It's time, once again, to rank the WWF superstars. For the uninitiated, this is where yours truly decides who is tops in the WWF according to the criteria of ring ability, mic ability, pop, current storyline, and title situation. Feel free to respond, even to challenge my rulings. The previous ranking for each superstar is shown in parenthesis.
NOTE: This ranking follows Wrestlemania X-Seven and the following night's RAW is WAR, and is heavily influenced by those events.
Random WWF thoughts: Here are thoughts that don't fit into the rankings format but I feel I must share anyway:
1. (1) The Rock- How does the Rock remain number one, after dropping the belt at Wrestlemania? While losing at Wrestlemania is generally a bad thing, this loss was more like a victory. Since Austin's return, there has been the question of what will happen to the Rock. Rock became, undeniably, the top face in the WWF in Austin's absence. When Austin returned, there was fear that he'd take a backseat to Austin, or at the very least, he would have to share. After Austin won the Royal Rumble, it started to look like Austin was ahead. Now, there can be no doubt: the Rock has won. Austin has turned face, and could only defeat the Rock was through cheating, cheating and more cheating. The Rock is now the #1 man in the entire industry.
2. (3) Stone Cold Steve Austin- Winning the main event, for the WWF Championship, will usually guarantee you the top spot. I'm sure for most lists out there, Austin is ranked number one. Not this time, Austin. I actually like this move, I think it will serve to make the Rattlesnake much more interesting. I'll say one thing: for a guy that makes so many predictions, often correct predictions, I never saw this coming.
3. (4) Triple H- He lost his match at Wrestlemania, which would have dropped him in the rankings if I had done them immediately following X-Seven. However, his involvement in the Austin/heel storyline, along with his status as one of the best in the Game, elevates him to number three. This story is one of the biggest ever, if you're not a part of it, you're looking up in the rankings at those that are.
4. (8) Vince McMahon- His match with Shane was one of the most entertaining pieces I've seen in a long time. Vince will always give the fans what they want eventually, and invariably what they want is to see him get his oneupsmanship. Slapped by Trish, kicked by Linda and floored by Shane, Vince did it all. In the end, as always, Vince had the upper-hand. Who would have ever thought we would see the day that Vince and Austin were partners in crime?
5. (5) The Undertaker- Nine and 0, baby. Triple H kept getting the best of the Dead Man in the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania, but I knew Taker would keep the streak alive. Well, I had a good idea that he would. If anyone was going to break his streak, it would have been the man who walked out of last year's Wrestlemania as champ (a difficult feat for heels) and retired Mick Foley in a street fight.
6. (2) Kurt Angle- Sixth place. Since I started this site, Angle has never been ranked this low. Some may say that's because I'm a big Angle fan. I am, but I try to maintain some objectivity, and eliminate my bias as much as possible (you will note that a certain redhead did not make the Top 20 this time). While I think that Angle's Wrestlemania bout with Chris Benoit was fantastic, he still drops four spots. Why? Because if you're not part of the Austin/McMahon angle right now, you're looking up at those that are.
7. (6) Chris Benoit- Same story for Benoit. I think he has been even stronger in recent weeks, but drops one just the same. His turning face has some possibilities (I'm sure he and Y2J have already teamed up to face Angle and Regal for Smackdown!), especially now that there is one more heel at the top. Any true wrestling fan would have been impressed with his match at Wrestlemania. Since this feud is far from over, look for Angle and Benoit to face off in a Submission Match at Backlash.
8. (13) Shane McMahon- OHMAHGAWD! I pity those that did not get to see Shane-)'s street fight with daddy. This is why I've missed Shane-O Mac; there's just something about a guy you know is not a wrestling executing the king of moves (elbow drop from turn-buckle to the Spanish-announce table, flying across the ring to deliver a drop-kick) that raises the excitement level. Combine that with his "buying" of WCW angle, and you have a pretty good comeback for the prodigal son.
9. (9) Kane- You know that this is Kane's first title since he and X-Pac teamed up to win Tag Titles? That was over a year ago. The Hardcore Title match was an interesting blend of strength and humour (anyone who saw the mini-cart race will know what I'm talking about). I don't foresee Kane staying as Hardcore Champ for long, he doesn't really take advantage of the format, but he should be able to hurt people in all sorts of ways while he is.
10. (7) Chris Jericho- Big drop for Y2J, but as Intercontinental Champion, this is as high as he should be. His feud with Regal hasn't drawn as much heat as I thought it would. Perhaps his interference in Stephanie's match with Trish on RAW will give him some time with Triple H. The last time that happened it was the highlight of his WWF career. One other thing that may help: with Austin, Helmsley and McMahon all on the same side, the Rock could use some help in some upcoming matches.
11. (10) William Regal- It looks as though Regal's feud with Chris Jericho will continue for awhile, which is a shame. I think the better feud would be Regal vs. Mick Foley for the Commissionership of the WWF. I'm not suggesting Mick un-retire, but the best work both these men do is on the mic, let them fight it out that way, and give Foley a champion to fight in the ring (maybe that's where Y2J could come in).
12. (15) Raven- He sure took a beating against Kane and Big Show, but what did you expect? In fact, Raven always takes a beating in Hardcore matches, I guess he's the only one willing to take frequent bumps. Being involved in Wrestlemania was a big indicator that the federation has plans for Raven, which is good, because I think this guy can do more than just take dives through glass windows.
13. (12) Eddie Guerrero- Good match versus Test, but there was no heat involved at all. Maybe they'll build it now and have it climax at Backlash. Wouldn't be a bad idea, Guerrero is precisely the kind of guy that could finally put Test over. One thing: it will be weird seeing the European Title as being a legitimate prize for the next little while, but eventually someone will win it who will make it obscure once again.
14. (11) The Big Show- I'm starting to see why Jim Ross is always harping on this guy. He doesn't sell very well. Yeah, it's awesome when he powers guys through the canvass, but boring as hell when he barely reacts to the beatings he's supposed to be receiving. Obviously, part of the problem is his size, realistically he should not be feeling anything. However, when Kane kicked the Big Show at Wrestlemania, while the Show was holding Raven over his head, the kick was supposed to be enough to cause the Show to fall off stage (which he and Raven did). The problem is that the kick barely budged the Show, the fall looked pretty staged (which, of course, it was. However, it shouldn't have looked staged).
15. (16) Trish Stratus- Remember the swerve, that's what I said about Trish last time. I'm sure most of us saw it coming, that Vince does not get away with having a woman strip and bark like a dog without receiving some form of retribution, but it was satisfying to see in any case. Now Trish gets to be a face, which means she should finally be able to get the best of Stephanie as well. Let's hope it doesn't mean that Lita will get even less time, since she's already taken a backseat to Chyna.
16. (-) Chyna- Her match with Ivory was short and sweet, just the way it should have been. We all knew that Chyna would win, so there was no point in building anticipation. I was a little upset that Chyna's involvement reduced Lita's Wrestlemania involvement, but since Chyna has been one of the WWF's most popular performers over the past two years, she deserved her chance to shine at the grand-daddy of them all. What I'm wondering is: where does this leave the Women's Title? Just when it looked like it could become a legitimate title, it is around the waste of someone who will seldomly, if ever, defend it. If Chyna does defend, I doubt they'll have her lose. Also, as of right now, Ivory is the only female heel that wrestles (Stephanie is the other). Will they turn someone else heel? I think Chyna should abdicate the title, then the WWF could have a tournament or multi-woman match to see who would fill the vacancy.
17. (-) Test- You might think that I have been forgetting Test, since he has not been on the the past two rankings, despite being touted as "finally coming into his own". I haven't forgotten him, I just haven't believed that he has "finally come into his own" until now. The WWF obviously thinks very highly of this guy, and I think his in-ring performance is the reason why. An underrated match at Wrestlemania against Guerrero should help Test find success outside of the ring.
18. (18) Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley- She's been present lately, but not that involved, with the exception as serving as a human shield for Helmsley against the Undertaker. So no move up the charts for the princess. However, as her leather strap-match with Trish on RAW proves, recent developments should thrust Stephanie back into the lime-light as we see how she deals with Mick Foley, her mom, her brother and her dad's new best friend, Stone Cold Steve Austin.
19. (-) Tazz- I think co-hosting Smackdown! was a good move on Tazz' part. I'm not that sure if he's good at it, but with the roster size the way it is, this gives Tazz a chance to be on WWF television more often than any other Superstar (if you include Sunday Night Heat and his wrestling performances on other shows). One can consider his Wrestlemania match with the APA as his reward for putting his wrestling career on hold for the good of the company.
20. (20) Linda McMahon- I'll let you in on a little secret, that I'm sure most people who regularly read the Rankings have probably figured out: the number 20 spot is usually a joke (I think I gave that one away when Drew Carey made the list). It was when Linda ranked twentieth last time, but not this time. Although I'm sure we all saw it coming, but it was an extremely satisfying moment when Linda got up out of her chairs to kick Vince in the gonads. So Linda earns the twentieth spot against some tough competition for having one of the highlights of Wrestlemania. Actually this time around I could have easily made a top 25 (Mick Foley, Lita, Rhyno, Ivory and the Iron Sheik just missed the list), but these things are getting long already, aren't they?
1. (tie) (1)The Hardy Boyz, (2)The Dudley Boyz, (6) Edge and Christian
I know, a tie is such a cop-out, but after seeing TLC II, I feel totally justified in giving these three groups a three-way tie. That match was simply unbelievable. The element of three new players (Lita, Spike and Rhyno) just added to what would have already been a breathtaking display. The match hit so many high-points, from Jeff's swan-ton bomb on Rhyno and Spike from the ladder through a table, to Lita's hurricaranna on Rhyno, to Matt and Buh Buh Ray going through the four table set-up, to Buh Buh Ray powerbombing Jeff through Edge and a table, Spike hitting the Acid Drop on Christian through a table, Rhyno gorging Matt through a table, Jeff jumping across three ladders, only to be speared in mid-air by Edge... it goes on and on. Ultimately, it did not matter who won the match, all these teams walked out of Wrestlemania as winners- Edge and Christian just happened to get the belts. But a three-way tie? Right now, nothing separates them. Since the last rankings, all three teams have held the titles. One could argue that E&C's seven-time tag titles puts them ahead. Well, one of those reigns was an hour (another of them was a day, as Los Conquistadors). One could argue the addition of Rhyno gives E&C an edge. Come on, do you really think I'm going to say Rhyno is a greater asset than Lita?
4. (-) The APA- I know most people didn't care about the APA and Tazz versus the RTC match, giving all the other matches. But these guys are the number four tag-team in the WWF, they have been for some time, and deserved to be a part of the show. It was a nice touch to get Jackie involved with the DDT on Steven Richards, given that she's a native Texan.
5. (5) Right To Censor- In their own way, these guys deserved to be there as well. They've built a successful mid-card storyline/gimmick that has helped carry a lot of the mid-card roster (not just the ones in the RTC). We all know Ivory had no chance in her match against Chyna, but she did well selling her bumps.
6. (4) X-Pac, Justin Credible and Albert- Of the teams not involved in Wrestlemania, these guys have enjoyed the most success. Justin Credible has some talent, Albert's power is awesome, X-Pac just plain sucks. But at least their entrance music is cool. One thing: is it just me, or is the tag-team division becoming a three-person team format? I guess that's one way of handling the big roster size.
7. (3) Kane and The Undertaker- They've remained as a team even as each is succeeding in the singles arena, so they remain on the tag-team rankings. With Kane as Hardcore Champion and the Undertaker vs. Triple H thing still playing itself out, I don't expect these two to contend for the titles, but they will team to battle common foes.
8. (7) The Radicalz- Hey at least Malenko and Saturn (and Terri) can say they were a part of Wrestlemania, although they'll be best remembered for Perry's stupid hat, not their assist in Guerrero's European Title match victory.
9. (9) Too Cool- If you're wondering why the pictures have gotten smaller, I'll clue you in. Most of the other pictures were from Wrestlemania. As most of them are action shots, I needed bigger pictures in order for the images to be viewable. Some teams like the Radicalz, don't have any pictures on Wrestlemania.com. Other teams, like Too Cool and Kai en tai, only got to see Wrestlemania from the back stage area.
10. (8) Kai en tai- Between Taka and Funaki and Grandmaster and Blackman, does it really matter who's ninth and who's tenth? Blackman and Sexay performed on Heat for the warm-up so they're a notch above Japan's "evil" duo.
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For more WWF content on this site, click on any of the following:
THE YEAR 2000- YEAR IN REVIEW- See how the superstars of the WWF stacked up using my rankings system for the entire year 2000. Who was number 1, The Rock or Triple H? Who were the top tag teams? Also, the title pictures for each belt from the WWF Championship all the way down to the Light Heavyweight Title, with my own commentary on each reign.
LITA- ONE MAN'S OBSESSION- I admit, I am in love with Lita. I also admit that this behaviour has become a bit of an obsession. See pictures of the Team Extreme Diva, biographical info and random career facts, while I attempt to come to terms with the fact that I am in love with someone I see on TV.
PREVIOUS RANKINGS- Ranking archives dating back to November 1999. Missed a posting? Want to track my biases? Find all past information here.
SITE AWARDS- Here I list the multitude of awards (who knows? Maybe one day there will be a multitude of awards) that WWF Rankings has received.