Well folks, the title says it all. This week's rant will be looking at the most underrated wrestlers according to my humble opinion. Before we get to the list and curse words spew and hate mail is sent, let me share the criteria and parameters I am using to make my decisions.  First I am considering only stars from the 80's and 90's who are retired or semi-retired, meaning they no longer hold a consistent schedule in a major organization. Now the defining criteria for underrated is as follows:

1. These are wrestlers who in their active prime did not obtain success reached by peers with less skill in two or more areas (technical ability, mike skills, charisma, psychology, and character construction).

2. Wrestlers who received their deserved credit in their prime but for whatever reason are no longer discussed or held in the same level their careers call for.

Before the list begins let's be clear like crystal. This list is not a statement of whether a wrestler was not good or great . It' s simply a determination of who received/receives too little credit in proportion to their skill set. In no particular order here are the five underrated:

1. Arn Anderson: Try not being overshadowed when you run with an in-his-prime "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, it isn't going to happen. Arn was Pippen to Flair's Jordan. What couldn't Arn do? Impeccable in-ring, great on a microphone, and a solid character that he never waivered from. Some have said Arn was "colorless", if that means he didn't rely on pastels and face paint then okay. But a color he was familiar with is green: that's what he and the other Horseman brought in for 80's Crockett promotions.

2. Rick Martel: Before you object hear me out. Yes, I realize his highest profile match in the WWE was at WM 7 with a sack on his head, but that's part of his underratedness.  Here was a guy with great  technical skill, a great look, and at-least average mike skills, but all WWF can do for his solo career is saddle him with a lame gimmick which cemented him to the middle of the card, while the Honky Tonk idiot is IC champion. Not to mention most remeber him for his d-bag antics as "The Model", but here was a man who held the AWA World Title for over a year. Granted it was at the beginning of their decline, but he still had some great matches including a near 60 minute  champion vs. champion classic with Ric Flair in Canada.

3. Barry Windham- Here's my dilemma. In the latter part of his career Windham just faded out, greatly declining and trying to rely on lame  beneath-his-skills gimmicks like the new "Blackjacks", "Widowmaker", and the "West Texas Rednecks". But before that, Windham made one hell of a US champion and Four Horseman. In fact I consider him, Flair, Arn and Tully the strongest incarnation of the legendary faction. Before even that, Windham had a slew of instant classic draws with Flair for the NWA title.

4. Bob Backlund: My God, I am literally going to chop off my hands if I have to keep writing complimentary things about this "dopey Opie". But truth is truth, and for six years he was over as WWF champ. Once Vince Jr took over, he was dumped unceremoniously for Hogan (with an Iron Sheik transistion). Little is mentioned or regarded of his accomplishments nowadays. Because he seems lame as a three-legged dog now, doesn't mean he was always seen that way, or least as badly.

5. Steve Williams: "Dr Death" spent most of his prime in Mid-South/UWF and Japan and by the time he arrived in WWF he was a shadow of his former self. Therefore due to less people seeing him, fewer realize here was an intense competitor with an "it factor" that should have lead him to a World Title. 

That's my look at it and during the week there will be a rant on the 80's and 90's most overrated. Take care and enjoy wrestling. Feel free to send responses to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .