Ranking Who Was REALLY The Worst Wrestler Every Year 1990-2021

WWE is no longer going to recruit from the independent scene. This, as you'll learn, is a bad idea.

By Michael Sidgwick /

Ordinarily, this series is a celebration of the highs of millennial pro wrestling fandom.

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AEW's impeccable viral marketing campaign that heralded CM Punk's arrival inspired a look back at modern pro wrestling's best ever debuts, including the meta mind-melt of Scott Hall's first WCW Nitro appearance and WWE actually, thrillingly acknowledging itself as pro wrestling upon introducing Kevin Owens to NXT audiences in 2014. The return of the booming crowd pop in 2021 also inspired a revisit of some life-affirming all-timers, like the unreal spectacle of Akira Hokuto descending on Big Egg Wrestling Universe. That was a 10 hour card. Even writing about it in passing and putting it back out in the universe might compel Nick Khan to increase the duration of RAW. Sorry about that.

It's a fun and easy thing to write, a fond recollection of awesome memories viewed through the kaleidoscope of this great sport; the technicolour of the early '90s, the dark edge of the late decade. At least until the f*cking thing starts to lag by the time one reaches the 2000s. The colours stop on deep, dulled red and blue as WWE's monopoly takes hold. But this is a caustic capsule rant about the worst of the worst.

John Laurinaitis finally becomes useful!

32. 1990 - Mike Rotunda

Mike Rotunda charged into the ropes like Del Boy falling through the bar, and while that was actually impressive, since he made his way back up, it also made for a very awkward and clumsy sight.

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When he rebounded back, he did so in a way that was physical and looked like it hurt, but it looked like sh*t. When he wasn't gracelessly smashing into his opponents, he was effective, in the parameters of the match, at grounding his opponents.

Unfortunately, wrestling is meant to be entertaining, and Rotunda's amateur-inspired grappling while legitimate-looking was just so punishingly dull.

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