Legion's Top 30 Mic-Workers of all time

[We Are Legion]

Legion's Top 30 Mic-Workers of All Time

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A while back WWE.com released their own list of "WWE's Top 25 Masters of the Mic" which many disagreed strongly with, even going so far as to say several of WWE's choices should not have made the list at all. Usually I do WWE ppv reviews here on Wrestling Smarks, but today I have created my own list of all-time great mic-workers to share with you and would like to hear what you think. I have also included Youtube videos of what I believe to be some of the best examples of what those performers delivered on the microphone.

I have also expanded the list from 25 to 30 and included mic-workers who had notable performances outside the WWE, which seemed to be a flaw in WWE.com's list. As you will see, some of the greatest promos for certain superstars who had very successful careers within WWE's ranks actually had some of their best mic performances in other promotions, most notably my personal all-time favorite promotion, Extreme Championship Wrestling.

#30 Big Bossman
[youtube]ZldNJu5pUBg[/youtube]

Although Big Bossman contributed very good promo performances during his first stint in WWE as the blue collar, blue cop shirt-wearing babyface, I felt his best performances came during his second stint in WWE as arguably the most dastardly heel in the company's history. During his feuds against Al Snow and Big Show, we got to see this man at his absolute lowest, most despicable nature, particularly in this promo as he reads a eulogy for Big Show's deceased father.

#29 Hulk Hogan
[youtube]17UovT7bvng[/youtube]

WWE.com actually rated Hogan much higher (#13), much to the dismay of wrestling fans, many of whom suggested he was dull on the mic and shouldn't have made the list at all. Even I defended his slot at #13 and suggested Hogan was right where he should have been. But after carefully laying down my own list, I realized that while Hogan definitely had his moments, he just barely made my list. This promo from his famous heel turn at Bash at the Beach 96 was my favorite by him because it showed he could step outside the boundaries of what his character had been since the birth of Hulkamania and proved he could be much more than a one-trick pony. As someone who can do both babyface and heel promos this effectively, Hogan definitely deserves a mention among the all-time greats.

#28 Diamond Dallas Page
[youtube]4va-SlWNJFM[/youtube]

As one of WCW's most beloved babyfaces, DDP was a very underrated mic-worker as well. His charisma was undeniable and he was extremely consistent week-to-week with his promos. Although his tenure in WWE was brief, I felt he deserved a mention. If his career had been longer and he had performed in WWE's ranks more, I guarantee he would have got the credit he deserves.

#27 Edge
[youtube]Fmay525oCMA[/youtube]

Edge was another wrestler who could do both babyface and heel promos extremely effectively, but he was definitely more solid as a heel. In this promo from 2008, Edge confronts Mick Foley prior to his Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker and asks for his help. When Edge doesn't get the answer he wants, we got to see Edge in a way that exemplifies what the "Rated R Superstar" was all about. This was personally one of my favorite promos of all time, particularly the way WWE edited it for the Summer Slam trailer.

#26 Eric Bischoff
[youtube]v-nlL_lJIc4[/youtube]

The famous WCW president Eric Bischoff dealt mostly in heel promos, but was extremely well-spoken and appeared almost too comfortable in front of a large crowd. This man probably loved having a microphone in his hand more than just about anyone. In this video, we see Bischoff shoot on a live edition of WCW Nitro regarding the DX antics outside the arenas where WCW events were being held and even offers a challenge to Vince McMahon himself. Bischoff was never shy about stepping over the line when it came to the Monday Night Wars.

#25 Magnum TA
[youtube]s1f7gsIHBf0[/youtube]

Some of you may not be very familiar with Magnum TA because an automobile accident in 1986 cut his promising career short. He was for a brief period one of the premier talents in Jim Crockett Promotions (WCW), was regarded by many as the "total package", and definitely had the vocal ability to back up that claim. It's hard to find many of his promo's, but I managed to dig this up. Enjoy.

#24 John Cena
[youtube]iSloHZ9j6oE[/youtube]

As WWE's current golden boy, John Cena possesses undeniable skills on the microphone as any superstar of his stature should. This promo is from his well-known confrontation with Christian after being drafted to Raw and officially becoming WWE's top star. Although many of Cena's promos are not to my taste, I found this one to be among his finest. This was of course before WWE toned-down the lewd nature of his "expressions".

#23 Shawn Michaels
[youtube]k6vASwhleU4[/youtube]

As one of my favorite wrestlers and very best performers in WWE history, it would be a crime not to acknowledge HBK's exceptional mic performances. Although HBK probably wasn't the most consistently great at it, when he was good, he was really good. Most would point to his promos in 1997-98 during his run in Degeneration X for his best performances, but even after he placed boundaries on himself due to religious purposes, Shawn proved in 2005 that he could still piss a crowd off worse than any wrestler on the roster. This promo was taken from Montreal prior to his match against Hulk Hogan at Summer Slam. And for anyone that knows of HBK's history in Montreal, you can pretty much guess this was gonna be awesome.

#22 Vince McMahon
[youtube]c8XPaQekWGU[/youtube]

The chairman of WWE wasn't always a wizard on the stick, as anyone who had to sit through his abysmal commentary throughout the 80's and early 90's can tell you. But as of 1998, Vince McMahon evolved into one of the very best vocalists in his company's history during his legendary feuds with Stone Cold Steve Austin and even one of the most notable heels in all of wrestling. It's amazing what one can accomplish when a rival promotion threatens to put your company out of business. If there is one promo by McMahon that everyone remembers, it was unquestionably this one.

#21 Shane Douglas
[youtube]waBUA6Vfxt8[/youtube]

Shane Douglas epitomized what ECW stood for in the early 90's and is criminally underrated as both a performer and an entertainer by modern day wrestling fans. He was the pioneer at blurring the line between what was "promo" and what was "shoot". Of all the legendary mic workers that were a part of that promotion, they all adhered to the template Douglas laid. This is the infamous speech he have at "The Night the Line was Crossed" just before ECW withdrew from the NWA and re-branded their promotion from "Eastern Championship Wrestling" to "Extreme Championship Wrestling".

#20 Ted DiBiase
[youtube]H65xYc23cxM[/youtube]

"The Milliondollar Man" was one of the most legendary heels in the history of wrestling. Through his condescending attitude and public displays of humiliation towards everyone, he was easily one of the most hated men that have ever stepped foot in the WWE. In this video, you will see several of his best performances that made him so infamous. WWE should really look back to this footage for future reference in making other wrestlers in new generations even a fraction as hated as he was.

#19 Jesse "The Body" Ventura
[youtube]cRyy7WHq8mI[/youtube]

Who would have thought in the early 80's that Ventura would utilize the same charisma that made him so popular as a wrestler to rally the entire state of Minnesota behind him and elect him governor? If you were a fan in the early 80's, just the thought of it probably would have blown your mind. Ventura also took his skills to the commentator desk later in his wrestling career and became arguably the best at the desk WWE had seen to that point. This video is a perfect example of why "The Body" was one of the most beloved personalities in all of wrestling.

#18 Triple H
[youtube]6_9IhqPJv-w[/youtube]

For a man that's been in the business as long as Triple H and had so many great performances on the mic as both a babyface and as a heel, it's really hard to find just one promo that stood out among the others. This one is one of my favorites simply because it showed how vicious and at the same time how comical "The King of Kings" could be by tormenting Eugene, a considerably inferior wrestler. Triple H still reigns today as one of the very best mic workers in the company and I have even rated him 1 slot higher than his own company does, which goes to show my appreciation of skills more than it may seem considering I included a broader spectrum of wrestlers in my list. Triple H is one of few wrestlers that performs highly-exceptional promos as both a heel and a face and is better at neither.

#17 Paul Heyman
[youtube]3XnzZXpVHMs[/youtube]

As ECW's fearless leader and one of the most beloved wrestling figures by all of the Internet Wrestling Community, Paul Heyman deserves eery ounce of praise he gets. Beyond his highly-critical internet rants, Paul Heyman delivers vocally from every angle he's been in. As a chairman, as a manager, as a commentator, you name it, his big mouth can pencil him into any slot he desires. In this shoot from the dying days of ECW's run on TNN, Heyman fires off at the TNN network for canceling ECW in favor of their new contract with WWE.

#16 Owen Hart
[youtube]lVv5ACiQPY0[/youtube]

My biggest gripe with WWE.com's list is this man was not acknowledged at all. I truly feel Owen Hart was one of the very best to ever hold a microphone and deserves appreciation. Owen's mic work won over the hearts and souls of many during his career, even as a heel. In this video, Owen accepts a Slammy Award he was supposed to present. His best mic performances are probably during his feud with his brother Bret Hart, but this one is one of my favorites.

#15 Jim Cornette
[youtube]Rmkb_OmsKOw[/youtube]

Jim Cornette has been affiliated with just about every single wrestling promotion that has existed throughout his career. He knows as much about the wrestling industry as anyone currently involved with it. He was also notorious for his on-air rants, particularly these from the late 90's. Even though he was under contract with WWE, that didn't stop him from publicly criticizing it, or frequently mentioning rival promotions (who he burned down as well), and even took his vocal viciousness behind the commentator desk, as well as serving as a mouthpiece for various wrestlers. Cornette is one of the most recognizable voices in all of wrestling and ranks relatively high on my list.

#14 CM Punk
[youtube]2OS9wZGb_3g[/youtube]

CM Punk is another guy I have a hard time picking one promo for, considering his is arguably the most consistently excellent microphone wizards in WWE currently. As both a heel and a face, Punk's fearlessness, deep vocabulary, and ability to improvise, makes him one of the very best at cutting promos that WWE has seen in a long time. Not to mention his ability to blur the line between what is "real" and what is "scripted" is something no performer has shown on his level since the Monday Night Wars. This promo took places just weeks before the biggest match of his career against John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011.

#13 Jake "The Snake" Roberts
[youtube]A62sNWNco1E[/youtube]

Jake Roberts had many excellent promos throughout his career, primarily within WWE. Often his promos were very dark and demented, and few wrestlers could pull you into their heads like Roberts could. During an era where kayfabe was on the verge of extinction, Roberts was one of the last guys that still made fans second guess the nature of professional wrestling.

#12 Raven
[youtube]0QzbfNLJhMI[/youtube]

Arguably the greatest mic worker to ever step foot in ECW, a promotion littered with legendary vocalists, Raven still stands out as one of the very best. Through his feuds against Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and various others, Raven exemplified sadistic nature and would carry those skills to WCW, and later WWE. Because his stay in WWE was brief, he was not mentioned on WWE.com's list. No way he gets away from mine though. Quoth the Raven... nevermore.


#11 Kurt Angle
#10 JBL
[youtube]MvovoUeK9ms[/youtube]

Moving into the Top 10, I make mention of these two together, mainly because of this incredible promo from ECW: One Night Stand 2005 where both performers demonstrated why they are among the best. Despite their drastically different wrestling styles, both performers have one thing in common... and that is their uncanny ability to speak and connect with an audience. Although JBL did this primarily in a negative way, Angle has done it as both a heel and a babyface... but I would be hard-pressed to say Angle wasn't infinitely better at it as a heel.


#9 Chris Jericho
[youtube]SUVJEu9J06Y[/youtube]

For someone that has wrestled all over the planet as Y2J has, you would be disappointed if the guy had still had a grain of stage fright in him. Jericho not only has no fear of speaking his mind in front of millions of people, he can make fans feel literally any emotion he desires. He can be utterly hilarious as he was in this video during his legendary rivalry with Stephanie McMahon, or he can be one of the most dastardly villains wrestling has ever seen as he has been for much of the past few years. Regardless of the stage or the angle, Jericho is without a doubt one of the very best all-around talents professional wrestling has ever seen. Did I mention he has a band too?

#8 Macho Man Randy Savage
[youtube]D59Bjl3MWWs[/youtube]

As a man who posses easily one of the most recognizable voices even by fans who aren't very familiar with professional wrestling, the late great Randy Savage was excellent at a lot more than just Slim Jim commercials. If promo-cutting was a Renaissance art, Savage would have been the Leonardo Da Vinci of his time. Even by today's standards, Savage's promo style is still highly unique. He painted every pixel of his character through his promos. And as captivating as those promos were, he was even more captivating in the ring, which is... truly unbelievable.

#7 Rowdy Roddy Piper
[youtube]kZbZseTuQ1I[/youtube]

Roddy Piper was probably the earliest example of a wrestler, who despite his unremarkable performance in the ring, could still land huge success as an entertainer primarily through his vocal ability. Although Piper has some history as a babyface, the good majority of his career (particularly in WWE) was spent as one of it's most notable villains, even headlining the very first Wrestlemania in a tag team match against the great Hulk Hogan. He was also a pioneer at "WWE Talk shows" with his segment dubbed "Piper's Pit", an idea that has been constantly recycled with various superstars over the past few decades. In this video, Piper welcomes Jimmy Snuka to Piper's Pit and gets a little annoyed with him.

#6 Dusty Rhodes
[youtube]CxC3oAD1iUg[/youtube]

Dusty Rhodes was the ultimate blue collar figure of professional wrestling. His stylish promos had to be good considering the company he was in with at Jim Crockett Promotions and boy, were they good. His unique accent, his legendary catchphrases, and classy personality won over the hearts of fans across the country. Rhodes connected with the common man through his promos and achieved an astonishing fan base. There was only one other wrestler who achieved fame this way, and he's later in my list. WWE.com rated him #8 in their list, but I raised him a couple notches.

#5 Terry Funk
[youtube]ijCtIHmmn3k[/youtube]

Terry Funk pioneered the very nature of twisted, deranged, sadistic, morbid promos that legitimately could make a viewer ask themselves "What the #%@$ is wrong with this guy?" He was also one of the first wrestlers to periodically make use of foreign objects such as tables, chairs, etc, during wrestling matches, making way for the "hardcore era" in the early 90's. Funk was so far ahead of his time, it's ridiculous. And what makes him even more great is that he didn't stop in his time. Believe it or not is still wrestling today at the age of 67. This promo is from ECW as many of his greatest were, but he had several other classics in JCP/WCW as well. Terry Funk is the epitome of a "wrestling legend".

#4 Mick Foley
[youtube]CsyzmQxpApc[/youtube]

The only guy that could cut a better sadistic-style promo than Raven, Jake Roberts, or Terry Funk was the artist known as "Cactus Jack" aka "Mankind" aka "Dude Love" aka "Mick Foley". This promo is unquestionably my all-time favorite promo that ever took place, even above everything the last 3 guys on my list did. Foley learned from the best in Terry Funk and raised the bar one notch higher and delivered a plethora of incredible vocal performances throughout his career. Anyone who says this guy was overrated doesn't have a clue what they're talking about. I've rated Foley a whopping 10 slots higher than WWE.com did and rightfully so.

#3 Ric Flair
[youtube]oESVMyJ20Ik[/youtube]

If you look at any wrestler today, or even wrestlers of the past few eras, chances are they crafted a few points of their promo skills from this man. Wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and various others, all took pointers from Ric Flair. Flair didn't just speak to a viewer, he grabbed them by the balls and rode to town on them. He developed his persona from the late great Buddy Rogers' style and amplified it exponentially. There has probably never been another man in history that loves being on television more and it showed. Flair was also one of the earliest examples of a man who could be so arrogant and conceited, he actually became loved.

#2 Stone Cold Steve Austin
[youtube]unGrU_zGo7s[/youtube]

As a guy that is neck-and-neck with the last guy on the list, Steve Austin raised the bar through the ceiling in the late 90's to a point it was nearly impossible for anyone to follow his act. As a guy that was never allowed much mic time in WCW, Austin would craft his mic skills in ECW and bring them to WWE where he not only mastered them, he practically rewrote the book. Austin could connect with the crowd like it was second nature, something many wrestlers struggle their entire careers with. There wasn't a city on earth he couldn't do this in and it seemed almost too easy for him by 1998. His foul language, ruthless aggression, and anti-establishment persona made him the greatest blue collar champion ever, even surpassing Dusty Rhodes which was unthinkable before his rise. Many would place Austin #1 on this list, and I wouldn't argue with it at all. He is still my all-time favorite wrestler and likely will be forever.

#1 The Rock
[youtube]h-Euf41JG7I[/youtube]


Finally, we get to the top of my list with "The Great One"... The Rock. For a wrestler who rose to stardom during the exact same years Steve Austin did, it's unbelievable that he was able to achieve what he did. The Rock also had a second nature with bonding with the crowd and through his vast arsenal of catchphrases, it got to the point where the crowd would recite half his promos with him. The ability that Rock had that makes me rate him just slightly over Austin is his superior ability to improvise. Some of his most famous catchphrases actually came on the fly, or mere minutes before he walked to the ring. Rock wouldn't speak to a general audience, he would address that audience... the one he was standing in front of... and tweak his promos occasionally to deliver the most precise promos that have ever been done. He was also very creative and delivered some of his later promos through song... which was unprecedented to that degree. Rock deserves the #1 slot on the list and here's one of his many backstage encounters with Michael Cole. It's absolutely impossible to pick one video that stands out though.





Thank you for reading and would love to hear some of your opinions.

 

[EffectsofRaven]

I Really liked the actual list of names aside from Rock and Austin.

Dusty Rhodes, Funker, Flair and Foley would be my personal top four, possibly throwing Jake the Snake or Raven into the mix... I can't think of anyone else you missed who coulda been in this great list.

Really nice dude.

 

[PHX]

Two things that shocked me about this list. Big Bossman being on this list and Rock being number 1. Not that Rock being number one is a bad thing but because of how much you were against his mic work when he cameback so that was a shocker. Bossman shouldn't be near this list imo but to each their own. I didn't really see any of Magnum TA's work so I can't comment on if that was a good or bad move. But props for being able to come up with a list I might list my own 30 sooner rather than later.

 

[We Are Legion]

You should really check out some of Bossman's earlier work from his first stint in WWE if you still doubt he should be on the list. The guy wasn't a wizard, but he was actually very good for that era and never gets acknowledged for it. I gave him props mainly because of how much of a 180 he did during his second stint and managed to be hated more than almost everyone else on the roster, including the main eventers.

And yeah PHX, I wasn't really a fan of Rock's recent mic work, but taking all things into account and mainly judging from his heyday, I still give Rock his props.

 

[EffectsofRaven]

Personally with the Rock...

His heyday was brilliant but compared to Funker, Dusty Rhodes, Mick Foley, Roberts and Flair, (and Raven if you actually enjoy his work) is that they all had an extreme amount of actual story and substance within their actual promo work, their promo works were filled with the correct emotion with the correct execution on each and every single line; they just grabbed you, drew you in.

Rock was this really charismatic guy who knew how to work the crowd but it was only in one manner, I get that's his gimmick but I feel personally, there were more guys who could do a huge range of promos and they made you believe they was real and they meant it... Another reason why I really prefer Cena and rate him highly.

 

[We Are Legion]

Personally with the Rock...

His heyday was brilliant but compared to Funker, Dusty Rhodes, Mick Foley, Roberts and Flair, (and Raven if you actually enjoy his work) is that they all had an extreme amount of actual story and substance within their actual promo work, their promo works were filled with the correct emotion with the correct execution on each and every single line; they just grabbed you, drew you in.

Rock was this really charismatic guy who knew how to work the crowd but it was only in one manner, I get that's his gimmick but I feel personally, there were more guys who could do a huge range of promos and they made you believe they was real and they meant it... Another reason why I really prefer Cena and rate him highly.

The main reason I would put Rock over all those greats you mention is his ability to connect with an entire arena... from the guys right behind the barrier to the people in the last row of the nose bleeds. While I agree Roberts, Raven, and the others definitely cut real promos, I don't think they were as good in an arena setting as The Rock. Dusty Rhodes could definitely hang with Rock though, he and Flair sold out arenas larger than WWE sells out now.

Glad you have respect for the Funker though, I was beginning to think people were starting to forget about him.

 

[PHX]

I mean I've heard Bossman's mic work for the most part mostly his 2nd stint and he is solid just saying he wouldn't strike me as top 30 or anything like that. As for Rock that's pretty much what holds him back for me on being the best mic worker ever because of his lack of range. That said don't have any problem listing him as number 1 because he is perfect in his lane and one of the few guys people would pay to just hear him talk.

 

[Deezy]

Think Douglas doesn't even belong on the list, his promos seemed good because he would just swear. Take out that factor and you are left with little than basics at best.

If I was to throw out a suggestion, I would've put Superstar Billy Graham on the list, without him, there wouldn't be a Dusty Rhodes.

Agree with pretty much most the list tho.

 

[EffectsofRaven]

The main reason I would put Rock over all those greats you mention is his ability to connect with an entire arena... from the guys right behind the barrier to the people in the last row of the nose bleeds. While I agree Roberts, Raven, and the others definitely cut real promos, I don't think they were as good in an arena setting as The Rock. Dusty Rhodes could definitely hang with Rock though, he and Flair sold out arenas larger than WWE sells out now.

Glad you have respect for the Funker though, I was beginning to think people were starting to forget about him.

I completely understand that, Raven absolutely flopped in the WWF ring but I heard some many stories about it wasn't him, it was because he got Shane O'mac on coke, that the fans weren't smart enough to understand his gimmick. As for connecting with the arena, I don't mean to sound like the dick but you completely avoided Foley... Foley captured the crowds alot better than Rock imo back in 1998 to 2000.

He was on absolute fire, whether he was Mankind, Dude Love or Cactus Jack, he had the crowd listening to his everyword.

As for the Funker, he was just fantastic and to me, Terry Funk on the mic is basically "Shut the fuck up, The Funker's talking... Listen to him!"

 

[We Are Legion]

Think Douglas doesn't even belong on the list, his promos seemed good because he would just swear. Take out that factor and you are left with little than basics at best.

If I was to throw out a suggestion, I would've put Superstar Billy Graham on the list, without him, there wouldn't be a Dusty Rhodes.

Agree with pretty much most the list tho.

Billy Graham would have made the list if I had got 5 slots higher, so would Curt Hennig. Maybe should have put him at #30 over Bossman now that I think about it, but I'm definitely not denying how awesome Graham was.

I completely understand that, Raven absolutely flopped in the WWF ring but I heard some many stories about it wasn't him, it was because he got Shane O'mac on coke, that the fans weren't smart enough to understand his gimmick. As for connecting with the arena, I don't mean to sound like the dick but you completely avoided Foley... Foley captured the crowds alot better than Rock imo back in 1998 to 2000.

He was on absolute fire, whether he was Mankind, Dude Love or Cactus Jack, he had the crowd listening to his everyword.

As for the Funker, he was just fantastic and to me, Terry Funk on the mic is basically "Shut the fuck up, The Funker's talking... Listen to him!"

For me it's hard to rate any of those Top 5 guys over the other tbh. They were all excellent and would have achieved superstardom in any wrestling era or promotion, including Foley.

As for Raven, it wasn't the fans that caused Raven to flop in WWE, it was just the way WWE pushed him. If they would have just scraped him up of the floor of the hardcore division and actually put him into serious roles for midcard belts at the very least, he would have had more opportunities to speak on the mic and get the audience behind him. It was particularly hard for that to happen when WWE's roster was stacked with all the main eventers that came over from WCW after it's demise. Really bad timing more than anything imo

 

[Chris]

Don't like Rock being number one, but I think he'd make top 5 for sure. Other than that, the only thing I would really change is the Snake being up a couple more spots maybe. Good list. Also, you should have put Stone Cold's epic ECW promo up there, as that may be my favorite promo of all time and the best on by Austin.

 

[We Are Legion]

Don't like Rock being number one, but I think he'd make top 5 for sure. Other than that, the only thing I would really change is the Snake being up a couple more spots maybe. Good list. Also, you should have put Stone Cold's epic ECW promo up there, as that may be my favorite promo of all time and the best on by Austin.

Which Austin promo are you referring to, the Hogan impression, Bischoff impression, or this one...

[youtube]JKEgdQdhjCE[/youtube]

I really liked those ECW promos too, it seems like almost everyone who stepped foot in that promotion had their best promos there. I still think Austin evolved more in WWE and became better vocally in front of a live crowd. Those ECW promos are still legendary though.

 

[John McHenry]

I was reading through some of the guys at 10-30 and was wondering who the hell you were going to put in the top 10 then got there and was still pleasantly surprised great list. Aside from Bossman (who I remember being good but not that good) and Douglas (just not a fan).

 

[We Are Legion]

I was reading through some of the guys at 10-30 and was wondering who the hell you were going to put in the top 10 then got there and was still pleasantly surprised great list. Aside from Bossman (who I remember being good but not that good) and Douglas (just not a fan).

Thanks buddy. Douglas and Bossman seem to be the two "wtf" choices on my list, but I still stand by them, lol. Douglas mainly for shaping ECW's core and Bossman for being one of the most despicable villains ever, mainly for the horrible shit he would say and he was very believable while doing it. I dunno, those two choices are probably just the Attitude era fan crying out in me.

:godfather:

 

[The Cork]

Couldn't disagree more with Foley, but it's personal preference and i hate the guy.

Would of put Steiner and Warrior in there, but props for remembering lesser guys like Bossman (GOAT heel circa late 1999) and Ventura was awesome in his Hogan-esque flamboyant way.