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Welcome back to the Road to WrestleMania 31. Hundreds of men and women have performed on the grandest stage over the course of its rich history. For the next few months, we will celebrate them all…from worst to best. Anyone who has ever had the honor of competing on a Mania card has joined an elite group of pro wrestlers. I salute them all. These rankings are meant to be purely fun and not taken too seriously, especially right now. All the same, we are moving into a part of the list that separated themselves from their peers in the 200s and 300s. So, we're going to spend a little bit more time on each, breaking down their contributions and getting a little bit more serious. Enjoy!  Snowman is a genius QUESTION OF THE DAY (10): Generally speaking, do you think WWE listens to its audience at this time of the year and pushes accordingly? 181. Evan Bourne 180. Raven 179. Cesaro 178. The Killer Bees 177. Bruno Sammartino 176. Marc Mero 175. (Tie) Ashley Massarro and Maria 173. Tazz 172. Ryback 171. George “The Animal” Steele 170. D’Lo Brown 169. The Head Bangers 168. Luna Vachon 167. Bull Buchanan 166. Don Muraco 165. The Great Khali 173. Tazz The ECW alumnus made his greatest contribution to WrestleMania history as a commentator for the majority of the brand split era as one of the voices of Smackdown! Yet, he also made a mark at WrestleMania during his brief WWE career as a performer. He debuted at Royal Rumble 2000, impressively defeating Kurt Angle in what appeared to be the beginning of a major push. It quickly fell off the rails from there, as he could only muster an inclusion in the Hardcore Battle Royal at WrestleMania that year. He won the Hardcore title twice in ten minutes (just look up the format if you’re unfamiliar), but was unable to leave with the strap around his waist. It was a bit of a disappointment after the reaction received on his first night in WWE. Kayfabe wise, though, it was in his element. A year later, he made his only other Mania appearance in a six man tag team match against the Right to Censor, in which he was apparently knocked for a loop in the opening minutes. He staggered his way through the rest, relying on partners, The APA, to do most of the work. Personally, my memories of Tazz are all about his words and not his actions. I really enjoyed his commentary with Michael Cole. I thought that they’re work was often strong enough that it made the aging, often forgetful Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler tandem look inferior, believe it or not. 172. Ryback I’ve got a short memory when it comes to this guy. I never liked him, if I’m being honest. I thought he was lousy from the get-go and I was dumbfounded by his popularity in 2012. Nevertheless, when I went to NYC for Mania 29, I thought of him as a major player in the making. I was in the gift shop that WWE had put together for Met Life attendees and I nearly bought my daughter a Ryback onesie sporting his logo and catchphrase before opting for a standard, pink “Mania 29” shirt that she could grow into (I’m trying to influence my kids to watch wrestling with daddy). “Feed Me More” was one of the enduring stories of the previous year, I’d concluded. Apparently, it wasn’t enduring at all. What I assumed would be a dominant victory over Mark Henry to catapult him to the next level turned into a momentum-killing loss in front of 80,676 live and over a million around the world. He flopped as a headlining heel and ended up in last year’s Battle Royal. Yet, what have we been continually discussing these last several weeks about memories? He left an impression on me that I haven’t shaken, yet. Two years from now on an updated list, Ryback could be way back in the mid-200s. We’ll see. 171. George “The Animal” Steele Though best known for his role as a psychotic heel in the previous decade, Steele became a loveable character in the 1980s as WWE was starting to get hot while riding Hulkamania to unprecedented success. He was like a big ugly teddy bear, all due respect to him. Something about him made him very likeable and, to his credit, he accentuated it well. For about two years in Mania lore, he was one of the most prominent figures in the Intercontinental Championship division. At the time, the IC title was the third biggest title in pro wrestling behind only the WWE and NWA World Championships. Macho Man was the IC Champion during the time that Steele was so heavily factored into the proceedings. He was the challenger to Savage’s strap at Mania 2, giving Macho a name that carried weight within the industry to compete with on his first appearance at “The Show of Shows.” Though Steele could not win the title, he did aid in Ricky Steamboat winning it a year later in the most celebrated IC title match in history. As Savage climbed the ropes to deliver the elbow drop and retain the title during the climax of the first classic match in Mania lore, Steele gave Savage a shove that sent Macho careening to the mat. A few moments later, Steamboat rolled up the champion for the 1, 2, 3. 170. D’Lo Brown I wrote this blurb about D’Lo on the day after Xavier Woods joined forces with Big E and Kofi Kingston on Raw in what some have called a PG stereotype. D’Lo was a supporting cast member of the Nation of Domination, working his way up the chain of command and becoming a very good mid-card wrestler. None of his success ever really translated to Mania, as he was never a big enough act to earn a prominent spot on a “Show of Shows” card, but he was around for four straight Manias from 13-16. He was with the key N.O.D. members for the biggest team contest of their existence in the Chicago Street Fight and competed on their behalf a year later in the Tag Team Battle Royal at Mania XIV. 1998 was his best year as a pro. As of 1999, he started to backslide. Though he challenged for the Tag Team titles with Test after the duo co-won at Heat Battle Royal at Mania XV, he combined with Droz for a botched move that paralyzed Droz. Surely, that shook D’Lo to his core. A loss in the curtain jerker a year later ended Brown’s Mania run. 169. The Head Bangers Mosh and Thrasher were a prime example of the New Generation’s tendency to gimmick everything. Grunge was quite popular in the early 1990s, so WWE took a couple of interesting looking dudes and had them dress the part. They made their Mania debut at 13, taking part in the Fatal Fourway tag team match to open the show. It was not a particularly memorable performance, but they did pick up the victory to become number one contenders to the tag titles. The following year, they were in the curtain jerker again, but were unable to recreate their Chicago success in Boston’s WrestleMania XIV Tag Team Battle Royal. They completed their resume in another battle royal at Mania 2000 for the Hardcore title, during which Thrasher temporarily won the tainted gold. I was never much of a fan, frankly. They did nothing for me. Limited success came their way, though. 168. Luna Vachon The niece of WWE Hall of Famer, Mad Dog Vachon, Luna was a unique female performer that basically had two distinct periods in her WWE career. During her initial run, she was a vicious addition the roster. The inflection in her tone of voice made her downright creepy. Even with the combination of her voice and her look, she still was not altogether atypical for a ladies wrestler as of the early 1990s. Her two Mania appearances back then involved her accompanying Shawn Michaels to the ring for his IC title defense against Tatanka in 1993 and tagging with Bam Bam Bigelow – weren’t they a match made in somewhere other than Heaven? – to take on Doink and Dink the Clowns at Mania X. She took a hiatus and came back to WWE in the late 1990s, where she played pretty much the same strange role, but did so in a changed environment. The era of the Diva was setting in thanks to Sunny and Sable, the latter of whom drew Luna’s considerable ire. She provided a stark contrast to help transition to buxom, scantily clad supermodels being the WWE norm for women, most notably clashing with Sable and Marc Mero in a mixed tag match with Goldust as her partner at WrestleMania XIV. 167. Bull Buchanan Yo, Yo, Yo…B2 in the house. Sike. Before John Cena (the rapper, not the Golden Boy) stripped him down to his initials, Bull Buchanan was a reasonably successful Attitude Era wrestler – a very good athlete with pretty good size and limited charisma. He debuted as a member of the Truth Commission that made their initial name in the NXT-style developmental territory of its day. Known as Recon, he took place in the WrestleMania XIV Tag Team Battle Royal and was about as memorable as a bad joke in third grade. Yet, as time wore on, he showcased his athleticism and managed to get a foothold in the WWE mid-card. Two years later, he was a solid utility guy, teaming with various stars including Big Bossman at Mania 2000 in an opening match victory. Buchanan and Bossman seemingly inspired the S.W.A.T. team attire worn most recently by The Shield. At Mania X-Seven, Bull was a member of the effective Right to Censor faction, losing to the APA and Tazz. 166. Don Muraco Don Muraco is one of the WWE Hall of Famers that was around when the WrestleMania Era began, but reached his peak right before it. He was the famous IC Champion that defeated Jimmy Snuka in a Cage match at MSG that led to the Superfly Splash from the top, beginning the “I’m going to really do this” stages of Mick Foley’s and Bubba Ray Dudley’s careers. He was a star, Muraco. He and Mr. Fuji were a great duo that history has underrated, in regards to helping WWE transition from a traditional pro wrestling company to a sports entertainment empire. Their “Fuji Vice” and “Fuji General” spoofs of popular 80s TV shows were classic. At Mania, Muraco was credited with being in the opening match twice – 3 and the first leg of 2 – losing both times. He got a win to advance to the quarterfinals of the Mania IV WWE Championship tournament, but took the fall for finalist, Ted Dibiase. He also made a backstage appearance at Mania XX, standing with Superfly during Rock’s promo as an homage to their MSG history. 165. The Great Khali Though he is quite possibly my least favorite wrestler of all-time, Great Khali ends up this high on the list because of his match with Kane at WrestleMania 23. No, it was not a huge match or anything close to a headliner, but it was treated with a certain bit of nostalgic reverie that has stuck with me throughout the years. Khali vs. Kane was painted as sort of a tribute to Hogan vs. Andre from twenty years prior in the nearby venue in Pontiac. The match itself could have been far worse. I had predicted in my mind, prior to reviewing the match live on PPV for LOP, that it would contend for all-time worst Mania match. It turned out to be, by some miracle, a watchable outing thanks to Kane. Yet, it was the bodyslam highlighted on the post-Mania 23 video recap that has endured in my memory, elevating the match beyond the majority of the mid-card efforts that featured a lot of the previously listed superstars. Khali’s only other contributions have been in last year’s Battle Royal, during which he was naturally a focal point for a short time, and the 14-man tag match in the battle of the GMs in Miami. 181. Evan Bourne Evan “Air” Bourne was a lot of fun to watch when he was prominently featured in WWE for a couple of years. At the turn of the last decade, he was coming on strong as one of the go-to high flyers in the company, capable of dazzling the audience with his vast array of flawlessly timed spots. Had the Money in the Bank Ladder match stuck around at Mania past 2010, then we might have seen him find a niche for a long time. Unfortunately, his highlight performance at Mania XXVI was the only time that he showed his face on the grandest stage. He made an impression, offering the most memorable spot of the last MITB match to take place at Mania – a standing moonsault off of a ladder to several opponents below. That one move was more memorable than some guys have been in plenty more time over numerous appearances. Injuries have largely derailed his career. Being slight of frame did him no favors in an industry where muscle mass has become as much a prerequisite for survival to endure the rigors of the ring as it has earning quality TV time for a promotion historically obsessed with bodybuilding. 180. Raven With a guy like Raven, you can legitimately ask what the difference is between a guy who had one solid appearance at arguably the greatest WrestleMania of all-time and someone that had multiple appearances at less quality Manias in shorter matches that failed to standout. For instance, in the next installment, we’ll talk about a modern star that didn’t really do much in any of his several outings. It’s a good question. Raven was the reigning Hardcore Champion during the last days of the title’s relevance, defending it against Kane and Big Show at the famed Mania 17. He lost the title that night, but considering what he was able to do for a title once presumed dead in the water by many fans, you could certainly argue that Raven’s lone Mania match trumped what others were able to do in more tries. Historically, Raven narrowly missed his window. Had he done what he did in WCW in WWE, he’d rank higher, in all likelihood. 179. Cesaro OK, I’m presuming a lot, here. Had Money in the Bank not become as big a deal as it had, someone like Mr. Kennedy would have been posted a long time ago. As such, MITB was huge and it’ll still be a little while before he ends up on the list. I’m presuming that the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal last year will be something for Cesaro to hang his hat on for years to come. I thought it was presented very well at Mania XXX and I thought that he was showcased very well in becoming the first to win the trophy. Battle Royals have a good legacy at Mania. Winning them means something to me, at least. So, Cesaro gets a major boost up the ranks with his one Mania match because that one victory was quite impressive and carries with it a potentially significant historical value. If time passes and Cesaro never does anything of note beyond that night, then he’ll join Ryback as a star who could fall much further down the ranks in the future. If Cesaro becomes a noteworthy contributor for years, then we may well view his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal win as the launching pad to that success. This is a very conditional choice… (I’ll save you the trouble, folks… “SMARK!!!!”) 178. The Killer Bees In the first of the golden ages of tag team wrestling in WWE, The Killer Bees were one of the utility teams that could be called upon to do anything at any time. If you recall William Perry’s celebrity induction into the Hall of Fame in 2006, you might get an impression of how even prominent mainstream fans of the industry felt about B. Brian Blair and “Jumpin’” Jim Brunzell in their heyday. They were celebrated as very good wrestlers with whom others enjoyed working. It was in the WrestleMania 2 NFL vs. WWE Battle Royal that the Bees tangled with Perry, who glowingly referenced them and a select few other superstars in his acceptance speech. They also competed in the Battle Royal at Mania IV. Their lone tag team match at Mania came against former champions Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff in a losing effort before 93,173 fans in Detroit. 177. Bruno Sammartino I never set out to become a wrestling historian, but just developed a passion for a sport/entertainment entity in which there aren’t many historians. As those of you who read my book know, I decided against an attempt to creating the ultimate fan account of wrestling’s entire history, instead focusing on the modern era in large part due to lack of access to video footage, at the time, that would allow me to develop my own opinion of guys like Bruno Sammartino. I will say this, though: it has been one of my favorite nights in my wrestling fandom to have been there, in person, to see Bruno get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. His contributions are undeniable. There would not have been a modern era to write about if it were not for Sammartino, who accompanied his son for a match at the original Mania and took part in the Mania 2 Battle Royal. 176. Marc Mero Marc Mero stood out to me a lot more than he actually stood out in WWE. He was wrestling as Johnny B. Badd in WCW when I attended my first house show in the early 1990s. Then, I remember him vividly from his Mania XII appearance where he made his backstage debut by sticking up for Sable and getting into a physical altercation with Hunter Hearst Helmsley. For some reason, I thought he was involved in more than just one Mania match thereafter, but all that Mero did was try to hold down Sable in 1998 when she was skyrocketing to the top of the wrestling industry. Mero and Sable wrestled a mixed tag match against Goldust and Luna Vachon in Boston at Mania XIV. It was a fun match, with all four playing their roles very well, but I was surprised that it was the only match for Mero at Mania (though he debuted at Mania XII in a backstage scrap with Triple H). I suppose it was significant for its time (and underrated, at that). 175. (Tie) Maria and Ashley Massarro I can sit here and recall right now how I felt about Maria when she first debuted. I was as smitten as one could be with a TV personality. She had that “girl next door” quality. She was in her early twenties, as was I, and I frequently wondered what I would do if I met the pretty young Diva. Maybe I’d pour milk on her like Eugene did in that backstage segment. I don’t know. I’m being random. I just enjoyed the cute little thing that was Maria. I had a conversation with one of my wrestling-writer colleagues a while back about the various ways to view and admire women in WWE. Maria was the type I would’ve taken home to mom back then. Hey, I hope she’s doing well. Cheers, Maria. Her Mania career was just fine for that day and age. She was a Lumberjill for the Mania 23 title match and was, then, the focal point for the women’s division at Mania 24 during the period where whichever Diva posed for Playboy got a push. She finished off her run with an appearance in the Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal in 2009. Ashley had an almost identical Mania career.
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