Reported by Mike Siciliano of WrestleView.com
On Monday, May 1, 2006 at 6:14 AM EST

Since I was quick with chapter 97...but, before we continue, I must address something.

I got an email today ripping me on these lists I am doing, with omitting guys like Bret Hart, Sting, and others such as that, while questioning some of the names on my list you're about to read.

THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN MY OPINION, ladies and gentlemen. I thought you guys would get a kick out of who my personal favorites are. Yes, most of the information I am using to construct these lists is limited, and more of it is from autograph signings and brief shows at Ring of Honor, but still, this is MY OPINION, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. I do not claim to be a wealth of wrestling knowledge, and can rattle off the top 500 of all time. If I could do that, I'd be working for the business, instead of writing about it in my free time.

Ok?

Now, can we continue? Good!

Let's get back to the trek toward 100 with chapter 98. I said I would give you two countdowns for the price of 1, and I intend to deliver. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are MY PERSONAL favorite top 20 tag team and singles competitors of all time.

If you think I missed one, well, that's the point of this, it sparks up a discussion, does it not? EMail and Myspace links at the bottom of the page. I'll put a brief something about each of the entries here as well. You ready?

Let's do this.

Couple of disclaimers before we get down to business. I only began following wrestling FULL TIME recently, so there will be a discrepancy with regard to the past. I don't know many of them, so they can't make it to my favorites list, now can they?

Secondly, for the singles, since it basically is an encompass of everything, I'm gonna make it a top 25. Why? Cause it's my forum, I think I can do that.

Let's count down my top 25 favorite singles wrestlers of all time.

25. RAVEN - Ok. I hated Raven in WWE. I really did. He seemed to have no passion to do what he wanted to do. Since he went to TNA, he seemed to get the fun back in his step, and he's become easier to digest. I've watched his TNA Best of DVD many times, and I can't get enough of it. His diabolical sick mind is something I would strive to experience, if only for a fleeting moment.

24. IVAN PUTSKI - If anyone can simply whip you in the ropes, and have you turn around to get absolutely smoked by two clenched fists held together, well, that's just power unimaginable, and that gets the Polish Power on my favorites list.

23. KAMALA - I was going to put Kerry Von Erich on the list, but after recently, attending Ted DiBiase's promotion in November, where Kamala competed, and then seeing my young kids emulate the Kamala smacking of the stomach, well, how can I not put the Ugandan Giant on my favorites list after seeing that type of influence? Even if their father assisted them with their antics, its still unbearably cute.

22. THE ROCK - Has his acting career gone in the toilet? Yeah, I think it has. But, he still was a big impression on me between the ropes, and I'd be lying to say I don't still try to emulate some of the Rock's antics with my kids in some "lighter" moments. Rock was a major player in WWE, and should consider a return to prominence there before going to his next movie, it may be the push something of his desperately needs.

21. RICKY STEAMBOAT - Back in his day, this guy had the total package. And his name was not Luger. How big a chill did you get going down your spine when you heard his theme song before he hit the ring? He was talented to the 10th degree, and should have been already put in the Hall of Fame with WWE. Why he hasn't is beyond me.

20. SHAWN MICHAELS - I was going to put Greg "the Hammer" Valentine here, but after seeing the debacle I saw at PWA back in November, I can't do it. Michaels has been around forever, he was a pleasure to meet when we did, and his persona in DX, while it may have killed him personally, to an extent, was still the ultimate in fun to watch, and therefore, he'll get a spot in the list. Not where he would want to be, methinks, but hey, life's a bitch.

19. ANDRE THE GIANT - How can you not put the quintessential giant of wrestling on your favorites list and call yourself a fan? I need to know the answer to that queston.

18. ARN ANDERSON - Nicknamed "The Enforcer", this man deserves all the kudos in the world for defining a level of intensity that I seriously doubt will ever be repeated,

17. SABU - I consider him one dimensional. I love the dimension of insanity he goes through, but it is still one dimensional. Can you see him as X Division Champion? Man, it would have been scary.

16. ABYSS - I thought this guy was a Kane knock off at the first outset when I saw him. But, now, with James Mitchell, the eloquent enunciator of everything extraordinary, Abyss has taken himself out of being a side show freak in to a top world title contender. His ability to take a bump is sickly impressive in my book, which puts him on the board as one of my favorites.

15. LOW KI - Pure, absolute intensity. Pure, absolute rage. Small in stature, big on destruction. I like that. Hell, I love that. Ki is on the list, no matter what he did to Ring of Honor.

14. AUSTIN ARIES - A wrestling machine. ROH's version of Kurt Angle minus 30 pounds and the medals. This guy can do it all, and he is, in my opinion, the future of the business. TNA better be smart, and bring him back in to the fold.

13. TiE THE SANDMAN & MICK FOLEY - Two guys who didn't look like adonises, to say the least, but both packed a wallop of unbelievable power. Kind of reminds me of me, now. Also, Sandman has the best entrance on the planet, bar none, and something you have to witness for yourself, first hand. With Foley, well, hell, anyone who supports a charity that my son is a part of, (Make A Wish), has to be entered. I know it's a bit high, but hey, he's still on the list.

11. KANE - Kane reverting back to being a monster is not a bad thing, but he had such a good thing going as Big Show's partner, and WWE ruined it for the Spirit Squad? He's good, but he's not killer yet, not material for the top 10.

10. UNDERTAKER - At WM 20, I was so looking forward to the return of the Dead Man. Now, two years later, I am looking forward to his end. If I did this list six months ago, Taker is #2 or #3, easy. Now, he barely cracks the top 10.

9. ROB VAN DAM - Which RVD do I like better? The one at ECW One night stand that said F-U to the world? Or the one being throttled by WWE management? Or, maybe will it be the one who comes in to this ONS PPV with a title and a contract for something bigger. RVD has always been one of my faves, and he continues to be. For his ability, for his professionalism, and for his laissez-faire attitude about the world, something I wish I had.

8. KURT ANGLE - It's such a shame that WWE pushes Mark Henry, yet, he has been one of the reasons why the WWE Smackdown brand lost two World Champions. And with Angle, although Henry may not be the sole reason, he was the final straw, it may be for a significant amount of time. Angle is a pro's pro, he is a hall of fame competitor, he is a hall of fame promoter, he is a hall of famer. Period. I hope his career continues, and I hope he recovers. What I need, more than anything in the world, is for my son Jonathan to tell Kurt how he sang "You Suck" to everyone he saw in the past three days, like he did at the past signing. Now, that is a moment to remember. But, we'll get to that in another countdown.

7. SAMOA JOE - Ever since I went to UXW in Feburary '05, and then to ROH later that year, I have been a fan of the smaller venues. From that venue brings quite a few entrants in the top 10 of my favorite singles wrestlers. This guy is a killer. He is huge in person, bigger than life, and damn good at what he does. What does he do, you ask? Hurt people. End of story.

6. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS - For anyone at 210 pounds to be as charismatic, and as technically sound as the Fallen Angel, you have to either be damn good, or a damn good seller. Daniels is both. He has the crowd in his hands from the word go, and there is no way you can stop him when he gets rolling.

5. A.J. STYLES - This rounds out the trio of dream autographs that I hope someday, before I die, I am able to ascertain. Daniels, Styles, and Joe. Why TNA can't put the DVD of their 3 way for the X title out there for the world to pick up is beyond me. Why? Anyway, Styles is the current face of pro wrestling, and nobody can dispute that, the least of whom would be Dave Batista. Styles is one of the best in the world, bar none.

4. RIC FLAIR - This mark is more for two reasons. A) His demeanor toward my children at the Wrestlemania 20 signing we attended, and B) His work with the Four Horsemen. All mantras of the Horsemen was where Ric Flair was at his absolute best. Flair now embarasses me, especially with being forced to lose to Umaga, but back in the day, Flair was and always shall be the man.

3. TRIPLE H - As the t-shirt wearing, ass kicking, wiseass we all know and loathe, Triple H is one of the best in the business. He is also a consummate pro. Whether or not you agree with some of the antics he pulls because of his stature within WWE, he still is one of the best alive, and his professionalism toward my family at the signing we were at was second to none. I think the best moment my family has had with the Game is this. The next day, at the Wrestlemania 20 press conference, when Triple H was leaving, he recognized my son and my wife, and mentioned that to some of the other talents passing by. To leave an impression with a celebrity is always stunning to me, and that keeps Trips as one of my top 3.

2. CHRIS BENOIT - Someone who has always been a favorite of mine continues to grow. His ability, his demeanor, his no quit attitude, bar none, the Wolverine is one of the best. The moment we had with him when he came to Long Island is one we as a group will never forget, and it will make this man one of the top 3 favorites of mine for life. End of discussion.

And if you guys can't already guess who #1 is.... well, then you don't read my work.

1. JOHN CENA - l liked him as a heel rapper. I liked him as a tweener rapper. I liked his gimmick from the start, and I like where its going now. I hate the fact that the fans appear bored with his gimmick, as I think it's developed over time. I applaud the fact that this man, with everything going on around him, continues to be the ultimate gentleman at all of his promotional appearances. I've met the man close to 8 times. I can almost call the man my friend. Yes, I'm gushing. Deal with it. Cena is the man, he is da champ, and he is my favorite of all time, period.

Quick honorable mention that didn't make the list: Christian, Rhino, Kerry Von Erich, Jerry "The King" Lawler, The Hurricane, Bryan Danielson, and James Gibson. Christian and Rhino primarily for their work in TNA. Von Erich because of his physique, and his ability, Lawler because of his witicism, Danielson and Gibson for putting on a show like no other in front of my eyes back in September at Glory By Honor IV.

Since I did the singles a little bigger than I thought, I'll do my top 10 favorite tag teams of all time. You'll notice a pretty significant difference here with the amount of "past" tag teams as opposed to current ones.

10. THE HARDY BOYZ - As a tag team, they were fun to watch. Team XTreme always stole the show in the tag division, and their collective work with the Dudleys and Edge & Christian is the stuff of legend in WWE, and stuff that is not likely going to be repeated, any time soon.

9. EVOLUTION - WWE's fatal attempt at re-creating the Four Horsemen. It was close. There were elements of the Horsemen there with Flair, Orton, Batista, and the Game, but it was too centered around HHH, and that was its downfall. However, at its prime, around Wrestlemania 20, it was one of the dominant forces in the business.

8. THE ROCK N' SOCK CONNECTION - Call it hilarity, call it the fact of two hall of famers teaming up to make quite a unit. Rock & Foley played off each other so well, it was a treat to watch them work. Sad that their last match together was a loss, the loss at WM 20.

7. KURT ANGLE & CHRIS BENOIT - It was a toss up. Jericho & Benoit, the Radicalz, the Guerreros, or Angle & Benoit. They all deserve it. However, these guys were probably, for the short time they were together, the best out of that bunch, and they would get the slot as one of my favorite tag teams of all time.

6. THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - Wars with the Road Warriors and the Rock N Roll Express put these guys on the map. I have the scaffold match between them and the LOD from the DVD, and its off the charts. This may be more for Jim Cornette than the team itself, but you can't disparage their resume.

5. THE BROTHERS OF DESTRUCTION, KANE & THE UNDERTAKER - When on the same page, there is no equal. End of discussiosn.

4. THE FOUR HORSEMEN - Whether it was the originals, the additions of Malenko, Sting, Windham, Benoit, Luger, or anyone else, they were the elite, and they were the best. JJ Dillon, Arn Anderson, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Ole Anderson, all Hall of Fame performers, all part of a unit of dominance for almost a decade, if not longer.

3. THE ROCK N' ROLL EXPRESS - Morton and Gibson were just plain fun to watch. Their synchronicity was right on the money, and Morton could talk your ear off in less than a second.

2. THE ROAD WARRIORS - What A Rush. In the Hey Day of the L.O.D., there was none better.

1. THE BRITISH BULLDOGS - I'm just like Benoit, a huge mark for the Dynamite Kid. Him and Davey Boy were possibly the best tag team on the planet. Why hasn't WWE come out with a DVD encompassing their career? Now that they bridged the gap in to the Hart family, let's go balls out, ladies and gentlemen!

Ok, time is short and this is NOT, SO LET ME GET OUT OF HERE.

Click here to check me out on myspace. 13 requests in 24 hours from my last chapter. Yikes.

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Beaucoup cenabling! Only two left to go! Debate time, ladies and gentlemen! I told you I'd see you in the wee hours of the morning!

Some quick edits. I don't remember quite where I mentioned this, but I mentioned how I wanted WWE to use only ONE of Triple H's theme songs, the new "King of Kings" song specifically. And when I did that, I mentioned the band Disturbed as the band who did the song. Well, after some research, and a bump on the head from my new buddy Jason Poz, (and I am not bowing down to the king, dude), I have to correct that. "King of Kings" is done by Motorhead. Should've guessed it, Trips and Motorhead are virtually synonymous. Sorry for the mixup.

Also, two teams were brought to my attention that I omitted from my favorite tag teams. One I will give honorable mention to, and that is the Steiner Brothers. Back in the days of the WCW, Rick & Scott Steiner were indeed one of the best teams on the block, and their run in WWF was also quite filled with some sparkling victories. I can't put them in my top tag teams favorites wise, just because there isn't enough room.

One I would like to put in is the current James Gang, the former New Age Outlaws. Truthfully, I should have put in DX as a whole, because I love that faction. I thought it was great. It's kind of on the same plane as Evolution, but still, definitely need to mention the Outlaws and DX if I am going to mention favorite tag teams for myself.

Ok. Edits done. Gone!