Ranking the 4 most overrated wrestlers of all time

Disclaimer: These are only the views of the writer and do not reflect the thoughts and stance of Sportskeeda.

Ranking some of the greatest wrestlers of all time is generally a very difficult task. No two fighters have had exactly the same career and it can be difficult to evaluate them against the same criteria.

That said, there are definite patterns that have emerged in how the general public rates these wrestlers. With this, you’ll often come across several fighters that are vastly overrated as well as ones that are underrated.

As such, I’ve created my list of 4 wrestlers who are overrated by the general public given their actual performance in the ring. Keep in mind that each of these men have had very successful careers. However, their abilities are still overrated by most in the community. Without further ado, let's get stuck in.

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#4 The Rock

Whilst The Rock is one of the most notorious wrestlers of all time, a lot of this is due to his impact outside the ring. He is a relatively popular actor today and plays a lead role in the HBO series Ballers.

Before becoming a household name in the acting industry, The Rock did have a very stellar wrestling career. That said, I don’t think he really reached his true potential in the ring and is still largely overrated by the general public.

As his post-wrestling career will tell you, The Rock is an actor and entertainer first and foremost. He was excellent on the mic and could do a great job stirring controversy, but his actual wrestling skills were very limited.

The 'People's Elbow' finisher is an incredibly overrated close and he lacked the versatility to truly dominate the competition. With a budding acting career in the works, it won’t be long until his wrestling career is a mere afterthought.

#3 Batista

The number of people that I’ve heard saying Batista is the greatest wrestler of all time is absolutely absurd and does not make sense. I’m not really surprised at this given what he was able to accomplish in the ring, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that he is hugely overrated.

Admittedly, he is definitely a household name in the wrestling industry and established a niche as a jacked guy that gets angry all the time. I may be in the minority, but I didn’t really find his fights entertaining at all.

He just doesn’t have the versatility in his game to surprise opponents or fans, making for boring and predictable fights. This was especially noticeable against big boys like The Undertaker and Edge, who could dispatch Batista with ease. With him finding some success as an actor, he may end up following the Rock’s lead.

#2 John Cena

Whilst a few of you may be surprised at this ranking, I absolutely had to throw John Cena into this list of overrated fighters who've competed in the WWE. Despite a diminishing fanbase, I feel that he managed to dominate the WWE headlines and landscape for far too long.

This is to take nothing away from what he has done outside the ring, but he is definitely overrated by the general wrestling public. I don’t think Cena was ever the most dominant guy in the WWE, but Vince and the fans kept giving him every opportunity to succeed.

Even with a relatively large frame, Cena lacked the athleticism and versatility to truly be one of the greatest of all time. Although he has become somewhat of a meme of late, too many wrestling fans still think Cena is the greatest in the game despite being way past his prime.

#1 Hulk Hogan

For me, this was a relatively easy selection. I think Hulk Hogan is comfortably the most overrated wrestler of all time. He is one of the most notorious wrestlers ever and a definite household name across North America.

A lot of his success inside the ring has been way overhyped compared to what he actually accomplished. In my opinion, he is essentially just an older version of John Cena. Whilst I’m sure a lot of wrestling pundits will agree with me; they just won’t admit it publicly.

He is remembered primarily for his signature leg drop move, another aspect of his game which I feel was hugely overrated. Personally, I think what gave Hogan so much success inside the ring was his ability to play the game on the outside and become one of the most powerful figures in the sport.

This is an impressive aspect of his game. However, his actual wrestling ability is vastly overrated by the public.