Best wrestlers (not in ring worker) in Sports Entertainment

[CedricBee]

Who were the best actual wrestlers; not in ring workers in WWF, WWE, TNA Wrestling, WCW, ECW?

And how good of a wrestler (not talking about in ring worker) was Bret Hart?

I ask because it blew my mind when a co-worker told me Kurt Angle was also a NCAA champion and was an even better wrestler than Brock, while being older & having the neck surgery.

 

[STAY GOLD]

Angle wasn't just an NCAA champ.; he won an Olympic gold medal. He was legit.

 

[PaddyO'malley]

Kurt Angle won a gold medal with a BROKEN FREAKING NECK fam show sum respect

Here's a list btw chatgbt school mi on di #wagwan

Here’s the condensed list of wrestlers with solid amateur wrestling credentials:

1. Kurt Angle: Olympic Gold Medalist (1996), NCAA Division I Champion.

2. Brock Lesnar: NCAA Division I Heavyweight Champion (2000).

3. Bob Backlund: NCAA Division II Champion at North Dakota State University.

4. Shelton Benjamin: NCAA All-American at the University of Minnesota.

5. Chad Gable: Competed in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2012 Olympics.

6. Dolph Ziggler: Two-time NCAA Division I All-American at Kent State University.

7. Jack Swagger (Jake Hager): Two-time NCAA All-American at the University of Oklahoma.


8. Danny Hodge: Three-time NCAA Champion, Olympic silver medalist, and boxer.


9. Scott Steiner: NCAA Division I All-American at the University of Michigan.


10. Rick Steiner: NCAA Division I All-American at the University of Michigan.


11. Bobby Lashley: NCAA All-American and NAIA National Champion.


12. Dan Severn: NCAA Champion and MMA pioneer.


13. Ken Shamrock: Amateur wrestling and catch wrestling background.


14. Verne Gagne
: NCAA Champion and Olympic alternate.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Uh...way too many to name. Even Cody Rhodes (the current main champ) is a state champion in wrestling (Georgia). Many HS champs have become wrestlers (even someone unassuming like Doink the Clown), and a decent amount of high level NCAA wrestlers.


Bret Hart was a good wrestler in real life, he was a provincial champion if I can recall (state champ equivalent). His father was a catch-wrestler, and wanted Bret Hart to be an Olympian not a Pro-Wrestler. Bret became a Pro Wrestler because the family business needed help (his family used to have its own promotion that the WWE ran out of business).

 

[David Street]

Pro Wrestling Discussion

All the Rasslin' you can handle.

forums.sherdog.com

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Kurt Angle won a gold medal with a BROKEN FREAKING NECK fam show sum respect

Here's a list btw chatgbt school mi on di #wagwan

Alberto Del Rio (Dos Caras Jr) medaled at the Pan-Ams and would have likely been an Olympian if Mexico had more money.

 

[STAY GOLD]

Alberto Del Rio (Dos Caras Jr) medaled at the Pan-Ams and would have likely been an Olympian if Mexico had more money.

He fought in PRIDE and DEEP.

 

[Pittie Petey]

Bret became a Pro Wrestler because the family business needed help (his family used to have its own promotion that the WWE ran out of business).

Who said this, Bret?
Thats not exactly how it happened

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Who said this, Bret?
Thats not exactly how it happened

Said which part?

 

[Ibm]

Owen

 

[DougieJones]

Are these obscure MMA promotions I've never heard about?

 

[Spam On Rye]

Dr. Death

 

[skylolow]

It is a long list of legit very good wrestlers in that have been in pro wrestling. Kurt Angle would probably be at the top with a gold Olympic medal and one of only 4 people to ever win Junior Nationals, NCAA champ, Worlds champ, and Olympic gold.

 

[Escabar]

A fair amount of high level have been provided wrestlers. Current guys like Chad Gable (Olympian greco roman wrestler) Ottis division 1 college wrestler. Steiner bros both division 1 all Americans, Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashley. Dr Death, IRS along with plenty of others.

 

[YSB]

"Sports-entertainment" doesn't exist. It's a bullshit term made up by Vince.

 

[skylolow]

"Sports-entertainment" doesn't exist. It's a bullshit term made up by Vince.

Isn't that kind of true of many words or terms??

I don't think the word soda pop existed until after they infused water with carbonation and later with flavoring, etc.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Isn't that kind of true of many words or terms??

I don't think the word soda pop existed until after they infused water with carbonation and later with flavoring, etc.

Isn't your example talking about someone inventing something? Vince didn't invent pro wrestling, he just called it something different.