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Oh man, was this one a hard list to make...There are so many great and memorable shirts from wrestling history, it was an incredibly arduous task to narrow it down to just the 10 best ever. So, I chose to do 15 instead, and even still, I had a few honourable mentions on there. But I digress -
It's not easy to be a professional wrestling fan. You can hardly mention that you like pro-wrestling in public, as you'll almost immediately be met with comments like "ooh, that stuff's fake!" or "ooh, they can't actually fight!" and blah, blah, blah, you've heard it all before. As such, wearing a professional wrestler's signature shirt in public is often tantamount to social suicide.
Luckily, these shirts make it a little easier.
So today, I'm going to rank them; the top 15 greatest, most iconic shirts in pro-wrestling history. I compiled the following list based on design, relevance to its character, and memorability/mainstream popularity. This is one of the few lists that I'll make that actually IS in a particular order, so feel free to disagree with my placements and/or suggest other ones in the comments. Let's begin!
#15 - Brock Lesnar: Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat
Brock Lesnar never needed flashy gear, as he was never there to put on a show...he was there to destroy people.
And this shirt conveys just that.
Seeing as Lesnar will go down in history as the man who ended Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak, the choice of the word "CONQUER" could not have been any more fitting.
This is the kind of shirt that not only fits its character like a glove, but it's also a shirt that someone would not be ashamed to wear in public. Heck, you probably wouldn't even have to tell anybody that this was a pro-wrestling shirt; it looks like a shirt that literally any guy at the gym could be wearing at any given time.
Nonetheless, it's a great shirt, and it earns its rightful place on this list.
#14 - Eddie Guerrero: Scarface
HONORABLE MENTION: I'm Your Papi!
Tony Montana and Eddie Guerrero share a couple of similarities - they're both of Hispanic descent, and they are both legendary examples of people who rose from the bottom to reach the top.
Before 2004, Eddie Guerrero had a rather troubled past. Despite this, he remained one of the most charismatic and technically-sound wrestlers on any promotion. When he finally reached his zenith and beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at No Way Out, it was incredibly emotional for both the fans and for Eddie, and it remains one of the greatest moments in WWE history.
It was around this time when this shirt came out. Needless to say, it was a perfect choice. Not only did it reference a universally-recognized film poster, but it conflated two iconic characters with analogous stories.
Sadly, he and Tony Montana share one more similarity - they both went down in their prime.
#13 - Greg Valentine: I Broke Wahoo's Leg
HONORABLE MENTION: Ox Baker's shirts (they'd be on here for the same reason)
During an NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship match between Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel in 1977, the heel Valentine twisted Wahoo's leg to the point where it broke. It is likely that this was only in kayfabe, though it is possible that he actually did break his opponent's leg.
Nevertheless, the narrative was that Greg Valentine broke Wahoo McDaniel's leg to become Heavyweight Champion.
As such, the new champion would walk to the ring wearing a plain black shirt that read "I Broke Wahoo's Leg" on the front and "No More Wahoo" on the back. The shirt drew nuclear heat from crowds, as Wahoo McDaniel was a beloved babyface. Still, Valentine wore the shirt for months and months, helping to build up hype for Wahoo's eventual return.
Though it's one of the most memorable shirts in the history of professional wrestling, it places lower on this list because it was never officially released for retail sale at the time. So, many fans create their own versions of it and wear them to wrestling conventions. Additionally, it has inspired a few more recent shirts, such as CM Punk's "I Broke Big Show's Hand" shirt from 2010.
#12 - Bullet Club
The Bullet Club has made a remarkable impact on professional wrestling in such little time.
For the last four years, The Bullet Club has consistently been one of the hottest acts in wrestling, possessing a "cool factor" that hasn't been seen since the nWo. To be fair, they did borrow a lot of the nWo's mannerisms (such as the "Too Sweet" gesture), but they managed to re-define them and claim them as their own. Though many members have come and gone, the Club has maintained their dominance across several promotions.
Oh, and their shirt is everywhere.
Seriously, you'd be hard-pressed to find a wrestling fan who doesn't own a Bullet Club shirt. In fact, at the next wrestling event, you go to, I promise that you will see more than one person wearing a Bullet Club shirt. Their merch is making Hot Topic tons of money right now, not only because they're the most recognizable stable in wrestling today, but because...well, the shirt is really cool looking.
It's not too comprehensive or flashy, but it doesn't have to be. It's instantly distinguishable and effectively underlines what the stable is all about - they're a gang of hard-hitting bad boys, and even a non-wrestling fan could draw that conclusion upon looking at it.
Oh, and little fun fact - I'm actually wearing a Bullet Club shirt as I type this.
#11 - E - C - F'N - W
During the Monday Night Wars, a lot of people were sleeping on ECW...But ECW didn't care.
No, ECW cared more about doing their thing - sticking it to the establishment and putting on thrilling shows for their rabid and dedicated fanbase. While the WWF was putting on family-friendly entertainment, ECW wrestlers were throwing metal folding chairs at each other. While WCW was finger-poking and playing Hot Potato with their World Title, ECW was replacing their ropes with barbed wire and having guys jump into it.
This shirt showcases exactly what ECW was - an uncut, uncensored, and cutting-edge action that no other brand could properly replicate. As such, fans cleared the shelves of this shirt to express their love for the extreme promotion.
This is a shirt for the wrestling fan who doesn't care who knows it.
#10 - The Rock: Just Bring It
HONORABLE MENTION: Brahma Bull
The Rock is one of the most charismatic professional wrestlers of all time. As such, he has managed to get a lot of catchphrases over. He invented the word "smackdown," he had teenagers calling each other "rudy-poo candy a**es," and he always wanted us to know what he was cookin'.
But The Rock wasn't just all talk - he was a take-on-all-comers competitor. So it's no wonder that one of his catchphrases was "just bring it".
This shirt was The Rock's most popular one, so much so that it spanned two separate eras. They released the shirt at the height of Rock's popularity in the late 90's, then re-released it when he came back for his "(Not Really) Once In A Lifetime" match with John Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII. It's yet another one of those wrestling shirts that you could feasibly wear in public without anyone knowing it was a wrestling shirt, and I don't know about you guys, but I do so on the regular.
IF YA SMELLLLLLLLLLELELELELELELAAAAAAOOOH...a freshly laundered shirt.
#9 - WCW Monday Jericho
HONORABLE MENTION: The Twelve Steps to Recovery
During Chris Jericho's tenure in WCW, most of the company's focus was on the nWo. Unfortunately, this meant that he and many others would fall by the wayside.
Despite this, Chris Jericho was one of the most entertaining acts the company had.
Whenever Hogan, Nash, and Hall weren't hogging up all the screen time, fans clamoured for more of Chris Jericho. Not only was he hilarious and engaging on the microphone, but he also put on awesome matches with pretty much anyone he faced off against. And he embraced his popularity wholeheartedly with his "WCW Monday Jericho" shirt.
He didn't just believe he was an integral part of the show...he believed that he was the show. And, in a lot of ways, he was right.
His WCW run made him one of the hottest acts in wrestling, and pretty much anyone who wasn't wearing an nWo-related shirt at a WCW event was wearing his shirt. His reputation followed him into the WWF, and even today he's one of the most sought-after performers in wrestling.
I won't say it's entirely because of this shirt, but it helped.
#8 - D-Generation X
The Kliq ran professional wrestling in the late 90's.
While Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were taking over WCW, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and X-Pac were taking over the WWF. The Kliq's respective stables bore striking resemblance to one another - they were both controversial, anti-establishment, and unapologetically obscene wrestlers that wore black shirts with their logo on it.
Which makes me think...if they were so anti-establishment, why did they allow the company to sell their merchandise? I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking things.
Anyway, while not the most popular shirt at the time, it was still immensely popular amongst WWF fans who wanted to be cool like DX. The shirt also featured their signature "suck it" on the back, which did admittedly make it a little harder to wear in public than other wrestling shirts. Still, it is easily the best DX shirt they've ever put out.
Well, except for the "Vince Likes Rooster" shirt. That may be the greatest of all time.
#7 - CM Punk: Best in the World
HONORABLE MENTION: "I'm a Paul Heyman Guy"
From 2009-2010, I had grown a little weary of wrestling. Watching John Cena and Randy Orton win all the time became exhausting, so I spent a lot less time watching and a lot more time just reading each show's results in my spare time.
Then, in 2011, CM Punk pulled me right back in with one promo.
CM Punk knew that the company was not allowing him to live up to his full potential, so he shot from the hip on an episode of Monday Night RAW. In it, he guaranteed that he would defeat John Cena for the WWE Championship in his hometown of Chicago, then leave the company with the title.
And he did.
But before this stellar match began, Punk walked out wearing a new shirt. On the back, it read "Best in the World". Many fans (myself included) were confused about this - was this an official piece of WWE merch and the whole thing is a work? Was the shirt custom-made for him? Will he wear it on the independent scene? Nobody knew.
What they did know was that they wanted that shirt.
When Punk returned to the company three weeks later, the shirt finally became available for purchase. At one point, he was moving far more merchandise than even John Cena, the company's poster-child. At any given show, there were thousands of "Best in the World" shirts in the crowd, and the fervent chants of "CM PUNK!" were deafening.
Sadly, I don't think we'll be seeing CM Punk in a WWE ring ever again, but it's still pretty common to see at least one at a WWE show.
#6 - Cactus Jack: Wanted Dead
HONORABLE MENTION: Mankind's "Have a Nice Day!"
"Fashion" and "Mick Foley" are two words that don't exactly go together. Then again, he didn't care about looking good. The garish attire, the fitted suits, the leather shoes, none of it mattered to him. And it didn't matter to us either - we loved him.
That being said, has a piece of clothing ever been more synonymous with a wrestler than Cactus Jack's "Wanted: Dead" shirt?
Seriously, I don't think there's another licensed Cactus Jack shirt. Regardless of whether it said "Dead" or "Dead or Alive," no matter what the picture was, no matter what language it was in, it was always the same - a black shirt with a gold "WANTED" sign on it.
It was perfect.
Of all of Foley's personas, Cactus Jack was easily the most dangerous. So it would make sense for Cactus Jack to have a few arrest warrants written out for him. It would also make sense for him to brazenly flaunt the fact that he has arrest warrants written out for him. And it would be very much like Cactus Jack to essentially dare someone to kill him.
That's part of what makes this shirt so awesome. It wasn't just that it looked cool - it was that it befitted his character to a tee.
#5 - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper: Hot Rod!
If you were to ask any given person to describe "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, you'd probably get something like this - he's a long-haired guy in a kilt and a white shirt that says "Hot Rod!" on it.
Roddy Piper was pretty much never seen without his trademark t-shirt. Seriously - if you do a Google Image Search for "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, he's wearing it in pretty much all of them. Because he wore it so frequently, it became one of the most instantly-recognizable t-shirts in all of professional wrestling.
Because kayfabe was very much alive and well in the 80's, his shirt wasn't exactly flying off the shelves at first. It took a little bit of time for Piper to get on the fans' good graces, but once he did, more and more folks started buying "Hot Rod!" shirts in droves.
This shirt is one of the many notable examples of "less is more," in that it wasn't too flashy, but it was effective whether he was a heel or a babyface. To this day, it remains one of the most easily-identifiable pro-wrestling shirts of all time.
#4 - Macho Man
I know that this shirt comes in many colours, so I am giving the nod specifically to the purple version. I say this for two reasons - not only is it likely the most memorable variant but also because I own the purple one.
You can call it bias if you like, but I stand by it.
Anyway, like all the other shirts on this list, this one had a pretty basic design; it was just a reflection of Randy Savage in a pair of sunglasses with the words "Macho Man" printed under it in big, black letters. Its vibrant, neon colour served to underline Savage's loud, showy nature. Plus, anyone who wears it instantly becomes more macho (source: science or whatever).
Simply put - Randy Savage's shirt is the cream of the crop. It's classic cool, just like the Macho Man was.
#3 - Hulkamania
HONORABLE MENTION: Hulk Rules
The "Hulkamania" shirt was easily the most popular wrestling shirt in the 80's. And rightfully so - Hulk Hogan was, without a doubt, the most famous pro-wrestler in the world at the time. Everyone wanted to be like Hogan. They wanted to have the tanned skin the 24-inch pythons, so they said their prayers, ate their vitamins and wore this shirt.
Back then, pretty much every wrestling fan had this shirt. Hell, even non-wrestling fans wore it around because it was so hip.
Even today, despite the fact that Hogan hasn't wrestled for WWE full time in over 15 years (or at all in over 11 years), you'll regularly see Hulkamania shirts in the crowd. Sometimes, you'll even see a full-on Hulk Hogan cosplayer, decked out in his Hulkamania shirt, feather boas, a Hulkamania headband, the works.
Even though WWE has been distancing itself from Hulk Hogan in recent years because of his racist comments, I have faith that Hulkamania will run wild once again in the WWE. And when it does, they'll officially re-release this shirt. And when they do, it'll fly off the shelves once again.
#2 - nWo
HONORABLE MENTION: nWo Wolfpac (although it's pretty much just the same shirt with red letters)
Was there anyone cooler than the nWo in the mid-90's? If you answered "yes," you're a liar.
Easily WCW's most popular article of clothing during its boom period, you couldn't pan to a crowd at any given wrestling show and NOT see someone wearing one. It's just a simple, graffiti-inspired design on a mono-colour shirt, but as we've learned thus far, less is definitely more.
Wearing this shirt made people feel like a hip outsider; a bada** that could "take over" any place they entered. And it still does - you still see tons of wrestling fans sporting these around.
Many tried to imitate the nWo in swagger and/or shirt design - D-Generation X, Bullet Club, even Randy Orton had an nWo-inspired shirt once...but no one did it quite as well as the originators.
#1 - Austin 3:16
HONORABLE MENTION: Arrive. Raise Hell. Leave. / What?
Could it have been any other shirt?
The other shirts on this entry are legendary in their own right, but there is absolutely no shirt in the history of professional wrestling that has had more of a cultural impact, has represented a character better, or has influenced more others than this one.
At the time of its release, this shirt flooded arenas everywhere, and it's still incredibly popular today. Hell, this shirt sold so well, I'm convinced that the sales helped propel the WWF over WCW in the Monday Night Wars. Again, it was a simple design, but this was the first shirt of its kind for the WWF -
As we've seen with older WWF shirts on this list, most of them were a lot more animated and colourful. This one, however, was just plain white letters on a black shirt with a skull on the back that had the words "Stone Cold" stamped on its forehead.
From there, it seemed as if every shirt imitated this formula - black base, a catchphrase in white letters, and a cool logo. It also inspired plenty of parody shirts, such as Owen Hart's "Owen 3:16 says I just broke your neck!" (which may have been partially inspired by Greg Valentine as well) and Sheamus' "Sheamus 5:15 says I just Brogue Kicked your arse!"
This shirt immortalized a promo, helped create the biggest star in professional wrestling history, influenced countless future designs, and became a cultural phenomenon. For those reasons, it is indubitably the best pro wrestling shirt ever.
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