13 Best WWE Male Wrestlers Of All Time, Ranked
Olivia Owen Read update
- The greatest male WWE wrestlers of all time is always a hot topic amongst wrestling fans. Fans are passionate, and they will make a case as to why their favorite wrestler is the greatest of all-time. There are many factors that determine who is the all-time greats. Fans like to look at wrestlers' longevity in the business, championships won, and headlining WrestleMania. Moreover, it's always difficult to compare different eras as some wrestlers had less opportunities to make an impact.
One of the top discussions among wrestling fans and critics, and that is who is among the greatest male wrestlers in WWE history. WWE has had several elite-level wrestlers who have walked through the doors and left a lasting impact on the wrestling business. From the Golden Era to the New Era, there have been several wrestlers who have dominated their eras.
5 Best Wrestling Trilogies Of The 1990s (& 5 Worst)
Multiple wrestling promotions produced some memorable trilogies in the 1990s, but several wrestling trilogies completely missed the mark!Some factors that determine the all-time greats are championship reigns, longevity, impact in the business, mic skills, and in-ring skills. Nevertheless, everyone's opinions on the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time will differ. Furthermore, the greatest male WWE wrestlers of all time have had highly successful careers in the wrestling business.
UPDATE: 2023/12/18 07:30 EST BY TEVON KING
The greatest male WWE wrestlers of all time is always a hot topic amongst wrestling fans. Fans are passionate, and they will make a case as to why their favorite wrestler is the greatest of all-time. There are many factors that determine who is the all-time greats. Fans like to look at wrestlers' longevity in the business, championships won, and headlining WrestleMania. Moreover, it's always difficult to compare different eras as some wrestlers had less opportunities to make an impact.
13 "Macho Man" Randy Savage Combined Fantastic In-Ring Skills With An Over The Top Personality
Randy Savage Had Brilliant Runs As A Heel And Babyface
Date of Birth/Death | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
11/15/1952 - 5/20/2011 | 1985-1994 | WWE Championship (x2), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x1), King of the Ring (1987), WWE Hall of Fame (2015) | 839-501 |
"Macho Man" Randy Savage was one of the greatest wrestlers in the Golden Era. Hulk Hogan may have been the most popular star in that era, but Savage was arguably one of the best in-ring performers in the Golden Era.
Savage won the WWE Championship twice by beating Ted DiBiase at WrestleMania 4 for the vacant title, and he saw off Ric Flair at WrestleMania 8. Savage could have a technical wrestling match, and he brought out the best in The Ultimate Warrior in two high-profile matches at WrestleMania 7 and SummerSlam 1992. Savage was a fantastic in-ring performer, and he's left a lasting legacy with the likes of CM Punk being a fan of his work.
12 Edge Became One Of The Top Heels In The 2000s
Edge Retired From Wrestling In 2011 And Returned In 2020
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
10/30/73 | 1996-2023 | WWE Championship (x4), World Heavyweight Championship (x7), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x5), WCW United States Championship (x1), World Tag Team Championship (x12), WWE Tag Team Championship (x2), Royal Rumble winner (2010, 2021), King of the Ring (2001), Money in the Bank winner (2005), WWE Hall of Fame (2012) | 772-787 |
WWE Hall of Famer Edge retired from professional wrestling in 2011 but not by his own choice as he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. However, the Rated-R Superstar defied the odds almost a decade later by returning to WWE in the 2020 men's Royal Rumble match.
Edge is an 11-time world champion, and he is a Grand Slam Champion. He was the inaugural winner of the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21. Furthermore, Edge has cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats as he was a master in both singles and tag team competitions. Edge departed in WWE after he wrestled Sheamus on the August 18, 2023 edition of SmackDown in front of his hometown fans in Toronto. The Rated-R Superstar joined AEW in 2023 and he wrestles under his real name Adam Copeland.
11 Randy Orton Is A Third-Generation Wrestler & A True Living Legend
The Viper Holds 14 WWE World Championships
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
4/1/1980 | 2001-Present | WWE Championship (x10), World Heavyweight Championship (x4), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x1), WWE United States Championship (x1), World Tag Team Championship (x1), Raw Tag Team Championship (x2), SmackDown Tag Team Championship, Royal Rumble winner (2009, 2017), Money in the Bank winner (2013) | 1258-1038 |
Randy Orton had tons of pressure to succeed in his wrestling career as a third-generation wrestler. Orton has managed to have a better career than both his father and grandfather. The Viper's WWE career has spanned over two decades and unquestionably he's a future WWE Hall of Famer.
Orton made his long-awaited return to in-ring action at Survivor Series 2023 after spending 18 months on the sidelines. Orton is a fantastic in-ring performer, and his accolades speak for themselves, he's had some memorable battles with the likes of John Cena and The Undertaker over the years.
10 Roman Reigns Is In God Mode
The Tribal Chief Is Enjoying A Record-Breaking Run As The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
5/25/1985 | 2010-Present | WWE Championship (x4), WWE Universal Championship (x2), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x1), WWE United States Championship (x1), WWE Tag Team Championship (x1), Royal Rumble winner (2015) | 944-307 |
Roman Reigns is arguably the greatest wrestler on the main roster right now. The Tribal Chief is the reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, and his Universal Championship reign has gone over three years and it is in the top five longest World Championship reigns in WWE history.
10 Best Heel Turns In WWE History, Ranked
WWE has produced some memorable heel turns over the years. There are the very best heel turns in WWE history!Reigns made history at WrestleMania 39 as he became the first man to retain the same World Championship at three consecutive WrestleManias. Reigns' heel turn in late 2020 was one of the best things to happen to his WWE career and aligning with Paul Heyman, his in-ring skills and mic skills have improved. Reigns is one of the most dominant heels in WWE history and he has seen off the likes of Edge, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Brock Lesnar, and Cody Rhodes among others during his historic championship run.
9 Bruno Sammartino Is The Longest-Reigning World Champion In WWE History
Bruno Sammartino Was One Of The Biggest Stars In The '60s And '70s
Date of Birth/Death | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
10/6/1935-4/18/2018 | 1963-1981, 1985-1988 | WWE Championship (x2), WWE Hall of Fame (2013) | 1182-171 |
While Roman Reigns is embarking on a historic Undisputed WWE Universal Championship reign, it's highly unlikely that he will break Bruno Sammartino's record as the longest WWE Champion in history. Sammartino is a two-time WWE Champion, and his first run as WWE Champion lasted 2,803 days.
Sammartino was one of the biggest stars in the '60s and '70s and he sold out Madison Square Garden on several occasions. Sammartino was the headline act in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 and he paved the way for many polarizing stars to follow.
8 Triple H Was One Of The Most Detested Heels In The Attitude Era
The Game Is Now The Head Of Creative In WWE
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
7/27/1969 | 1995-Present | WWE Championship (x9), World Heavyweight Championship (x5), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x5), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x5), WWE European Championship (x2), World Tag Team Championship (x2), WWE Tag Team Championship (x1), Royal Rumble winner (2002, 2016), King of the Ring (1997), WWE Hall of Fame (2019) | 1006-838 |
14-time WWE World Champion Triple H is one of the all-time greats to lace up a pair of boots. After Triple H turned heel by betraying D-Generation X at WrestleMania 15, the Game was ready to become a major singles star and go to the next level as the WWE Champion.
Triple H is a solid in-ring performer and his mic skills are exceptional. Triple H was a dastardly heel, and he mixed it up with the likes of Steve Austin, The Rock, Mick Foley, The Undertaker, and Randy Orton just to name a few in major rivalries. Triple H may be the son-in-law of Mr. McMahon, but that should take nothing away from his highly successful in-ring career.
7 Bret Hart Is One Of The Greatest Technical Wrestlers In WWE History
The Hitman Is A Member Of The Legendary Hart Family
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
7/2/1957 | 1984-1997, 2010-11 | WWE Championship (x5), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x2), WWE World Tag Team Championship (x2), WCW/WWE United States Championship (x5), World Tag Team Championship (x2), Royal Rumble winner (1994), King of the Ring (1991, 1993), WWE Hall of Fame (2006, 2019) | 1495-498 |
Bret "The Hitman" Hart is arguably the best technical wrestler in WWE history. The Excellence of Execution's attention to detail in the squared circle is second to none. After being in a successful tag team with his brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Hart was ready to have a run as a singles competitor.
Bret Hart's Definitive 10 Best WWE Matches, Ranked
Bret Hart is one of the best WWE wrestlers of all time and he was a top star in the 1990s. Here are Bret Hart's ten best matches in WWE, ranked.For the next six years of his WWE career, Hart won the Intercontinental Championship twice, and he went on to become a five-time WWE Champion. Hart's in-ring skills have always been top-notch, and his mic skills may have lacked in some aspects, but his heel work in 1997 before his departure at Survivor Series was some of Hart's greatest body of work.
6 The Rock Is One Of The Biggest Stars In And Out Of WWE
The Great One Had A Successful Wrestling And Acting Career
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
5/2/72 | 1996-02, 2003-04, 2011-13, 2016 | WWE Championship (x8), WCW Championship (x2), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x2), WWE World Tag Team Championship (x5), Royal Rumble winner (2000) | 438-350 |
The Rock's WWE career got off to a rocky start, but he benefitted from a heel turn, and the rest as they say is history. Rock's run at the top was relatively short from 1998-2002 as a main eventer, but Rock is one of the best talkers on the mic.
Rock is a 10-time WWE World Champion, and he had a legendary feud with Steve Austin over the WWE Championship. The rivals were vying for the top spot, and they wrestled three times at WrestleMania in five years with Rock losing the first two encounters but he got a monumental win over Austin at WrestleMania 19. Rock had success as both a heel and babyface, and he is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, which he can thank because of his successful WWE career.
5 Shawn Michaels Was One Of The Most Influential Stars In The '90s
Michaels' Post-1998 Run Was Just As Good As His First Run
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
7/22/1965 | 1987-88, 1988-98, 2002-Present | WWE Championship (x3), World Heavyweight Championship (x1), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x1), WWE World Tag Team Championship (x5), WWE Tag Team Championship (x1), Royal Rumble winner (1995, 1996), WWE Hall of Fame (2011, 2019) | 1247-479 |
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is undeniably one of the greatest in-ring competitors in WWE history. The Heartbreak Kid betrayed Marty Jannetty in 1992 and he went on to become one of the biggest stars in the company.
Michaels was a three-time WWE Champion and a two-time Royal Rumble match winner by the time he was forced into premature retirement in 1998 after he sustained a career-threatening back injury. Nevertheless, Michaels returned to action in 2002 against Triple H at SummerSlam and he added a World Heavyweight Championship reign to his resume. The first Grand Slam Champion in WWE history is a legend, and he is utilizing his expertise in NXT as the Vice President of Talent Development Creative.
4 The Undertaker's Legendary WWE Career Began In The 1990s
The Deadman Revamped His Character To Remain Relevant
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
3/24/1965 | 1990-2020 | WWE Championship (x4), World Heavyweight Championship (x3), WWE World Tag Team Championship (x6), WCW Tag Team Championship (x1), Royal Rumble winner (2007), WWE Hall of Fame (2022) | 1719-418 |
The Undertaker's three-decade WWE career is outstanding. Undertaker's longevity at the top in WWE is unmatched and he deserves a lot of credit for his loyalty and professionalism to one company. Undertaker has had his fair share of injury woes to contend with but he always found a way to come back.
The Undertaker's Definitive 10 Best WWE Matches, Ranked
The Undertaker is one of the best WWE wrestlers of all time. He competed in great matches against some of the biggest names in wrestling for 30 years.Undertaker's ability to reinvent his character to remain relevant was impressive, and the seven-time WWE World Champion called it a day in 2020 and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the headline act in 2022. Undertaker's 21-0 WrestleMania unbeaten streak stood for 23 years, and it is one of the greatest accomplishments in WWE history.
3 John Cena Is One Of The Most Polarizing Stars In WWE History
John Cena Parlayed His WWE Success Into A Major Hollywood Career
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
4/23/1977 | 2001-Present | WWE Championship (x13), World Heavyweight Championship (x3), WWE United States Championship (x5), World Tag Team Championship (x2), WWE Tag Team Championship (x2), Royal Rumble winner (2008, 2013), Money in the Bank winner (2012) | 1766-409 |
John Cena is unquestionably one of the most polarizing stars in WWE history. Cena's meteoric rise to the top was complete when he defeated JBL for his first WWE Championship reign at WrestleMania 21. Cena may have not been the best in-ring worker, but he knew how to captivate audiences for his matches.
Cena is ruthless on the mic, and he engaged in some memorable feuds with the likes of Edge, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and many more. Cena is a joint-record 16-time World Champion and it remains to be seen if this first-ballot future WWE Hall of Famer will break his tie with Ric Flair for a 17th World Championship run.
2 Hulk Hogan Was The Big Reason For The Pro Wrestling Boom In The 1980s
Hulk Hogan Jumped Ship From WWE To WCW In The '90s Before Rejoining WCW In 2002
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
8/11/1953 | 1979-1981, 1983-1993, 2002-03, 2005-07 | WWE Championship (x6), WCW World Heavyweight Championship (x6), WWE Tag Team Championship (x1), Royal Rumble winner (1990, 1991) | 1039-176 |
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan was part of the boom in professional wrestling in the '80s. After he defeated The Iron Sheik for his first WWE Championship in 1984, Hogan had a tight vice grip on the title for four years, and his reign ended controversially to Andre the Giant in February 1988.
Hogan is a controversial figure and he has had a reputation for being hard to work with. However, his success in WWE cannot be taken away from him. He is one of the best babyfaces in WWE history, and Hogan is a six-time WWE Champion. His departure from WWE to WCW in 1993 was a shock, but Hogan returned nine years later in 2002 and had a dream match with The Rock at WrestleMania 18.
1 Steve Austin Is Arguably The Most Popular Wrestler In WWE History
Steve Austin's Rebellious Ways Had The Fans On His Side
Date of Birth | WWE Tenure | Notable Accomplishments | Win/Loss Record (WWE) |
|---|---|---|---|
12/18/1964 | 1995-Present (Several Breaks In That Time) | WWE Championship (x6), WWE Intercontinental Championship (x2), WWE World Tag Team Championship (x4), Royal Rumble winner (1997, 1998, 2001), King of the Ring (1996), WWE Hall of Fame (2009) | 505-169 |
Steve Austin is one of the all-time greats to grace a WWE ring, and his rivalry with Mr. McMahon during the Monday Night Wars arguably saved WWE from going out of business to WCW. Austin's rebellious ways captivated the audience who enjoyed seeing McMahon getting his comeuppance.
Austin is a six-time WWE Champion and he is technically sound in the ring and he is a phenomenal talker on the mic. Austin was the face of the Attitude Era and his iconic feud with The Rock is one of the greatest rivalries in WWE history. Austin was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, and he surprisingly ended his 19-year retirement by wrestling Kevin Owens in the main event of WrestleMania 38 Night 1.
