Most UNDERRATED wrestler ever???

[ThePrinceofOldSchool]

Since the most overrated wrestler ever is on here I though maybe throw this in too....
Who do you think is the most underrated wrestler ever in the history of wrestling is?

[LizardKing]

In the history? Man, that's a tough one. Here's some of the ones I feel have been underrated, either in not being acknowledged by the fans to be great or by not picking up respective title glories. Bear in mind this list is from the era I've been watching wrestling.

Mr Perfect - early 1990's, he was awesome, easily the best worker in the WWF but never made it to the top. A bit unlucky in injuries.

El Samurai - this guy rocks. The 1997 BoSJ showed how good he can be - his semi final (w/Ohtani) and final (w/Kanemoto) are both (underrated) junior classics. He's a solid worker, who has put in the consistently good performances that enabled the junior division to be so good. He was briefly my avatar because he's so good!

Osamu Nishimura - as discussed elsewhere, I love his style and his appearance. He's a smart, professional wrestler who gets the job done. Underrated in that I don't think he will reach the highest echelons of the NJ Heavyweight division because of his weight and slight lack of charisma. But he rocks IMO.

Ryuji Hijikata - All Japan junior who can't seem to win nomatter how good he is. He first caught my attention in BattlArts, where he looked a tasty rookie. Now he's improved no end and is (for my money) the best junior in the company, and yet All Japan push Ka Shin...where's the justice in that?

Yuki Ishikawa, Katsumi Usuda, Carl Malenko, Ikuto Hidaka, Takeshi Ono, Alexander Otsuka - The core of BattlArts. Watch BattlArts 98-00 and you will see the best wrestling anywhere - I promise. These guys are all amazing and yet overlooked because Batbat is just a small Indy. Chief among these guys is president Yuki Ishikawa - who rules. Period. BattlArts - I love it, you will love it, get it!

Daisuke Ikeda - Migrated from BattlArts to NOAH where he is chronically misused. Notoriously famous for breaking Bob Backlunds nose. He's good, better than some of the talent Misawa pushes.

Naoki/Takuma/Yuhi Sano - a fantastic wrestler who has made some unfortunate decisions in his career (like leaving New Japan for SWS, etc). He had the most fantastic feud with Jyushin Lyger during 89/90, and is still an amazing wrestler.

There's many more too but they escape me now.

[Hijo de Carlos]

How about Arn Anderson? Although he was involved in some high-level programs, I never got the feeling that fans thought of him as a great worker, which to me he was

[emlyn]

Samurai is definitely up there. I think his mask hampered him a bit in terms of being popular.

[Luds]

I'd say that in recent days, the following guys were underated:

Owen Hart: This guy was great. Never quite made it to the top. He was more of a flyer in his younger days (Blue Angel, Blue Blazer...) I saw him many times... I miss this guy

Curt Henning: Agree with LizardKing on that one. Hemmimg had it all. Great Looks, lots of Heel heat, great wrestling ability... He should/could have been a great heel champion...

Rick Rude: Pretty much like his good ffriend Henning, Rude had it all. Great gimmick (for then...) great skills, lotsof heet... He made it higher in WCW, but really should/could have made it as WWFnowE champion... Immagine the tag team Rude/Henning... Or the feuds for the title... Henning/Rude/Bret & Owen Hart/Michaels... Miss him too THank *** I bought a Rude tape of his best matches

Christian: People seem to think that he's just Edge's not so talented friend... Why? The guy is a natural heel! He's got great wrestling skills, great mic skills, great look... Remember the long hats!!! Or the Furry shirts with the sunglasses! This guy is SO funny!!! I'd love to see him elevated to IC champ again...

El Samurai: I love this guy... He's just better than what people think... I agree that his BoSJ 97 matches were great...

This list could go on... I love this subject...

[Dr Feelgood]

Mariko Yoshida is grotesquely underpushed IMO when you look at what she brings in the ring and, at the moment, out of the ring.

In the perennial jobber class, S.D. Jones looked better than at least 80% of the guys he put over

[The Great HORROR]

I have to say Test is unnderrated. But so is D-Lo Brown, Christian, Hurricane, Kidman, well half the WWE Talent Pool!

[ElGringo]

I think AKIRA is criminally underated. He's a fantastic worker, he has a ton of heel charisma, and he can do everything he does in a flashy yet perfectly executed way. He's on a par with Jado and Gedo in thepunk department and a beter wrestler than both those too. He's also good with the heayweights.

His IWGP Junior Title match with Tanaka was fantastic, and, if you watch the six man tags where he teams with Jado and Gedo against Lyger, Samurai and Tanaka, he's working the hardest and hitting his spots the cleanest out of the heel side.

I really hope he starts wrestlig more often. Even though I love Tanaka and Liger, I hope there transitional champs for another Team 2000 duo, and I really hope that's it Kannemoto and AKIRA rather than Kannemoto and Black Tiger.

[Ganso]

A lot of people looked at Shawn Micheals as the foundation of the Rockers, but Marty Jannety never recieved the recognition that he should of.

Jacques and Raymond Rougeau were great in the ring, they had talent, cool double-team moves and charisma during there stay in McMahon-Land.

And also, one of my favorite luchadores La Parka as well as many luchadores in WCW from 1997-until Russo released them.

[OldSchoolFan]

I have 4 simple names in no particular order.

Rick Rude - He MADE the ultimate warrior, period.
Arn Anderson - The best pure wrestler that never got the applause he desereved.
Bobby Eaton - Can you name a better tag team wrestler? didn't think so.
Jimmy Garvin - especially twords the end of his run in WCW with the freebirds. They consistantly had the best matches on the shows.

hmm In japan I'd probobly have to say Masato Tanaka. I was at a ECW spot show a few years ago and he and Balls Mahoney (also underrated IMO) had a hell of a match without even touching a table. Now granted about 9 minutes in they did their chair spot but c'mon you can't a match with those two without it hehehe.

[OldSchoolFan]

I'd also have to put Tayio Kea up there as well.

[mistyp0523]

I totally agree with Christian being underrated. He WAS E&C. He carried their matches and their promos. Edge gets pushed because he has the marketable look. And wow, he had two great matches with Kurt Angle...who hasn't? I like Edge and all, but he's not nearly the caliber of worker than Christian is.

Mr. Perfect is another that I agree with. He was IC champ for a good while, but he should have gotten the heavyweight strap. I hear he doesn't have the greatest attitude in the world though. That could be part of the problem.

And what about the incomparable Al Snow? He's great!

[emlyn]

Tatsumi Fujinami was not as big a star in his prime as he should have been.

Mike Awesome should be one of the biggest stars in the world today by his size and high flying ability. He screams marketability!

TAKA Michinoku's star has taken a real downturn, which is a shame as he had some superb matches before going to the States.

Takao Omori is still getting unnecissarily buried for the Hashimoto shoot match even though he's one of the top guys in terms of ability.

Gedo has been given so much stick as he wasnt as good as the other J Cup finalists, but has improved tons since then. People criticise him when they havent seen a match of his in 7 years!

2 Cold Scorpio, Art Barr, Psicosis, the list is endless!

[Peru-Yakuza]

Osamu Kido (New Japan) and Animal Hamaguchi (IWE, Japan Pro, etc.)

Kido was a superb technician trained by Karl Gotch, but his lack of size and charisma kept him in New Japan's back. The only real push he ever got was when he jumped to the first UWF and came back on the shooter heels side, winning the IWGP tag title with Maeda. After Maeda and the others left again, Kido remained on the back burner until his retirement last year.

Hamaguchi was slightly more successful, particularly in the old IWE where he won the tag title 4 times. After IWE collapsed, though, the other big leagues never gave him (or any of the others) opportunities for titles. In Riki Choshu's Japan Pro in the 80's he was going to be Choshu's second but Baba passed him in favor of Yoshiaki Yatsu because of Hamaguchi's lack of size. He had a final run in Tenryu's WAR in 1995. Today he is one of the best puroresu trainers, with his own dojo (opened early 90's) which trains for both amateur and pro competition. Among his best pupils are Satoshi Kojima, Takao Omori, and Shinjiro Otani.

[The Great HORROR]

Over Underrated guys:- Juvi, Shane Helms, Jimmy Yang, Kaz Hayashi, Jason Jett, Mike Sanders, Sean O'Haire, Sho Funaki, Shawn Stasiak, the list really is endless!