Telephone: +0800 123 4567
+0800 123 4567
 

These Are The Greatest WCW Wrestlers Of All Time, Ranked

Photo: Pinterest/Jamie Mabe

Until it was purchased by WWE (then known as the WWF) back in 2001, WCW was the company’s biggest rival, and at a time was even poised to potentially put WWE out of business. The company was literally filled with a slew of top-shelf talent, and it’s a wonder that they were ever put in a position to go under.

The NWA, later WCW, was purchased by Ted Turner in 1988, and the list of superstars who appeared for the promotion is long and legendary. But who was the greatest of them all? Well, soon enough you’ll know, because we ranked them.

Before you get all up in arms over your favorite wrestler being ranked too low, note that these rankings are based solely on their accomplishments in WCW, and no other promotion. Also, we gave strong consideration to wrestlers’ length of tenure, cultural impact, and ability to draw fans. Without further ado, these are the greatest superstars in the history of WCW…

50. Jeff Jarrett

Photo: Flickr/Mandy Coombes

During his initial stint in WCW, Jarrett was part of The Four Horsemen, and a United States Champion. It was when he returned the second time around that he made his biggest impact. “The Chosen One,” as he called himself, Jarrett’s signature move was breaking guitars over his opponents’ heads. He became a four-time WCW Champion.

Jarrett is one of the most polarizing wrestlers in WCW history. In 1999, he formed nWo 2000, which was a remake of the original. Then, he stepped in the middle of a rivalry between Hulk Hogan and WCW Executive Vince Russo and laid down in the ring for Hogan. It was quite disgraceful. When WCW was purchased by WWE, Vince McMahon publically fired Jarrett on Raw.

49. Juventud Guerrera

Photo: WWE.com

Guerrera was one of the mainstays of the Cruiserweight division. He was both intense and high-flying. Early on, Guerrera wore a mask as a tribute to his lucha roots in matches versus other masked Cruiserweights such as Rey Mysterio and Psychosis. Eventually, he ditched the hood.

Without the mask, he continued to gain notoriety as one of the most recognizable faces among WCW’s Cruiserweights. Guerrera was a three-time Cruiserweight Champion, one-time IGWP Champion and a tag champ alongside Rey Mysterio.

48. Dennis Rodman

Photo: Twitter@TJ_Bass316

The NBA once suspended Rodman for kicking a cameraman in the crotch. His “bad boy” persona gave WCW the spotlight it needed to become a major part of pop culture. This happened when he joined the New World Order in 1997. The basketball player didn’t just show his face and not contribute. Rodman teamed with Hulk Hogan at multiple events and ended up being a great antagonist.

Advertisement

Rodman’s best wrestling moment came in a 1999 match against Randy Savage. He ended up being thrown into a portable toilet that was then tipped over. It proved how far Rodman was willing to go for sports-entertainment.

47. Meng

Photo: WWE.com

Meng, of Tongan descent, was one of the most intimidating forces in WCW. Throughout his career, whether it was as Col. Parker’s bodyguard or his time in the Dungeon of Doom, nobody wanted to face Meng. The Tongan Death Grip was his signature move.  Over the years, he had rivalries with both Road Warrior Hawk and Sting.

A main staple at a lot of WCW events, Meng’s kicks, clotheslines and afro were iconic. Rookies looking to get fulltime contracts often had to face Meng. He was once WCW’s Hardcore Champion, but that was it for his WCW trophy closet.

46. Larry Zbyszko

Photo: Flickr/swiftwj

Zbyszko was one of WCW’s most familiar faces for more than a decade as both a wrestler and a broadcaster. Wrestling with Arn Anderson, The Enforcers won the WCW Tag Team Titles. He joined another tag team and also fought as an individual before retiring and getting into color commentary.

A backer of WCW during its struggle with The nWo, Zbyszko came out of retirement to battle Eric Bischoff. Zbyszko beat him and therefore returned control to WCW. He then made appearances here and there through 2000.

45. Kanyon

Photo: WWE.com

Kanyon had the nickname the “Innovator of Offense” because he improvised and also had his own original maneuvers. One of those was called The Flatliner, a front Russian leg sweep. He was a two-time WCW Tag Team Champion as a member of The Jersey Triad with Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow.

Originally debuting in WCW as the Mysterious Mortis, Kanyon wore a mask and was covered with skulls. He decided to ditch the mask after Raven denied him from joining The Flock. The former United States Champion then became known as Kanyon.

Advertisement

44. Bobby Eaton

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Mike Kalasnik

Eaton was the anchor of The Midnight Express, which was one of the great tag teams of WCW. Whether he was teamed up with Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane, Eaton was the mainstay. In 1998, he and Lane won the WCW Tag Team Titles by defeating Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard.

Specializing in tag team wrestling, Eaton was a sought-after partner. He became a three-time WCW Tag Team Champion from time with both Anderson and William Regal. While he was mainly known for tag team, he still did singles as well. In fact, he won his only WCW singles championship in a major upset of Anderson.

43. Saturn

Photo: WWE.com

The Flock, led by Raven, added a former United States Army Airborne Ranger and ECW competitor. Saturn’s signature move, the Death Valley Driver, helped him win the World Television Championship early on in his WCW career. He also captured the WCW Tag Team Titles on two occasions before leaving WCW for WWE.

Over time in WCW, he and Raven didn’t get along, and Saturn left the group to fight on his own. Saturn’s main rivalry was with Chris Jericho. Once, that rivalry resulted in Saturn having to wear a dress for 90 days after losing.

42. Dustin Rhodes

Photo: Twitter@WCWWorldwide

Known as “The Natural,” Rhodes was among WCW’s most popular acts. He teamed up with other fan favorites such as Sting, Barry Windham and Ricky Steamboat. They went up against other big groups like Dangerous Alliance, Stud Stable and The York Foundation.

The two-time United States Champion and Tag Team Champion caught flak for being the son of NWA legend, Dusty Rhodes, who was also a WCW power wielder. Rhodes had to overcome the depiction of nepotism through intense battles against guys like Arn Anderson, Steve Austin and Rick Rude.

41. Bret Hart

Photo: Flickr/Mandy Coombes

Bret “Hit Man” Hart didn’t take the world by storm at the start, but he did decide to side himself with WCW against The nWo. However, he eventually joined the group and went on to win his first of four United States Titles.

Advertisement

He captured his first WCW World Title by winning a tournament at Mayhem, where he beat not only Sting, but Saturn and Kidman, too. Hart also won the WCW Tag Team Titles with Goldberg, who was also his rival. After losing the titles, the rivals later faced off for the WCW Championship. Unfortunately, Hart suffered a severe concussion.  Although Hart came back and eventually won a second World Title, the effects of the concussion caused him to retire.

40. Kevin Sullivan

Photo: WWE.com

The Bostonian was mainly known for being part of the Dungeon of Doom, which had a Halloween feel to it. Sullivan, also known as “Iron Gates of Fate,” had a great Boston accent. He was at his best when it came out in his feuds.

He destroyed wrestlers like Brian Pillman and Cactus Jack. Oddly enough, he also once won the World Tag Team Championship with Cactus Jack. While he was never much of a titleholder, Sullivan was definitely an entertainer.

39. Curt Hennig

Photo: Twitter@Freebyrd316

Hennig had a career revival in WCW. He had been out with a back injury for multiple years. When he was well enough to return, Hennig was offered spots in multiple groups. He had stints with both The Four Horsemen and The nWo. Later, he created his own group, The West Texas Rednecks, whose rivalry with No Limit Soldiers led to the parody track, “Rap is Crap.”

In his return with WCW, Hennig captured the United States Championship and the Tag Team Titles. Over those three years, he had classic brawls against Diamond Dallas Page and Ric Flair.

38. Michael “P.S.” Hayes

Photo: Twitter@M_NightRiderFan

Hayes had a great career both in and out of the ring. Not only was he a wrestler, but he was also a manager, musician and commentator for the industry. During his wrestling days, he was best known for being part of The Fabulous Freebirds.

As part of a tandem with “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin, the team went up against legendary teams like Doom and The Steiner Brothers. At one point, they were WCW Tag Team Champions.

Advertisement

37. Cactus Jack

Photo: Twitter@WCWWorldwide

Before crossing over to WWE as Mick Foley and Mankind, Cactus Jack fought in WCW. He desired to beat Sting, so he allied with Abdullah the Butcher. The pair competed in a Chamber of Horrors Match at Halloween Havoc, which still goes down as one of the most infamous bouts in sports-entertainment history.

While he did go up against Ron Simmons for the WCW Championship, Cactus Jack is best remembered for his rivalry with Vader. The damage he took, which included a Texas Death Match in the main event of Halloween Havoc, gained him a bunch of fans. His fan-following likely helped him to win the WCW Tag Team Championship in 1994.

36. Ultimo Dragon

Photo: Twitter@SSLJA

Ultimo Dragon had worldly appeal, as he would walk into the ring with the eight titles he won from Japan’s J-Crown. He split his time between Mexico and Japan prior to joining WCW. He used signature moves that fit his character, such as the Asai Moonsault and the Dragon Sleeper.

His moves helped him win the Cruiserweight and Television Titles twice. Some of Ultimo Dragon’s best matches were against Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko. Unfortunately, an arm injury ended his WCW tenure, and nearly brought his entire career to an end, too.

35. Steven Regal

Photo: WWE.com

Hailing from England, Steven Regal used his home nation to build his wrestling character. He formed the Blue Bloods with Jean-Paul Levesque, and his character was eventually called Lord Steven Regal.

Most of his wrestling was in tag team events. However, Regal was still able to win the World Television Championship four times. While Regal left WCW for WWF at one point, he did make a return for a short second stint.

34. Konnan

Photo: Twitter@theDUNK360

WCW’s effort to bring international wrestlers to American fans brought Konnan into the mix. He was already an icon of Mexican wrestling. Shortly after his arrival, he added the United States Title to his collection. Konnan then joined Kevin Sullivan’s Dungeon of Doom and took on a new look, embracing his Mexican culture.

Advertisement

When he joined The nWo, Konnan reached his high point in popularity. He was their hype-man for the outlaw group, responsible for pumping up the crowd. Konnan was also the leader of other groups like The Filthy Animals and Master P’s No Limit Soldiers.

33. Terry Funk

Photo: WWE.com

Funk arrived in WCW in 1989, making him one of the older members of this list. He started a rivalry with Ric Flair, which became one of the best ever for WCW. Funk was even a television commentator while in WCW.

A Hall of Famer across multiple wrestling platforms, Funk was a three-time WCW Hardcore Champion and was the United States Heavyweight Champion, too. He was also the WCW Commissioner at one point in time.

32. Lance Storm

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Not even two months after making his debut, Storm had won the United States Championship, Hardcore Championship and Cruiserweight Championship. He became the first grappler to hold three titles at the same time. Honoring his Canadian roots, he placed Canadian flag stickers on his trophies, and dubbed them the Canadian Heavyweight Championship, the 100kg and Under Championship and the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title.

Storm continued paying homage to his home country when he formed Team Canada, even though some members were Americans like “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Mike Awesome. Similar to Terry Funk, Storm also had a short stint as WCW’s Commissioner.

31. The Great Muta

Photo: Twitter@official_Jull

A trailblazer of Japanese wrestlers coming to America was The Great Muta. Hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Muta’s battles with Sting are how he became a legend. He usually only faced the best WCW had to offer. His list of opponents included Ric Flair, Lex Luger and Arn Anderson.

Muta won the WCW Television Championship and helped other Japanese wrestlers become successful in America. Although he primarily competed in New Japan throughout the nineties, Muta’s ties to WCW remained strong, as he both battled and joined the Japanese branch of The nWo.

Advertisement

30. Raven

Photo: WWE.com

Raven was the leader of The Flock. He was a big part of ECW’s popularity and surely brought loads of his loyal fans when he joined WCW, but that wasn’t before he made sure there would be no rules.

Known for cracking stop signs over his opponents, Raven assaulted Saturn and Diamond Dallas Page on his way to the United States Title. However, he often walked away from his challenges. That didn’t sit well with many in the industry.

29. Billy Kidman

Photo: Twitter@che1717

Kidman won the WCW Cruiserweight Title, which was impressive in and of itself. What made it even more special was that he entered a division dominated by the world’s greatest wrestlers as an unknown and made a name for himself.

He went from joining Raven’s crew to causing a mutiny and ending it. He also became Hulk Hogan’s rival at one point. Kidman’s character was a no-brainer for the WWF to continue with when it bought WCW.

28. Buff Bagwell

Photo: Twitter@WRESTLEZONEcom

Entering as a rookie in 1991, Bagwell made an immediate impact. That ruckus upset the Dangerous Alliance. Bagwell was great with teams, so it comes as no surprise that he won the Tag Team Championships with four different partners. These accomplishments impressed The nWo and Bagwell would eventually join them.

In a scary incident, Bagwell broke his neck. The injury nearly ended his career. Amazingly, he made a full recovery and returned to compete until the end of WCW.

27. Chris Jericho

Photo: Twitter@WrestlingIsKing

Before Jericho got super famous in WWE, he was a big part of WCW’s Cruiserweight Division. He became the first wrestler to hold the Cruiserweight Championship four times. As gifted as he was in the ring, Jericho’s entertainment with the microphone is what made him one of the greats.

He gave his own joke nicknames for wrestlers like Dean Malenko, Raven and Juventud Guerrera in front of the audience. His skills with the mic and ability to start feuds eventually made him a huge asset to WWE.

Advertisement

26. Rick Rude

Photo: Twitter@IQWrestler

Rude made an instant impact in his debut. He competed as the masked WCW Phantom and dominated Tom Zenk in a matter of minutes. When Rude revealed his true identity later that night, he became an integral part of the Dangerous Alliance.

Only a few weeks into his tenure, Rude beat Sting to take home the United States Championship, which he held for over a year. Next, he defeated Ric Flair to win the International World Championship.

25. Eric Bischoff

Photo: WWE.com

Unlike the average wrestler in WCW, Bischoff first joined as an announcer. He was always active behind the scenes, too, and eventually became Executive Producer. Later, he was promoted to Executive VP. Always climbing the corporate ladder, Bischoff became President.

He substantially grew the WCW budget to compete with WWE and helped develop the concept of The nWo. He also created Monday Nitro and won for 86 straight weeks. In the wake of The nWo’s success, Bischoff premiered as its evil dictator, thus becoming the first villainous authority figure in wrestling.

24. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Photo: Twitter@steveaustinBSR

Steamboat made his WCW debut after initially competing in both WWE and for Jim Crockett Promotions. His surprise appearance in a tag team match with Eddie Gilbert against Ric Flair and Barry Windham got Steamboat a NWA Title bout against Flair, which Steamboat won. The two battled over the title for the remainder of that year, with Steamboat ultimately losing.

From there, he won WCW’s tag titles, the Television Championship and a United States Championship. While collecting those victories, Steamboat also developed an exciting rivalry with Steve Austin.

23. Barry Windham

Photo: Twitter@WrestlingIsKing

The son of Blackjack Mulligan started off hot by winning both the WCW Tag Team Titles and the United States Title in 1988. Windham used his father’s trademark Claw move and a Superplex to beat wrestlers such as Bam Bam Bigelow, Nikita Koloff and Dusty Rhodes.

Advertisement

The Four Horsemen later picked up Windham until Ric Flair left the group and the remaining members disbanded. Windham’s tag team with Dustin Rhodes participated in one of the most memorable matches in WCW history against Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. He also wrestled on his own and achieved greatness when he beat The Great Muta for the NWA World Title.

22. Rey Mysterio

Photo: Twitter@WrestlingIsKing

Originally a luchador, Rey Mysterio made his WCW debut and challenged Dean Malenko for the Cruiserweight Championship. Fans were thrilled by his acrobatics and colorful attire. He went on to develop rivalries with many, including Chris Jericho, Psychosis and Eddie Guerrero. These rivalries helped Mysterio become the face of the Cruiserweight division and a five-time champion.

Mysterio ventured out of his division and somehow managed to beat larger challengers, too, such as Kevin Nash and Scott Norton. Once, he even challenged Ric Flair for the WCW World Title. Mysterio became part of both Filthy Animals and The No Limit Soldiers and earned the WCW Tag Team Titles twice before the end of WCW.

21. Rick Steiner

Photo: WWE.com

In college, Steiner wrestled at the University of Michigan. This helped him become a member of Kevin Sullivan’s Varsity Club, where he teamed with another former college wrestler, Mike Rotundo. Interestingly, Sullivan and Rotundo took advantage of Steiner, so he decided to leave the group. In perhaps a battle of karma, Steiner beat Rotundo for the Television Title.

Shortly thereafter, the Steiner brothers united and began one of the most successful tag team runs ever. The elder Steiner brother didn’t possess the flashy moves of Scott, his brother. However, his use of brute force made him a crowd pleaser. The pair racked up seven Tag Team Championships.

20. Brian Pillman

Photo: Twitter@ProWrestlingPST

Pillman was arguably one of the greatest overachievers, as he had the dream of becoming a wrestling star. Unfortunately, that never happened, as injuries and his untimely death prevented him from becoming one of the best ever.

Advertisement

However, Pillman still managed to accrue a nice trophy collection over his tenure. He was the Light Heavyweight Championship multiple times and was also a World Tag Team Champion with Steve Austin.

19. The Giant

Photo: Twitter@pickett_shaun

Today, he’s known as Big Show with WWE. However, earlier in his career, The Giant captivated WCW audiences with his seven-foot tall frame and the ability to still land acrobatic stunts. Debuting for WCW in 1995, he immediately went after Hulk Hogan and his World Title.

In his very first match, The Giant beat Hogan and became WCW’s biggest villain. While he was forced to vacate the title, he eventually regained the championship by defeating Ric Flair. With that victory, The Giant joined a short list of wrestlers who defeated both Hogan and Flair for a major title. The Giant was also a three-time tag team champion during his WCW run.

18. Eddie Guerrero

Photo: WWE.com

The youngest son of Gory Guerrero, the Vlad Dracula of Mexican wrestling, Eddie Guerrero was familiar with wrestling from a very young age. When he arrived in WCW, he was already an international sensation as a member of Los Gringos Locos and he had wrestled in Japan as Black Tiger.

In WCW, Guerrero became a United States Champion, but he’s best remembered for nearly unmasked Rey Mysterio before leading a luchador uprising he called the Latino World Order. Guerrero went on to achieve even more in WWE.

17. Arn Anderson

Photo: Twitter@WWENetwork

One of the major wrestlers to help forge the path for WCW, Anderson gained respect through years of effort. He spent years in WCW’s predecessor, Jim Crockett Promotions, teaming with Ric Flair and the rest of The Four Horsemen. He did leave for WWE, but returned to what had become WCW.

Anderson quickly won the WCW Television Title, then went on to form championship teams with both Larry Zbyszko and Bobby Eaton. He also joined other groups like Paul Heyman’s Dangerous Alliance and Col. Rob Parker’s Stud Stable. Fittingly, Anderson again ended up with Ric Flair, re-forming The Horsemen for one last run before retiring due to injuries.

Advertisement

16. Ron Simmons

Photo: Twitter@90sWWE

Long before becoming a WWE Hall of Famer, Simmons made history. He was the first African-American to win a major World Heavyweight Championship. Lucky for him, he won a raffle to fill a vacant spot to challenge for the WCW Title and went on to devastate Vader.

Prior to that, Simmons was part of Doom with “Hacksaw” Butch Reed and won the Tag Team Championship. While many may remember him solely for the entertainment provided, Simmons should be remembered for paving the way for other wrestlers like The Rock and Booker T.

15. “Stunning” Steve Austin

Photo: Twitter@JustRasslin

Austin is better known as being “Stone Cold,” but he was actually “Stunning” before that with WCW. He excelled in both the singles and tag ranks and traded the Television Title with greats such as Ricky Steamboat and Barry Windham.

Austin was at his best with Brian Pillman. Known as The Hollywood Blonds, they took an impromptu pairing and went on to defeat The Dragon and Shane Douglas during their reign as champions. Later, in WWE, Austin became one of the most well-known wrestlers in history.

14. Sid

Photo: Flickr/Mandy Coombes

Another member of the Four Horsemen, it was clear that Sid didn’t need a group to be relevant. Similar to some other WCW wrestlers, Sid went back and forth between WCW and WWE.

When Sid returned to WCW, he targeted stars like Kevin Nash, Hogan and Goldberg. He even beat Sting in a career-defining battle. The next month, Sid won the United States Championship. He also became a two-time WCW Champion within the span of two days.

13. Dean Malenko

Photo: WWE.com

Perhaps in part due to traveling the world and interacting with countless people in the industry as part of his wrestling career, Malenko was known as “The Man of 1,000 Holds.” It goes without saying that his competitors never knew what was coming.

In the Cruiserweight division, Malenko challenged other stars like Psychosis, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. By the time he and WCW parted ways, he was a four-time Cruiserweight Champion and one-time United States Championship.

Advertisement

12. Scott Hall

Photo: Flickr/Mandy Coombes

Hall once wrestled in WCW while still presumably under contract with WWE, which probably rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Known as Razor Ramon in WWE, Hall was the first star to unexpectedly appear in WCW.

This antic resulted in record television ratings, as his version of The nWo with Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan became a huge hit. Hall went on to be a Television Champion, a two-time United States Champion and a seven-time Tag Team Champion.

11. Big Van Vader

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/GaryColemanFan

Vader was huge, as he stood 6’4” tall and weighed a whopping 456 pounds. Prior to his wrestling career, he played in the NFL. His wrestling started in 1985, which was six years after he finished his short stint with the Los Angeles Rams.

With Harley Race as his manager, Vader beat Sting to win the WCW Championship and began a string of dominance he called “Vader Time.” He went on to win the title two more times. Vader’s rivalry with Cactus Jack and an epic battle with Hulk Hogan were among some of his other highlights.

10. Scott Steiner

Photo: Twitter@ShaneHelmsCom

Steiner was an All-American wrestler for the University of Michigan. A few short years later, he was winning tag team titles with his brother. Scott and Rick were arguably the best duo in WCW history.

Steiner eventually joined The nWo and had the nickname “Big Poppa Pump.” He packed on the muscle and became one of the most physically imposing wrestlers. Scott won seven Tag Team Titles and the World Title.

9. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

Photo: Twitter@ringsidenews_

Although he was at first against The nWo, Savage eventually joined them. This resulted in a rivalry with Diamond Dallas Page that portrayed the feud between WCW and The nWo. Due to Savage’s success, Hulk Hogan became jealous over the World Title. This prompted Savage to form The nWo Wolfpac with Kevin Nash.

After taking time off due to injury, Savage returned and amazingly won the World Championship. He won four World Championships in all.

Advertisement

8. Booker T

Photo: Twitter@DannyBently60

One of the most decorated stars of WCW, Booker T started in the organization back in 1993 and lasted all the way through until the end of WCW in 2001. Very few major competitors never left, which makes Booker T stand out even more. His career began as part of Harlem Heat with his brother, Stevie Ray. They were Tag Team Champions a record 10 times.

Booker T began a successful singles career while his brother recovered from an injury. He ended up winning the Television Championship, United States Championship and the WCW World Championship. This feat made him one of the few who achieved the Triple Crown. Also, he was the second African-American to be a World Heavyweight Champion after Ron Simmons.

7. Lex Luger

Photo: Twitter@WONF4W

Luger was successful from the start, becoming a United States Champion. His third reign as title holder lasted 523 days, which set the record as longest reigning United States Champion.

Throughout his career, Luger was close with Sting. The duo once won the Tag Team Title. Luger was also the first WCW wrestler to defeat “Hollywood” Hogan for the World Title in 1997, bringing back The nWo branded championship to WCW.

6. Diamond Dallas Page

Photo: WWE.com

A former manager, Page became one of WCW’s greatest wrestlers. Starting out his career by managing The Fabulous Freebirds, Page decided to form his own group known as The Diamond Mine and he started actively competing.

Page’s defiance of The nWo and his rivalry with Randy Savage helped launch his career. In all, he was a four-time Tag Team Champion, three-time WCW Champion, two-time United States Champion and a one-time Television Champion.

 5. Kevin Nash

Photo: Twitter@WCWWorldwide

Nash was a founding member of both The nWo and The nWo Wolfpac, but his WCW career actually began in 1990. At first, he went by Steel, Oz and Vinnie Vegas before leaving for WWE. Nash would later return with Scott Hall.

Advertisement

Over the span of his multiple tenures, Nash became a five-time WCW Champion. He also won the Tag Team Titles a total of nine times, most of them with Hall as a teammate.

4. Goldberg

Photo: WWE.com

Another former football player turned wrestler, Goldberg was one of the most popular wrestlers during his stint with WCW, likely due to a long undefeated streak that spanned more than 450 days and involved nearly 200 events. During his streak, he beat other famed figures like Raven, Curt Hennig, “Hollywood” Hogan and most of The nWo.

Following the folding of WCW, he went overseas with the All Japan Pro Wrestling. Later, he returned to the states and made his debut with the WWE.

3. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan

Photo: Twitter@wwedelorean

Hulk Hogan joined WCW in 1994 and turned the wrestling world upside down. He won the World Heavyweight Championship from Ric Flair in his very first match. As expected, Hogan became one of the most popular competitors.

When Hogan joined Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form The nWo, he revolutionized sports entertainment, and took WCW to previously unseen heights. Along the way, Hogan adopted his villainous “Hollywood” persona, and ran with it toward becoming a six-time WCW Champion.

2. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair

Photo: Twitter@guillostradamus

Ric Flair was already a sports-entertainment icon by the time WCW launched. He continued to build his legacy by developing rivalries with big names like Sting, Ricky Steamboat and Lex Luger. Known as “The Nature Boy,” Flair was a seven-time WCW Champion.

Yet another wrestler who left WCW for WWE, Flair returned and went right back to being the leader of The Four Horsemen. When The nWo’s influence grew, Flair went after Eric Bischoff and defeated its corporate leader to become WCW President. Naitch remained in the spotlight through the end and battled his longtime rival, Sting, in an emotional farewell on the final episode of Monday Nitro.

1. Sting

Photo: WWE.com

There isn’t a more recognizable or associated face with WCW than the icon himself, Sting. He stuck with the promotion from inception through to the end, making him one of the few major stars to never join WWE. Once donning colorful face-paint and attire, Sting went through a drastic transformation and became a silent avenger of WCW as The nWo got bigger. He would drop from the rafters with a baseball bat to stop the plans of “Hollywood” Hogan and the rest of his crew.

Advertisement

In all, Sting collected six World Titles, three Tag Team Championships, two International World Titles and two United States Championships. As mentioned above, the face of the franchise brawled with Ric Flair in the last dance for WCW.

Advertisement