When it comes to in-ring performances, many wrestlers are not mainstream popular, but real wrestling fans know their worth. There are many ways to judge a wrestler’s career, such as their promo skills, their in-ring work, or even the number of merch they sell, especially in WWE. The following wrestlers are known by most wrestling fans, and they easily belong to the all-time greats list.
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They have achieved a high level of success, and they have influenced many people, made a lot of money, and been very popular with the fans. Some achieved more success than others, but each one of them played an important role in the wrestling business.
10 Randy Savage
Randy Savage was a pretty big star in the 80s and he stood out from the rest of the wrestlers. He also had a crossover with pop culture with the Slim Jim commercials, and he was so quotable, that everyone knew who the Macho Man was even if they hadn’t seen him perform in the ring.
9 Triple H
Triple H is a 14-time World Champion in WWE. He was also the second Grand Slam champion in the company’s history. The Game was also the leader of two of the most successful factions in wrestling: D-Generation X and Evolution. His work as a heel was also very good and helped babyfaces get over. He books storylines in WWE now and is still involved in the wrestling business. That sounds like success.
8 Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels was a loose cannon in the 80s and 90s, but he still succeeded in wrestling because he was so charismatic.
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Vince McMahon never intended to make Michaels as big as he became, but The Heartbreak Kid was just on a different level that even Vince couldn’t help but appreciate him and push him to the top. Michaels was also the face of WWE at one point, and he was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 90s and 2000s.
7 Goldberg
A lot of fans these days don’t really like Goldberg, and quite understandably so, but they’re forgetting that he was one of the most over wrestlers at one point and still is more popular than the majority of wrestlers. Goldberg was just as popular as Austin or Rock at his peak. He also had a 173-match winning streak (although inflated), which may not be a big deal today, but at that time, it was.
6 The Undertaker
Everyone loves and respects The Undertaker – from the fans, to other wrestlers, to even Vince McMahon. Undertaker was the guy for WWE, and he was always there whenever McMahon needed him. His character was also super unique, and no one else achieved the level of success that Undertaker did with that sort of gimmick. He may not have been the best in the ring or on the microphone, but he had a legendary career. The Streak is still talked about to this day, and it was very significant.
5 Ric Flair
"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair is considered the greatest of all time by many fans as well as wrestlers. How did he achieve the GOAT status? Because he was just so charismatic and good on the microphone.
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He sold shows, and that’s what matters to a promoter. Everyone loved Flair, and at one point, he was the most popular wrestler too. It helped that he was just so damn good in the ring as well.
4 John Cena
Anyone who watched wrestling as a kid when John Cena was on the top probably considered him as their hero. Cena appealed to the children the most, and he was very marketable. From his charisma to his promos, to his in-ring work, and his merchandise – all of this made Cena the perfect guy to represent WWE. He’s also a 16-time World Champion, two-time Royal Rumble winner, and has achieved Grand Slam status among many other things.
3 The Rock
The Rock is easily the most famous name on this list, if we include his Hollywood career and his social media stuff. He’s also the richest among all of the other wrestlers on this list, but if wrestling is the only criteria we have, then The Rock’s not the most successful wrestler. He was one of the two faces of WWE during the Attitude Era and has enjoyed his fair share of success despite retiring as a full-time wrestler in his early 30s.
2 Steve Austin
Arguably the most popular wrestler of all time, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is still widely popular among fans. He wasn’t active for a lot of years in WWE, but for as long as he was, he was the most successful wrestler on the planet. Austin has had multiple World Title reigns, Royal Rumble victories, and while his championship accolades may not be as diverse as some of the other wrestlers, his popularity trumps all of that. He was “the” face of the wrestling industry at one point.
1 Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan was responsible for multiple wrestling booms in history. He was the wrestler everyone knew, whether they were wrestling fans or not. His rivalries with Andre The Giant, Roddy Piper, and others made him such a popular babyface, and while he has done damage to his legacy in the past few years, The Hulkster still remains one of the most decorated wrestlers of all time.
