WWE ranks WCW

WWE bias rankings.

WWE.com Ranks The Top 50 WCW Greatest Stars

Here we go again. WWE.com is at it again with another controversial WCW list. In typical WWE fashion their new Top 50 WCW stars list has the typical bias and will inspire debate from now until their next list comes out. If you are looking for objectivity here, you may as well look somewhere else.

While I am not a huge fan of these kinds of lists, they do provide good fodder for pro wrestling fans. Let’s be completely frank here. Any list of top 50 stars when it comes to wrestling is a stretch. Judging how big a star that a pro wrestler is by titles or main-events while fun, is really a baseless argument because at the end of the day it is the booker or creative team that decides how big of a star a professional wrestler will be.

Before we get into the list, the WWE writers laid out the parameters. Here are a few key points to keep in mind.

1 – The list starts when Ted Turner purchased the company in 1988. This is not a list that takes into account anything prior to the 1988 sale.

2 – “Competitors were rated only on their accomplishments while in WCW.” The writers use Bret Hart as an example of an accomplished wrestler outside of WCW who never achieved much during his WCW run.

3 – “Rankings were based on everything from longevity to cultural impact.” The writers do admit that there is some bias involved, as you will see once we get down the list.

Now let’s have some fun and take a look back at WCW thanks to the Top 50 Greatest WCW Superstars. Check out the list in its entirety on WWE.com.

Here are the top 10 in order:
Sting
Ric Flair
“Hollywood” Hulk Hogan
Goldberg
Kevin Nash
Diamond Dallas Page
Lex Luger
Booker T
“Macho Man” Randy Savage
Scott Steiner

Where do I begin with that top 10? Sting as the first choice is a real debatable selection in my opinion. Sting was a big star but his only real successful drawing program was the feud with Hulk Hogan. Shooting him to the top for one big program is a bit of a stretch to me.

Ric Flair coming in at #2 is also a bit of a stretch to me. Remember, this list is 1988 and up. Flair was gone from WCW for a few years and really never had the ball after returning the way he had it before he jumped to the WWE. I love Ric Flair as a wrestler but I think he belongs somewhere 5-8 on this specific list.

Hulk Hogan at #3? Well they do admit that there is bias here. I know there are plenty of Hogan haters but if you are going to make a list starting at 1988 than Hogan has to be the clear cut first spot on the list. His heel turn turned the company around as well as the entire pro wrestling industry. Hogan’s numbers are far more impressive than anyone on the list. Quite frankly he and Sting aren’t even in the same stratosphere when it comes to WCW influence and star power.

The rest of the bunch is fine, but certainly debatable. Booker T was a big star but it was for a very short amount of time. Putting him in the top 10 over someone like Vader is just a case of the WWE propping up their guy. Scott Steiner at number 10? I loved the Big Poppa Pump run but again, it was for a very short run at the top. I would put Brian Pillman, Vader, and maybe even Rey Mysterio ahead of either of those guys in the top 10. Lex Luger is right where he should be and while I know that some will hate seeing Nash up that high, he was a big part of the WCW turnaround with the N.W.O. gimmick.

The rest of the list in order:
Big Van Vader
Scott Hall
Dean Malenko
“Psycho” Sid Vicious
“Stunning” Steve Austin
Ron Simmons
Arn Anderson
Eddie Guerrero
The Giant (Big Show)
Brian Pillman
Rick Steiner
Rey Mysterio
Barry Windham
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Eric Bischoff
Rick Rude
Chris Jericho
Buff Bagwell|
Billy Kidman
Raven
The Great Muta
Lance Storm
Terry Funk
Konnan
Lord Steven Regal (William Regal)
Ultimo Dragon
Cactus Jack (Mick Foley)
Michael “P.S.” Hayes
Curt Hennig
“Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan
Bret Hart
Dustin Rhodes
Saturn
Bobby Eaton
Kanyon
Larry Zbyszko
Meng
Dennis Rodman
Juventud Guerrera
Jeff Jarrett


I have a couple of quick observations here. I was never a big Jeff Jarrett fan but he was a much bigger star in WCW than #50, behind Dennis Rodman, Larry Zbysko, and Michael Hayes. How does Michael Hayes even wind up on this list? Oh yeah that’s right. Konnan, Juventud, and Buff Bagwell are guys that come to mind that were much bigger stars in WCW than what is reflected on this list. I am also surprised not to see Roddy Piper anywhere on the list. He isn’t top 10 or maybe even top 20, but I’d certainly call him one of WCW’s biggest stars of the time period.


What do you think? Did they get it right or is the typical biased WCW list coming from WWE.com?