WHO is the greatest WWE star of all time?
It’s a question that both fans and wrestlers have pondered for decades.
The Rock and John Cena battled for WWE supremacy when the wrestling icons crossed paths at successive WrestleMania’sWWE
And what makes a great wrestling superstar? Is it matches and moves? Box office receipts? Pure charisma? Or all of the above?
Sun Sport ranks the 10 best WWE wrestlers of all time.
10. Charlotte Flair
While dad Ric doesn’t make the list (most of his best work happened outside WWE), Charlotte has been WWE’s best all-round performer for years.
She’s the most important female star in company history, with game-changing matches against Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, Asuka, Sasha Banks, and more.
Already a 12-time champ – she’s on track to beat Ric’s record of 16 – Charlotte’s career is just getting started.
Charlotte Flair has already eclipsed father Ric’s legacy inside a WWE ringInstagram @charlottewwe
9. Triple H
Trips has been a divisive figure but you can’t argue with 20 years at the top of WWE.
He helped create the Attitude Era with DX and became the best in the business in 2000.
Since then, he’s been crucial in making new stars and future champs – Randy Orton, Batista, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, all owe a debt to “The Game”.
Now he uses his sharp mind as the new Head of Creative following reshuffle at the top of the organization earlier this year.
Triple H has transitioned from one of WWE’s top wrestlers to become the head of NXTGetty Images – Getty
8. John Cena
Love him or hate him, Cena is the most important star of modern WWE.
The 16-time champ has carried WWE into a new era more than once.
Cena was a handpicked champion who represented the idea of “the company guy” – the embodiment of WWE as an unbeatable corporate powerhouse.
His Superman-style defies believability and turned some fans against him.
But he’s the biggest ratings and ticket draw of the last 15 years.
16-time champion John Cena was WWE’s franchise player for over a decadeGetty – Contributor
7. Brock Lesnar
“The Beast” is a rare physical specimen in wrestling – a scary powerhouse whose legitimacy is unrivalled.
But Brock also has a great mind for the psychology of wrestling.
A true wrestling attraction, Brock makes everything he touches feel legit – matches, opponents, and championships.
Former UFC and WWE champion Brock Lesnar brings unrivalled legitimacy inside the ropesReuters
6. Bret Hart
The Hit Man was a true artist of the pro wrestling craft.
Unlike some past generation stars, his matches don’t date – they get better with age.
Changing WWE from the big man-style to a more nuanced craftsmanship, Bret championed quality wrestling during WWE’s creative low-point of the mid-90s.
He wasn’t a draw as champ, but Bret had some of the best ever matches – against Steve Austin, Undertaker, HBK, and his brother Owen – and was the best in the world in 1997.
Bret Hart is still lauded as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all timeWWE
5. The Rock
There’s no doubting Rock’s credentials as the greatest, most charismatic talker of all time.
It’s turned him into the biggest box office star in the world.
But Dwayne Johnson was a brilliant in-ring wrestler too.
He had classics against Steve Austin, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, and Mick Foley.
His connection to the fans was (as Rock would say) electrifying.
And it was Rock – not Austin – who was the top star during WWE’s best creative year (2000) of the Attitude Era.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson paved the way for WWE stars to become mainstream iconsGetty – Contributor
4. The Undertaker
Thirty years since his debut, Taker is still wrestling’s greatest character.
He’s also the best ever big man – a near 7ft monster with the speed and agility of a man half his size.
His undefeated streak at WrestleMania became more prestigious than the WWE Championship and he had show-stealing matches at multiple Manias.
His legacy has been tarnished since the streak ended in 2014.
But The Deadman remains a living legend.
The Undertaker remains one of wrestling’s most famous and mysterious charactersReuters
3. Shawn Michaels
He’s called “The Showstopper” and “Mr WrestleMania” for good reason.
Shawn Michaels is quite simply the greatest in-ring performer of all time.
Michaels reinvented himself constantly and was part of backstage crew “The Kliq”, which transformed wrestling from behind-the-scenes.
During his 1996 title reign, Michaels raised the standard of main event matches to unprecedented levels and carried the company against competition from WCW.
When he retired in 2010 he was still the best.
The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels embodied the phrase sports entertainerGetty Images – Getty
2. Hulk Hogan
A controversial figure now but Hulk Hogan is the single most important star in modern wrestling.
Hogan created sports-entertainment in the 80s with Hulkamania and revolutionised the business again in the 90s as leader of the NWO.
His cartoonish matches are outdated but Hogan was the undisputed master of wrestling’s most important skill – fan manipulation.
He even turned fans against The Rock at WrestleMania X8.
Hulk Hogan revolutionised the wrestling business after bursting onto the sceneEPA
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
He was armed with the most popular finishing move ever – the Stone Cold Stunner – but Austin’s real secret weapon was intensity.
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It fuelled his matches, his promos, and even his popularity. No pro wrestler’s star power has burned as intensely as Austin’s did between 1998 and 2001.
Austin personified the hugely-successful Attitude Era.
His main events tore the house down and his feud with Vince McMahon changed WWE.
His star dwindled after turning heel in 2001, but Austin’s matches and promos from his peak years are as exciting to watch now as they were 20 years ago.
Stone Cold Steve Austin possessed the greatest star power during the height of his wrestling careerWWE
