15 1990’s Wrestlers Who Shouldn’t Be Forgotten

Interest in wrestling was tapering off in the early 1990s, but by the end of the decade, the sport was experiencing its biggest ratings ever thanks to a feud between the WCW and WWE. These were the stars that defined the decade.
15. Lex Luger

Luger, who had a great run with the WCW, was positioned to become the main guy in the WWE during the early 1990s. It didn’t take and the company moved on to Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. Back in the WCW at the end of the decade, Luger was one of the biggest forces fighting against the NWO takeover.
14. Brian Pillman

A former NFL and CFL football player, Brian Pillman and Steve Austin had a hit tag team as the Hollywood Blondes in WCW. When he moved to the WWE in the mid-90’s he became the Loose Cannon, a cutting edge personality who feuded with Austin and Golddust before tragically passing away in 1997.
13. Taz

Built like a fireplug with incredible energy, Taz was a major star for Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid 90s. He would rise rapidly in the ECW first winning the Television Title before becoming the World Heavyweight Championship in 1998.
12. Goldberg

Bill Goldberg, formerly a defensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons had an incredible look. The look was so good that WCW had him go on a massive winning streak and win the Heavyweight Title before even really knowing how to wrestle. He was never great in the ring, but few were more over.
11. Goldust

Dustin Runnels, the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, had big shoes to fill and decided the best way to do so was with a really out there gimmick. Years before its time, Runnels made the Goldust character work both inside and outside of the ring.
10. Buff Bagwell

A former stripper turned wrestling superstar, Bagwell started his career in the WCW as a baby face. But when the NWO came around, he soon joined up with them, becoming a cocky and memorable heel though he was always a bit more about promise than production.
9. Doink the Clown

The run didn’t last all that long, but Doink the Clown was one of the most over wrestlers of the decade. First appearing as a heel in WWE, Doink would later make a face turn in an angle against Bam Bam Bigelow. Shortly afterward Matt Borne, the original Doink, was released due to a failed drug test.
8. Owen Hart

The youngest child in a family full or professional wrestlers, Owen Hart made his mark with a major feud against his brother, Bret. He would later win the Intercontinental Title with a win over Rocky Maivia. Tragically, Owen would die in the ring during a botched stunt at a pay per view event.
7. The Ultimate Warrior

Outside of Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior may be the best remembered wrestler of the 1990s. It wasn’t because he was good on the mic or in the ring, he wasn’t. But his energy and enthusiasm helped him get way over before before alienating nearly everyone in the business.
6. Diamond Dallas Page

New Jersey born and bred, Diamond Dallas Page moved from managing to wrestling in his mid-30s and managed to become one of the biggest stars in the WCW. Page was known for both his Diamond Cutter finishing move and his feud with the NWO.
5. Scott Hall

Few had a better run in the 1990s than Scott Hall. He first got way over in the WWE with his Razor Ramon gimmick and had a legendary ladder match with Shawn Michaels. Hall then moved over to WCW, creating the cutting edge Outsiders team with Kevin Nash.
4. Chris Jericho

Still an active star today, Chris Jericho managed to make his mark in ECW, WCW and WWE during the late 1990s. He won the Cruiserweight and Television Titles in WCW before winning the Intercontinental Championship in the WWE in 1999.
3. Shawn Michaels

A tag-team star in the 1980s with The Rockers, Michaels became a singles star in the early 1990s and rapidly climbed the ladder to the top of the card. He would win his first WWE title in 1996. While a back injury would shelve him for a few years, he would continue wrestling well into the 2000s.
2. Dwayne The Rock Johnson

After playing big-time college football for Miami, second-generation grappler Dwayne Johnson went into the family business of wrestling. He started out as a baby face, but didn’t really catch fire until he turned into an anti-hero and became the biggest star in the game.
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Austin as a tag team champion in WCW, but the organization didn’t see him as a big star. In the WWE, Austin got the chance to be himself and speak his mind and that resulted into one of the most over superstars in the history of the sport.