Fame or Shame: The Pro Wrestling Game

[Leah]

Rob Van Dam-32 SAVE
Sting-32 KILL
Sgt. Slaughter-36
Ricky Steamboat-24
Owen Hart-24

[HappyGilmore]

Rob Van Dam- 34 (SAVE)
Sting- 32
Sgt. Slaughter- 36
Ricky Steamboat- 22 (KILL)
Owen Hart- 24

RVD is such a fun wrestler.  I'm a big fan going back to his ECW days, felt he was mishandled in WWE (except for that brief couple of weeks when he was ECW and WWE champ or whatever), and am glad that he's not only in TNA but is their champion.

[JaseSF]

Rob Van Dam- 32 KILL
Sting- 32
Sgt. Slaughter- 36
Ricky Steamboat- 24 SAVE
Owen Hart- 24

RVD to me is the prime example of everything wrong with modern era wrestling - just all flash and no substance. The guy is reckless in the ring too. Just going through the motions of his usual predictable spots and his bad habits seriously cost him some major time atop WWE. To me, RVD is the wrestling equivalent of CGI ruining movies nowadays.

[HappyGilmore]

RVD to me is the prime example of everything wrong with modern era wrestling - just all flash and no substance. The guy is reckless in the ring too. Just going through the motions of his usual predictable spots and his bad habits seriously cost him some major time atop WWE. To me, RVD is the wrestling equivalent of CGI ruining movies nowadays.

There's a lot of wrestlers though that are all flash and no 'substance.'  Guy like Ultimate Warrior comes to mind.  Granted, he was immensely popular (why, I'll never understand), but he had the same 5 minute match every night: run to the ring, pose, hit a few clotheslines, pose, pose some more, gorilla press, body splash, clothesline, another splash, win, pose, and run backstage.

John Cena too: punch, punch, punch, pose, clothesline, 5 Knuckle Shuffle, leg drop from top rope, Attitude Adjustment, pin. 

RVD was a bit reckless, but I like him a hell of a lot better than guys like Jeff Hardy, who couldn't work worth a lick and was immensely popular.  Granted I'm probably a bit younger than you and grew up during a different era of wrestling.  I didn't get to see the glory days of wrestling with the NWA having shows that featured two guys having an hour long match.  I grew up when it was ECW and WCW having the cruiserweight guys like Eddie Guerrero, RVD, Rey Mysterio, etc. going out and having the crazy matches, and guys like Malenko and Benoit having 20 minute classics.  I'd say the "BEST" overall wrestler of the past decade is Kurt Angle.

[Mr. DS]

Rob Van Dam- 34 SAVE
Sting- 32
Sgt. Slaughter- 36
Ricky Steamboat- 24
Owen Hart- 22 KILL

[JaseSF]

Rob Van Dam- 32 KILL
Sting- 32
Sgt. Slaughter- 36
Ricky Steamboat- 26 SAVE
Owen Hart- 22

You make some good points Happy. RVD just seemed to me personally to personify the changes I was seeing in pro wrestling  (He was the guy I most noticed did the same routine night after night I guess although more so after he came to WWE I admit) which has unfortunately become less and less about iin-ring match psychology and more about guys hitting their prime spots match after match. I recall fans ooing and awing over RVD's acrobatics...when I was a kid, we were doing similar for Steamboat....

[HappyGilmore]

Rob Van Dam- 32
Sting- 34 SAVE
Sgt. Slaughter-34 KILL
Ricky Steamboat- 26
Owen Hart- 22

I gotta say, I can't sit there and take away from Steamboat.  I got some dvd's that WWE put out (a couple Flair dvd's, a Stone Cold Steve Austin dvd, amongst others) and they feature some great Steamboat matches.  The one Flair dvd has some hour long match they had in like, '88 or '89 at I think it was Chicago's Clash of the Champions.  Good good stuff.

[Mr. DS]

Rob Van Dam- 34 SAVE
Sting- 34
Sgt. Slaughter-32 KILL
Ricky Steamboat- 26
Owen Hart- 22

[JaseSF]

Rob Van Dam- 34
Sting- 34
Sgt. Slaughter-32
Ricky Steamboat- 28 SAVE
Owen Hart- 20 KILL

[HappyGilmore]

Rob Van Dam- 36 SAVE
Sting- 34
Sgt. Slaughter- 32
Ricky Steamboat- 28
Owen Hart- 18 KILL

[Leah]

Rob Van Dam- 38 SAVE
Sting- 34 KILL
Sgt. Slaughter- 32
Ricky Steamboat- 28
Owen Hart- 18

The Sting I know has disappointed his fans in TNA by being the Villain, not hero.

[Mr. DS]

Rob Van Dam- 40 SAVE
Sting- 34
Sgt. Slaughter- 32
Ricky Steamboat- 28
Owen Hart- 16 KILL

[JaseSF]

Rob Van Dam- 40
Sting- 34
Sgt. Slaughter- 32
Ricky Steamboat- 30 SAVE
Owen Hart- 14 KILL

[Mr. DS]

Rob Van Dam- 42 SAVE
Sting- 34
Sgt. Slaughter- 30 KILL
Ricky Steamboat- 30
Owen Hart- 14

[Leah]

Rob Van Dam- 44 SAVE
Sting- 32 KILL
Sgt. Slaughter- 30
Ricky Steamboat- 30
Owen Hart- 14