They are household names. The non-wrestling fan knows who they are. Fans adore and love them.
Each man has defined a generation in their own way, a task that is monumental in every sense of the word. Only a select few were able to be the face of not only eras, but an entire generation as the years went by.
Fans held on to their every word, bought their merchandise to show their support. Lastly, these men were involved in iconic storylines that fans today will tell their grandchildren years from now.
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Even now, before WWE blossomed into the giant it is greats such as Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair dominated NWA.
In WCW, Sting was their generational wrestler.
Their influence is what made those promotions rich in history; fans automatically associate NWA and WCW with the likes of those men. There was always a supporting act through those generations as well; Bret Hart to Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton to John Cena.
Ted DiBiase, Roddy Piper, Chris Jericho, and countless others had a hand in helping that generation figure to unknown heights.
I can’t forget about The Undertaker. For over twenty-five years, The Undertaker has taken part in some iconic moments and had a gimmick that has lasted through the eras. Even in today’s world, his presence and character still works, and that is amazing in itself.
This is more than being a top guy. Each era that has passed through WWE in the last twenty five, thirty years had their one top Superstar who represented that company. There were countless other Superstars who succeeded in their respective times, but there was one or two who were head and shoulders above the rest.
For now, here are the top five WWE Superstars who defined a generation.
#5 Macho Man Randy Savage – The Golden Age
Even before I started watching wrestling, I remember being drawn to Savage in the Slim Jim commercials. Everybody knew who he was based on those commercials alone. Like Hulk Hogan, Savage was one of the biggest pro wrestling stars in the 1980s and 1990s.
He was a one of a kind personality whose eccentricity stood out amongst the rest. His match with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat at WrestleMania III stands the test of time and is known as one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time.
Hulk Hogan may be been the golden boy in that era, but Savage stood his own and deserved a spot on this list too. He may be gone, but his legacy will never be forgotten.
#4 John Cena – Ruthless Aggression/PG Era
Say what you want about WWE’s current top guy, but you know as good as well as I do that when Cena turned face before Survivor Series 2003, there was no turning back for him. Cena catapulted into superstardom and the rest was history.
He was good looking, has an incredible physique, and a gimmick that many fans related to. As the Doctor of Thuganomics, his raps were awesome at that time, which blurred the lines between insults and controversy.
I remember telling my brother before that Survivor Series “When Cena turns face, he’ll be up there with Stone Cold Steve Austin.” Thirteen years later, I was right.
#3 The Rock – Attitude Era
WWE’s most popular Superstar turned actor could not be left off of this list.
From his promo delivery to charisma in the ring, to his characters on the silver screen, anything The Rock touches literally turns into gold. He didn’t earn the moniker “The Great One” for nothing.
Numerous Championships and a Royal Rumble win adorn his WWE resume.
In acting, The Rock has had number one movies, summer blockbusters and just recently earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star power alone draws fans from all over at WrestleMania and any other show that he is advertised at.
The Rock stays active making movies, but has gotten better in recent years, to visit the WWE Universe when he can.
#2 Hulk Hogan – The Golden Age
If you remember “The Rock n’ Wrestling Connection” back in the 1980s, then you know that Hulk Hogan was the center of that. That brought pro wrestling into the mainstream and Hogan to iconic status. Kids and adults alike latched on to saying their prayers and eating their vitamins, one of Hogan’s trademark sayings.
Having a wrestler like him was a huge deal all those years ago; Hogan was the hero of the 80s and 90s, and was able to shock the world with his infamous heel turn in 1996 as the third man of the NWO. That ended up being successful and remains a part of his legacy that one has yet to match.
That ended up being successful and remains a part of his legacy, that one has yet to match.
#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin – Attitude Era
If one man is the center of it all when it comes to generational wrestlers, look no further than Austin.
Twenty years ago, his iconic “Austin 3:16” promo following his King of the Ring win brought him to lead the Attitude Era with that same mindset as he battled the boss Vince McMahon and anyone who dared to step toe to toe with him.
Austin is your everyday blue collar man, who has a potty mouth and loves to drink beer. Fans lived through him during his feud with McMahon; many of us wished we could step up to the boss just like he did.
Today, Austin does his very own podcast, makes occasional appearances for WWE and has had successful television shows.
