6: Bruno Sammartino
Why is he here?
If Hulk Hogan were Alexander The Great, Bruno Sammartino would be Philip of Macedon. He made it possible for the Hogan era to be what it was by establishing the WWF as a serious force in the wrestling industry, alongside the NWA and AWA through his sheer drawing power and two gargantuan runs with the WWF title at 2,803 days and 1,237 days respectively. The WWF, whilst launched into the stratosphere by Hulk Hogan, was the house Bruno built.
Why is he below Gotch?
Despite Sammartino's dominance within his own pasture, the NWA was still alive and well during his prime. He never got an opportunity to face the likes of Harley Race until after his peak, and some like Verne Gagne, not at all, so for his best defences, you're looking at Giant Baba, Killer Kowalski and Stan Hansen. All big names that will undoubtedly make this list, but after them, the pool gets a little more shallow. To put it simply, at the time, the WWF was not the biggest pond. Hell, Baba wasn't even a fixture in the WWF, and Hansen achieved his greatest fame in Japan.
7: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Why is he here?
The biggest star in the last serious promotional feud in America, Austin was instrumental in winning the Monday Night War for the WWF. He was a dominant performer with huge matches and wins to his name, and a merchandising and pop culture phenomenon to this day. Together with Vince McMahon, the two changed how wrestling stories would be told forever more and drew mainstream popularity that rivalled the golden era of the 1980's.
Why is he below Bruno?
Longevity. Before 1997, Austin was an upper-midcard wrestler, and that's being generous. His in-ring career ended in 2003. He also took long hiatuses, such as his time to heal injuries at the end of 1999 and his sabbatical in 2002. Bruno may have had less dates to work, but his first title reign lasted longer than the entirety of Austin's main-event run.
8: Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Why is he here?
I mentioned the Goldust Trio in my Frank Gotch write-up, but here's a more in-depth explanation. The Goldust Trio consisted of manager Billy Sandow, promoter Toots Mondt, and of course, wrestler Ed Lewis. Whilst the likes of Gotch and Hackenschmidt had helped wrestling move past the confines of a carnival attraction, it was these three men that developed the concept of a match card, time-limit matches and storylines in wrestling, essentially expanding upon the concept of kayfabe like no-one before or since.
Lewis was the most important member of the trifecta arguably. As I've mentioned previously, to avoid running the risk of titles being stolen by those taking matters into their own hands, whether out of wanting to secure their own fame, or being paid to by rival promoters, your top star needed to be the toughest of the tough. And Lewis, in his prime, was exactly that. A 4-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion made him the champion with the most reigns with that belt previously held by the likes of Gotch and Stetcher, as well as the longest combined reign in days of the championship. A match with Jim Londos in 1934 drew in over 35,000 fans and $96,302, which, adjusted for inflation, is a colossal amount of money today, and the tickets from the match itself are considered valuable antique items.
Why is he below Austin?
A lot of the contributions Lewis made, whilst instrumental to wrestling as we know it today, were outside of the ring rather than within it, as well as in conjunction with Toots Mondt and Billy Sandow. In terms of judging accomplishments strictly in terms of the ring, Lewis advanced the medium tremendously, but did not reach the same heights as those higher on the list in terms of dominance.
Also, from what I hear, his match against Ray Steele made Hogan and Warrior at Halloween Havoc '98 look like Savage and Steamboat 10 times over. Who on earth thought that was a good idea?
9: Antonio Inoki
Why is he here?
After the untimely death of Rikidozan, puroresu was in great jeopardy of fading away. But in a post-Rikidozan era, it was Antonio Inoki who helped secure a stable stronghold for the medium in Japan. Not only did Inoki perpetually sell out arenas in Japan and draw viewership only rivalled by Rikidozan, he also drew massive crowds in NORTH KOREA on more than one occasion, and even fought Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all-time, to a 15-round draw in a shoot-fight whilst Ali was still in his prime. These feats and others, such as defeating Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship (although the reign was not recognised), making Andre The Giant submit in 1986 and modernising Japanese wrestling as we know it today, secured Inoki's position on this list.
Why is he below Lewis?
He and Lewis are very similar in that they were both hugely influential inside and outside the ring. The difference that ranks Lewis above the two is that Inoki very much built upon the framework left behind by the likes of Rikidozan. Ed Lewis's contributions affected wrestling on a global scale, whereas Inoki, for the most part, was contained to Japan.
10: Andre The Giant
Why is he here?
Andre wasn't THE guy during his time, but he was certainly the guy that drew the most eyes and attention for his gargantuan height and bulk, and a presence in the business that could never be recaptured. He was as important as Hogan for ensuring the success of Wrestlemania 3, and had an unparalleled run of dominance during the 1970's. Whether as a face or a heel, Andre captured the intrigue and attention of audience's around the world, and became one of wrestling's most successful draws, earning $400,000 during one year in the early 70's alone.
Why is he below Inoki?
As I said, Andre undoubtedly is the greatest wrestler of all-time that wasn't THE guy, to the point that he transcends wrestling. It just so happens the 9 men above him were the top-dogs in their era and area of prominence. Andre definitely had his days as the top dog, but I wouldn't go as far to pen him in the tier of those above him.
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