Another thing about being a heel is the moves he chooses to use in a match. Or more accurately, the moves he chooses NOT to use. Like I said I was always thrown by Owen because I know he has all of these flashy moves and offense and never seems to really use it, but I see now that it's a deliberate decision to work to the role he's playing.

This is something I've noticed going through 94 Raw, and comparing squash matches he had 2-3 weeks apart (and with the 94 Rumble in between). As a face, he was flashy, slightly vulnerable and made one of the lumpiest, most useless jobbers look quite competent. Flash forward to the heel squash, and he's a different guy, nailing his jobber with sharp back elbows and nasty looking uppercuts - you don't get that sense that Owen is having to learn to play heel the way some long-time faces do. First heel squash match, and he's turned into a vicious arsehole. I was really impressed with that.

His offense is underrated. His character work is criminally underrated.

 

I think Owen has a good case for a placement in the 70-100 range. He was a great wrestler. His case isn't really built on great matches, but in other areas.

Owen is a great character and a very entertaining TV worker. He also was able to shine in major feuds, like with his brother Bret in 1994. His Japan stuff is very meh to me and didn't age the greatest when I am supposed to wowed by his athleticism and he shows it off by jumping onto the top rope. He's consistently in hot environments against hot workers for his best stuff and that detracts from his own ability for me. I will admit his Shamrock series was a wildly creative set of carryjobs from Owen, but I think he lacks the blowaway super eye-popping performances I hope to see from someone that makes my list. He's among the last to be cut though.