Let’s Create A Wrestling Mount Rushmore
It is a debate as old as time, and it will forever continue to evolve and change: who would be on a wrestling Mount Rushmore? Depending on the era you grew up in or if you have recently started watching professional wrestling, your answer may vary. This debate has recently been brought back up in mainstream media because The Undertaker gave his list on Cold as Balls hosted by Kevin Hart. If you want to watch the video, I will link it here. This is his list:
While this is quite an elite list, it begs the question in my mind who would I place on this list? I am going to get a little creative and list an All-WWE and a general professional wrestling Mount Rushmore.
All-WWE Mount Rushmore
- Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Shawn Michaels
- The Rock
- Kurt Angle
Honorable Mention: Chris Jericho, Edge, John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, Roman Reigns
As I was writing this list, I honestly thought it would be easier than it turned out to be. My no-brainers were Stone Cold and The Rock, the pillars of the Attitude Era and arguably the most recognizable wrestling figures of all time. Both men pioneered their era and truly changed professional wrestling. I then thought about some of my favorites growing up, and my mind went to Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. Michaels is arguably the best technical wrestler of all time, along with the fact he can deliver such incredible promos and his character never felt stale. Angle should be in consideration for the greatest of all time for the way he transitioned from Olympic wrestling (where he won a gold medal with a broken freakin’ neck) and made it look effortless.
This is really a tale of two eras. It seems like I have favoritism towards the Attitude Era, but the Ruthless Aggression era brought along some of the greatest wrestlers of all time as well. I didn’t include Jericho only because he got his start in ECW/WCW and has bounced around a bit, and is currently thriving in AEW. Unpopular opinion, but I have always considered Edge as an overrated singles wrestler but I do acknowledge he is very good. Cena…is Cena. Say what you will but he was THE guy for well over a decade. Orton is still a full-time performer and the youngest World Champion in WWE history at age 24. Triple H is a personal favorite of mine as well, and I love what he did with NXT (before the disaster that is NXT 2.0), but I just couldn’t place him up there. Reigns is on his way to being on this list. He is arguably the best wrestler on earth right now, but he hasn’t earned it just yet.
Professional Wrestling Mount Rushmore
- Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Kenny Omega
- AJ Styles
- Kurt Angle
Honorable Mention: Chris Jericho, Kazuchika Okada, Bryan Danielson
I believe Austin is the best wrestler ever. Fight me. He had it all and no one can touch him, and no one can get the pops he got at the height of his career. Kenny Omega has everything you could want in a top star: the look, the mic skills, the charisma, and more. You don’t get the nickname “The Best Bout Machine” and not be on this list. I have followed AJ Styles since the TNA days where he was winning X-Division titles. He has won all over the world and at 44, he can still go with the best of them. The guy just never seems to slow down and never be on the shelf with major injuries. Then with Angle, it is the same as before just an insanely natural talent. But the guys listed as mentions have a case to be on the wrestling Mount Rushmore for sure.
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