Top 50 WWF Singles Wrestlers of the 90s

[AA484]

22. Ric Flair

(1991-1993)
Flair signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in August 1991 and began appearing on television with the Big Gold Belt, calling himself "The Real World Champion".[1] Led by his "financial adviser" Bobby Heenan and his "executive consultant" Mr. Perfect, Flair repeatedly issued challenges to WWF wrestlers like "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan, wrestling a team led by Piper at Survivor Series in November 1991 and helping The Undertaker defeat Hogan for the WWF Championship that same night.[31] WCW sued Flair in an attempt to reclaim the championship belt,[32] but Flair claimed that he owned the title belt in lieu of the US$25,000 deposit paid by NWA champions upon winning the title, which had not been returned to him when he was fired from WCW.[33]

At the 1992 Royal Rumble, Flair won the Rumble match to claim the vacant WWF Championship. Flair entered as number three in the Rumble match and lasted 60 minutes, last eliminating Sid Justice with help from Hulk Hogan, who had been eliminated by Justice seconds earlier.[31] Randy Savage then challenged Flair for the WWF Championship as part of the double main event at WrestleMania VIII. In the storyline, Flair taunted Savage by claiming that he had a prior relationship with Savage's wife, Miss Elizabeth. Savage defeated Flair for the title at WrestleMania.[31] In July 1992, as Savage prepared to defend the title against The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam,[31] Flair and Mr. Perfect sowed distrust between the two by suggesting that they would back one or the other during their match. They actually attacked both Savage and Warrior and injured Savage's knee, an injury that Flair exploited to regain the title in a match with Savage on September 1. His second reign was short-lived, however, as he lost the title to Bret Hart on October 12, 1992.[citation needed]

Flair teamed with Razor Ramon to take on Savage and Perfect at the Survivor Series in November 1992.[31] Flair appeared in the Royal Rumble in January 1993, then lost a Loser Leaves the WWF match to Mr. Perfect on the next night's (January 25, 1993) Monday Night Raw in a match taped six days earlier.[34] Flair then fulfilled his remaining house show commitments, making his last appearance on February 10, 1993, before returning to WCW.[35]

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Everybody loves that Rumble '92 stuff of course but I really loved his stuff with Savage & WM 8 and even the Survivor Series tag match with Ramon vs. Savage/Perfect even more. Flair's run was pretty "short" when you really think about it but his highs were so memorable.

Still beyond baffling that even with the excuse of poor house show drawing, Vince never even tried a Hogan/Flair WWF Title match. Actually surprised Vince never tried having Flair rematch Bret for the Title on the '93 Royal Rumble PPV just to give Bret some more legitimacy.

 

[AA484]

Everybody loves that Rumble '92 stuff of course but I really loved his stuff with Savage & WM 8 and even the Survivor Series tag match with Ramon vs. Savage/Perfect even more. Flair's run was pretty "short" when you really think about it but his highs were so memorable.

Still beyond baffling that even with the excuse of poor house show drawing, Vince never even tried a Hogan/Flair WWF Title match. Actually surprised Vince never tried having Flair rematch Bret for the Title on the '93 Royal Rumble PPV just to give Bret some more legitimacy.

As a somewhat spoilery point of reference, nobody on the remainder of the list had a shorter run with the WWF in the 90s.

 

[AA484]

Also, considering that this has generated a decent amount of conversation, I will probably end up doing a top 50 WCW list, as well.

 

[Valeyard]

Flair vs Savage at Wrestlemania is my favorite match ever. There couldn't be two more guys meant to hate each other.

The WWF run gets treated like a redheaded stepchild sometimes, but I feel the total opposite. Best use of a two-year deal ever. If anything he needed more to do (buy that few months extension and run the loser leaves town match with Perfect at Wrestlemania 9, for one). The house show numbers with Hogan always felt like bullshit because they were running in areas where Flair didn't mean as much. I get MSG is MSG, but it's fucking Flair and Hogan, last of the epic dream matches at the time. Still, Flair had solid stuff across the board and you see by looking at him that he was having the most fun he'd had in years. Can't forget how be gave Heenan the best work of his broadcasting career and the best person by far to lead to Perfect's comeback.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Is it fair to consider Flair's WWF run a mild let down? Not that it wasn't good. It was probably better than most random year and a half stretches of his NWA/WCW run but I feel like it'd have been a lot more effective if it had happened a few years earlier. It was really kind of amazing how quickly he blended into being just one of the guys.

 

[Valeyard]

I liked how he became one of the guys, though, in the sense that he fit smoother than he had any right to. Besides he was predominately kept away from the "cartoon" gimmicks (though not always, of course) and got to work with big programs with good workers. Flair's problem was that when he didn't fit, he really didn't fit. Survivor Series '91 is weird because you have Flair with the evil rich guy and a mountie (he'd been around the Warlords of the business for a decade) against kind of a no nonsense face team (and Virgil). Instant burial of the other guys because Flair was SO far above them at the time, the top heel who didn't need a gimmick beyond Naitchin'.

It's a letdown in the same sense, though; he was so far above so many guys at the time, or pushed as such, that no other heel could jump the gap. That bit them in the ass hard over time, I think. The thing too is everyone Flair really worked with wouldn't last through 1993 in any kind of consistent active role. Piper left, Savage got deactivated, Bret got rolled out of the main event so harshly it took a year to rebound, Hogan was Hogan, Perfect left without giving the rub to anyone. It hurt his run bad that way more than anything else to me because by the end of the next year, you wouldn't even know he'd been there.

 

[alfdogg]

I must have forgot about someone because I have one guy on my forecast who I'm pretty positive wouldn't rank above Sid or Flair.

 

[Hawk 34]

Hope my man Damien Demento made the cut.

 

[AA484]

I must have forgot about someone because I have one guy on my forecast who I'm pretty positive wouldn't rank above Sid or Flair.

Prepare to be disappointed

 

[Valeyard]

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/OfficialSnappyDassie-size_restricted.gif

 

[Dandy]

As a somewhat spoilery point of reference, nobody on the remainder of the list had a shorter run with the WWF in the 90s.

Without picking apart your wording and pointing out shorter reigns by Undertaker, Hogan, Yokozuna, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mankind, The Rock, and Triple H, all of whom had shorter runs than Flair’s shortest, I feel like this statement has to be either incorrect because you have forgotten, or this list is going to have a major omission that makes D-Lo Brown and Billy Gunn look like chump change.

 

[alfdogg]

By shortest run I think he means with the company, not the belt. Which, looking at the guys that should remain, is about right.

 

[Dandy]

Ah, yes. I reread it and he did say shorter run with the WWF, not the WWF Championship. I totally misread.

 

[AA484]

So, are we at the point yet where if I hadn't already included the ASS MAN in the honorable mentions post people would be worried that he wasn't going to be included?

 

[Dandy]

I would have expected both he and D’Lo by now, yes.

 

[AA484]

I would have expected both he and D’Lo by now, yes.

I guess what I meant was at what point would people have figured out Billy Gunn was probably not gonna make it if I hadn't have spoiled it?

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

i would have figured it out as soon as you said it was a list of 50

 

[AA484]

i would have figured it out as soon as you said it was a list of 50

@The Art of Postin'

 

[Dandy]

I guess what I meant was at what point would people have figured out Billy Gunn was probably not gonna make it if I hadn't have spoiled it?

I guess that is what I meant when I said I would have expected both to have been gone by now. (Edit—My emoji showing I wasn’t being an asshole with that remark didn’t post.)

No, I honestly think I would have realized he was mainly tag during the 90s when you explained it. So I would have realized he wasn’t making the cut long ago. D’Lo, however, I would have definitely expected to be in the 40s or high-30s and would have realized he wasn’t making it by now.

I have a good idea of the top 20, and am looking forward to the rankings. Great thread!

 

[AA484]

I guess that is what I meant when I said I would have expected both to have been gone by now. (Edit—My emoji showing I wasn’t being an asshole with that remark didn’t post.)

No, I honestly think I would have realized he was mainly tag during the 90s when you explained it. So I would have realized he wasn’t making the cut long ago. D’Lo, however, I would have definitely expected to be in the 40s or high-30s and would have realized he wasn’t making it by now.

I have a good idea of the top 20, and am looking forward to the rankings. Great thread!

I think D'Lo just had the misfortune of coming along in a loaded era.

 

[Dandy]

Well, and I was a bit of a mark for his run, too.

 

[AA484]

21. THAT - THAT'S GOTTA BE KANE!

Early years (1995–1997)
Jacobs competed in his first World Wrestling Federation (WWF) bout as Mike Unabomb at the February 20, 1995 Raw taping, defeating Reno Riggins in a dark match. He wrestled intermittently as Unabomb through August.[24]

Jacobs made his first television appearance with the company as Isaac Yankem, DDS, Jerry Lawler's private dentist, in a vignette on the June 26, 1995 episode of Raw.[24][25][3] Placing emphasis on Jacobs' imposing height and weight, Yankem was portrayed as a monstrous figure whom Lawler had hired for the purpose of ridding the WWF of his longtime nemesis, Bret Hart. The character's in-ring debut occurred at a Superstars taping on August 15, where Jacobs lost to Hart by count-out.[24] At that month's SummerSlam event, Yankem was disqualified when he hung Hart by twisting him in the top and middle ropes by his neck. He lost to Hart in a steel cage match in the main event of the October 16 episode of Raw and finally in a tag team match against Hart and Hakushi, in which he was partnered with Lawler on November 6.[24] After his initial run with Hart, Jacobs was part of an unsuccessful team in an elimination match at November's Survivor Series and participated in the 1996 Royal Rumble match in January. The remainder of Yankem's televised run through April included losses to The Undertaker, Jake Roberts, Marc Mero and The Ultimate Warrior. Jacobs was used on a series of live events in Kuwait in May, as well as a September tour of South Africa, after which the Yankem gimmick was retired.[26]

In September 1996, play-by-play announcer Jim Ross introduced Jacobs as Diesel, and Rick Bognar as Razor Ramon, as part of a heavily criticized storyline mocking the departure of former employees Kevin Nash and Scott Hall respectively, while attempting to portray Ross as a disgruntled employee. The pair competed primarily as a tag team, losing a WWF Tag Team Championship match to titleholders Owen Hart and The British Bulldog at December's In Your House 12: It's Time. As Diesel, he lost to The Undertaker via disqualification in the main event of the December 22 edition of Superstars and defeated Marc Mero on Shotgun Saturday Night on January 11, 1997.[26] Diesel and Ramon last appeared on television at the 1997 Royal Rumble, where Jacobs was the third-to-last participant. Jacobs continued to work sporadic live events as Diesel through April.[27]

Emergence of Kane and WWF Champion (1997–1998)
From April 1997, the WWF "slowly and meticulously" built to the debut of Jacobs' new character.[28] At In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker, The Undertaker launched a fireball into the face of former manager, Paul Bearer, who had unsuccessfully attempted to assist his protege, Mankind to victory in their WWF Championship match. On the May 12 episode of Raw, Mankind reintroduced Bearer, who attempted to reunite with Undertaker after a long period of mutual hostility, using the ultimatum of revealing The Undertaker's "biggest secret". When Undertaker continually refused to once again align with Bearer, Bearer began tormenting him by telling him that his long-lost brother, Kane (later revealed as Bearer's illegitimate son and the Undertaker's half-brother), was coming to the WWF to challenge him.[25] In the ensuing months, Bearer implied that The Undertaker had murdered his family by starting a fire at their funeral home, except for Kane, who was left physically and mentally scarred by the event. Undertaker claimed that Kane, a pyromaniac, was the one who started the fire and could not possibly have survived (however, in October 1998 Undertaker confessed to purposefully burning down the home).

Jacobs made his re-debut as Kane at Badd Blood: In Your House on October 5, 1997, by using The Undertaker's signature "Tombstone Piledriver" to cost him the victory in the first Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels. In keeping with the notion that Kane had been scarred by the fire—and to conceal Jacobs' identity—the character wore a mask, sported long hair, and wore red and black ring attire that almost covered his entire body. Kane and The Undertaker feuded with one another over the following year, during which time their history vis-à-vis one another was expounded. Jacobs won his first match as Kane against Mankind at Survivor Series. The Undertaker initially refused to face him, saying he would not fight his own "flesh and blood". After a brief partnership, Kane betrayed The Undertaker when he cost him the WWF Championship, as Kane interfered in his title match against Shawn Michaels at the Royal Rumble. After the match, Kane locked Undertaker in a casket and set it on fire, though it was later revealed that Undertaker managed to escape the casket without being seen before Kane set it on fire.

The following month, The Undertaker returned and defeated Kane at WrestleMania XIV on March 29. After the match, Kane and Paul Bearer attacked The Undertaker.[29] They continued to feud until Unforgiven: In Your House on April 26, when The Undertaker defeated Kane in an Inferno match. In this match, Bearer tried to help Kane by attacking Undertaker, but as Kane was retreating backstage, Vader forced Kane back towards the ring, and The Undertaker attacked them both by jumping over the ring ropes surrounded by fire before setting Kane's right arm on fire.[30] At Over the Edge: In Your House, Kane defeated Vader in a Mask vs. Mask match.

On the June 1 episode of Raw Is War, Kane defeated The Undertaker to become the number one contender to the WWF Championship. At the King of the Ring, Kane defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin in a First Blood match following interferences by Mankind and The Undertaker to win the WWF Championship. Kane lost the title back to Austin the following night on Raw Is War.[31]

The Brothers of Destruction (1998–1999)
Main article: The Brothers of Destruction
Kane then formed a tag team with Mankind, with whom he won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice.[32] After losing the titles and turning on Mankind, Kane allied with The Undertaker, with the duo being known as The Brothers of Destruction. At Breakdown: In Your House, Kane, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin competed in a triple threat match for Austin's WWF Championship; Kane and Undertaker were prohibited from pinning each other, so they pinned Austin at the same time.[33] The half-brothers fought one another for the vacant WWF Championship at Judgment Day: In Your House, with the match ending in a no contest when special guest referee Austin counted a double pinfall and declared himself the winner; during the match, The Undertaker betrayed Kane for Paul Bearer.[34] At Rock Bottom: In Your House, Kane interfered in the Buried Alive match between Austin and The Undertaker, attacking Undertaker and costing him the match. As a result, The Corporation had Kane committed to an insane asylum. In December, Kane joined The Corporation to stay out of the insane asylum. He was later betrayed by The Corporation and thrown out of the alliance.

Kane then formed a tag team with X-Pac and acquired a girlfriend, Tori. While teaming with X-Pac, Kane evolved from being mute to aided speech through an electrolarynx to speaking unaided. He also became associated with D-Generation X (DX), the faction of which X-Pac was a member. His first unaided words were the DX slogan "suck it".[35] The duo won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice.[32] The tag team broke apart when X-Pac turned on Kane and rejoined DX. Kane then ended the decade engaged in a lengthy feud against his former partner.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Honestly, surprised to see Kane outside the Top 20 given parameters that AA is using but I guess in terms of kayfabe, he was more successful in the '00s (and dare I say it, maybe in the 2010s!?) even if he wasn't as dominant character wise as he was in the '90s.

 

[AA484]

Honestly, surprised to see Kane outside the Top 20 given parameters that AA is using but I guess in terms of kayfabe, he was more successful in the '00s (and dare I say it, maybe in the 2010s!?) even if he wasn't as dominant character wise as he was in the '90s.

I will say that not having a lengthy run with either the WWF or IC titles probably hurt him compared to those listed above him. However, he was pushed pretty hard for the 2 and some odd years that he was packaged as Kane.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

He main evented two PPVs and was booked as a completely unstoppable big bastard his first year (but in the monthly PPV era where main eventing a PPV meant slightly less). he kind of shifted more into an upper mid-card role in '99 though.

 

[Dandy]

I have a question about your list. Did you already have 1-50 ranked before you started or did you have the top 50 listed and are now ranking them as the thread goes. Makes no difference to me; I am just curious.

 

[AA484]

I have a question about your list. Did you already have 1-50 ranked before you started or did you have the top 50 listed and are now ranking them as the thread goes. Makes no difference to me; I am just curious.

They were already ranked. If I did it the other way I'm sure I would have screwed up and left someone off.

 

[alfdogg]

Kane was the guy I forgot. For some reason I thought he had been on the list already. I guess I was thinking of Big Show

 

[Valeyard]

Those early Kane years were great.