Does any other wrestler have an argument they belong on the Austin/Hogan/Rock tier?

[NOSaintsFan02]

WWE posted this today and it got me to thinking.

And my answer is No.

I always go back to how Deion Sanders said the NFL HOF is like a house and there should be floors and that he was on the top floor.

Well in the WWE house I feel Hogan, Austin, and Rock are in the executive suite as far as popularity.

And I know Undertaker and Cena and Flair and even Roman now have prominence in their own right, but I don't think anyone else can join the Austin Rock and Hogan tier.

 

[Silkk]

So you're only talking about WWE and not pro wrestling as a whole? Cena should definitely be on there in that case based on the length of his run at the top.

As hot as they were, Austin and Rock really didn't have long runs on top like that.

 

[Concerned Citizen]

somebody blow up an air mattress for LA Knight to crash on in that top tier…YEAH!!!

 

[Mook]

Bruno, buddy rogers, superstar billy, dusty, gorgeous George. That’s who I’d add.


Flair was champ when 28 territories went under.

 

[NOSaintsFan02]

So you're only talking about WWE and not pro wrestling as a whole? Cena should definitely be on there in that case based on the length of his run at the top.

As hot as they were, Austin and Rock really didn't have long runs on top like that.

Bruno, buddy rogers, superstar billy, dusty, gorgeous George. That’s who I’d add.


Flair was champ when 28 territories went under.

I'm talking popularity.

For Cena, longevity does not equal peak popularity. As popular as Cena was, there was never a singular moment in his career where he was as popular as Austin, Rock, or Hogan.

The ones @Mook listed don't even come close. Think of it this way, if WWE re-created the segment in my OP, what wrestler could come out and have a legit argument his popularity was as high as those 3? Silkk brings up a strong qualifier in Cena at least but IMO Cena just never reached the highs that those three did.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

I look at it from if you ask a random person on the street do they know Hogan or Rock or Stone Cold, yeah they probably do or have heard the name, they are synonymous with pop culture etc.

I think John Cena and Ric Flair reached that level. Flair might have actually gotten even more popular when he was old as fukk. He's in a ton of commercials now and doin shyt with Bad Bunny and Migos etc.

John Cena is literally everywhere now too.

That's probably the top 5. Back in the old days maybe everyone did know Gorgeous George and Bruno but I don't know how far their reach was.

The next level down is for guys like Macho Man and The Undertaker.

 

[Silkk]

I'm talking popularity.

For Cena, longevity does not equal peak popularity. As popular as Cena was, there was never a singular moment in his career where he was as popular as Austin, Rock, or Hogan.

The ones @Mook listed don't even come close. Think of it this way, if WWE re-created the segment in my OP, what wrestler could come out and have a legit argument his popularity was as high as those 3? Silkk brings up a strong qualifier in Cena at least but IMO Cena just never reached the highs that those three did.

Well you're talking about the three hottest guys at the hottest periods of the company.


But it depends on when and where you're talking about. If you're talking about peak popularity regardless of promotion then Goldberg & Kevin Nash was just as hot as Austin if not more in 98 and so was Sting in 97-98.

 

[Silkk]

Forgot about Macho Man. EVERYBODY knows Randy Savage.

 

[Mook]

I'm talking popularity.

For Cena, longevity does not equal peak popularity. As popular as Cena was, there was never a singular moment in his career where he was as popular as Austin, Rock, or Hogan.

The ones @Mook listed don't even come close. Think of it this way, if WWE re-created the segment in my OP, what wrestler could come out and have a legit argument his popularity was as high as those 3? Silkk brings up a strong qualifier in Cena at least but IMO Cena just never reached the highs that those three did.

Everyone I named counts. Y’all just think anything only matters after 1980 or some shyt. Gorgeus George was on tv in like the 50s getting like 40-50 million viewers a match.

Bruno had the northeast on SMASH.

I bet most people still know dusty but he was HUGE nationally in the 70s.

 

[Big Mountain Hélà]

 

[Love Sosa]

Andre and Bruno

 

[Novembruh]

Forgot about Macho Man. EVERYBODY knows Randy Savage.

it's weird. Austin/Hogan seem to exist as megastars in wrestling,
whereas Flair and Macho seem to exist in a space kinda outside of wrestling as well? Like, people know SCSA and Hogan, but like... I know nikkas that don't know wrestling for shyt that can throw out a Macho Man impression at a moment's notice. And shyt, everybody know Flair.

I wonder when it all shakes out, where Cena lands. I think the acting stuff is going to get him a ways on top of his long tenure at the top of the E.
And... I think in a few years, Batista gonna be known way more for his post-wrestling work than his wrestling work.

Macho my favorite wrestling personality of all time. Cuz definitely deserves high billing, if nothing more than so he doesn't have to take second fiddle to Hogan one more time posthumously like they always made him do in life

 

[Silkk]

it's weird. Austin/Hogan seem to exist as megastars in wrestling,
whereas Flair and Macho seem to exist in a space kinda outside of wrestling as well? Like, people know SCSA and Hogan, but like... I know nikkas that don't know wrestling for shyt that can throw out a Macho Man impression at a moment's notice. And shyt, everybody know Flair.

I wonder when it all shakes out, where Cena lands. I think the acting stuff is going to get him a ways on top of his long tenure at the top of the E.
And... I think in a few years, Batista gonna be known way more for his post-wrestling work than his wrestling work.

Macho my favorite wrestling personality of all time. Cuz definitely deserves high billing, if nothing more than so he doesn't have to take second fiddle to Hogan one more time posthumously like they always made him do in life

You'd be surprised at how over Total Divas got him amongst female fans.

I remember I was chilling watching Raw one time and my ex was like "Bryan is hilarious" I was like

" How you know DB/BD? And how you know him as Bryan?"

 

[jilla82]

Flair and Cena are the only names that come to mind...
...for non wrestling reasons though

Flair got a second wind with internet meme culture.

Cena has movies, Tv, Rap and Reality TV.

The difference is Rock, Hogan and Austin had way bigger wrestling careers

 

[Novembruh]

You'd be surprised at how over Total Divas got him amongst female fans.

I remember I was chilling watching Raw one time and my ex was like "Bryan is hilarious" I was like

" How you DB/BD? And how you know him as Bryan?"

Danielson being known by random non-wrestling people is