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The WWE is a multi-faceted, entertainment bonanza. The greatest of the WWE superstars are masters of the art of entertainment. As great wrestlers and skillful actors, they have the ability to move the WWE story-line forward and keep the audience engaged. Here are the top 5 greatest WWE superstars of all time.
#5. The Rock
The Rock was the poster-child for the new era WWE. He was the complete package. He had great technical wrestling skills, incredible oratory skills, and an ability to connect to the fans- all of which helped him catapult to the pinnacle of the WWE ladder. His greatest strength was his ability to self-market himself.
He masterfully used signature moves in and outside the ring to establish his identity firmly with the younger fans. What is unique about The Rock is that he rose to mega-stardom despite having fought in the ring for only a better part of seven years.
He has carried his enormous success in WWE to his new career in Hollywood. His fans have followed him there and that in itself is a testament to the great impact he made on the WWE. For that reason, he is #5 on my list of the greatest WWE Superstars.
#4. John Cena
John Cena is a unique superstar. He is, perhaps, the only WWE superstar that's equally despised and admired by his followers. His character was one of a polarizing figure that had mastered the art of eliciting strong reactions from the audience. The WWE has relied on him to keep the audience interested and wanting for more. He never disappointed. To this day, he remains particularly affable to the young fans of the WWE. WWE merchandise bearing his name continues to be the most popular with wrestling fans. His longevity and ever-increasing popularity make him the #4 greatest WWE superstars of all time.
#3. The Undertaker
The Undertaker's greatness lies in the way he has successfully handled the metamorphosis that his character has undergone. To survive and thrive in the WWE, he has chosen a strategy of differentiation. What is remarkable is with each phase of his character's evolution, The Undertaker's stature as a superstar in the WWE has only increased. In the ring, he has shown an uncanny ability to survive by, at various times, getting out of burning caskets to surviving attempts to bury him alive. Despite his massive size, he has been surprisingly agile and athletic in executing his various innovative finishing moves. His endurance is what's won him the fans' admiration and for that, he occupies the #3 spot in my The Greatest Superstars of all-time list.
#2. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
The emergence of Stone Cold on to the wrestling scene was a welcome development for the WWE. With the end of the Hulk Hogan era, the WWE was in desperate need of a substitute superstar who could replace him. Stone Cold's brash personality, common-man like, beer guzzling image immediately caught on with a large segment of the fans and he instantly became a superstar.
His greatness lies in the fact that he's singularly responsible for making the WWE popular again. Fans loved him for his originality; and years after his retirement, he remains at the forefront of any debate about the greatest WWE superstar of all time.
#1. Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan is the greatest WWE superstar of all time! His emergence into the WWE in the 1980's brought about a revolution, of interest in wrestling, like never before. The craze of Hulkamania took over the wrestling world like a raging storm. His signature moves that included ripping his shirt, cupping his ears to the spectators and hulking up remain etched in the memory of wrestling fans.
His epic fights against Andre the Giant and the Ultimate Warrior amongst many others remain to this day some of the most revered fights in WWE's history. Hogan's popularity reached a messianic proportion. His first ever clean loss against the Ultimate Warrior turned out to be one of the saddest events for millions of his fans.
Hulk Hogan has moved on but Hulkamania will live with us forever. He's the single, most compelling reason why millions took up to watching the WWE. He's immortal and will forever remain the greatest superstar the WWE has ever produced.
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