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Submitted by Xan on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 5:41 PM EST
 "I took this walk you're walking now, boy; I've been in your shoes."--Sawyer Brown Two years ago, just before Labor Day, I introduced the X 100. At that time, I planned it as a bi-annual event. However, it has turned out to be yearly. For those of you who have never seen the X 100 before, here's the scoop. I love reading Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI 500, but they have wrestlers in there I've never even heard of and rank guys based on their accomplishments throughout the year. Although this yearly event by them is my inspiration, I don't intend to duplicate what they do. The X 100 is not meant to list the best 100 wrestlers in the world. First of all, I don't see all the wrestlers in the world. Secondly, I'd have to be pretentious as hell to think I had the ability to list them in order. So, rather than by strict ability, this list is the order in which I would hire the wrestlers I've seen if I were to start my own promotion today. Because I choose to create the list in this manner, and not by order of "greatness", your mileage may vary. And, only those that have wrestled in the last 12 months and that I've personally seen perform at some time are eligible. There are a few changes this year. The first is that I am only going to document reasons for the first 50, rather than brief explanations for the latter part of the list. It seems like a bit of overkill for one, and for another, this year I also wanted a few other people to give their opinions so in this week's edition of "Points of Light", 5 other columnists will give their top 10. While the original list has been lost, the 2004 listing is available by clicking here. Otherwise, without anything else on the agenda, I present to you...The X 100 "Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example."--Mark Twain 1. Hulk Hogan--]I feel strongly about this, but I'm afraid it's going to throw the list's credibility out right off the bat. I'm not saying he'd be a regular, or that I think he's still one of the best in the world, but after seeing the way the crowds have reacted to him over the last few months, only a fool wouldn't want him around to help the company draw from time to time. 2. Shawn Michaels--HBK has been on fire this year. He's been so good that he's made a lot of people--including yours truly--fall in love with his work all over again. Nearly every Match of the Year contender so far this year has involved the Showstoppa. It's not every man that can be in the prime of his athletic career in his early forties. I can think of two, and the other one goes by the nickname "Rocket." Pretty appropriate, don't you think? 3. Chris Jericho--There's no question that this guy can do it all in the ring, and if you still have doubts about him, feature this: He made John Cena look like gold two consecutive nights, and then had the least respectful exit from RAW since Bobby Heenan 12 years ago. And he handled everything with pure professional class. Here's hoping his exile is not a long one. 4. Samoa Joe--Believe the hype. This guy is amazing. Very possibly the best combination of power, brawling, and submission wrestling I've ever witnessed. I've yet to hear him talk, but if he's half as good on the mic as he is in the ring, he has the potential to be the best ever. 5. Triple H--He truly is what he's called himself for years, "The Game." He's a bit of a throwback in a sense, which computes considering his influences. By this, I mean he has a primarily ground-based game, with a lot of wear-down maneuvers thrown in. If there's one thing to criticize about Trips, it's that he's never been a huge draw. But, even so, he managed to draw enough to keep the WWF afloat until the kids were ready. "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?"--Robert Browning 6. Raven--To me, a lot of comparisons can be made between Raven and Triple H. Both guys have a primarily ground-based attack. Both are passionate representatives of the sport of kings. Both are adept at making everyone around the better. Raven has just always done his best work on a lower stage than Trips, though at times, his work has been the best of all. 7. Chris Benoit--As I've stated ad naseum, the Rabid Wolverine is the best wrestler in the world and one of the very few that can get over on his ring-work alone. If it wasn't for his limited mic work, he'd be a little higher on the list, but he can be my ring general any time. 8. Abyss--You've got to have a big man in your top 10, and as far as I'm concerned there isn't a better one than Abyss. You might say, "But, Xan, what about Batista?" What about him? Abyss is younger, quicker, has a better move-set, and didn't need a fabricated push generated by artificial perception of improvement or the repeated jobbing of one of the best wrestlers in history. All that away, though, Abyss is younger with a much bigger upside, and a damned cool sense of mystery. This, along with his size, ups the intimidation factor tremendously. And, that's what you want in a hoss. 9. Eddie Guerrero--Latino Heat has been amazing this year. Personally, I was fed up with the "lying, cheating, stealing" thing, and I think the crowds thought it was getting stale, too. However, since he turned on Rey, he's been on fire and crisp as hell with everything he's done. Like Michaels, he's proving that the older he gets, the better he gets. 10. Alex Shelley--This kid is amazing. From what I've seen of him so far, he combines the intensity of Chris Benoit with the incredible innovation of Kanyon and the speed of Chris Sabin. I think the one-time "Baby Bear" has a chance to be the greatest performer of our time, and I want in on the action. 11. and 12. Chris Harris and James Storm--I love tag team wrestling. While I admit that for a time it got old, what with every match being nearly the same, I've really gotten back into it huge lately with the emergence of MNM and the outstanding division TNA's put together. And, though I'd still love to see "Wildcat" Chris Harris break into the single's ranks, America's Most Wanted is easily the best tag team in the world and likely to stay that way. 13. Kurt Angle--I'm not exactly sure why Angle has fallen so far in my eyes. I recognize he has the ring presence of Triple H, the ability of Chris Benoit, and the mic skills of Shawn Michaels; but somehow his worth has dropped for me. I'm not sure if it's because I'm so afraid he's going to injure his neck again or because of the worthless Angle Invitational, but right now Angle just can't crack the top 10 in my view. 14. and 15.--Bubba Ray and DVon Dudley--The Dudley Boyz have been called this generation's Road Warriors, and that's an assessment I agree heartily with. Of course, I'd let them be the vulgar, loud heel bastards that they first became infamous as in ECW, and not the watered down version from the WWF. They'd make the perfect foil for AMW. "What a miserable thing this is: you're living in clover, only the clover isn't good enough."--Bertolt Brecht 16. Rey Mysterio--I've always felt Rey Rey could be the cornerstone of the cruiserweight division in the WWF, but the writers didn't use him that way and instead saw him as a stopgap for when one of their experiments failed. Not me, I'd use him as the star of an X-Style division that would be much more prominent than what the WWF has designed. 17. John Cena--I'm still not sold on the ring style of Cena, and was pretty surprised when Jim Ross mentioned his ground and pound style during the "You're fired" match, mainly because he hasn't used it in over a year. Still, while viewing his matches against Christ Jericho, I couldn't help but compare him favorably with The Rock. I've always thought their mass appeal similar, but if it's not too sacrilegious, I'd say he's showing the ability to perform in the ring, as well as Dwayne Johnson, too. He'd be higher if I didn't already have a couple of showmen above him. 18.(tie) AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, Shelton Benjamin--I'm kind of going against my own rules here, but I honestly can't decide on a way to substantially differentiate these three. There have been times I've felt each were going to be a major part of the future of the business, and all have similar styles that combine amazing agility with solid ring work. I obviously would give the youth edge to Styles and Benjamin, but that's tempered by what I believe to be far superior mic skills of Van Dam. So, it's a stalemate and I'd love to have any and all of the three. 21. Lance Hoyt--Who could have guessed a year ago that the first two hosses on the list would be from TNA, instead of the land of the giants? I've always been high on the former Dallas, however when I heard that he did a Van Terminator at Sacrifice, I had to put him high. Agile big men cannot be turned away. 22. John Bradshaw Layfield--When he started out as Justin Hawk Bradshaw, I must admit that I didn't think much of him. In fact, I thought he was a cheap version of Stan Hansen. Years later, he's still using that same old massive lariat to finish people off, but he's seen as a cheap imitation of Ted Dibiase. I don't see that, I see an outstanding brawler with a massive heat-drawing gimmick and solid mic skills that was able to put those together to become a solid main-eventer and save Smackdown. 23. Christopher Daniels--Undoubtedly the popular opinion will be that I've again placed The Fallen Angel too low on the list, but I don't see it. The guy's got talent to be sure, but to me he's a little small for the heavyweight division, though his move-set is more along those lines, and thus he's not really a pure fit for the X-division, either, though he's done a nice job as its champion. Because I see him as a hybrid, I can't find a higher spot for him. 24. Kerwin White--Longtime readers of this column know that I'm personally more fond of Chavo than I am of his Uncle Eddie, but that doesn't mean taking him first is a wise business decision. Latino Heat always has been far more over. Still, I think the White way would be to have Chavo as an anchor of the midcard division. 25. Randy Orton--This is a tough guy for me to rate. He has obvious talent, but I've never liked the way his sleek wrestler's physique basically embodies a brawling style. However, The Legend Killer keeps making strides in that area, and hence has been gaining ground in my eyes. What holds him back from the top of this list is how terribly injury prone he's been. I just don't believe he has the track record of someone who can carry a promotion. "The poor man is not he who is without a cent, but he who is without a dream."--Harry Kemp 26. Ron Killings--The Truth has just as much natural talent as anyone above him, but I have to question his desire since he's been lumped with 3LK for over 2 years. 27. Low Ki--The only thing keeping him low on the list is how sparingly I've seen him work. 28. Matt Morgan--Big, strong, agile, and improving. Should never have been cut by the WWF. 29. Charlie Haas--Also should not have been cut, and is a strong technician, but bland enough that he barely makes the top 30. 30.(tie) James Gibson and CM Punk--I think both of these guys have incredible talent, and though I've yet to see much of their ROH work, just knowing how rave-worthy it's been makes me desire these two. Don't make it gay. 32. Eugene--Immense wrestling ability + incredible crowd support = $$. 33. Big Show--Size matters; at least a little, and I love the new idea for him to be a special attraction. 34. Rob Conway--A very strong worker that hasn't been given a solo chance to shine until now. 35. Doug Basham--See above, except for the "until now" part. 36. Undertaker--The guy's still a phenom and still a good draw. 37. Christian--I don't see where all the love for this guy comes from. He is [i]not[/i] an overlooked main eventer, as some claim, but he is a solid midcarder. 38. Frankie Kazarian--Great wrestling maneuvers, but is he ever going to put them towards telling a story? 39. Booker T--The guy should have been World Champ back in 2003, but now I think it's justifiable that he belongs in the midcard. 40. Kid Kash--Despite his awesome talent, he still seems a lot like an RVD clone. 41. and 42. Rosey and The Hurricane--I loved Shane Helms once as a solo performer, but he's been tagteam exclusive so long now, and it seems that's where he's comfortable. The first WWF team to make the list. 43. Mike Awesome--If he got back into shape, he'd probably be higher, but I don't see how I can leave him off the list after dominating in the match of the year. 44. Rhino--Raw, unadulterated power, combined with knowledge he's got something to prove. 45. Matt Hardy--Is his overexposure a benefit or a liability? 46. Chris Sabin--Talented, but it's been a while since I've heard "Hail Sabin" chants. 47. and 48.(tie) Chase Stevens/Andy Douglas and Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro--Two cocky teams that are adept at redefining the way tagteam wrestling is perceived. The Naturals and MNM are only going to get better. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."--Matthew 26:41 51. Petey Williams 52. Kane 53. Luther Reins 54. Tajiri 55. Roderick Strong 56. Batista 57. Stevie Richards 58. and 59. LOD 2005 60. Monty Brown 61. Garrison Cade 62. Maven 63. Bob Holly 64. and 65. Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger 66. Sabu 67. Jack Evans 68. William Regal 69. Jerry Lynn 70. Juventud Guerrera 71. Tajiri 72. Carlito Caribbean Cool 73. Matt Bentley 74. Tommy Dreamer 75. Syxxpac "Let us remember that sorrow alone is the creator of great things."--Ernest Renan 76. Gene Snitsky 77. Steve Corino 78. Jimmy Rave 79. Sonjay Dutt 80. Shannon Moore 81. Super Crazy 82. Ric Flair 83. Paul London 84. Justin Credible 85. Jeff Hardy 86. Viscera 87. Mark Jindrak 88. Bobby Roode 89. Simon Dean 90. Edge 91. Amazing Red 92. Shane Douglas 93. Masato Tanaka 94. Ace Steel 95. Eric Young 96. Jimmy Yang 97. Big Vito 98. Sandman 99. Nunzio 100. Psychosis This week, instead of plugs for the best columns of the week, I will be including lists of the 10 wrestlers a few of my fellow columnists would choose, starting with 1,000,000 BC Author of BC Screws TNA and the Extremely Readable "pay per views": Project X Before I get to my ten selections, I'd like to clarify a few things. When asked who I'd choose when starting up a promotion, I immediately thought of which qualities I'd like my staff to have, which made for some pretty difficult, and in my opinion, surprising eliminations right off the bat. Kurt Angle: Watching him bump makes me cringe. I don't see this guy's active career lasting much longer, so I'll pass on what I'm sure is a popular first-round pick. Chris Benoit: Ditto for Angle, but to a lesser degree. Benoit's mike skills are also a strike against him. Eddy Guerrero: He's getting older and his emotional stability is unfortunately always in question. If not for that, he'd be my #1 choice by far. Shawn Michaels: It would break my heart, but I'd pass on drafting HBK for the same reasons. Christopher Daniels: I love him like no other, but I can't help but think that a guy who's been that good for that long and never caught on anywhere has to have some reason not to select him. Jerry Lynn: Lynn's my favorite wrestler, but he's 42. I'd love to have him backstage, helping train guys, but he's just not reliable as an in-ring performer anymore. Rob Van Dam: Another personal favorite, RVD's recent string of injuries has me concerned. He too isn't getting any younger. Randy Orton: Frankly, I just don't see it. He's 24 and has spent more time on the DL than he has in the ring. Despite targeting younger stars, I'll pass on The Legend Killer. Steve Austin: He's a guaranteed draw, but what can he do? I'm not big on having guys who just talk and that's all Austin's really good for now. Sean Waltman: I love how the Kid has cleaned up his act as of late, but like Guerrero, his checkered past may come back to bite him. William Regal: I'd love to have him, but I see him more as a liability than an asset at this point. With them gone, it breaks down like so... #1. Chris Jericho To put it simply, there's nothing the guy can't do. In the ring, he's phenomenal. On the stick, he's always on point. Plus, his Fozzy side projects are sure to add another element that I'd like to have in my promotion. Not only could he do his theme song, but other wrestlers as well. Y2J's the man. #2. Rey Misterio Jr. He's liked across the board, by fans of all-types. Keep in mind, his size would make putting him in a believable uppercard role very tricky, but the average size of wrestlers is moving rapidly towards Rey, not away from him. Rey would dominate my cruiserweight/lightweight division, trading the title (and great matches) with other future smaller stars. #3. Triple H I don't care what people think of him. If they hate him, I'll book him as a heel. HHH is the man and got to the top because he was simply better and more dedicated than everyone. My promotion would offer something for everyone, and I'd definitely make efforts to tap into H's technical side, perhaps requesting he drop some muscle mass for a more toned look. #4. Charlie Haas The role Randy Orton serves to female fans of WWE, Haas would serve to female fans of my promotion. I won't lie. I wouldn't hesitate to exploit the story of his brother's death in an effort to get him over. Frankly, WWE missed the boat on that. Haas has everything necessary to be the next Ricky Steamboat, the babyfaciest wrestler of all-time. #5. Nova NOT Simon Dean. As the end of ECW, Nova was getting a strong push as a no gimmick, just wrestling type of guy. Factoring in the more charismatic elements displayed by Simon Dean, you have a very well-rounded performer. I'd likely use him as a long-term face tag member before having him turn on his partner, perhaps Charlie Haas. #6. James Storm If I could get Harris too, giddyap. If not, Storm's the AMWer I want. The guy's solid in the ring and his persona endears him to the Southern crowds very well. The Tennessee Cowboy would work a multitude of roles in my promotion, but as a solid midcard guy, you can do no better. #7. Homicide What Storm brings to the redneck fans, homicide brings to the urban ones. The guy has the look of a street thug with the wrestling ability of an Olympian. Combine that with an uncanny knack for generating heat from the crowd and you've got a tremendous go-to heel that can work any kind of match against virtually any kind of opponent. #8. Matt Bentley It was tough to pass up on HBK... so why not grab the next best thing? Bentley's got Shawn's blood in his veins and it shows. He's a terrific and relentless bumper with a personality more grating than Shawn's ever was. He needs some work, but after a long run in a tag team (hopefully with a guy like Alex Shelley) he'll be major. #9. The Undertaker 'Taker's a rather odd fit in a roster of younger, smaller, less gimmick-oriented guys... which is exactly why I'd pick him. A few times a year a Matt Morgan/Heidenreich/Lesnar type comes through and steamrolls my tiny undercard... only to get squashed by the Deadman. Undertaker's an attraction and would be treated as such, but I wouldn't hesitate to job him out a bit more frequently than WWE does. A win over 'Taker means something wins over other's don't and in building up a roster of young stars, you need that. 'Taker's veteran influence on the locker room is just an added perk. #10. Ron Killings I look at a guy like John Cena, who's major flaw is that he can't, or doesn't, wrestle. Killings can, does and will. The rap gimmick is something he's had for a while and he's done fine both emphasizing and deemphasizing it. A great talker and a great worker with plenty of years to improve? How could I deny The Truth? The Back-Up Plans: Chavo "Kerwin White" Guerrero: Would provide a built-in team/feud with Eddy as well as another veteran cruiser. Killings was just better on the stick. Jeff Jarrett: Draws HHH-like heat, but I already have HHH so... Frankie Kazarian: He's the Future, but needs a bit more definition to his character. He's had opportunities to do so, but not seized them. James Gibson: Phenomenal in-ring talent and plays the redneck well, but just didn't make the cut. Elix Skipper: Great high-flyer, but can be sloppy at times, both in the ring and on the stick. The Amazing Red: Could have great matches with Rey, but is a bit too spotty for a full-timer. Matt Hardy: Has built-in support/heat from the very vocal IWC, but that's both a positive and a negative. John Cena: He'd need to distance himself from the rap gimmick to draw in the masses and ultimately, just doesn't have the skills. Colt Cabana: Very entertaining, but would need up up his in-ring ability to hang with the likes of Jericho. Simon Diamond: A great veteran influence who can still go, but would struggle with the demanding pace his co-workers would set. C.M. Punk: Over with the indy fans, but not well-known enough, nor talented enough in the ring to make the ten. Alex Shelley: Just not popular enough to warrant being part of the top ten. Chris Sabin: See Kazarian, then add more blandness. The Hurricane: I love the guy, but shedding that gimmick would be a creative chore I simply don't need. Spanky: Could be great for the lady fans and is quite talented, but... I just don't like him. Excellent job, BC. Damn, you covered about as much as I did in your "small" section. Let's see what Degenerate who writes Struggle For Power had to say: Before I start, just so you know, I made three different categories, put different wrestlers that I believed fell under those categories, and narrowed it down to these ten. The categories I made were 'Current Best' (The best overall current performers, in my opinion), 'Entertainment' (wrestlers who draw solely on one special talent, like high-flying) and 'Future Stars' (wrestlers who are... well... future stars in the business). Why should you know this? You don't. Just keep it in mind, in case you question any of my decisions. 1) Kurt Angle – In my opinion, Angle is the best in the business in this moment. His wrestling ability ranks very high and is currently seemingly unbeatable. Also, very few can cut a better promo than him. The best all-around performer any wrestling promotion has to offer, by far. 2) Shawn Michaels – Age has not gone against this man. It seems that the older he gets, the better his abilities get. He can still wrestle five-star matches anytime, plus no one can out-talk him on the microphone. His iconic status will help any promotion get noticed for sure. 3) Triple H – The consummate ring general. Triple H can do it all, as he has already proven time and time again. Nothing beats experience, and this man has loads of it. Any younger or less-experienced wrestler will benefit significantly from a wrestler like him. 4) Rey Mysterio – A very unique wrestler who could draw fans from all over. Even though he's a man of small stature, Mysterio can give a match unlike any other. He's already a hardened veteran who has improved in recent months. His attention-grabbing acrobatics and inimitable style will certainly boost a new promotion. 5) Chris Benoit – Almost twenty years in the business, Benoit is the best wrestler anywhere, period. His intensity is always off the charts in all of his matches. Even though his mic skills can sometimes be iffy, anyone who can put constant high-caliber matches like he can will greatly help any organization. 6) Randy Orton – While still very young and without the experience other stars have, Orton has proven that with time, he will most likely be a big part of wrestling's future. He has the looks and attributes to make it far in this business. 7) Carlito Caribbean Cool – With less than a year of big league experience, he's already a multiple time singles champion. Carlito has charisma and flair that, alone, will help him stand out anywhere. A bit more of experience and he'll be set to step up to that next level. 8) A.J. Styles – The only reason I have watched TNA Pay-Per-Views in the past. Styles is not called 'Phenomenal' for no reason. One look at him wrestling, and you'll wonder why he hasn't been called to the WWE. His ring work is awesome. He can go move for move with the Cruiserweights, while still being able to beat up the Heavyweights. The scary part is that he's only 27 years old. He can only get better from here. 9) Rob Van Dam – A wrestler who can go all out with aggressiveness, and have a distinctive style doing it, is unquestionably a great catch for any wrestling fed. He can wow even the most jaded fan with his high-flying, hard hitting moves. I've known fans who stopped watching Raw because he was traded to Smackdown. Van Dam is truly 'One of a Kind'. 10) Shelton Benjamin – Still young, but has shown signs of greatness in the past. Even though his matches in recent weeks have not been stellar, Benjamin has shown that the sky's the limit for him. If he shakes all the doubt in his mind when wrestling, which seems to hold him back, and he improves on the microphone, he'll be one of the top guys in the industry for years to come. We move from a Degenerate to a little lady, with Jennifer aka XremeGirly789: 1. Jeff Hardy- He would be a good starter because I would have to confidence to have him compete in any form of match. He would be able to perform well and would be a great asset to the company. Plus he could use his willow in the wisp character and it would be like having 2 wrestlers. 2 and 3 The Dudley boys- They would be a great tag team. Plus they would be able to compete in singles matches and be able to perform well in them. Also, they are the masters of the tables match and i know that they would work hard for me. 4 Rey Mysterio- He would sit it the cruiserweight division. Plus he's not afraid to go toe to toe with the big guys. Plus i could have him in any kind of match i could think of, and he would be able to pull it off. 5 Lita- Im not saying this because she my fave, but i think she would do brilliantly. She would be able to be the perfect valet, while being able to push the guys around a little. Plus she would serve as a good distracter in the big matches because i wouldn't have to worry about her getting hurt. 6 Edge- When put under pressure, this guy knows how to handle it. He is a great performer and can perform in pretty much any division. I could put him against the champion, or i could put him in a tag team and he would make it work. Plus this guy is a damn good heel. 7 Stacy Keibler- Purely eye candy. She can perform mediocre in the ring, but she is definitely a crowd pleaser. Plus with a little work, her and Lita might actually be able to put on a good match. 8 Shawn Micheals- He is probably the best in ring performer I have ever seen. He can pull of miracles, and is wonderfully fit for someone his age. Plus he is well liked and would bring in the star power that i need. 9 Chris Benoit- The master of submission, well since Ken Shamrock. This guy will do anything in his power to put on a good match. Plus he has that ruthless aggression that will be able to dominate in and outside of the ring. 10 Kurt Angle- You always need someone to laugh at. I could count on this guy to put on stupid promos but yet kick ass in the ring. Plus I wouldn't have to worry about his theme music, because the fans will just chant " You Suck" to anything that has a beat. Next, we have the opinions of the kid from Canada. Some people call him CanadianKid: 10. Trish Stratus I’m a firm believer that there is a place in wrestling for women. Weather it is in the ring or showing the world of men what they'll never be able to get, they are a necessity in building a strong promotion. So what women can get it done in the ring and be hotter then a lesbian cheerleader better then Trish Stratus? Plus ashes Canadian. 9. Hulk Hogan Okay this was a tricky pick for me. On one hand I hate Hulk Hogan, with a passion, to a point where I could beat him to death with the most blunt object I could get my hands on. On the other hand however, Hess the biggest name in the history of the business and puts more buts in seats then Lazy boy. Even though he is a backstage cancer, he is a huge asset to anyone trying to attract viewers. 8. Raven I haven't seen anyone else's list yet but I’m going to guess I’m the only one who decides to use Scott Levy. The reasoning behind this choice lies within the Raven character. The character itself is simple yet intriguing and has been praised by the likes of Paul Heyman. With Raven on your roster he can elevate other competitors with his experience and Mic skills and even carry some to a decent to good match. If none of that makes sense then Ill take him so that I can bring over a portion of the ECW audience to follow my promotion. 7. AJ Styles AJ is hit or miss with a lot of wrestling fans out there but I absolutely love this guy. I donut think he is strictly a spotfest wrestler like a lot of people complain he is, but even if he was he has perfected the art of the spot. Nobody produces more “Holy Shit” moments then the golden boy of professional wrestling and quite possibly the face that leads TNA into the next level. 6. Batista Now maybe I should have put big Dave a little higher on my list but I find his negatives far outweigh his positives. Dave is probably the hottest wrestler right now and enjoying a semi-lengthy title reign. Other then that, what does this guy have to offer? His too old to think long term with and his wrestling/Mic ability is questionable at best. As impressive of a physically that he is, I just donut think heed be that great of an asset to ones promotion. 5. Shawn Michaels In my personal opinion he is the greatest in ring worker of all time. That may be changed in the future, but right now no man has as many classic matches under his belt then HBK. Shawn has a long history in wrestling that makes people want to see him and he also possess all the wrestling skills he had before that make the purists want to come see him. Add that in with a ton of experience on the Mic and you got an all around solid performer. 4. Christopher Daniels This may be shocking that I’m taking Chris at number four, but I really do believe Hess that good. Of the entire TNA roster, nobody has as much talent as the Fallen Angel. Hess proven he can work any type of match (except possibly hardcore) and be a strong champion for a company. I love the gimmick and I love how he always seems to have a certain flair whenever he gets in the ring. Donut under estimate Daniels my friends, he is a talent that hasn't been given the right opportunity yet. 3. John Cena Cena is the most over face in wrestling right now. Every time he pokes his head out of those curtains the fans scream their little hearts out with admiration and support. John could quite possibly be the future of the wrestling business with or without in ring skills and frankly, I donut care as long as the fans continue to come see him. 2. Kurt Angle It seems every time I do cameos in other peoples column I always end up talking about the WWE’s only Olympic Gold Medallist, Kurt Angle. Could this be irony or just the plain fact the Kurt Angle is just that damn good? I’m a firm believer in the latter because no man or women in the industry is an all around talent like Kurt. His in ring abilities are matched only by his Mic skills and his intensity is constant well on air. Kurt is my favorite wrestler to date and I would be demeaning myself if I were to pick him any lower then second. 1. Triple H Do I even have to explain this one? As John Cena put in a recent interview I watched, Triple H is THE business. Nobody is bigger right now then the Game and he alone is enough to carry a promotion entirely on his back. Donut believe me? Then where have you been the last 3 years? If anything at least he can take over after I no longer want to run my promotion… And finally, the one called Random gives his take: 1) Chris Jericho I know Hess getting up there in age by wrestling standards, but Hess still plenty young and should have plenty of good years left, its just the fact that so many other people would pick MUCH younger guys for a list like this. Hess awesome as a heel, or a face (where I prefer him) and I donut think there's a more complete talent in the business. 2) Chris Benoit Good enough on a mic to not hurt you, and I think given the right mouthpiece heed make a crazy-good heel. His ring work can carry anybody to a awesome match, and I think he has more of that “it” factor than he gets credit for. 3) Shawn Michaels There is still no-body better in a big match setting, and heed be a great guy to have around for the young kids. He makes this list seem really old at this point, but that's ok, old elephants are more dangerous than young tigers. 4) Raven Raven is the most intellectual character I've ever seen. There are times when I feel like I would need a dictionary to “get” all of his promos. I love this character, and I love what he is capable of. 5) Chris Sabin I love what he does in the ring, and Hess got that Benoit/Hart/Jericho build to him that makes him have some potential in any level of completion, not just cruiserweight. 6) Ron “The Truth” Killings I've said it all over this website and I will keep saying it. Wrestling is much more diverse than people are willing to admit, and Truth reaches out to a minority group that represents a significant fans base in professional wrestling. His ring work is solid and he oozes charisma. 7) Abyss Nothing beats a dark, scary sort of monster. Guys like him can play so many more roles than they usually get stuck with, and Abyss is more versatile than perhaps any big man I've seen wrestle in quite sometime. 8) Eddie Guerrero Sort of the same as Ron Killings, except Eddie brings a little bit more to the table. His age drives him down on the list, and I think the guys above him would have more to offer as the mainstream audience may have seen the best Eddie has to offer. 9) AJ Styles I've always said Hess good, but I've never been as high on him as some people. AJ can carry somebody well, and Hess starting to develop a cult following if he hasn't already. AJ can do it all, at any level, and that's an important step. 10) Id like to take Foley here, but I’m trying to be more business savvy. Take the leash off of this guy and just let him go and say whatever he wants. Id like to run a more “adult” fed, and I think RVD 4:20 would allow me to do that. Benny Russ becomes the first person to have his feedback appear twice with: G’day Xan, Sorry I’m ranting or preaching, or something again. How about I talk about wrestling? TNA. I really like TNA, and have tended to enjoy it more than WWE recently. I cant say I was thrilled to hear that Jarrett got the NWA title back off Raven. But I’m not despairing yet. If I find out that he did get it back just to feud with Kevin Nash for the title once TNA hits Spike, then I might despair, but for now I can see that there are still a number of scenarios that could follow on from this where Id be happy. I donut think the following is going to happen, but it could. You have Spike Impact open with Jarrett going on about being the best and what have you, and the newly turned heel AMW saying how they are the best tag team of all time. Raven comes out demanding his rematch. They make it a no DQ match as the first main event. AMW interfere in the match, it looks like Jarrett gonna win again, then out come Team 3D (Dudleys) they beat up AMW, Bubba (or whatever Hess gonna be called) looks at Devon, says “you know what to do”. Devon gets a table, and Raven smashes Jarrett through the table to win the title back. As I said, I donut think it will happen, but it could. And so could half a dozen other things. Dusty ain’t booking anymore. I trust Scott D’amore, Bill Banks and Jeremy Borash, and whoever else is currently booking TNA to come up with something creative and entertaining. They have been since Dusty left. The difference between them and WWE creative is that they book shows, they donut write them. They let the wrestlers tell the story. Of course in two months time we might be in the middle of a long drawn out feud between Jarrett and Nash, and then I might despair. But for now, I've got to assume that TNA have something creative up their sleeve for that first episode on Spike. Back to thesis writing. Till next time Cheers and Beers The original Benny Russ Okay, Benny, this time I've edited for both length and content, because I think you and I can do the Faith discussion via e-mail from here on out. You're right, it's time to talk wrasslin': Keen observers of this week's column will observe that the current NWA World Champion is not on the list. You may say, "Xan, you don't think Jeff Jarrett is one of the top 100 wrestlers in the world?" and I'd say, "Actually, though it's debatable, he probably is." However, the thing is, that this list is not about the top wrestlers in the sport, but about who I'd take, and Jarrett just doesn't qualify. Not only is he a selfish asshole and a bigger locker room cancer than the hated Paul Levesque will ever be (to quote Randomguy #5, "Jarrett, who can best be described as TNA's version of Triple H to the WWE fan(I consider this a slap in the face to Triple H...")), but he's also a man who makes wrestling look choreographed. For these reasons, he's the very last guy that should hold the World Title, and it doesn't matter who he feuds with, be it Nash or Chris Daniels. The longer Jarrett holds the title, the less it means, because ever match he's in he has a chance to make wrestling seem less and less real, and that's especially bad for your main event. If something very similar to your scenario for Lamonica and Hughes vs. AMW doesn't happen, that will be a poor decision, indeed. And, finally, the thing with Dusty is: *everyone* needs checks and balances, and Dusty never had that in TNA or WCW when he booked. He comes up with a bunch of crappy stuff, but he's also got good ideas, and now he's got filters, so I expect his run with Smackdown to be much more fruitful than his other booking/writing history. My oldest Net pal, doublehelix writes: Good work on the latest one. I felt like the column was a little long-winded, but the writing was still excellent and the every point you made was valid, so all is forgiven. I'm really stunned at the way TNA is building towards their Spike TV debut. From what I've seen and read, it seems like AJ and AMW really shouldn't have been in their respective title matches in the first place, let alone winning them. Puzzling, indeed. As for Jarrett, I'm not a close follower of all things TNA, so I can't be completely sick of him (yet). Therefore, the idea of him being champ doesn't irk me quite as much as it does you. However, the idea of him becoming champion at what amounts to a house show does. Very much. Especially when it seems like Raven is perfectly fine as champ. TNA is shooting themselves in the foot. Yeah, I suppose I did get a little long-winded, and I did realize that while writing, and that I was getting repetitive, but like usual I was writing straight through so I didn't know how to edit some of that out without destroying the content. It's nice to know my points overcame these faults. Actually, The Naturals are still the World Tag Champs, but you're right, AMW shouldn't have been in the match in the first place, which is probably why they ended up being the second eliminated in the 4-team dance. I think right now the belts are best left off Harris and Storm because they can have two high-profile tag feuds: weever's feuding with the champs and America's Most Wanted vs. The Dudleys. Sounds like an ideal situation to me, and one that used to occur all the time in wrestling. It's fantastic that TNA has brought this kind of tag tension back to the game. AJ Styles always seems to be in the mix for the X Title. Whether that's good or bad is debatable, but personally I don't get why he lost to Joe and then still got a title match. The whole point of the Christopher Daniels Invitational was to crown a #1 contender and put Joe over, is what I thought. But, they ended up putting AJ over both other guys. Senseless, in my view, and now Joe's apparently completely out of the title picture because AJ vs. Daniels 30 minute IronMan II and Joe vs. Liger are next on the agenda at Bound For Glory. Picture Garret's runs in WCW, only magnified 3 times. That's bad, my friend. And, you're right about the house show thing. If they were going to have Raven drop the strap, why not at the first Spike IMPACT!? Unless they're building for another change there... Thanks for dropping in, helix. Appearing for his second time today, 1,000,000 BC writes: Xan can. Nice work. I'll tell you like I tell myself. Being a TNA fan is a lot about having faith. It's not like being a WWE fan. When Batista began his build for the title, I said to myself "I'm really going to hate this year in WWE"... and I was right, because I've been able to predict virtually every turn they've taken. It's gotten rather pathetic and to the point that today, I no longer watch it much. TNA, however, has swerved me time and time again. They got me when Raven won... and now again when Jarrett won. Who's to say they won't get me again? Certainly not I. Frankly, I'd rather watch a "bad" champion retain his title in a match I don't know the outcome of than a "good" champion win a predictable match. Batista been the worst of both those worlds for me. Faith, Xan. They WILL get you again. Peace. Batista is one of those guys that is a strong challenger, but makes a horrible champion. Not so with Cena, as I'm not exactly dying for him to lose the strap the way I am the Animal. And, you're right, it is pretty predictable, mainly because of the way they've built him up. It's just not believable for anybody on the Smackdown roster to beat him. But, you're right, TNA will get me again, and in fact, they haven't really lost me. As much as I hate that JJ and AJ are the champs again, and as disgusted as I was last week, I'll still tune into Impact next week mainly because I want to see Joe and Daniels and because I'm intrigued by a heel AMW. I guess we'll see what happens. Justin writes: Hey, great work with the column, im a big fan of Toot's column and Take up thy Wrestling Boots and Walk, and i've recently started seeing the Northern Star pop up on LOP and instantly thought that its a great column, up there with the above two. Anyway i have just read the 'Antidepressant' column, and being a big TNA fan since the Wednesday ppvs, was also outraged at Jarrett's title win. However, i have come to a conclusion that what they have done with Jarrett and AJ as World and X division champs may not be as bad we think.. I believe that Jarrett could be just a transitional champ until Bound for Glory, where he may drop it to Raven one on one. I mean lets face it, when Raven did win the belt, TNA weren't on TV, so maybe this is a way of giving Raven the win he deserves "properly" if you see what i mean. Also, if Jarrett (Being the ego-maniac that he is) was having another year long run as champ, i think he would have won the title on a bigger stage; maybe he would have gained the strap at Unbreakable or Sacrifice? Its also well known that a heel going into a ppv main event as the champ gets fans' attention more. Think about it - Wrestlemania 21, Batista Vs HHH(champ) - In this situation when Batista gets the win its more of a "feel good" or "memorable" moment. If it was Batista going in as champ, fans would be in the mindset of 'Oh no, HHH is prob gona win the strap AGAIN!!' OK im blabbering a bit lol but u get my point? Now AJ.... I think whats happening here is that AJ may face Joe for the X belt at BFG. I think this is just a set up for Joe to win the belt, but NOW he gets to win it at TNAs biggest ppv! I mean would you have rather seen joe win it in the triple threat at unbreakable, or would you rather get to see another classic one on one match between joe and AJ?This time for the X division title... So, in short, i think Jarrett and AJ winning the belts are merely a set-up for Raven and Samoa Joe to go over at Bound for Glory. But if im wrong and this is not the case, then you are totally right about TNA closing its doors on the fans. Sorry for going on a bit, keep up the great column, Justin Actually, what I would rather have seen for the X Title is Joe vs. Daniels. I don't believe there was any reason for AJ to win that strap for the fifth time, especially if it's only so he can job it to the Samoan Submission Machine at Bound For Glory. I just don't see the logic in that. Daniels was an outstanding champion, and Joe would certainly have benefited more from defeating a 6 months+ champ, and the thing with titles is, the more they trade 'em around, the less they mean. As far as Jarrett dropping the World Title to Raven, I hope you're right, but I'm not counting on it. After all, we're talking about the guy that flat-out refused to wrestle at...because he wasn't going to go over and retain his title in the second King of the Mountain match. Given that, I'm hard-pressed to believe that he's going to do the J-O-B one-on-one against him. Jarrett sees himself as a monster that must be defeated by hordes of men. Granted, that's how a heel is supposed to think, but I don't think it's an act with him. I appreciate your optimism, as well as Bunny's and BC's, but I just don't see the bright light here. That will conclude today's voyage on The Northern Star. Please e-mail any feedback to me at XanManX@hotmail.com, with the words "Northern Star" or "feedback" in the subject line. The Northern Star will rise again in 7 days. Until then, I bid you... Long days, pleasant nights *NEW GALLERY* Must See Hot Shots of the TNA Knockouts CROSSING THE LINE!
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