
04:30into the world of movies, with flicks like They Live and Hell Comes to Frogtown serving as great
04:36examples of Piper's versatility as an entertainer. Rowdy Roddy Piper may have dominated the rock and
04:42wrestling era of the 1980s, but his legacy within the industry will live on forever.
04:48Number 13. Chris Jericho
04:50Some professional wrestlers are keen to ride a single gimmick throughout their whole career.
04:55Then there's GOATs like Chris Jericho that have consistently reinvented themselves over the years,
05:01often to wondrous effect. It's not just gimmicks or clothing that's changed with Jericho, however,
05:07but often his moveset as well. This legend has incorporated everything from strikes and
05:12submission holds to inventive, high-flying offense over the years. Chris Jericho has remained
05:17relevant through it all, however, from his WWE tenure to his current stint in AEW. Here's hoping
05:24that the Ayatollah of rock and roller will close out his career with the respect he deserves.
05:29Number 12. Roman Reigns
05:31Sure, it may have taken a while, but the Roman Reigns experiment is officially complete. Fans
05:37soundly trounced the baby-faced version of this former S.H.I.E.L.D. enforcer back during the 2010s.
05:43Yet, all it took was a vicious heel turn and one epic run as the head of the table to turn
05:48that all around. Now, this original tribal chief is cheered on his own merit, while also existing
05:55as a solid gold pro-wrestling attraction. Roman Reigns' wrestling talent was never in question,
06:01but that heel run allowed for a character to emerge and for captivating storytelling to take
06:06hold. And today? Well, Roman Reigns is basically untouchable, and we acknowledge him.
06:12Number 11. Kurt Angle
06:14It's almost criminal how quickly this Olympic champion took to professional wrestling. Kurt
06:20Angle's natural athleticism was certainly working in his favor back when he debuted in the WWE in
06:261998. We all know that physicality is only part of the formula for pro-wrestling success. You also
06:33need to entertain, and Kurt Angle learned how to do that in shockingly quick fashion. As a result,
06:40he was pretty much perfect, a physically threatening wringer that could play heel
06:44or face with convincing ease. Angle was funny when he needed to be funny, and absolutely
06:50vicious seemingly out of nowhere. Oh, and he definitely did not suck.
06:55Number 10. Randy Macho Man Savage
06:58The Macho Man's intense promos were one of a kind, and his matches with the likes of Ricky
07:03the Dragon's Steamboat, the stuff of pro-wrestling legend. Savage shined during an era of giant
07:10performers and slow, lumbering matches, bringing to WWE his accelerated work rate, infectious
07:16charisma, and a character which could work gangbusters as both a babyface and a heel.
07:22The Macho Man was truly one of the greats.
07:25Number 9. John Cena
07:27Sure, Big Match John has been accused of burying up-and-coming young talent numerous times over
07:33the course of his illustrious career, but that doesn't take anything away from the natural,
07:38magnetic energy of Cena as a performer. John's early career signified the dawn of WWE's Ruthless
07:44Aggression era during the early and mid-2000s, where Cena earned his stripes as a promising
07:50rookie saddled with an awkward but fun gimmick. As the rapping doctor of Thuganomics, Cena put
07:57on good matches while honing his craft, working up the ranks to eventually become the WWE's
08:02most recognized star. Today, he's used that star power for good, doing charity work for
08:08the Make-A-Wish Foundation, while remaining a future WWE Hall of Famer.
08:13Number 8. Daniel Bryan
08:15Whether you know him as Bryan Danielson or the American Dragon, there's no denying that Daniel
08:20Bryan made his initial mark within the pro-wrestling indie circuit. Bryan was already an underground
08:26star before jumping to WWE, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion that he would enjoy the
08:31same success in the big leagues. It took years of poor booking and forcing backstage hands for
08:37Bryan to emerge as one of the company's biggest stars, thanks mainly to their desire to keep him
08:43down in the midcard. The yes movement couldn't be stopped, however, and Daniel Bryan has since
08:48managed to overcome injury and destiny to become a multi-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
08:55Number 7. Eddie Guerrero
08:57What more can we say about Latino Heat himself, Eddie Guerrero? The much-missed superstar has
09:03proven to be an influence upon countless performers in the years since his passing,
09:08with young talent around the world studying Guerrero's incredible career. He came from a
09:13wrestling family and cut his teeth performing in Mexico, as well as with ECW and World Championship
09:20Wrestling. Eddie was already a star from that promotion's Cruiserweight division, and he managed
09:25to use this momentum into a transition with friends Dean Malenko, Perry Satin, and Chris Benoit over
09:31to WWE. Furthermore, Guerrero was able to overcome personal demons with a triumphant WWE Championship
09:37win over Brock Lesnar at No Way Out in 2004, cementing his career in front of the entire world.
09:45Number 6. Ric Flair
09:47There are many wrestling fans out there who will argue that Ric Flair is the greatest of all time,
09:53and they're not wrong. It should be said, however, that Flair didn't need the WWE to make
09:58him a star, because he was already styling and profiling in the AWA and NWA long before he made
10:05his WWE debut in 1991. That doesn't mean that Flair didn't have some amazing matches during his
10:12time in the company, however, such as the time he won the 1992 Royal Rumble after debuting at number
10:18or his association with the Evolution Stable. Plus, his iconic retirement match with Shawn Michaels
10:25at WrestleMania 24 in 2008 was a true classic, a must-see for anyone interested in the pathos
10:32of pro wrestling as a legitimate art form. Number 5. The Undertaker
10:37Out of all the wrestlers on this list, there's just one who truly seems to personify WWE as a
10:43brand. Mark Calloway, aka The Undertaker, has managed to reinvent himself numerous times,
10:49while remaining a homegrown WWE stalwart and a locker-room leader. The Undertaker has evolved
10:55from a mystical monster heel into a conquering dark babyface, from a demonic cult leader to a
11:01badass biker, all the while capturing the imaginations of the WWE universe for generations.
11:08The Deadman has delivered countless classics with the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels,
11:12and Mankind, the latter of which made world headlines after Taker infamously tossed him
11:17off a cage during Hell in a Cell 98. Often imitated but never duplicated,
11:23there will only be one Undertaker. Number 4. Bret the Hitman Hart
11:28The excellence of execution had wrestling in his blood, with the Hart family siring a
11:33multi-generational brood of professionals and performers in the industry. His quick and
11:39technical style helped define the WWE's new generation era, where the big and barely performers
11:44of old were being replaced by a younger and more fast-paced breed of performer. The Hitman always
11:50delivered the goods, whether as a tag team with brother-in-law Jim the Anvil Neidhart,
11:55to his single success as both Intercontinental and WWE Heavyweight Champion. Body slams and
12:01clotheslines may have defined the business in the 1980s, but Bret Hart helped mark professional
12:06wrestling as a technical exercise with real athleticism and charisma.
12:11Number 3. The Rock Dwayne The Rock Johnson is an international
12:16name today, but it was with WWE where the former Rocky Maivia honed all of the talents which would
12:22make him a certifiable superstar. The Rock made an art form out of the pro-wrestling promo,
12:28where a performer delivers a monologue to further the storyline of their character.
12:33Johnson could talk and ad-lib with the best of them, and this enabled his character to mature
12:38from a generic babyface to the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. Was Rocky a great
12:45technical wrestler? No, but he delivered where and when it counted, and transcended his industry to
12:51become a worldwide icon. Number 2. Shawn Michaels
12:56Just as The Rock was a genius at delivering promos, so too was Michael Shawn Hickenbottom,
13:01aka Shawn Michaels, adept at another one of the pro-wrestling basics, selling. The term basically
13:08just means to sell your opponent's offense in order to achieve the proper level of drama and
13:13physicality for the match. Shawn Michaels could sell a car with no wheels to your local auto
13:19dealership without batting an eye, so innate was his skill as a performer. Sure, Shawn's reputation
13:25as a backstage politician is legendary, but no one's perfect, and the man has delivered so many
13:32five-star matches over the years that it's easy to forget any of the negatives. The Heartbreak Kid
13:37is a true WWE legend. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to
13:43get notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos
13:48or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure to go into your settings and switch on notifications.
13:55Number 1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
13:58He was, for many, the performer who personified WWE's lucrative Attitude Era, a period where the
14:04business was as violent, crude, and adult-oriented as television would allow. Stone Cold Steve Austin
14:10had audiences eating from the palm of his hand from the moment where that iconic, shattering
14:15glass sound hit and his music filled the arena. Austin was an accomplished and believable badass
14:22on the mic and an underrated performer in the ring, selling his opponent's offense while
14:27delivering his classic Stone Cold Stunner finisher to pop crowds around the world. If there's any
14:32one WWE performer who can be labeled as genre-defining, it might just be Stone Cold Steve
14:38Austin. Who's your Hall of Fame ballot pick? Let us know in those comments below.