10 Wrestlers Who Were HUGE Marks For Themselves
Which wrestlers write their own fan mail with their weaker hand?
Who is the model professional wrestler?
Who is great without ever driving a resentment that extends well beyond their heel persona?
The answer - to most questions, really - is Bryan Danielson. He’s a genius. He recognises how great he is, but that awareness is both fully justified and never creeps into his work. His stuff is never self-indulgent nor self-conscious. He is a master craftsman who earns every bit of the acclaim that is lavished upon him. He is almost too selfless, in that he never uses political dark arts to maintain his spot. It simply belongs to him.
He also carries himself impeccably, locating that sweet, elusive spot between arrogance and confidence. It’s impossible to resent his success, and he doesn’t brag about it nor market himself with an abrasive desperation. He is as vicious as he is selfless in the ring, and he’s frighteningly vicious. His ambitions are purely artistic.
When he says he’s that damn good, you believe him. His arrogance is not remotely misplaced. You don’t get the impression that he has a shrine dedicated to himself in his house.
Unlike some of the people named on this list…
10. Bret Hart
Some wrestlers on the list can’t exactly justify their high opinions of themselves. Some can.
Bret Hart falls squarely in the latter category.
Bret was an artist, a technician so sublime that virtually every other wrestler seemed janky in their movement in contrast. As an example: if you grew up on Bret, and learned that Ric Flair was considered the greatest ever, it would take a while for you to get it.
Bret also knew it. He believes he approached pro wrestling matches and action set-pieces with the eye of a film director. He also believed (and was proud of professing) that he never hurt anybody in the ring. Y’know, to the fans, my stuff always looked legit, but the boys, to the boys they thought they were in there with Florence Nightingale y’know.
Bret’s in-ring artistry was so powerful - and this isn’t a bit, he wrote it in his book several times - that it reduced his peers to tears.
Bret wasn’t content with being great, either. He didn’t like losing too much because, as a hero, he felt he’d be letting his fans down. Mark for himself?
Or a real-life saint?