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For anyone who scoffs at WWE or pro-wrestling in general for not being 'real,' take a look at what Mick Foley wrote in his autobiography about Big Van Vader:
"Vader, the real-life Leon White, was in 1994 the greatest monster in the business. The guys were terrified of him. His style was the stiffest in all of wrestling. Some guys have a style that looks like they're hurting guys when they're not, which is good. Some guys' stuff looks like crap, but hurts like hell, which is bad."
"Vader left no room for error; his stuff looked like it hurt, and believe me, it did. Some of the newer guys used to leave the arena if they saw their name on the board opposite Vader. Other guys would hide until their evening's card had been drawn up and then come out of hiding if Vader wasn't their opponent."
Some people have had serious injuries in the ring; some have even died. That leaves us with an intriguing question: who are the most physical WWE wrestlers of all time? We take a look –
#6 Gunther (fka WALTER)
It wouldn't be wrong to say that Gunther will be main-eventing WrestleMania someday. The first Austrian in WWE, Gunther held the NXT United Kingdom Championship for a record 870 days.
Currently competing on SmackDown, the Ring General is famously known for his stiff, resounding chops. Here's what Gunther had to say about the chops on The Steve Austin Show:
"Some people joke-wise complain, but I think they mean it. But I don’t care. Like, all the stuff I do to people is safe and easy. I would never do anything stupid dangerous or anything. I never ask anybody to take anything stupid. So, man, I think you’d rather take the big slap on the chest and we get the same reaction out of it as some of those crazy moves. It’s way better." (H/T: WrestlingInc)
#5 Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock brought legitimacy to WWE when the former UFC World Champion decided to lace up wrestling boots in the mid-90s. Shamrock brought over his UFC fighting style to WWE and was extremely physical in the ring.
He was stiff in the ring and saw wrestling as a sport and not just entertainment, as many wrestlers did. Chris Jericho recounted in his autobiography as to how Shamrock was supposed to chase Jericho into the back in one RAW segment and proceeded to execute a takedown on him even after the cameras were turned off for legitimacy.
You wouldn't want to mess with the 'World's most dangerous man' – that's for sure.
#4 Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit might be a pro-wrestling pariah, but before the tragedy, he was one of the most respected athletes in WWE. Benoit had a no-nonsense wrestling style which was extremely physical, and many opponents dreaded getting in the ring with him.
Just look at one of those sick German suplexes executed by the Rabid Wolverine, and you get the idea. Benoit's arsenal of mat wrestling skills and his intensity made every match involving the Canadian a gruesome, physical masterclass.
#3 Brock Lesnar
The stiffest wrestler in WWE today has to be Brock Lesnar. Lesnar's brute strength and high-impact maneuvers have seen him destroy countless opponents during his second run with the WWE.
While Lesnar's move set has drastically reduced compared to his first run with the company, it doesn't mean that his current moves are any less physical. Lesnar is a physical marvel, and his F-5 is one of the most impactful finishing moves to take.
He's quite dangerous, too, as he once broke Hardcore Holly's neck – who's is quite close to Vince McMahon – during a WWE championship match. There is a reason a match with Lesnar is said to be a trip to Suplex City.
Suggested: Every Superstar has a different side to their persona. Witness the funniest Brock Lesnar moment that you may never get to see again.
#2 JBL
John Bradshaw Layfield has one of the most physical moves set in the ring, and his finishing maneuver – 'The Clothesline from Hell' is a prime example of the brutal nature of his ring work.
Bradshaw has also been known to take liberties with wrestlers in the ring, including busting open the Blue Meanie with a kendo stick during the ECW Invasion storyline and manhandling a young Edge during the latter's initial days in the WWE.
JBL got a taste of his own medicine when Steven Richards cracked his skull open with a shoot steel chair shot during a SmackDown match as revenge for what happened to the Blue Meanie.
#1 WWE Hall of Famer Vader
The late Vader revolutionized wrestling for the giants as he pioneered an industry shift by transforming the image of huge wrestlers from just being a novelty act to full-on serious performers in the ring.
Vader made his mark in Japan, beating Japanese legend Antonio Inoki in his first match and becoming a household name in the country. It was that infamous match in Japan with another legendary physical wrestler, Stan Hansen, where Hansen's blows caused Vader's eye to pop out from its socket, but he calmly put it back and continued the match.
He wrestled in Mexico and Europe as well before catching his big break in WCW, where he was initially considered to be 'too physical.' His physical style left Sting with a ruptured spleen, almost ending Nikita Koloff's career and breaking jobber Joe Thurman's back.
He would capture the WCW championship and move over to WWE, eventually retiring to become a high school football coach.
