Take away the lights, the sounds and the thousands of fans and pro wrestling is at the heart of it, two guys going at it to earn a living. Over the years wrestling has evolved from basic scoop slams to Will Ospreay and Ricochet flying around the ring in modern times, in a style as akin to gymnastics as it is to wrestling.
From all the different styles of wrestling, today I take a look at technical wrestling. Technical wrestling is a mixture of mat wrestling and grappling mixed with skills devolved from amateur wrestling. There have been many great technicians in the history of the WWE throughout its history.
Today we take a look at 5 technical wrestlers who stood head and shoulders above the others.
#5 William Regal
At #5 is current general manager of NXT and WWE legend William Regal. His career in WWE hasn’t always been the smoothest with his early career being blighted by addiction issues and in WWE, he’s often been given storylines much below the level that someone of his skillset should get.
But that doesn’t hide the fact that Regal is one of the greatest technicians to ever enter the squared circle. He proved it repeatedly over the years and no match was it more evident than when he took on a pretty inexperienced Goldberg during an episode of WCW Nitro early in on Goldberg’s career. He wrestled rings around Goldberg for 6 minutes before finally staring at the lights for him.
#4 Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko is known as ‘The Man of a 1000 holds’ for a reason. He could toe to toe with just about anyone in the ring and wrestle ring around them if given the freedom. Although his run in WWE was never that successful, Malenko was one of the pioneers of WCW’s cruiserweight division.
If anyone deserved more of a chance than the WWE gave them, that man was Dean Malenko. What held Malenko back in the WWE more than anything else, was charisma or more accurately the lack of it. WWE creative decided to try to portray him as a ladies man instead of focusing on his strengths.
It was an opportunity that WWE creative completely missed. Inside the ring, Malenko had it all; an array of holds, slams and grappling maneuvers to outwork his opponent in high spots and through inspired amateur reversals.
#3 Chris Benoit
Whatever your thoughts on Chris Benoit, the person, aside, it can’t be denied the Benoit was one of the best in-ring performers of all time. But unfortunately, the violent end to his and his family’s lives will forever shadow his in-ring legacy.
Inside the ring, the Rabid Wolverine was one of the finest technical pro wrestlers to ever grace the squared circle. His series of matches against Chris Jericho in the early 2000’s are an exhibition of the mastery of the art that is pro wrestling.
The matches he had with Kurt Angle showcased the two best technical wrestlers in the world at that point in time.
#2 Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan won the Wresling Observer award for Best Technical Wrestler 8 years in a row from 2005 to 2013. He was so good that the award was named after him after his retirement earlier this year.
Bryan came to the land of giants, the WWE, first through the old incarnation of NXT before debuting in the main roster as part of The Nexus before promptly getting fired. However, Bryan persevered and has since gone on to shatter Vince McMahon’s proverbial glass ceiling and headline Wrestlemania.
Bryan has repeatedly proved why he’s the best technical wrestler of the modern era. There’s almost nothing that he can’t do in the ring, from brutal submission holds and stiff strikes to moves off the top rope. Over the years, Bryan has, against all odds, become one of the most popular wrestlers of his generation.
#1 Kurt Angle
When we think of technical wrestlers, the first name that springs to mind is WWE’s first and only Olympic gold medal winner and all-round great wrestler Kurt Angle. Angle came out of the amateurs and took to pro wrestling like fish take to water.
Angle had one of the most successful rookie years of all time and won both the Intercontinental and European championships before finally winning the WWE Championship, which he held onto for almost a year.
Inside the ring, Angle could have good matches with anyone from Brock Lesnar and The Rock to larger opponents like Big Show. What stands out greater than Angle’s moveset of ankle locks and suplexes, is his timing and in-ring psychology, which make him the greatest technical wrestler to grace a WWE ring.
Although Angle has been away from WWE for years, wrestling for TNA amongst other companies, long-time fans are waiting for Angle to finally make his in-ring WWE return.
