Key Takeaways
Canada has produced a number of the most technically gifted and iconic wrestlers in WWE historical past, who’ve contributed considerably to the game and WWE particularly.
WWE Superstars like Trish Stratus and Edge helped redefine divisions and eras in WWE, influencing how girls’s wrestling and predominant occasion scenes developed throughout the Ruthless Aggression for Stratus and PG Period in Edge’s case.
Superstars like Bret and Owen Hart have exemplified technical wrestling which have transcended eras, with Bret’s model being studied by trendy wrestlers nonetheless.
By way of wrestling pedigree, it’s controversial that no different nation on the planet has produced the extent of technical professional wrestling expertise that Canada has, with a number of the biggest stars to ever lace up a pair of trainers hailing from North America. Scores of unbelievable names have been staples of the game all through the mid-Twentieth Century to now, and names like Stu Hart, Pat Patterson, Ivan Koloff and Rocky Johnson have gone on to succeed in iconic standing, serving to to convey up and produce the most important names within the historical past of WWE particularly. We’ve already taken a take a look at a number of the biggest Japanese wrestlers in WWE historical past, so right here we’ll be trying in the direction of the land of Hockey, Rocky Mountains, Poutine and Mountain climbing to see who’re the best WWE wrestlers to come back out of Canada.
Rating Components
A minimum of three matches in WWE: The wrestlers we’ve chosen need to have had a minimum of three matches of their profession with the corporate. High quality of Matches: The standard of the matches that every of the performers on our rating have had has additionally been considered Cagematch Score: The Cagematch ranking of every identify has been considered to get a gauge of how the fanbase feels about that exact wrestler.
Trish Stratus
Profession Span: 2000 – Ongoing
Trish Stratus is among the most essential Superstars within the historical past of WWE, serving to to reinvent how Ladies’s wrestling was seen by the corporate and its followers. Earlier than her in-ring profession began correct, Stratus was on-screen valet/supervisor, primarily marketed for her intercourse enchantment somewhat than her athletic skills. This could change dramatically later in her profession, as Stratus, alongside the likes of Lita and Victoria, would lead the cost throughout the Ruthless Aggression Period when it got here to Ladies’s wrestling and beginning to have it taken significantly and on the identical stage because the Males’s. While this wouldn’t really be the case till years later, Trish helped get the ball rolling.
Kevin Owens
Profession Span: 2000 – Ongoing
After having a stellar run within the indies as Kevin Steen, Kevin Owens (named after his son Owen and Owen Hart) would go on to have an exceptional run in each NXT and WWE. While there have been downtimes throughout his run with the corporate, his means to carry out on the predominant occasion stage when referred to as upon has made him a dependable performer who can simply play the position of probably the most hated man in WWE in addition to getting the followers behind him. The most important second of his profession up to now would see him within the WrestleMania predominant occasion towards Stone Chilly Steve Austin practically 20 years after the Rattlesnake retired.
Sami Zayn
Profession Span: 2002 – Ongoing
A person whose profession is intrinsically tied to Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn has solely simply managed to surpass what his good buddy has achieved within the firm. Beginning in NXT, Zayn would go on to be arguably the very best babyface character that the corporate had since John Cena first rose to prominence. After a few years within the firm, it was the Bloodline storyline the place he would attain the following stage of stardom, first being the ‘Honorary Uce’ after which turning on Roman Reigns on the Royal Rumble to one of many greatest reactions in modern-day professional wrestling. It was described by many followers as cinema, they usually weren’t mistaken.
Christian
Profession Span: 1995 – 2014, 2021 – Ongoing
Christian is among the greatest wrestlers in WWE historical past, however you wouldn’t suppose it trying on the lack of accolades he has obtained. Beginning alongside Edge as a vastly profitable tag staff, Christian would go on to have a middling singles profession within the firm, a giant motive why he’s so underrated. It wasn’t till he made the leap to TNA and now AEW the place his predominant event-level greatness was really recognised, as in WWE he would appear to continuously be within the shadow of his former tag staff companion. His greatest singles run for WWE got here in 2011 when he had an ideal feud with Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship.
Edge – Cagematch Score 9.27
Profession Span: 1992 – 2011, 2020 – Ongoing
Edge’s profession in WWE mirrored that of his tag staff companion Christian as much as the purpose that they break up up as a staff on the finish of the Perspective Period. After that, Edge would go on to be a real predominant occasion participant for the corporate and have a meteoric rise throughout the Ruthless Aggression Period and thru the PG Period as considered one of John Cena’s biggest foils. Edge’s profession was sadly minimize quick in 2011 because of points surrounding his neck, however he was in a position to make an enormous return on the 2020 Royal Rumble match and he has been going in-ring since, making his debut for AEW in October 2023 beneath his actual identify Adam Copeland.
Owen Hart
Profession Span: 1983 – 1999
Owen Hart’s unbelievable skills within the ring have sadly been overshadowed by the surprising method of his dying in 1999, and that in itself can also be a tragedy, as Owen was unbelievable in WWE all through his profession, having some blowaway performances towards the likes of 1-2-3 Child, British Bulldog and in the principle occasion along with his brother Bret. Owen’s character work was simply pretty much as good as his in-ring technical means, with the ‘Blackhart’ being an ideal foil for his ultra-babyface brother Bret throughout their iconic feud within the mid-90s. Owen deserves to be remembered for greater than only a tragic accident in 1999, he was merely unbelievable.
Roddy Piper
Profession Span: 1972 – 2011
Roddy Piper managed to have a prolonged in-ring profession, with arguably his most well-known and largest achievements being his feud with Hulk Hogan within the 80s, which constructed Hulkamania to the heights that it reached and helped to determine the then-WWF because the powerhouse promotion that may run the trade over the many years to come back. ‘Scorching Rod’ was the epitome of a performer that followers beloved to hate, and his Piper’s Pit speak phase remains to be the very best iteration of a phase like that in wrestling historical past, irrespective of what number of instances WWE and even different promotions attempt to copy it.
Chris Jericho
Profession Span: 1990 – Ongoing
Chris Jericho has efficiently managed to redefine his character and evolve throughout his skilled wrestling profession, which extremely started in 1990. Jericho’s transfer to the then-WWF in 1999 remains to be considered top-of-the-line debuts in firm historical past, with Y2J being revealed because the Millenium Man throughout a phase with The Rock. Years of unbelievable feuds with the likes of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, CM Punk et al would add to his phenomenal run, however the greatest achievement on his resume is arguably the evening that he beat The Rock and Stone Chilly Steve Austin in the identical evening to grow to be the Undisputed Champion. Jericho remains to be going at the moment as a part of the AEW roster, though arguably nothing he has managed to realize throughout his All Elite Wrestling run has come near what he was in a position to produce in WWE.
Bret Hart
Profession Span: 1978 – 2000
Not solely is Bret Hart the best Canadian wrestler within the historical past of WWE, he’s most likely the MOST Canadian wrestler within the historical past of WWE. Bret’s in-ring technical means remains to be studied by wrestlers to this present day, with the ‘Finest There Is, Finest There Was and the Finest There Ever Will Be’ showcasing learn how to seem ferocious and ruthless within the ring however not hurt your opponent. We would want much more paragraphs than this to stipulate simply how good ‘The Hitman’ was within the ring, however there’s nonetheless an argument to this present day that his high quality has by no means been surpassed between the ropes.
Associated
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All rankings from Cagematch right as of 13.09.2024