Major platform releases WWE GOAT list; several top superstars seemingly snubbed
The WWE Universe is known to have many wide-ranging, passionate discussions, including the topic of The GOAT - the greatest of all time. Names like Ric Flair and John Cena come to the minds of many, while others might name The Undertaker and Seth Rollins. A frequent WWE media outlet just dropped a list of the twenty greatest superstars, but the list is causing plenty of discussions and controversy.
Over the years, WWE has created some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. The global juggernaut relies on its larger-than-life superstars to sell out venues, draw record television ratings, move thousands of pieces of merchandise, and keep its millions of fans engaged. The men's division leads this charge, but fans and analysts would argue that the women's division has played a significant part in World Wrestling Entertainment's growth, especially in recent years.
Sports Illustrated recently named the 20 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of All-Time. The last spot went to Becky Lynch, who is the only women's division representative on the entire list. It was acknowledged how The Man is the only woman to make the list, with SI noting that Lynch deserves the honor and, if she wants, could rise higher in the years to come.
The nineteenth slot went to Mick Foley, while new ROH World Champion Chris Jericho placed eighteenth, and CM Punk ranked seventeenth. Number sixteen was Andre the Giant, Randy Orton came in at number fifteen, while Edge, aka Adam Copeland, ranked fourteenth.
Lucky number thirteen went to Roddy Piper, Kurt Angle was honored with the twelfth spot, Randy Savage ranked eleven, and number ten went to Bruno Sammartino. Bret Hart ranked ninth, Shawn Michaels was listed eighth, and Triple H was placed in the seventh spot.
The Undertaker ranked sixth, with Roman Reigns coming in fifth. John Cena is ranked fourth, while longtime friend and foe The Rock took the third spot on the list, and Hulk Hogan ranked second. Steve Austin is The GOAT, according to Sports Illustrated. Stone Cold took the top spot on SI's list of the twenty greatest WWE wrestlers of all-time.
Numerous fans expressed frustration with Lynch being the only women's wrestler on the list, while more seemed annoyed at Lynch placing instead of Charlotte Flair. However, the main topics of frustration from this list seem to be no rankings for names like Brock Lesnar, Ric Flair, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, and Bryan Danielson, plus fans disagreeing with the individual rankings of stars like Orton, Andre, Hart, Michaels, Cena, Reigns, and Triple H.
WWE and AEW stars top annual list
Pro Wrestling Illustrated recently released its 34th list of the greatest 500 wrestlers in the world. The annual PWI 500 magazine issue and list brings viral social media discussions.
Cody Rhodes ranked #1 this year, and made the cover of the issue. Swerve Strickland ranked second, Will Ospreay was next, Seth Rollins was number four, and Tetsuya Naito rounded out the top five. Damian Priest ranked sixth, MJF came in seventh, Jon Moxley took the eighth spot, Gunther ninth, and Mistico wrapped the top ten.
The 34th annual PWI 500 list covered an evaluation period from August 1, 2023, to July 21, 2024. A wrestler must have a minimum of ten singles matches in the period or six such matches in separate months. This is why Roman Reigns did not make the list after placing second last year.