I'm sorry, but I always laugh when people say they can't find anything to watch on Netflix. They need to look harder, or just consider watching something that's not a decades old repeat.
Wasn't expecting to have an emotional reaction to a Favourite Wrestler list, but when Luke muttered "I miss Brodie" with such sadness in his voice, it got me. Me too, Luke. Me too.
Honestly this didn't just feel like another list. This felt like a timeline of wrestling seen through the eyes of an individual. Through lows, highs and everything in the middle, wrestling can bring out so much in us ♥️
This might sound sad, but I wish I knew someone who is as enthusiastic as Luke is while I was growing up and could keep me glued to wrestling/open my eyes to more indie promotions. You can feel his genuine passion and emotion in every entry here. Seriously enjoyed watching this one. Gotta dig that Worms t-shirt too!
YES! NXT in 2015 reignited my love for wrestling! The 4 horsewomen (but for me mostly Sasha) were so integral to me falling back in love with Wrasslin.
I remember when I first discovered Kevin Owens/Steen, I was just absolutely blown away, the way he talked, the way he fought, the way he looked more like an every day man than the steroid obsessed physiques we see today. Everything about him! Finding out about his personal life and the love he has for his wife and kids. He’s been my favorite wrestler ever since!
I also remember my fist time seeing KO. It was his match with Goldberg for the Universal Title. I hated him then, and I hate him now. Everytime I see Owens all I see is an overweight fratboy they plucked out of the stands and said "give it a go". I also have never like Sami Zayne because he looks like an out of shape hipster and I really dislike hipsters. But hey, to each their own.
@@BirdGang6 then don't make a public post on the internet if you can't handle differing opinions. And really, temp tantrum? The only one having that is you, snowflake.
@@BirdGang6 then don't make a public post on the internet if you can't handle differing opinions. And really, temp tantrum? The only one having that is you, snowflake.
When I was at Clash at the Castle, I remember being excited because Bayley was on the card, and it meant I could be apart of the chant (loved it when UK Raw crowd highjacked a Flair promo with it in 2016/17). It was a great moment for me among a great night of wrestling
I always knew that I related to Luke a lot but I never could have imagined how similar our favorite wrestler lists could be. And as always, rest in peace Brodie Lee
Love the fact you closed out the list with Eddie, spot on about the fact that he makes you believe. The fact he is very open about his struggle and saying out loud that it is Ok to not be Ok makes him a hero to me beyond what he does in the ring.
What you said in 2000 about the midcard, that’s how I feel about a great midcard, too. It’s nice to see everyone get their shot at the top, but when I was a kid I wanted the intercontinental championship
I remember being a teenager at the time ECW came to be and being a Philadelphia native at the time my friend introduced me to this company and because his father was a lifelong wrestling fan he would take us to almost every ECW show! God how I miss them day's. Ravens character was what got me sucked into the promotion.
Always appreciate a Shark Boy shout out... Dude was so underrated.. His gimmick should have died on arrival but instead he was like TNA's Hurricane... Hell when he returned n his gimmick was altered to be a shark themed Stone Cold rippoff he got that over like hell too(for the record they got Stone Cold's approval n he's gone on record to say he loved it n thought it was hilarious) n they had him come out to try to be James Storm's tag partner when Storm was looking for a partner to take on Roode and Aries for the titles n was so great in his role for the segment that it's one of the most memorable things about Storm & Gunner's tag run. Dude is hilarious. I will never say no to a Shark Boy return 😅 Gimme a shell yeah! 😂
A lot of fans fall in and out of wrestling. I started because of WCW Nitro, Fridays on Cartoon Network in 1997, then got bored. Then I got into WWE around 2004/2005, predominantly on Sky 1 (Bottom Line / Heat / Velocity), then got bored again. I was following other sports/entertainment, but then in late 2016, I came across NXT (Takeover, Toronto?) and Wrestletalk at around the same time. Have been hooked ever since, thanks to the passion, time and effort put in by Luke, Oli and all the talent who have arrived since then. Thank you for what you do!
It's just before 8am over here in Australa. I haven't had my first coffee yet and I was really tied in to your video, Luke. Your path to wrestling fandom is very similar to mine. I remember I cried because I found out Mania X-7 was on a school day over here (I was 10 then, haha) and I couldn't take the day off to watch it, I waited until my dad's work mate gave me a VHS tape that recorded it later in the week and I was in awe. Amazing job, Luke and WT team, thank you for reminding me why I love this silly thing we call wrestling.
I always love these because it’s cool getting an idea of the WrestleTalk boys tastes and opinions. Best thing nobody can argue as it’s just Luke’s opinion though I’m sure some idiots will try and tell him he’s wrong for that.
Nice list and emotional connection! My journey as a wrestling fan started in 1993 watching WWF Superstars and Wrestling Challenge. 1st PPV was King of The Ring in the same year. Very grateful for Bret Hart!!!
Here's a thought for you: how many years has Bayley been a heel for now? It's one of the most damning indictments of Vince's WWE that they took the most infectiously likeable babyface in the world, booked her into the ground, then just turned her heel and left her there because _Vince fundamentally doesn't understand good people._
Angle, HBK, Stone Cold, The Rock, Kenny Omega, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, RVD, Roman Reigns...honorable mention: Y2J, Cactus Jack, Brock, and Rey Mysterio Jr
I have been watching WrestleTalk since Luke joined in. I still remember the start of WrestleRamble before WrestleMania 33 with the backdrop of all those T-shirts. I instantly fell in love with the chemistry between Luke and Oli. That was also the start of how I got into listening to longer form content around wrestling. These two guys kept me going. I don't have any real life wrestling friends so I started sharing their thoughts and passion for wrestling as mine. If it wasn't for wrestletalk and the wonderful community they have build I would have fallen out as a wrestling fan long ago. That is why I was engrossed by Luke and Oli's list and felt emotional seeing their journey.
Honestly Luke's narration is extremely captivating I feel the passion in your words and will say this is an interesting list and great way to explore just how you got into wrestling.I agree about Kane in Rumble 2001 should've won it I always think of that performance when I think good rumble matches
10. Kenny omega 9. Shawn micheals 8. CM Punk 7. Randy Orton 6. John Cena 5. Brock Lesnar 4. Samoa Joe 3. The undertaker 2. Steve Austin 1. Bryan Danielson
I have a good feeling they may have Eddie beat Claudio for the ROH world title during the ROH ppv at the end of March. If they do, he will have an incredible run
Oh my God Luke, TNA was awesome, so awesome. What those 3 guys did was akin to RockxAustin, ShawnxBrett, HoganxAndre, HardyzxDudleyzxE&C, simply industry Shifting
Kane did have some good matches in 2001. There was the Hardcore Triple Threat at WrestleMania XVII, The Winner Takes All Tag Team Match at Backlash, and a Gem of a Match with Test at No Mercy, just to name a few.
At the start of AEW, I became a wrestling fan again. It was over 15 years of being uninterested in wrestling since all I knew was WWE. Then AEW came around and I started watching their shows periodically. But then Eddie Kingston came to AEW and immediately feuding with Moxley (who at the time was my favorite). After their feud, I watched every show Eddie was on. And once the Kingston vs JAS feud was at its peak, I realized Eddie is my favorite wrestler. It was the first time a wrestler made me feel such genuine emotion. HE IS THE BEST! He should have been the one to defeat CM Punk for the title, if Brawl Out didn't happen.
I'm only an occasional AEW watcher but I really feel like I'm missing something with Eddie Kingston's character. His promos don't excite me. The gist seems to be "ayyy I'm an angry New Yorkah. I might not be the most athletic or gifted, but I'm angry and I hate you, so you better be up for a fight". It feels like I've seen this scrappy underdog gimmick before. It reminds me of babyface Dean Ambrose minus the goofy 'lunatic' edge. Maybe I just need to watch more consistently to appreciate his week-to-week story building.
This was a really great video, I love Luke from, wrestle talk I watch most of the wrestling promotions he mentioned from WWE, AEW, Impact wrestling and more not to mention seeing the different storylines from the shows just brought back good memories.
The Naito mention. He was my favorite from his return to NJPW through probably last year. I wanted his NJPW title win so bad in 2020 and I hate that the long title run was ruined to put the belts on Evil. Naito should have held the NJPW title for at least a year and a half. Get 8 defenses and then find another guy ready to elevate.
16:56 I say Kevin Owen's run in the wwe main roster had some redeemable qualities considering his Accomplishments. Like : - US champion - IC champion - Universal champion - Tag team champion - Beating John Cena
My Top 10. Started watching in late 1999. 1. Kurt Angle 2. Kane 3. Jeff Hardy 4. Eddie Guerrero 5. Stone Cold Steve Austin 6. CM Punk 7. Chris Jericho 8. Brock Lesnar 9. AJ Styles 10. Shane McMahon
Agree with everything you said about Kane. While I didn't create a third BoD, in the videogames, I did create a protege of Taker, who eventually sided with Kane against the Ministry. I think I'm a bit older than you, Luke.
Really insightful and definitely had a lot of sentimental value to it. Some lists are just content but it's nice to finish watching something and feeling like I know the presenter more personally at the end. Excellent video guys.
This is a lovely wander through what makes Luke a fan of wrestling. Sure I could quibble points and tastes, but overall I agree with the fundamental point here: isn't wrestling great?
This was a brilliant video. Makes me want to record my own version. I've only been a wrestling fan since 2011 but my favourites are constantly changing
Raven is the first wrestler I ever met in person. I worked at a Software Etc store and he came to the store to promote the release of ECW Hardcore Revolution. I ran down to KB Toys and bought his WCW figure for him to sign :D And for the record, my personal top 10: Undertaker Mr. Perfect Ted Dibiase Big Boss Man D’Lo Brown Shelton Benjamin AJ Styles Kevin Owens Christian Cage Bam Bam Bigelow
so lukes top ten wrestlers include 40 wrestlers and a whole roster got it haha but i will say its nice to see someone put kane in atleast the top three he deserves
Aaaah that channel 4 card brings back memories. I remember being in absolute disbelief that WWF was being shown on regular terrestrial TV so plebs like me could watch it. Just a shame that allegedly C4 bosses never renewed the deal after seeing the HHH/Cactus Jack match (or so I've heard)
Loved the autobiographical spin on this list. Gives us a glimpse into your head and its funny how our stories mirrored each other. I ignored wrestling for years because I could see where the stories were going until I was flipping through the channels and stumbled on TNA Joe and AJ got me back in. Then I watched sparingly until NXT and Sami v Neville then Finn then Drew, Gargano v Ciampa etc etc until NXT 2.0
Couldn't agree more about Brodie Lee being added to the main event. It made perfect story sense , he was doing amazing work ( like always done ). Even if they didn't want him to win he deserved a spot in that match.
The wrestlers I hold in high regard are due to very different reasons. Minoru Suzuki carries an aura of realness that many wrestlers lack (which isn't a surprise considering his MMA background). Even as an old man, he's intimidating AF. Tetsuya Naito has my favourite overall story in professional wrestling. From being positioned as the next big thing, being rejected by the audience and then abandoned by the booking, to turning heel and becoming one of the most popular wrestlers in Japan, he's the one guy I'm always interested to see in New Japan. And finally, Dragon Gate's BxB Hulk. He's the one guy that just clicked with me when I started to watch. The way he dresses, the theme song, the wrestling style. It blows my mind that he's already over 40.
It's always been Raven and Jeff Hardy for me, they connected with me in a way I never thought wrestling could. I could see myself in them by the way they dressed and looked, they were into the things I was into and man I'll never forget 2020 discovering Ravens work in ecw...
I always liked wrestling but could never really keep up with it until I was an adult, and Mox has always been, and will always be, my guy. All the way back when I heard about the Shield and their characters and only played the games and watched clips on UA-cam, he was my guy.
As a lifelong, bleeding heart WCW guy to this day since January 1, 1996, it breaks my heart a bit seeing lists like this as they don't talk about WCW, and they missed out on so much. However, I agree with Luke entirely on TNA. I started watching it in January 2005, and I loved every wrestler he mentioned, and am still a die hard TNA/Impact fan to this day.
In 2015 I was sure that the best wrestlers in the world were Shinsuke Nakamura, Sasha Banks and Kevin Owens. In 2023, Kevin Owens is still my favorite wrestler in WWE, but Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson are my overall favorites.
10) Samoa Joe 9) Super Dragon ll 8) K.O 7) The Prize Fighter 6) Mr.Evil 5)Mr.Wrestling 4)Wrestling's Worst Nightmare 3) The Anti-Christ of Pro Wrestling 2) Kevin Owens 1) Kevin Steen
Personally my top 10 of all time 10 Randy Orton 9 Walter/Gunther 8 Eddie Guerrero 7 Steve Austin 6 Brock Lesnar 5 RVD 4 Kane 3Edge 2 Mick Foley 1 Undertaker Started watching in 96 so that’s why it attitude era/ ruthless aggression heavy. Though I feel Gunther will get higher and higher.
That was also the first wrestling T-shirt I ever bought! At my very first ROH show! Fun fact, I wore it to my first instance of jury duty, without even thinking about it. I credit it to getting me out of it. 😂😂😂
We have a lot of this list in common, but I go back a bit further than you to Jake the Snake, Piper, and Barry Windham. Raven and Eddie Kingston are the wrestling business to me. Both colossal talents who weren’t used as well as they should have been
Thanks for the amazing video. This made me so happy reliving some of my favourite wrestlers over the years. Black and Gold nxt has to be my favourite era for exposure to some of the most amazing wrestlers i had not heard of. Out of interest, did going back and watching older wrestling make you fall in love with any of the past wrestlers?
Watching this a) made me go listen to Walk by Pantera again. b) I realized that your journey through wrestling is a lot like mine. My all time favorite is Shawn Michaels but I couldn't relate more to your statement "I hated the recent return of DX with a passion!!" c) So many of your favorites were my favorites at around the same time.
My fave years of wrestling was in the nxt black and gold & lucha Underground, the NXT was the thing that got me back to wrestling becoz of how refreshing to see my fave indie stars shine in the WWE ring with keith lee vs. Dominik dijakovic as my fave ones (damn I would want to see more of them), and in lucha Underground was like an underrated Promotion that got me into loving ricochet and especially pentagon jr., altho it's already Gone, but man what a fun time, and my most recent faves came in with Eddie kingston and will osprey (that match with Michael oku was awesome)
15:35 Pretty sure when Bayley appears in the UK the fans are still chanting that. I think that's why the last couple of times WWE has been in the UK Bayley hasnt been on the card.
Kingston is criminally overlooked and has been for a long time. I loved his work in czw. He made me believe that whoever he was beefing with that it was real and raw
My favorites would be pretty close to this. Biggest difference would be my first pick would be for 98/99 and be Foley, Jericho and HHH, but the rest is pretty close to my occasional lapses in watching and what brought me back. And I love the picture from Limitless at 18:47. I went to a show of theirs in Westbrook, Maine in January 2017 during a time I wasn't watching much wrestling since a friend of a friend would be wrestling on the show and I saw Cody Rhodes would be there. I loved their shows. My biggest regret of working overnights now is I never make it to them anymore.
It is really funny that Despite his heinous reign of terror, HHH was my favorite wrestler for like 10 years. He had a Charisma as a heel and in DX that really clicked with me. Sorry if it sounds weird but go back to the promo where the Rock imitates him and he just says 'let me complement you on the beautiful Pyjama top your wearing that's Real nice!' Or 'even a 747 looks small when you Fly it into the grand Canyon!'
I know Damage CTRL is going right now. But I also miss baby face Bayley . I think they don't want the fans to take over the show by singing HEEEEYYYYY BAYLEY....
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How does Luke feel about Johnny Polo?
I'm sorry, but I always laugh when people say they can't find anything to watch on Netflix. They need to look harder, or just consider watching something that's not a decades old repeat.
OMG I remember the shirt backdrop. There would always be one that falls off slightly 🤣 the good Ole days of Luke always wearing a hat.
YOU SUCK LUKE!!! Booooooo
Wasn't expecting to have an emotional reaction to a Favourite Wrestler list, but when Luke muttered "I miss Brodie" with such sadness in his voice, it got me. Me too, Luke. Me too.
Miss him every day
Shut up
seriously, the man was taken from the world far, far too soon.
Honestly this didn't just feel like another list. This felt like a timeline of wrestling seen through the eyes of an individual. Through lows, highs and everything in the middle, wrestling can bring out so much in us ♥️
This might sound sad, but I wish I knew someone who is as enthusiastic as Luke is while I was growing up and could keep me glued to wrestling/open my eyes to more indie promotions. You can feel his genuine passion and emotion in every entry here. Seriously enjoyed watching this one.
Gotta dig that Worms t-shirt too!
INCOMING (air strike makes impact with enemy worms)
worms evil laugh afterwards
so satisfying
YES! NXT in 2015 reignited my love for wrestling! The 4 horsewomen (but for me mostly Sasha) were so integral to me falling back in love with Wrasslin.
Man never knew Luke loved Raven and never heard him say the hardcore triple treat at Mania X7 is his favorite match😜😜
i think he mentioned once in one of those afterdark patreon exclusives or something like that
I remember when I first discovered Kevin Owens/Steen, I was just absolutely blown away, the way he talked, the way he fought, the way he looked more like an every day man than the steroid obsessed physiques we see today. Everything about him! Finding out about his personal life and the love he has for his wife and kids. He’s been my favorite wrestler ever since!
I also remember my fist time seeing KO. It was his match with Goldberg for the Universal Title. I hated him then, and I hate him now. Everytime I see Owens all I see is an overweight fratboy they plucked out of the stands and said "give it a go". I also have never like Sami Zayne because he looks like an out of shape hipster and I really dislike hipsters. But hey, to each their own.
@@BirdGang6 then don't make a public post on the internet if you can't handle differing opinions. And really, temp tantrum? The only one having that is you, snowflake.
@@BirdGang6 then don't make a public post on the internet if you can't handle differing opinions. And really, temp tantrum? The only one having that is you, snowflake.
@@BirdGang6 also I'll reply as many time as a feel like it. Tf you going to do about it?
@@Garyisubercool I’m just going to continue laughing at your temper tantrum 😂😂
It's Raven it's ALWAYS Raven
When I was at Clash at the Castle, I remember being excited because Bayley was on the card, and it meant I could be apart of the chant (loved it when UK Raw crowd highjacked a Flair promo with it in 2016/17). It was a great moment for me among a great night of wrestling
I always knew that I related to Luke a lot but I never could have imagined how similar our favorite wrestler lists could be. And as always, rest in peace Brodie Lee
Love the fact you closed out the list with Eddie, spot on about the fact that he makes you believe. The fact he is very open about his struggle and saying out loud that it is Ok to not be Ok makes him a hero to me beyond what he does in the ring.
This explains so much about Luke Owen
watching lists like these makes me nostalgic over my wrestling fandom.
What you said in 2000 about the midcard, that’s how I feel about a great midcard, too. It’s nice to see everyone get their shot at the top, but when I was a kid I wanted the intercontinental championship
Same n that ic belt was great looking too
I remember being a teenager at the time ECW came to be and being a Philadelphia native at the time my friend introduced me to this company and because his father was a lifelong wrestling fan he would take us to almost every ECW show! God how I miss them day's. Ravens character was what got me sucked into the promotion.
Always appreciate a Shark Boy shout out... Dude was so underrated.. His gimmick should have died on arrival but instead he was like TNA's Hurricane... Hell when he returned n his gimmick was altered to be a shark themed Stone Cold rippoff he got that over like hell too(for the record they got Stone Cold's approval n he's gone on record to say he loved it n thought it was hilarious) n they had him come out to try to be James Storm's tag partner when Storm was looking for a partner to take on Roode and Aries for the titles n was so great in his role for the segment that it's one of the most memorable things about Storm & Gunner's tag run. Dude is hilarious. I will never say no to a Shark Boy return 😅
Gimme a shell yeah! 😂
A lot of fans fall in and out of wrestling. I started because of WCW Nitro, Fridays on Cartoon Network in 1997, then got bored. Then I got into WWE around 2004/2005, predominantly on Sky 1 (Bottom Line / Heat / Velocity), then got bored again. I was following other sports/entertainment, but then in late 2016, I came across NXT (Takeover, Toronto?) and Wrestletalk at around the same time. Have been hooked ever since, thanks to the passion, time and effort put in by Luke, Oli and all the talent who have arrived since then. Thank you for what you do!
It's just before 8am over here in Australa. I haven't had my first coffee yet and I was really tied in to your video, Luke. Your path to wrestling fandom is very similar to mine. I remember I cried because I found out Mania X-7 was on a school day over here (I was 10 then, haha) and I couldn't take the day off to watch it, I waited until my dad's work mate gave me a VHS tape that recorded it later in the week and I was in awe. Amazing job, Luke and WT team, thank you for reminding me why I love this silly thing we call wrestling.
These autobiographical Top 10's are the best recent content you guys have come up with
I always love these because it’s cool getting an idea of the WrestleTalk boys tastes and opinions. Best thing nobody can argue as it’s just Luke’s opinion though I’m sure some idiots will try and tell him he’s wrong for that.
Nice list and emotional connection! My journey as a wrestling fan started in 1993 watching WWF Superstars and Wrestling Challenge. 1st PPV was King of The Ring in the same year. Very grateful for Bret Hart!!!
Here's a thought for you: how many years has Bayley been a heel for now? It's one of the most damning indictments of Vince's WWE that they took the most infectiously likeable babyface in the world, booked her into the ground, then just turned her heel and left her there because _Vince fundamentally doesn't understand good people._
"*sigh* I miss Brodie Lee, a lot" got me.
I do too, Luke. I do too. 😢
Love this Luke Owen is my favourite part of wrestletalk.
Angle, HBK, Stone Cold, The Rock, Kenny Omega, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, RVD, Roman Reigns...honorable mention: Y2J, Cactus Jack, Brock, and Rey Mysterio Jr
Bret Hart, Owen Hart, CM Punk, Rosemary , Daffney , Stone Cold steve Austin, Zack Ryder, Al Snow, Mr Perfect. Nick Aldas my 10,
Seeing any channel talk positively about TNA/Impact from back in the day makes me happy. Legit it was the thr company that got me back into wrestling
I have been watching WrestleTalk since Luke joined in. I still remember the start of WrestleRamble before WrestleMania 33 with the backdrop of all those T-shirts. I instantly fell in love with the chemistry between Luke and Oli. That was also the start of how I got into listening to longer form content around wrestling.
These two guys kept me going. I don't have any real life wrestling friends so I started sharing their thoughts and passion for wrestling as mine. If it wasn't for wrestletalk and the wonderful community they have build I would have fallen out as a wrestling fan long ago. That is why I was engrossed by Luke and Oli's list and felt emotional seeing their journey.
Honestly Luke's narration is extremely captivating I feel the passion in your words and will say this is an interesting list and great way to explore just how you got into wrestling.I agree about Kane in Rumble 2001 should've won it I always think of that performance when I think good rumble matches
Glad to see TNA get some love, that era of the promotion was amazing
10. Kenny omega
9. Shawn micheals
8. CM Punk
7. Randy Orton
6. John Cena
5. Brock Lesnar
4. Samoa Joe
3. The undertaker
2. Steve Austin
1. Bryan Danielson
I have a good feeling they may have Eddie beat Claudio for the ROH world title during the ROH ppv at the end of March. If they do, he will have an incredible run
Oh my God Luke, TNA was awesome, so awesome. What those 3 guys did was akin to RockxAustin, ShawnxBrett, HoganxAndre, HardyzxDudleyzxE&C, simply industry Shifting
Thanks Luke. Tremendous work man. Loved it.
Kane did have some good matches in 2001. There was the Hardcore Triple Threat at WrestleMania XVII, The Winner Takes All Tag Team Match at Backlash, and a Gem of a Match with Test at No Mercy, just to name a few.
Just gonna guess before it starts that Raven is on this list nine times apart from the occasional Johnny Knoxville for variety.
The most interesting Top 10 list, in a while. I need to watch Oli's version of this.
At the start of AEW, I became a wrestling fan again. It was over 15 years of being uninterested in wrestling since all I knew was WWE. Then AEW came around and I started watching their shows periodically. But then Eddie Kingston came to AEW and immediately feuding with Moxley (who at the time was my favorite). After their feud, I watched every show Eddie was on. And once the Kingston vs JAS feud was at its peak, I realized Eddie is my favorite wrestler. It was the first time a wrestler made me feel such genuine emotion. HE IS THE BEST! He should have been the one to defeat CM Punk for the title, if Brawl Out didn't happen.
I'm only an occasional AEW watcher but I really feel like I'm missing something with Eddie Kingston's character. His promos don't excite me. The gist seems to be "ayyy I'm an angry New Yorkah. I might not be the most athletic or gifted, but I'm angry and I hate you, so you better be up for a fight". It feels like I've seen this scrappy underdog gimmick before. It reminds me of babyface Dean Ambrose minus the goofy 'lunatic' edge. Maybe I just need to watch more consistently to appreciate his week-to-week story building.
Happy almost 8 years in WrestleTalk, Luke 👍🏼
This was a really great video, I love Luke from, wrestle talk I watch most of the wrestling promotions he mentioned from WWE, AEW, Impact wrestling and more not to mention seeing the different storylines from the shows just brought back good memories.
I was there for Kingston vs Danielson, that’s probably the best match I’ve seen live.
Fuckin’ a, man. Luke, you absolutely knocked it out of the park. This is the “High Fidelity” of wrestling lists.
You rock, bro!
I forgot Luke had hair in the beginning, time flies. Also I counted this was 35 wrestlers listed but what a list 👏
Happy Anniversary Luke - this list had all the emotions I really really enjoyed it.
The Naito mention. He was my favorite from his return to NJPW through probably last year. I wanted his NJPW title win so bad in 2020 and I hate that the long title run was ruined to put the belts on Evil. Naito should have held the NJPW title for at least a year and a half. Get 8 defenses and then find another guy ready to elevate.
i like how he puts the year version of the wrestler
16:56 I say Kevin Owen's run in the wwe main roster had some redeemable qualities considering his Accomplishments.
Like :
- US champion
- IC champion
- Universal champion
- Tag team champion
- Beating John Cena
Becky and Bayley in particular really opened up my eyes to how awesome women’s wrestling could be.
Oh my goodness Luke, Hulk Hogan winning the belt was my switch off moment too and TNA pulled me back in too.
Really missed seeing Luke on this channel, his writings probably my favourite out of all of the guys
I love the heart and pure fandom in this list. Well-done.
Great video that featured a lot of my favorite wrestlers. Keep up the wonderful content.
Luke I have been waiting for this list for years
My Top 10. Started watching in late 1999.
1. Kurt Angle
2. Kane
3. Jeff Hardy
4. Eddie Guerrero
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin
6. CM Punk
7. Chris Jericho
8. Brock Lesnar
9. AJ Styles
10. Shane McMahon
Agree with everything you said about Kane. While I didn't create a third BoD, in the videogames, I did create a protege of Taker, who eventually sided with Kane against the Ministry.
I think I'm a bit older than you, Luke.
Really insightful and definitely had a lot of sentimental value to it. Some lists are just content but it's nice to finish watching something and feeling like I know the presenter more personally at the end. Excellent video guys.
This is a lovely wander through what makes Luke a fan of wrestling. Sure I could quibble points and tastes, but overall I agree with the fundamental point here: isn't wrestling great?
This was a brilliant video. Makes me want to record my own version. I've only been a wrestling fan since 2011 but my favourites are constantly changing
Raven is the first wrestler I ever met in person. I worked at a Software Etc store and he came to the store to promote the release of ECW Hardcore Revolution. I ran down to KB Toys and bought his WCW figure for him to sign :D
And for the record, my personal top 10:
Undertaker
Mr. Perfect
Ted Dibiase
Big Boss Man
D’Lo Brown
Shelton Benjamin
AJ Styles
Kevin Owens
Christian Cage
Bam Bam Bigelow
so lukes top ten wrestlers include 40 wrestlers and a whole roster got it haha but i will say its nice to see someone put kane in atleast the top three he deserves
Aaaah that channel 4 card brings back memories. I remember being in absolute disbelief that WWF was being shown on regular terrestrial TV so plebs like me could watch it. Just a shame that allegedly C4 bosses never renewed the deal after seeing the HHH/Cactus Jack match (or so I've heard)
Loved the autobiographical spin on this list. Gives us a glimpse into your head and its funny how our stories mirrored each other. I ignored wrestling for years because I could see where the stories were going until I was flipping through the channels and stumbled on TNA Joe and AJ got me back in. Then I watched sparingly until NXT and Sami v Neville then Finn then Drew, Gargano v Ciampa etc etc until NXT 2.0
Couldn't agree more about Brodie Lee being added to the main event. It made perfect story sense , he was doing amazing work ( like always done ). Even if they didn't want him to win he deserved a spot in that match.
The wrestlers I hold in high regard are due to very different reasons.
Minoru Suzuki carries an aura of realness that many wrestlers lack (which isn't a surprise considering his MMA background). Even as an old man, he's intimidating AF.
Tetsuya Naito has my favourite overall story in professional wrestling. From being positioned as the next big thing, being rejected by the audience and then abandoned by the booking, to turning heel and becoming one of the most popular wrestlers in Japan, he's the one guy I'm always interested to see in New Japan.
And finally, Dragon Gate's BxB Hulk. He's the one guy that just clicked with me when I started to watch. The way he dresses, the theme song, the wrestling style. It blows my mind that he's already over 40.
As someone who is very much into this kind of stuff: In HIS way Raven is one of the greatest promos of all time
It's always been Raven and Jeff Hardy for me, they connected with me in a way I never thought wrestling could. I could see myself in them by the way they dressed and looked, they were into the things I was into and man I'll never forget 2020 discovering Ravens work in ecw...
He had some great stuff later in ROH with punk that was great
I always liked wrestling but could never really keep up with it until I was an adult, and Mox has always been, and will always be, my guy. All the way back when I heard about the Shield and their characters and only played the games and watched clips on UA-cam, he was my guy.
Can't wait for the Luke hot take in this video.
As a lifelong, bleeding heart WCW guy to this day since January 1, 1996, it breaks my heart a bit seeing lists like this as they don't talk about WCW, and they missed out on so much.
However, I agree with Luke entirely on TNA. I started watching it in January 2005, and I loved every wrestler he mentioned, and am still a die hard TNA/Impact fan to this day.
In 2015 I was sure that the best wrestlers in the world were Shinsuke Nakamura, Sasha Banks and Kevin Owens. In 2023, Kevin Owens is still my favorite wrestler in WWE, but Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson are my overall favorites.
"Annnd then he beat the prick on PPV" Fkn killed me 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Damn Luke
RVDs entrance music was Panteras walk, the ECW theme music CD for some reason had Kilgore covering it
Luke, I have given you a lot of flack in comments before but I seriously respect the work you and the guys do
10) Samoa Joe
9) Super Dragon ll
8) K.O
7) The Prize Fighter
6) Mr.Evil
5)Mr.Wrestling
4)Wrestling's Worst Nightmare
3) The Anti-Christ of Pro Wrestling
2) Kevin Owens
1) Kevin Steen
Personally my top 10 of all time
10 Randy Orton
9 Walter/Gunther
8 Eddie Guerrero
7 Steve Austin
6 Brock Lesnar
5 RVD
4 Kane
3Edge
2 Mick Foley
1 Undertaker
Started watching in 96 so that’s why it attitude era/ ruthless aggression heavy. Though I feel Gunther will get higher and higher.
16:54 is literally my favorite part of the video!
OH GEE! I WONDER WHAT MIGHT HAVE CHANGED THERE??
Raven,KO,The Elite,Page,AJ,Eddie Kingston.After watching this list I am fully convinced that Luke is my long lost brother
I am completely with you when it comes to Bayley.
That was also the first wrestling T-shirt I ever bought! At my very first ROH show! Fun fact, I wore it to my first instance of jury duty, without even thinking about it. I credit it to getting me out of it. 😂😂😂
We have a lot of this list in common, but I go back a bit further than you to Jake the Snake, Piper, and Barry Windham. Raven and Eddie Kingston are the wrestling business to me. Both colossal talents who weren’t used as well as they should have been
Thanks for the amazing video. This made me so happy reliving some of my favourite wrestlers over the years. Black and Gold nxt has to be my favourite era for exposure to some of the most amazing wrestlers i had not heard of.
Out of interest, did going back and watching older wrestling make you fall in love with any of the past wrestlers?
Watching this a) made me go listen to Walk by Pantera again. b) I realized that your journey through wrestling is a lot like mine. My all time favorite is Shawn Michaels but I couldn't relate more to your statement "I hated the recent return of DX with a passion!!" c) So many of your favorites were my favorites at around the same time.
My fave years of wrestling was in the nxt black and gold & lucha Underground, the NXT was the thing that got me back to wrestling becoz of how refreshing to see my fave indie stars shine in the WWE ring with keith lee vs. Dominik dijakovic as my fave ones (damn I would want to see more of them), and in lucha Underground was like an underrated Promotion that got me into loving ricochet and especially pentagon jr., altho it's already Gone, but man what a fun time, and my most recent faves came in with Eddie kingston and will osprey (that match with Michael oku was awesome)
15:35 Pretty sure when Bayley appears in the UK the fans are still chanting that. I think that's why the last couple of times WWE has been in the UK Bayley hasnt been on the card.
16:55 That popped me really hard. Thank you, Luke. Haven't laughed this hard in a while.
Kingston is criminally overlooked and has been for a long time. I loved his work in czw. He made me believe that whoever he was beefing with that it was real and raw
I miss Brodie too, man. I keep havimg this hollow feeling like he's gonna have a big return one day, even though I know he's not coming back 🙁
I loved this video content like this is why I love Wresteltalk
Brodie Lee vs Jon Moxley Double Or Nothing 2020 was awesome
What a feel good video! Taking us on your journey allowed me to revisit my own journey with wrestling. Honestly, thanks for this video!😊
Love the Pantera shout out!! CFH 4Life
My favorites would be pretty close to this. Biggest difference would be my first pick would be for 98/99 and be Foley, Jericho and HHH, but the rest is pretty close to my occasional lapses in watching and what brought me back.
And I love the picture from Limitless at 18:47. I went to a show of theirs in Westbrook, Maine in January 2017 during a time I wasn't watching much wrestling since a friend of a friend would be wrestling on the show and I saw Cody Rhodes would be there. I loved their shows. My biggest regret of working overnights now is I never make it to them anymore.
Luke talking about Raven sounds like me talking about Raven and I also love Ghostbusters
Kingston v Punk best match AEW has ever put on in terms of emotion and story? Cody Vs Dustin says hi
Hey, that was amazingly heartelft and sweet. Love ya Luke.
1. R
2. A
3. V
4. E
5. N
6. R
7. A
8. V
9. E
10. N
It is really funny that Despite his heinous reign of terror, HHH was my favorite wrestler for like 10 years. He had a Charisma as a heel and in DX that really clicked with me. Sorry if it sounds weird but go back to the promo where the Rock imitates him and he just says 'let me complement you on the beautiful Pyjama top your wearing that's Real nice!'
Or 'even a 747 looks small when you Fly it into the grand Canyon!'
I'm sad that the entire list wasn't just Raven. Or at the least every entry tied to Raven
I know Damage CTRL is going right now. But I also miss baby face Bayley . I think they don't want the fans to take over the show by singing HEEEEYYYYY BAYLEY....
Good video. When new survival series? 👀