The 50 Greatest Stars In WCW History

[Stanford]

Well, he killed his wife and kid. He doesn't need to be glorified in any sort of "Greatest of all time" list.

[skbucks1985]

I knew it was only a matter of time before Benoit was brought up. Personally, I don't see it as much as him being glorified as much as recognizing his accomplishments and putting it in the proper context. I think it does a disservice to not just Benoit's accomplishments but everyone on this list when we see more than a dozen guys whose accomplishments pale in comparison to Benoit's. I've made this analogy before, if the NFL network was doing a list of the 20 greatest running backs OJ Simpson would definitely be on the list because his NFL accomplishments dictated he be there. But, no one expected Benoit to be on the list.

One of the more laughable and petty omissions was Shane Douglas. He wasn't the greatest WCW wrestler ever but I look at Lance Storm who had a really productive run but was only with the company for 9 months and he was at 32. Douglas should be in a similar spot as Storm, probably a bit higher but they've got a tremendous relationship with Storm and Douglas sneaks onto there shows wearing a mask.

[Celtics_Champs]

They're incorporating him more into dvd's and such I believe. For instance I saw him in a video in those Wrestling Roundtable shoots they do. He was also in the Nitro DVD on one match, they edited some of it though.

You're not going to see him on a GOAT list. Ever.

[WashWiz54]

Well, he killed his wife and kid. He doesn't need to be glorified in any sort of "Greatest of all time" list.

... But he was one of the "greatest of all time". I understand completely that people can't/won't get over what he did and maybe it isn't time yet. I was just wondering if it was time we start mentioning him and not pretending like he doesn't exist. I knew I wasn't going to see him on the list but its frustrating that we have to pretend he never existed.

I knew it was only a matter of time before Benoit was brought up. Personally, I don't see it as much as him being glorified as much as recognizing his accomplishments and putting it in the proper context. I think it does a disservice to not just Benoit's accomplishments but everyone on this list when we see more than a dozen guys whose accomplishments pale in comparison to Benoit's. I've made this analogy before, if the NFL network was doing a list of the 20 greatest running backs OJ Simpson would definitely be on the list because his NFL accomplishments dictated he be there. But, no one expected Benoit to be on the list.

One of the more laughable and petty omissions was Shane Douglas. He wasn't the greatest WCW wrestler ever but I look at Lance Storm who had a really productive run but was only with the company for 9 months and he was at 32. Douglas should be in a similar spot as Storm, probably a bit higher but they've got a tremendous relationship with Storm and Douglas sneaks onto there shows wearing a mask.

Agreed on everything. I can't believe I forgot Shane Douglas, but we all know there wasn't a chance he was touching this list. If I had to guess, he's on Vince's all-time most hated list.

They're incorporating him more into dvd's and such I believe. For instance I saw him in a video in those Wrestling Roundtable shoots they do. He was also in the Nitro DVD on one match, they edited some of it though.

You're not going to see him on a GOAT list. Ever.

Good to know, thanks for sharing. Haven't seen a new DVD in awhile so its news to me. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

[Stanford]

I was just wondering if it was time we start mentioning him and not pretending like he doesn't exist.

It will never be an appropriate time to start mentioning him. They're not going out of the way to make everyone think he was a terrible wrester; they're dong the smart, and I think correct thing and completely disassociating themselves with the guy. Ethics aside, there's no point in the WWE as a company reminding past generations and educating future generations of wrestling fans on Chris Benoit.

I think it does a disservice to not just Benoit's accomplishments but everyone on this list when we see more than a dozen guys whose accomplishments pale in comparison to Benoit's.

Well I guess it's a matter of personal opinion, but I don't give a damn about Chris Benoit's accomplishments.

Agreed on everything. I can't believe I forgot Shane Douglas, but we all know there wasn't a chance he was touching this list. If I had to guess, he's on Vince's all-time most hated list.

It's just a hunch, but I'd be willing to bet that Vince to this day has not even been informed of this list. I just can't see him taking much of an interest in what goes on at dot com.

[skbucks1985]

You may not give a damn about it, but it doesn't change his accomplishments in the industry. Chris Benoit was a wrestler and one who reached the pinnacle of this industry and no amount of attempts to pretend he didn't exist changes that. I don't know if what they're doing is smart or not. I guess because Linda is running for Senate again it's a negative as her opponents could make hay out of it (although I don't think they would), but otherwise I don't think it's an issue. I don't think any sponsor is going to pull out because they highlight someone who did something everyone knows about that happened 5 years ago.

Vince McMahon probably hasn't seen this list, but when they were putting together this list there were probably people who are on the ish list and won't be mentioned for that reason. Benoit is one such example, obviously the Benoit and Douglas circumstances are different but the result is the same.

[whysoserious]

I'm pretty sure VM would have seen this list and signed off on it. The guy is a control freak and he loves to take stuff like this and take shots at WCW or ECW at any opportunity even though he owns both ‘companies’ and all their content now. He’s a very vindictive person and any chance he gets to make a joke about those two organizations he takes it.

I’m not saying everything is like that but putting JJ at 50 is a perfect example.

As far as Benoit goes, I totally understand what their doing in just not acknowledging him. At the same time, they are doing a disservice because this industry, the concussions, the pain killer, drug, alcohol addiction is huge and they constantly sweep it under the rug despite so many wrestlers losing their life. They may not have put the stuff in the guys hand, but they sat back and watched as the guys were doing it.

This is one area I have no respect for VM, even with his wellness program now and what not.

If they ever choose to do something in acknowledging Benoit, I think it should be coincided with addressing the above stuff. I can’t even believe it’s been so long since the Benoit thing went down. It still jars me as he was one of my all-time faves and to see him do this out of nowhere and that poor little boy, it’s just terribly sad.

[Dunthreevy]

I knew it was only a matter of time before Benoit was brought up. Personally, I don't see it as much as him being glorified as much as recognizing his accomplishments and putting it in the proper context. I think it does a disservice to not just Benoit's accomplishments but everyone on this list when we see more than a dozen guys whose accomplishments pale in comparison to Benoit's. I've made this analogy before, if the NFL network was doing a list of the 20 greatest running backs OJ Simpson would definitely be on the list because his NFL accomplishments dictated he be there. But, no one expected Benoit to be on the list.

One of the more laughable and petty omissions was Shane Douglas. He wasn't the greatest WCW wrestler ever but I look at Lance Storm who had a really productive run but was only with the company for 9 months and he was at 32. Douglas should be in a similar spot as Storm, probably a bit higher but they've got a tremendous relationship with Storm and Douglas sneaks onto there shows wearing a mask.

I had no idea what you were talking about, so I google'd it. I found this link and it's somewhat hilarious...

http://officialfan.proboards.com/index. ... ead=420050

The fact that I had no idea what you were referring to should sort of speak to the fact that the stunt was a fail. Not that I'm some sort of all-knowing wrestling dude or something, but if your average somewhat avid wrestling fan on the internet doesn't know about something you do, you pretty much failed.

[CapeCrusader]

Dude theres a vid on this somewhere. Somebody posted it.

[Dunthreevy]

Dude theres a vid on this somewhere. Somebody posted it.

I saw the video after I did the google search. Pretty much a non-story to me, and a really bad attempt at getting attention for a show that a few hundred people will show up to.

[skbucks1985]

I'm pretty sure VM would have seen this list and signed off on it. The guy is a control freak and he loves to take stuff like this and take shots at WCW or ECW at any opportunity even though he owns both ‘companies’ and all their content now. He’s a very vindictive person and any chance he gets to make a joke about those two organizations he takes it.

I’m not saying everything is like that but putting JJ at 50 is a perfect example.

As far as Benoit goes, I totally understand what their doing in just not acknowledging him. At the same time, they are doing a disservice because this industry, the concussions, the pain killer, drug, alcohol addiction is huge and they constantly sweep it under the rug despite so many wrestlers losing their life. They may not have put the stuff in the guys hand, but they sat back and watched as the guys were doing it.

This is one area I have no respect for VM, even with his wellness program now and what not.

If they ever choose to do something in acknowledging Benoit, I think it should be coincided with addressing the above stuff. I can’t even believe it’s been so long since the Benoit thing went down. It still jars me as he was one of my all-time faves and to see him do this out of nowhere and that poor little boy, it’s just terribly sad.

The one thing I will say in Vince's defense is that they pay for rehab so the people that are in the worst condition he does take care of.

[Stanford]

At the same time, they are doing a disservice because this industry, the concussions, the pain killer, drug, alcohol addiction is huge and they constantly sweep it under the rug despite so many wrestlers losing their life.

That's ridiculous. Over the last 7 years they've beefed up the wellness policy, banned weapon shots to the head, reduced the move-pool drastically by eliminating high risk maneuvers and given wrestlers time off after serious concussions.

The reason we don't see 8 billion chair shots per pay per view isn't because the product is PG, it's because they're being proactive.

And as Safi just mentioned, they not only have the rehab option open to all former employees, but they often times reach out to people they think may be in trouble. They've done so to the Hardys and Scott Hall several times.

[whysoserious]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not denying that they've changed policies and have done things to alter.

But during that time and previous, going back 20 plus years, Vince was implicit and turned a blind eye to what was going on in the industry. The chair shots thing or moves that led to concussions has definitely gone down.

But during the Benoit era, they for sure new what was going on and they just hid from it. And although they have gotten tougher since, I wouldn't be surprised if the pain killer addiction stuff is still big and we just don't hear about or know about it as much. But that's just my skepticism on the industry as a whole.