The best wrestler from each of the 50 United States 

NEW MEXICO - Blackjack Lanza

Would you mess with Blackjack Lanza? Me neither...

Though Blackjack Lanza is here by default as the only wrestler from New Mexico, he is still a legend of the industry.

Albuquerque's-own Blackjack Lanza worked in the AWA for eight years before finally joining up with Blackjack Mulligan in 1970. At the time, Lanza was a main-eventer with one Tag Team Championship (with Bobby Duncum), one British Empire Heavyweight Championship, one Television Championship, three Brass Knuckles Championships, and one American Heavyweight Championship under his belt. Still, he would still go on to have immense success with Mulligan, winning four more Tag Team Championships across various promotions. The duo has since been inducted into both the WWE Hall of Fame and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and remains in the conversation for greatest tag teams of all time.

The team was one of the first success stories for legendary manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, but Lanza did just fine on his own as well.

NEW YORK - Mick Foley

Whether he was Mankind, Cactus Jack, or Dude Love, or himself, Mick Foley was awesome.

Starting off his career in WCW, ECW, and Japan, Foley was revered everywhere he went, both as an in-ring worker and for his compelling promos (see: Cane Dewey). He won Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Best Brawler" award every year from 1991 to 2000, and to this day no one has claimed that title more than he has.

Foley was much more than just a guy who took terrifying, "how-in-God's-name-is-he-not-dead" bumps - he's also an 8-time World Heavyweight Champion and a 17-time Tag Team Champion across various promotions (among several other championship reigns). He won the International Wrestling Association of Japan's "King of the Deathmatch" throne in 1995, and to this day he has three Hall of Fame honours to his name.

Mick Foley is one of the best brawlers in the history of professional wrestling, one of the best talkers in the history of professional wrestling, and one of the most genuinely likeable individuals in the history of professional wrestling. In my humble opinion, he is New York's best.

NORTH CAROLINA - Ric Flair

No contest with this one

There a lot of noteworthy professional wrestlers who have lived in North Carolina, including Arn Anderson, the Hardy Boyz, and The Junkyard Dog. But I'm sorry - there's no one who could've topped "The Nature Boy" here.

In many conversations, Ric Flair is the greatest professional wrestler of all time. This isn't exactly a bloviated claim, either - he is one of the most influential wrestlers to ever live. From his impeccable microphone work to his exemplary storytelling and technicality in the ring, Flair may very well have earned his place on pro-wrestling's Mount Rushmore.

Let's run it down - 25 World Heavyweight Championships, eight matches rated 5-stars by Dave Meltzer, seven Hall of Fame rings...do I even need to go on? The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's award for "Wrestler of the Year" is named after him, for goodness' sake! And his influence has stretched beyond the world of pro-wrestling. For example, UFC fighter Conor McGregor has adopted many of Flair's mannerisms from the early 80's. I've even seen several NFL players do the signature "Flair Strut" after big plays.

Simply put - Ric Flair is not just North Carolina's best wrestler ever...he may be the best of all time. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

NORTH DAKOTA - Red Bastien

Who the heck is Red Bastien? Well, he's the best (or, in this case, only) wrestler from North Dakota, and he's a lot more influential than you know.

As a 16-year-old, Bastien began his pro-wrestling career, training under Verne Gagne and wrestling at various carnivals across the Midwest. Though he was diminutive when compared to some of the “giants” of the industry at the time, Bastien’s fast-paced, high-flying style drew quite a bit of attention and adoration from fans.

During his run, he won multiple Tag Team Championships across multiple promotions, won several regional NWA Heavyweight Championships (namely in Florida), became a booker in Dallas, and discovered what would become two of the greatest wrestlers of all time – Steve “Sting” Borden and Jim “The Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig.

Sadly, Bastien passed away on August 11th, 2012, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was a man who was revered for his style by fans and loved, respected, and admired by just about everyone he ever came across. Even though he is the only professional wrestler to come from North Dakota, Red Bastien deserves recognition for all that he gave to the wrestling industry.

OHIO - "Macho Man" Randy Savage

The "Macho Man" elbow drops his way onto this list

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEUH!

"Macho Man" Randy Savage is one of my favourite wrestlers of all time, both in-ring and on the microphone. But he doesn't just earn a place on this list because of personal preference. No, sir, the Macho Man is the "cream of the crop", indeed.

While he wasn't a "giant" like the Hulk Hogans and Andre the Giants of the era, Savage was arguably the second biggest star on the WWF roster in the 1980's. He would go on to win two WWF World Heavyweight Championships, one WWF Intercontinental Championship, and the third annual King of the Ring tournament in 1987.

When he eventually made the move to Ted Turner's WCW in the 1990's, he won four more World Heavyweight Championships.He also won six Heavyweight Championships prior to his WWF run, bringing his total up to 12.

One could feasibly argue exactly what Savage once did - that no one did it better than he did. He's unquestionably one of the best ever, and he's definitely the best wrestler to ever come from Ohio.