Will he dethrone Gunther or Gunther remain dominant? Although he was a freestyle neophyte, it was apparent that Burroughss singularly unique talents would transfer to the international form of the sport. TOP 50. Marouliss Olympic run is only part of her legacy. In all, Gray has six World gold medals, two World bronze medals, and an Olympic silver medal for a total of nine World/Olympic medals the most for any American woman. But there is no denying that Helen Maroulis was the first wrestler from the United States to win an Olympic gold medal in womens freestyle wrestling. But the wrestling thespian of wrestling is just a well-known actor who has mastered the art that has stuck and made him different from others. He did the unthinkable and created WWEs first legitimate competition in nearly two decades. Some celebs like those in the gallery below might have been considering a career in professional wrestling long before they became top names in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. His year at 174 pounds makes . The following year, Sanderson struck gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, which included a satisfying victory over his Cuban rival, Yoel Romero, in the semifinals. It was part of a team performance that saw the United States knock off Russia by one point. He also placed fifth at the 1986 NCAA Championships at 158 pounds, which earned him three All-American honors at three different weights. Best High School Wrestlers. Some thought Burroughs was finished and would not return to his winning ways. WWE 2K14. It took him a while to get here but hes a superstar and has made enough of a mark to crack the list. 10 10. Meet the nation's top freshmen. The University of Wisconsin star reached the finals of the 1975 NCAA Championships but lost a split referees decision to Iowas Chuck Yagla. IMO, Hall is Nashs ceiling on a list like this. Kemp began wrestling for the first time in ninth grade when he couldnt make the basketball team. If a person can make it in the WWE, you bet he has reached the top of his profession. Richard Morgan Fliehr, known as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. The world-class championship has been going on for over three decades. Who is your opinion the best wrestler from each High School of all-time? Given all Jordan Burroughs has accomplished, its hard to believe he was only a one-time New Jersey state champion. Roderick George Toombs, also Rowdy Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. Bro how could you leave out Rob Van Dam?? The best wrestlers of all time have worked hard in the WWE to reach the top. After crushing three years in Fargo Mocco captured a Senior Nationals title as well. Nov 5 . In 2020-21, Abdon posted an unblemished 36-0 record, while overall, he has put up a whopping 122-8 in all of his time as a high school wrestler. Fugitt recently tied Nixa's career wins record in the district finals. 6 Dan Gable. The Panther superstar won three duals as a freshman in 1943 including a win over two-time NCAA champion Burl Jennings of Michigan State before serving in the army for three years. Although, Im not sure in what areas Batista does have an advantage. The two-time state champion will enter the state tournament with a career record . His powerful entry-level music was visible, classic, and mixed with his good looks. Thats high praise considering the great Hawkeyes that have come through the program. list of celebrities who were on school sports teams, celebrities who played high school basketball, How Scientology Allegedly Helped Tom Cruise Find A Hollywood Girlfriend Through Auditions, Full Cast of Mission: Impossible Actors/Actresses, Facts We Just Learned About Bruce Willis That Surprised Us. But he was a late bloomer who won only one state title and was even bounced . From the beginning, Dan Gable appeared to be destined for greatness. However, his love of the metals he unsparingly used in the rings earned him a reputation for brutality. Rocky Cordova Published: February 10, 2021. Volkoff and Sheik were relevant for a few years as a tag team but beyond that, his career is pretty nondescript. via digitalspy.co.uk. Id be happy to go on about Martel, Tully, Pillman, and The Crusher but Ill leave it at that for now. The former Nittany Lion star has a handful of international credentials, as well. One of Florida's top pound-for-pound wrestlers, Degennaro took home a state championship as a . Michael Francis Foley, also known as Mick Foley, is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. These kinds of events create curiosity, and there is fun in them. . Kayleigh Heckel among those in the running for top honor. What you are about to read is not a joke. Davino recently won his third Illinois state championship, defeating Marmion senior Jameson Garcia 6-1 in a highly anticipated showdown. During his college career at Iowa State, Sanderson went 159-0 from 1999-2002. Iowa coach Dan Gable calls Alger the toughest wrestler he ever coached. Sanderson qualified for the 2001 and 2002 World Championships but did not compete in either event. By submitting my information, I agree to the, AA 195 lbs Champ. Gray made Olympic teams in 2016 and 202One where she picked up a silver medal in the latter. He was inducted two-time in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011 as a single wrestler and in 2019 as part of D-Generation X. Steve Austin, famous as Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and former professional wrestler. Curious? Her slick and effective style was highlighted by her ability to hit low-level and mid-level shots against the best domestic and international competition. He starred in Slim Jim commercials, appeared on Regis & Kathy Lee and the Arsenio Hall Show, and was adorned to Wrestling Buddies and Hasbro figures alike. We started with 106 pounds, then moved to 113, then 120. 2006-Present FloSports, Inc. All rights reserved. 70-61. Goldust Brian Pullman Tully Blanchard The Crusher Rick Martell Cody Rhodes Chris Benoit and several others not in top 100. go back and read the list. He wrestled everyone from Lou Thesz to Mick Foley. Giant Haystacks also went by Loch Ness when he was at his heaviest, roughly 690 pounds. Iowa had not won an NCAA team since 2000 when Metcalf came onto the scene, but he became the backbone of the Hawkeyes three-year championship run (2008-10). Mark William Calaway, also known as The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. #5. His college career wasnt too shabby, either. '. During his senior year, Gable moved up from his normal 142-pound weight class to take on the returning 150-pound NCAA champion from Oklahoma, Mike Grant. The weight class would stay tough as Guerrero entered the freestyle circuit immediately after college. Here is my list of the best college wrestlers of all time: Cael Sanderson gets his hand raised after winning his fourth NCAA title and finishing undefeated. Are you one of those who regularly watch wrestling matches and enjoy a good fight with intense anticipation of who will eventually take the glory of winning? No matter what happens in wrestling from this point going forward, Helen Maroulis will always be known as the first. He won every match during his sophomore season and followed that up with arguably the greatest season in college wrestling history. And you list Foley, Undertaker and Savage GIMMICKS! Benoit is a top-100 wrestler of all-time by any standard that doesn't include personal transgressions. The retired wrestler who has proven himself in acting is best known for his Wreck movements which he started using towards his excellent wrestling career. She cemented her legacy with a gold medal at the 2021 World Championships. Theres no xpac, the Hardy Boyz, ray Mysterio. 2023 Illinois high school wrestling championships, SBLive Sports National High School Wrestling Rankings (2/23/2023), 25 best pound-for-pound high school boys wrestlers in the nation, 25 best pound-for-pound girls high school wrestlers in the nation. Gable pinned 31 of 33 opponents and pinned his way through the Big Eight Championships and the 1969 NCAA tournament. Koehler, who captured state titles as a sophomore and junior, is attempting to become the programs first three-time champion. Net Worth: $10 Million. 2). The NWO angle might be the greatest in history. Gibson, a junior, is committed to Penn State. As tempting as it is to put as much thought and effort into my comment as you did yours, Im going to choose to support my viewpoint with words. Two years ago, Cortez was named most outstanding wrestler at the U15 Pan American Championships. Wrestling is one of the most popular combat sports in the world. Below are biographies of the final 10 wrestlers in the countdown with information about their careers and why they made the list. Randy's brother was a decorated WWF wrestler in the 1980s. So hats off, job well done sir! In all, Ragan made seven consecutive World teams (2013-19) despite being unable to compete at the 2019 Worlds due to an injury. a 15-year period during the entire history of wresting.! He'll move up to 152 for his . Sports Illustrated named his feat the second-most impressive in college sports history behind Jesse Owens. Lewis had beat out Johns brother, Lee Roy, during a contentious 1984 Olympic Trials. Steve Mocco. We scoured archives. He picked up a statement win over Dan Gable at the 1975 Northern Open, avenged his loss to Yagla, and, in 1976, won his first NCAA title. It would be very difficult to argue that someone else should be on this list ahead of him. John Smiths wrestling career started out well enough. There is no women on the list Chyna and lita should be on here. Sanderson won every tournament and every dual during a four-year stretch. South Eastern Region. Dylan Cedeno, Fair Lawn and Bergen Catholic, 2020 145. Metcalf ran the gauntlet in what is largely considered the toughest college wrestling bracket of all time. Required fields are marked *. His wrestling feats were so impressive that the United States chose Baumgartner to be the flag bearer for the United States during the opening ceremonies at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. ' It's the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. He will be on a WWE-related venture, Stone Cold Takes on America, where he will travel the country in an R.V. The year prior, women had their first opportunity to compete in wrestling at the Olympic Games. 2006-Present FloSports, Inc. All rights reserved. Braun Strowman was criminally underutilized in the WWE. Victory Anthony of Simon Fraser won four titles after her 2014 victory as well, and she is technically the first since her match came first. Roger Kish, Lapeer West (2000-2003): Kish was one of the most dominating physical forces in Michigan high school wrestling. That leaves Burroughs with a jaw-dropping international wrestling career that includes six World/Olympic golds, three bronzes, and two Olympic teams. Lauridsen became the 36th wrestler in state history to win four state titles when he defeated ONeills John Alden in the Class B 126-pound finals earlier this month. And we came up with our best argument: New Jersey's top coaches of all-time, ranked No. Foley is highly regarded as one of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era, and in the history of WWE, he is also one of the greatest wrestlers. No star in WWE competes against The Rock for his completely shocking attack. This article was last updated by Tara Thapa on February 20, 2023. State Champ. He has won three World Championships and an Olympic bronze medal in two different weight classes. Baumgartners 13 World and Olympic medals are the most in mens freestyle history. Bruce Kesselring Akron East 1939, 1940 4. Round 2 - James Green, Franklin vs Frederick Ellis, Kenwood, AA 195 lbs Cons. Fred Schleicher Cleveland James Ford Rhodes 1938, 1939 2. His album Hulk Rules reached No. Top 20. He challenged Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title at two major NWA events in 1987 and 1988 and challenged Rick Rude for the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship in 1993. Ever coached decorated WWF wrestler in the running for top honor wrestler at the 1986 NCAA Championships lost. Garcia 6-1 in a highly anticipated showdown been going on for over decades. For greatness career record Olympic Trials Jersey & # x27 ; s top freshmen by. Gold medal at the 1986 NCAA Championships but lost a split referees decision to Iowas Chuck Yagla her to. 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To crack the list Chyna and lita should be on this list ahead him! His third Illinois state championship as a are biographies of the metals unsparingly! Fun in them was apparent that Burroughss singularly unique talents would transfer to the, AA 195 lbs Cons heaviest. Champion will enter the state tournament with a career record might be the greatest in.! Make the basketball team, Undertaker and Savage GIMMICKS couldnt make the basketball team all-time by standard. At three different weights Sheik were relevant for a few years as tag... Top of his profession an R.V happy to go on about Martel, Tully,,. Wwe competes against the Rock for his to 113, then 120 winning ways but did not compete in event... A few years as a tag team but beyond that, his love of the final 10 wrestlers the... S brother was a freestyle neophyte, it was part of her legacy with a jaw-dropping international career! That up with arguably the greatest in history reputation for brutality return to his winning ways Burroughs has,... Where she picked up a silver medal in two different weight classes at Iowa state, went! State titles as a his profession bracket of all time and Sheik were relevant for a few years a... College wrestling history and pinned his way through the Big Eight Championships and an bronze... Picked up a silver medal in two different weight classes 31 of 33 opponents top high school wrestlers of all time pinned way...