Posted February 19, 201312 yr comment_5536151 Apologies if this was discussed, I wasn't able to find a thread. Picked up a kindle copy of Matysik's new book for $10. Obviously an interesting read, and Matysik has a good sense of history. I think he's too far anti-WWE in his opinions as far as taking an undue amount of copy to take apart WWE's own top 50 list. (Especially not when he puts Randy Orton on his own list.) More maddening though is his insistence on legitimacy as a criteria. With all due respect, there's no way in hell Brock Lesnar is a top 50 wrestler. I'm about a quarter of the way through. Not to suggest it's not worth buying. It is. But a list like this definitely generates discussion and I think Matysik is a bit off.
February 19, 201312 yr Author comment_5536169 1. Lou Thesz 2. Ric Flair 3. Strangler Lewis 4. Hulk Hogan 5. Bruno Sammartino 6. Steve Austin 7. Jim Londos 8. Buddy Rogers 9. Gene Kiniski 10. Frank Gotch 11. Verne Gagne 12. Harley Race t-13. Dory Funk Jr. t-13. Terry Funk 15. Shawn Michaels 16. Johnny Valentine 17. Bill Longson 18. Nick Bockwinkel 19. Jack Brisco 20. The Rock 21. Bret Hart 22. Dick the Bruiser 23. Edouard Carpentier 24. Andre the Giant 25. Randy Savage 26. Triple H 27. Killer Kowalski 28. Fritz Von Erich 29. Whipper Billy Watson 30. Joe Stecher 31. John Cena 32. Bruiser Brody 33. Kurt Angle 34. Danny Hodge 35. Bob Backlund 36. The Undertaker 37. Gorgeous George 38. Pat O'Connor 39. Ted Dibiase 40. Roddy Piper 41. Ray Stevens 42. Fred Blassie 43. Ray Steele 44. Dusty Rhodes 45. Ricky Steamboat 46. Bill Miller 47. Superstar Billy Graham 48. Brock Lesnar 49. Stan Hansen 50. Randy Orton
February 19, 201312 yr comment_5536171 I am almost done with this. I'm in the middle of the Kiniski bio. I would recommend the book tentatively as the bios are good and there are some fun stories in there I'd never heard (Blackwell freaking out the NHL players was outstanding....plus I like that Larry puts over Blackwell and Patera strong a couple of times including in the Stevens bio). On the other hand I disagree a ton with his thoughts and reasoning on these guys. I found it really funny that he criticized the WWE's top fifty list as pure marketing and then had Orton on this list (and possibly others) entirely because his publisher thought it would help selling the book. His constant digs at Memphis and Lawler are highly annoying and unconvincing. I also think he applies standards differently to favorites than he does to guys he doesn't care for. To be fair we all do, but you've got things like Larry claiming that Brody was the reason Wrestlerock drew well and then turning around scoffing at The Sheik for blowing up towns. I won't pan the book hard because it is an enjoyable read and it is basically what I expected in terms of a book on the subject from Larry.
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536214 there are some fun stories in there I'd never heard (Blackwell freaking out the NHL players was outstanding....). You must PM me highlights of this story sometime..I don't plan on getting this book. ...also Brody being the reason Wrestlerock drew well = lol. I don't think it even actually drew all that well, period, at the end of the day, to be honest. But that's neither here nor there....
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536226 I will transcribe the Blackwell story later. It also involves Andre. It's just a cool wrestling story.
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536235 Brody was fucking 3rd from the top on that show.......that show drew because of Verne/Kaissey and Roadies/Garvin & Hayes in the cage
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536237 If you look at the trend lines there is really no reason to believe Brody had as much meaning to that card doing what it did (good for the AWA at the time, but a disappointment in terms of what they were looking for) as Hansen v. Bock or even Race v. Martel
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536238 What's funny is that I don't agree with the list, but when I look at this near-Top 10: 1. Lou Thesz 2. Ric Flair 3. Strangler Lewis 4. Hulk Hogan 5. Bruno Sammartino 6. Steve Austin 7. Jim Londos 8. Buddy Rogers 9. Gene Kiniski 10. Frank Gotch 11. Verne Gagne I'm not sure that I'd argue with the "who" that's in it (with one exception), but rather with the order. I wouldn't have Gene that high, nor in the Top 10 at all. But if you pitch him and take the rest of the first 11 guys as your Top 10... that's not an unreasonable collection of Top 10 candidates. It's no an embarrassing 10 at all. The ordering I'd disagree with, though obviously I rank people differently than Larry. Londos and Hogan are locks for 1-2, and after that it quickly falls to "crap shoot" where #3 and #10 are closer to each other than #3 is to #2. This kind of surprised me as I expected the Top 10-ish to be goofy in the sense of having a couple more stupid names. It didn't. John
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536240 I agree that the top ten is the most reasonable part of the book in terms of rankings. I honestly have enjoyed it, but it has not been something I've plowed through like I do with most wrestling books for a variety of reasons.
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536248 Putting him above Dusty, Steamboat and Hansen is interesting. Only names that look out of place on that list to me are Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton.
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536249 Putting him above Dusty, Steamboat and Hansen is interesting. Only names that look out of place on that list to me are Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. Angle has no place on the list. At all. Hodge really doesn't belong either, but Larry was giving tons of points for those who were legit and it was obvious throughout the book.
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536252 Angle kinda looks good on paper though in terms of titles won, various awards from PWI and WON, and so on. And at this stage he's been around quite a long time. I think he looks less out of place than Brock or Orton. If you *had* to pick someone from the past decade who wasn't Angle for this list who would it be?
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536254 Angle kinda looks good on paper though in terms of titles won, various awards from PWI and WON, and so on. And at this stage he's been around quite a long time. I think he looks less out of place than Brock or Orton. If you *had* to pick someone from the past decade who wasn't Angle for this list who would it be? Rey
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536256 Cena's already on there Loss. I mean someone else who isn't on there. Rey is a good shout.
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536261 Not that Jericho is a star at the level of most of the other guys on the list, but he has had a much more successful career than Angle.
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536263 Just realised Lawler isn't on there. There was no love between the St Louis Purist and Memphis. John
February 20, 201312 yr comment_5536264 Dylan, is there an honourable mentions list for guys who just missed out? I'm also wondering how far down you'd go before someone like Sting would be mentioned. In fact, there's a general lack of Crockett / WCW guys.
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