It feels so wrong ranking Booker T this far down the list. After all, he is one of the greatest stars to ever come out of WCW and, arguably, accomplished more across both the Ted Turner-owned company and WWE than some of the men ranked above him but during a great deal of his time with WCW, he was a midcard star relegated to the tag team division. He and Stevie Ray, known collectively as Harlem Heat, dominated the tag ranks, feuding with the likes of the Nasty Boys and Public Enemy. When injury to Stevie Ray necessitated a singles run for Booker, he seized the opportunity. Working with outstanding in-ring performers like Chris Benoit and Rick Martel gave him the confidence to run as a quality singles competitor. He improved with every passing week and, in return, management gained faith in him. When Stevie Ray finally did return, he was immediately overshadowed by his younger brother and jealousy set in. The two eventually feuded with one another and Booker was finally free to resume his singles career. In July 2000, after months of horrendous booking (G.I. Bro, anyone), Booker T accomplished the goal of every man who has ever entered the business. After a controversial shoot promo by Vince Russo at the Bash at the Beach on the state of WCW and the old bags still dominating the top spots in the industry, he rewarded Booker's hard work and dedication to the promotion with a heavyweight title opportunity. He defeated Jeff Jarrett that night, winning the title in one of the few feel-good moments WCW had produced in some time. Booker would become the top babyface in the company from that point on, feuding with the likes of Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and even the man responsible for his elevation, Russo. A knee surgery halted his momentum but a return in the early months of 2001, winning the WCW title from Steiner and ending out the company's existence as its top star.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
