I don't think I've aired my small hypothesis yet on the forum that there's a chance Bock was better in the 80s than in the 70s because he changed up his style.

 

I need to see more 70s Bock to back up this little theory, but I think he adapted himself to work the style of the day and of the environment. Before the AWA set dropped, I recall people saying that, aside from the Billy Robinson match, they often found Bock boring in Japan.

 

I think Bock is better when not working Verne or Hogan. I liked Bock the least the earliest on the AWA set. That I'll say. It's not exactly what you're saying.

It's only a theory at this point, the main counter would be that he tagged with Stevens who helped "invent" the big bumping style of the 80s pioneered by Flair. Bock certainly bumped his ass off in that Funks tag.

I'll say that maybe my Bock theory plays into my other crazy theories.

 

Bock has over a hundred matches on tape.

 

That's the impression I have and I personally hope to check out many of them. I was speaking to the suggestion that he could be someone's #1 after only a few matches.

 

He's not my #1 based on a few matches, but I was in the process of watching a few of his matches when I realized that he was putting on matches in his 50's that very few people could match in their prime years. This wasn't my first time watching Bock and I would have easily put him in my top 3 before my recent viewings. There's still 2 years to go and I'm sure listings will be more apt to change in the early stages when everyone is still trying to define their criteria.

I still have a TON to watch, but at this point someone is going to have to dethrone Volk Han.

The more I think about it and the more footage I dive into my number one looks to be a Jerry Lawler vs. Stan Hansen battle.

Right now, gun to my head, I'd say Funk or Savage.

I'll echo everyone else. There's a lot of time and a lot of wrestling to be watched.

Since I started thinking about this until about an hour ago I was thinking I was going to have Kenta Kobashi at number one, but I think I may have changed my mind and now Shawn Michaels is probably my front runner.

Since I started thinking about this until about an hour ago I was thinking I was going to have Kenta Kobashi at number one, but I think I may have changed my mind and now Shawn Michaels is probably my front runner.

 

Well, I guess someone has to have Michaels in their top 10.

 

Since I started thinking about this until about an hour ago I was thinking I was going to have Kenta Kobashi at number one, but I think I may have changed my mind and now Shawn Michaels is probably my front runner.

 

Well, I guess someone has to have Michaels in their top 10.

 

 

When this started I was sure he was going to be in my top 10. Not so confident now, but haven't ruled it out.

Correction: He will not be making my top 10. But on first take I thought he was a lock. Fare thee well, Heartbreak Kid.

Correction: He will not be making my top 10. But on first take I thought he was a lock. Fare thee well, Heartbreak Kid.

 

Poor guy:

 

Pretty much. When I facetimed him to let him know his original ranking I saw this:

 

 

Don't ask me why he was in the pen out behind the ranch, but he was incredibly gracious. Needless to say, we're not on the same terms now.

Only really started giving this serious thought in June, but my working top 3 since then has been Hansen, Bret and Mysterio, but I'm not able to put an order to it. There are different periods of their careers I want to explore further which may help sort out the order (Hansen in PR, Bret in Stampede/Japan, Mysterio in Mexico)

I enjoy Funk and Lawler in roughly equal measure, and have Hansen just behind them, but I think Funk clearly stands above them in terms of career variety and versatility. No one has ever had the longterm influence and relevancy of Funk, while also being an incredible worker in-ring. He's my number one and I think we'd have to unearth tape of someone like Lawler or Hansen playing very different characters and working a wider range of styles before they could surpass him. (Which is to take nothing away from them, as they're currently my #2 and #3.)

To me, it's Funk-Lawler-Hansen as the top 3 it's just hard to figure out the correct order.

accidental post

To me, it's Funk-Lawler-Hansen as the top 3 it's just hard to figure out the correct order.

Pretty incorrect.

Negro Casas is making a far stronger run at this then I would have expected a year ago. Truly elite performances we have footage of spanning 1987 and 2015. Pretty crazy.

 

To me, it's Funk-Lawler-Hansen as the top 3 it's just hard to figure out the correct order.

Pretty incorrect.

 

What is correct Jumbo or Flair?

 

To me, it's Funk-Lawler-Hansen as the top 3 it's just hard to figure out the correct order.

Pretty incorrect.

 

 

I'm right there with him, except for right now I'm pretty sure Hansen is my #1.

I doubt I'll be the low vote on Hansen but he's going to be outside my top 20. I think I have a pretty good sense of him now. In general, I find him unimaginative in Japan. I'm not saying anyone could do what he did, because he's talented and very good at portraying consequence and I enjoy him more elsewhere, but I think the "unrelenting guzzle," which is what I'd call his style there, is about the most uninteresting style imaginable. It's real in all the ways that wrestling should not be real.

I couldn't disagree more. Hansen's style is everything wrestling should be and it works against *everyone* : Andre, Luger, Martel, a young Kobashi, ace Misawa, Funk, Backlund, Inoki... I can watch Hansen against anyone and never get tired of him. I still don't get why him and Jumbo of all people never clicked though.

So yeah, Hansen, Jumbo and Funk (Terry, of course) would be battling for N°1. (and speaking of favourites : Flair has a shot at top 20. Lawler has a shot at making the list)

It's a personal thing.

 

I think this is my biggest problem with Flair and Hansen and why I lean so heavily towards Bockwinkel.

 

I want, at the highest level, at the very least, the illusion of intent.

I totally understand why you'd lean toward Bock instead of Flair (and after watching tons of Bock, put me in the same boat), but I totally don't understand why you'd find it lacking as far an Hansen goes.