Bruno, Backlund, Hogan, Austin, Rock, Cena, Roman: rank them

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Those are the 7. Those are the faces of the first and second eras of WWE...which is now over.

 you have Vince senior era, which clearly the face is Bruno, followed by Backlund.

You have VKM era, which has Hogan, Austin, rock, Cena, and Reigns.

Now, it's a new day. We have no idea how it's gonna change and those that say they do are lying.

If you mention Pedro Morales, Savage, Bret, Taker, HHH, Batista or Orton, they were support for the above, great in their own right. But those guys were the flagship.

and for the poll, who is the ALL TIME FACE of WWE?

 

[Ripp]

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

I think the face of the company is either Hogan or Austin. I don't want to get into Hogan being a racist piece of shyt, we are just speaking on the reality of the situation. The Hogan run elevated WWF from a very healthy territory (which is a credit to Bruno/Backlund/Pedro) to a national powerhouse and it got so hot to the point where they were drawing football ratings or popular sitcom ratings. A whole other level.

Stone Cold elevated the company to a global powerhouse. The Attitude Era for all its faults will live on as the catalyst to why WWE can do 80,000 fans in two nights back to back like they just did.

So it's those two for me. The Rock is more popular than Austin obviously but he was 1b to Austin's 1a in that era.

Cena was great, held it down, exceeded expectations but didn't reach those levels. Roman, same thing. He's now exceeded expectations but wrestling isn't at Attitude Era levels.

 

[Buggsy Mogues]

Austin

Hogan

Cena

Bruno

Rock

Reigns

Backlund (not even sure he belongs on the list tbh)

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Backlund (not even sure he belongs on the list tbh)

Backlund and Pedro held down what Bruno created. They are a credit for that. But they not on Bruno's level at all.

 

[Hey_zeus]

Bruno has to be 1. He's Elgin Baylor of WWE. Not the best Laker but the most important. He got them to LA. They die in Minneapolis without him. Bruno built the garden and cemented it as their home.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Austin
Hulk
Rock
Reigns
Bruno
Cena
Backlund

@Buggsy Mogues Backlund deserves mention as he has the 3rd most time with the title ever and was definitely the face after Bruno, with Pedro Morales serving as a long term transition.

Combined Time with the title:
Bruno - 4,040 days
HH - 2,138 days
Backlund - 2,138 days
Cena - 1,254 days
Morales - 1,027 days (btw I'm suspecting they have him hold it
Reigns - 930 days
[There are a few guys between here like Brock and orton, Bret, HHH]
Austin - 527
Rock - 378

 

[Buggsy Mogues]

Austin
Hulk
Rock
Reigns
Bruno
Cena
Backlund

@Buggsy Mogues Backlund deserves mention as he has the 3rd most time with the title ever and was definitely the face after Bruno, with Pedro Morales serving as a long term transition.

Combined Time with the title:
Bruno - 4,040 days
HH - 2,138 days
Backlund - 2,138 days
Cena - 1,254 days
Morales - 1,027 days (btw I'm suspecting they have him hold it
Reigns - 930 days
[There are a few guys between here like Brock and orton, Bret, HHH]
Austin - 527
Rock - 378

That's fair. I was looking at it from a draw perspective. I don't think Backlund was ever a huge draw and they had to put Bruno on a lot of those cards to get sellouts from what I've read.

 

[mannyrs13]

I think the face of the company is either Hogan or Austin. I don't want to get into Hogan being a racist piece of shyt, we are just speaking on the reality of the situation. The Hogan run elevated WWF from a very healthy territory (which is a credit to Bruno/Backlund/Pedro) to a national powerhouse and it got so hot to the point where they were drawing football ratings or popular sitcom ratings. A whole other level.

Stone Cold elevated the company to a global powerhouse. The Attitude Era for all its faults will live on as the catalyst to why WWE can do 80,000 fans in two nights back to back like they just did.

So it's those two for me. The Rock is more popular than Austin obviously but he was 1b to Austin's 1a in that era.

Cena was great, held it down, exceeded expectations but didn't reach those levels. Roman, same thing. He's now exceeded expectations but wrestling isn't at Attitude Era levels.

Definitely agree. I see no other two. Could make a good case for Cena but not too sure. Roman is good but they been pulling large crowds for mania for a while now. Mania 23 up to now have all been at football stadiums and each has pulled over 70k, except for 36 at performance center and 37 at Tampa that was capped. But it started way before Roman came aboard or even started becoming a top guy. Cena could have been it but I think the company was on a decline from attitude era, tho he has helped it a lot to grow. But nothing like Austin or Hogan. The 90s is when it started expanding worldwide. Especially with Raw and Hogan was on his way out so Austin helped elevate that program. I'd say Austin a bit more but Hogan helped put wrestling on the map.

 

[mannyrs13]

Mania has gotten so big that even if Roman wasn't the champ, it prolly still sell out. Tickets go on sale in the fall and often the main event isn't even known or rumored by then. I think this year it was a bit known cuz of the Cody factor but don't think its always like that. People gonna come from all over the world just cuz how big a spectacle is so Roman has an effect but not the sole reason. Don't think any current or future superstar can do that and be all time face unless something big happens. Company is too big now for any one wrestler to have that type of impact.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Reigns doing what he's doing in this era, and actually growing the business which he has, puts him on Bruno's level IMO because of the difference in the era. If there was a "days on top exchange rate" it would have to be like 3:1 to this era and 2:1 in attitude era. Austin's 527 days is like 1000.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Mania has gotten so big that even if Roman wasn't the champ, it prolly still sell out. Tickets go on sale in the fall and often the main event isn't even known or rumored by then. I think this year it was a bit known cuz of the Cody factor but don't think its always like that. People gonna come from all over the world just cuz how big a spectacle is so Roman has an effect but not the sole reason. Don't think any current or future superstar can do that and be all time face unless something big happens. Company is too big now for any one wrestler to have that type of impact.

Give the belt to Ziggler and have him face Mace in the main event, and yeah it ain't selling.

I know you didn't mean it that extreme, but the intrigue to who was going to win yesterday was definitely a factor to the sales, higher ticket prices, and interest. Roman is a draw even in this era.

 

[mannyrs13]

Give the belt to Ziggler and have him face Mace in the main event, and yeah it ain't selling.

I know you didn't mean it that extreme, but the intrigue to who was going to win yesterday was definitely a factor to the sales, higher ticket prices, and interest. Roman is a draw even in this era.

yeah thats true. booking does have a factor in it tho. its a long term build which not everyone has. not everyone is built for that. a good example that is would be Gunther. look how much he has progressed, and had a great match with Sheamus and Drew. has Sheamus even main evented one, don't remember, of course Drew did the covid one. but Gunther has that long term booking and potential that could lead to a mania main event. there are prolly others on main or nxt that could get to that point one day. so yeah definitely lot of different factors on who it could be and how successful they are. takes time and dedication to build a big star.

 

[CBoz]

Austin
Hulk
Rock
Reigns
Bruno
Cena
Backlund

@Buggsy Mogues Backlund deserves mention as he has the 3rd most time with the title ever and was definitely the face after Bruno, with Pedro Morales serving as a long term transition.

Combined Time with the title:
Bruno - 4,040 days
HH - 2,138 days
Backlund - 2,138 days
Cena - 1,254 days
Morales - 1,027 days (btw I'm suspecting they have him hold it
Reigns - 930 days
[There are a few guys between here like Brock and orton, Bret, HHH]
Austin - 527
Rock - 378

What title you using here? I'm assuming just WWE Title since that's the only one that can go back that far? If so, not sure where you get 930 days with that title for Roman. He's held the WWE Title in total for around 483 days and counting. Now if you combine Roman's Universal Title reigns with his WWE Title reigns he is at 1,485 days and counting as a World Champ.

Here's my list from your poll options:

1. Bruno - Bruno did so much for so long. Why I put him on top. The company never would have got to the 80s w/o Bruno paving the way.
2. Hogan - Hogan saved WWF from collapse in the 80s. Help sparked the WM era.
3. Austin - Austin saved WWE from collapse in the 90s. WCW would be on top right now w/o Austin. I only put Austin under Hogan because him being top guy was short lived.
4. Cena - Cena saved WWE from collapse in the 2000s. Being the top guy for around 15 years puts him here.
5. Reigns - Obviously still going so could go higher in the future. Ask me this again in a few years and he'll surpass Cena.
6. Rock - Great for his time but sharing his spotlight with Austin hurts a bit as THE top guy.
7. Backlund - Decent transition from Bruno but there is a reason it went to Hogan, he couldn't cut it anymore.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

What title you using here? I'm assuming just WWE Title since that's the only one that can go back that far? If so, not sure where you get 930 days with that title for Roman. He's held the WWE Title in total for around 483 days and counting. Now if you combine Roman's Universal Title reigns with his WWE Title reigns he is at 1,485 days and counting as a World Champ.

Here's my list from your poll options:

1. Bruno - Bruno did so much for so long. Why I put him on top. The company never would have got to the 80s w/o Bruno paving the way.
2. Hogan - Hogan saved WWF from collapse in the 80s. Help sparked the WM era.
3. Austin - Austin saved WWE from collapse in the 90s. WCW would be on top right now w/o Austin.
4. Cena - Cena saved WWE from collapse in the 2000s. Being the top guy for around 15 years puts him here.
5. Reigns - Obviously still going so could go higher in the future. Ask me this again in a few years and he'll surpass Cena.
6. Rock - Great for his time but sharing his spotlight with Austin hurts a bit as THE top guy.
7. Backlund - Decent transition from Bruno but there is a reason it went to Hogan, he couldn't cut it anymore.

WWE with the exception of Reigns where I accounted for the longer reign/universal. If I did the same for Brock and taker they'd be high too. Rocks WHC reign wasn't significantly long