Bockwinkel for me, he was the AWA Flair. I know Cork calls him bland but that's just crazy.
I feel obliged to explain.
The guy won his first AWA title in '75, when he was 40. The AWA and Vern Gagne kept him on top until 1987, because Gagne was convinced that real wrestling fans wanted serious guys like Bockwinkle over "flashy" guys like Hogan, Martel and Lawler. Kind of the same reason why ROH is failing now.
In interviews he spoke in a clear manner. Without emotion or character. In short - devoid of drama. Bockwinkle wasn't a talker. It's why he needed Bobby Heenan so much even as AWA champion.
In the ring, he was fundamentally sound. That's the polite way of saying boring. Zero flash. No drama. I can't imagine people actually paying to see him laying on the mat mauling guys like GSP for 20 minutes in a pre-titantron era.
AWA had Bockwinkle as champion when the NWA had Ric Flair and WWF had Hulk Hogan. Guess which promotion when downhill the fastest?