The Top 15 WWE and WCW Wrestlers of the 1990s
The 1990s were a transformational period for professional wrestling, with the “Monday Night Wars” between the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) driving the largest viewership the industry has ever seen.
The influx in eyes and business allowed several names to rise to the top of the business, obtaining legendary status. Others who had previous success also managed to find new life for their careers, allowing for the industry to thrive with stars old and new. It’s impossible to think about this period of time without mentioning a few in particular.
1. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
If there was a face of the 1990s in wrestling, it would be “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Frankly, it’s impossible to under or oversell just how popular Austin was during that time period.
Austin broke out after the 1996 King of the Ring Tournament with his famous “Austin 3:16” promo, and quickly became the biggest star in wrestling. His “Austin 3:16” t-shirt became the highest-selling wrestling shirt of all-time, and he would have legendary feuds with Mr. McMahon, The Rock, Triple H, among others. Austin’s program with Shawn Michaels and Mike Tyson is considered to be the beginning of the Attitude Era, a period of time that shifted the power balance entirely to WWE in the “Monday Night Wars” against WCW.
2. The Rock
If Austin was The Beatles in the 1990s, The Rock was The Rolling Stones for WWE.
It’s rare pro wrestling has two mega stars at the top at the same time, but Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was the perfect compliment to Austin. Austin was blue-collar, while The Rock was glitzy, larger than life, and over the top. Rock won five WWE Championships in the 1990s, and while Austin was dealing with injuries, he ascended to the very peak of the industry as the face of WWE. He’s also the most successful crossover star in wrestling history, becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest names.
3. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan
Few names in wrestling history have been the top good guy and the top villain in their careers. Hulk Hogan is one of those guys.
Hogan signed with WCW in 1994, and found early success in the red and yellow. But fans clamored for a change, and at Bash at the Beach in 1996, he turned heel and formed the iconic New World Order (nWo) faction. He then went “Hollywood,” and became one of the most hated men in all of the industry. He won multiple world championships in this incarnation, and added longevity to his career at a time when he needed to reinvent.
4. Bret Hart
Bret Hart laid claim to being the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. If his run in the 1990s is any indication, he may have been on to something.
Hart was a five-time WWE Champion, a King of the Ring winner, and a Royal Rumble match winner as well in the 1990s. He would have a controversial exit from WWE in 1997 following the Montreal Screwjob and head for WCW. Though his run there ended early due to injury, he did go on to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice.
5. Shawn Michaels
“The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels covered the whole spectrum during the 1990s, from ultimate bad boy to underdog babyface punching up at life.
The early 1990s saw The Rockers dissolve as a tag team in an iconic breakup when Michaels tossed his partner Marty Jannetty through a barbershop window. From that point, he was off to the races towards the main event, winning two Royal Rumble matches, three WWE Championships, and headlining WrestleMania several times. Michaels would be forced to temporarily retire due to back issues suffered in 1998, but not before making an impact at a high level.
6. The Undertaker
When The Undertaker debuted at Survivor Series in 1990, everyone immediately knew he carried a presence rivaled by no one. But few could have predicted how successful his run that decade would be.
“The Deadman” became an anchor of WWE programming, holding memorable feuds with Mankind, Kane, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Sycho Sid, and many others. His character would transcend traditional pro wrestling tropes and ascend to the top of the card, allowing him to become WWE Champion three times in the 1990s. He also began his unparalleled WrestleMania undefeated streak, which he carried until 2014.
7. Sting
If The Undertaker would become the heart and soul of WWE, Sting was that for World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s.
The “Surfer Sting” persona was wildly popular with audiences of all ages at the beginning of the decade, but some of “The Icon’s” most memorable moments came when he took a turn and evolved into “The Crow” gimmick. Here, Sting would be covered in face paint, descend from the rafters, and take a bat to members of Hogan’s nWo. His feud with Hogan was critical in WCW beating WWE 83 weeks in a row in the television ratings, and cemented his status as one of the top names in the business.
8. Goldberg
Goldberg was the most dominant force pro wrestling had ever seen upon his debut, and his presentation contributed to WCW’s success in the late 1990s.
The former NFL defensive lineman made his debut in the summer of 1997, and immediately was pushed to the moon. Goldberg would make quick work of opponents with a couple of moves, and amassed an alleged 173-0 undefeated streak. He’d win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and WCW United States Championship in that time, which included a major TV main event win over Hollywood Hogan at the Georgia Dome in front of more than 40,000 people.
9. Mick Foley
If character range is your barometer for success in pro wrestling, Mick Foley’s run in the 1990s would have him among the greatest to ever do it.
Foley found success in WCW, ECW, and in Japan during the early 1990s, but jumped to WWE to take on the Mankind persona. His twisted yet empathetic portrayal of the character earned him prominent positioning in the company, before he’d add two other characters to the fold in a returning Cactus Jack and the groovy Dude Love. His death-defying cell match against The Undertaker at King of the Ring in 1998 made him a household name, and Foley would secure one of the most memorable WWE Championship wins of all time in 1999.
10. Ric Flair
The bulk of Ric Flair’s success came in the 1980s, but he still managed to be an important figure in the 1990s as well.
“The Nature Boy” jumped ship to WWE in 1991, and proceeded to win the 1992 Royal Rumble match from the No. 3 spot in one of the most memorable performances of that decade. He’d win the WWE Championship twice, before going back to WCW and picking up a high-profile feud with Hulk Hogan. His early feud with Sting was instrumental in building the latter as a major player for WCW, but by the decade’s end, Flair was largely a periphery character with WCW as it struggled to keep up with WWE.
11. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
It appeared “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s in-ring career may have been over in the 1990s, with injuries mounting and forcing him to commentary. But a jump to WCW proved he still could go at a high level.
Savage arrived in WCW and immediately became a major player launching into a feud with the nWo. He’d eventually join them, and would go on to play a pivotal role in building Diamond Dallas Page as a top star in WCW. Their multi-match feud elevated DDP to main event star, as Savage would wrap up the bulk of his career with the company.
12. Kevin Nash (Diesel)
Kevin Nash climbed the card quickly in the 1990s in WWE, serving as Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard Diesel before winning the WWE Championship in 1994. He held the title for 358 days, and yet that still wasn’t his most impactful accomplishment that decade.
Nash would sign with WCW the next year, and eventually form the nWo with Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall. The nWo storyline was a transformative program for the company, and ensured Nash would have untouchable staying power in WCW.
13. Scott Hall (Razor Ramon)
Scott Hall, however, was the first of the two Outsiders to make the move to WCW. The first half of the decade saw him dominate as Razor Ramon in WWE, with his memorable ladder match at WrestleMania X clinching a Hall of Fame spot for him as is.
But his move to WCW with Nash laid the groundwork for one of the most influential and important storylines in wrestling history, and Hall’s versatility and presence were essential to the presentation. He wouldn’t win the WCW World Championship as many suspected he eventually would, but his impact is undeniable.
14. Triple H
Triple H spent most of the first half of the 1990s playing second fiddle to Shawn Michaels, but the foundation was set for a meteoric rise into becoming a top star.
HHH would win the 1997 King of the Ring Tournament, the Intercontinental Championship, and European Championship in the 90s, before winning the WWE Championship in August of 1999 for the first time. “The Game” ascended to his role when Michaels stepped away from action, allowing him to take over D-Generation X and become a leader in the company. The majority of his success would come over the next decade, but the 90s were massive for his development nonetheless.
15. Lex Luger
Vince McMahon’s prototypical megastar looked a lot like Lex Luger, and it showed in the early 1990s. Luger’s run in WWE saw him co-win the 1994 Royal Rumble match, and famously bodyslam Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid.
He’d return to WCW though not long after, where he’d climb back to the top. He was an instrumental figure in the war against the nWo, and would eventually win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Luger is one of the greatest “body guys” in wrestling history, and was a big-time star for both companies.
