UKFF TOP 50 Wrestlers ... EVER!

[steve rayson]

Prime Years: 1988-1997

 

Why till 97? Sting was still a champion and a top draw for WCW till late 2000.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Why till 97? Sting was still a champion and a top draw for WCW till late 2000.

You could try reading the write-up if you wanted to know. Or watch Sting in WCW in 2000 to see why anyone would think working nothing matches in a dying promotion and looking like he'd rather be somewhere else would be his prime years.

 

24. D'Lo Brown

Prime Years: 1997-1999

 

Info: If you were a wrestling fan in 1999, chances are you were a fan of D'Lo. In our school, he was over huge. He was just a cool looking, arrogant bloke. Anyone who was anyone liked that theme song as well. If a conversation broke out in a class where wrestling was brought up, even the people you wouldnt think would be into it would say "that D'Lo Brown is class". He was a star, and should have been far bigger than what he was.

 

Worked for Smokey Mountain Wrestling in the mid-90s, where he supplemented his income by mowing Jim Cornette’s lawn during his downtime. Arrived on the big stage as a really fat member of the original Nation of Domination squad lead by Faarooq. D’Lo wasn’t much of a force in the early days. His role was usually to either stand there as PG-13 rapped or to take career shortening bumps from Ahmed Johnson. Faarooq got frustrated with this version of the group and fired PG-13, Crush, Savio Vega and some unnamed black lads that usually hung around Ron Simmons. Brown, Clarence Mason and Faarooq remained in the ring when the leader of the Nation proclaimed “there is just one more left to fire”. Since D’Lo didn’t have any degree which could get Faarooq off on gun charges, prostitution or whatever they get up to in their spare time, D’Lo immediately thought that meant he was next. “D’Lo …” Faarooq began, as a sad Dee looked on “hold the rope open for Clarence.” D’Lo looked like he had new confidence bread into him and the new Nation was better than ever, when The Godfather, Rocky Maivia and Mark Henry eventually joined the posse.

 

D’Lo was a talent as well. He had a different look about him. He had a presence that few mid-card acts exuded at the time. He seemed to be brimming with self belief during the late 90s and especially in 1998-99. He was always comfortable on the microphone, always delivered the goods in the ring and noticeably strutted to the ring with that head bobbling around like he was above it all. Adding the Lo Down Frog Splash to his arsenal and a modified spine buster called the Sky-High, he was one of the most consistent wrestlers as well. Months seemed like years during the Attitude era, so it was surprising that this new Nation didn’t really last long. With the Rock shooting to stardom, he came the leader of a new and improved Nation, now featuring Owen Hart. D’Lo also shook up his character with the emergence of a new, richer, more talented and younger Nation of Domination. In a match with Dan Severn, D’Lo’s pectoral muscle was torn. This gave him the excuse to wear a chest protector in his match. A chest protector which WWF officials had to allow him to use on medical grounds and a chest protector that came in more than handy when delivering the Lo Down. Two weeks after he began wearing the chest protector, he beat Triple H to win the European title, in a big upset even then.

 

D’Lo took on all comers when he lifted to European belt. X-Pac failed in his attempts to lift the belt in a typically good match at Fully Loaded. Val Venis tried his luck in a cracking opener at SummerSlam 98, but D’Lo again came up trumps. He did swap the belt a couple of times with X-Pac during this period. He had a great little feud with X-Pac. They wrestled loads of times on TV and PPV in mid to late 98. Most of the matches turning out belters. The Nation broke up for good post SummerSlam, but D’Lo remained loyal to his pal Mark Henry. Mark beat the Rock of all people clean, in what seemed to be a statement of intent that they had big plans of Mizark and B-Low. Unfortunately, they were somewhat jobbers to the stars as a tag team, losing to the likes of the Headbangers, the Outlaws, The Brood and all sorts of others. Jacqueline and Terri Runnels began balling up to Henry and Brown. More to get Sexual Chocolate a shag more than anything else, I imagine. It was D’Lo who got in trouble though. He knocked Terri off the ring apron and she lost the baby she was never actually pregnant with. Being a smashing bloke, D’Lo showed his lovely side by sticking by Terri no matter how much of a complete pain in the arse she was. When Dr. Frenchy altered D’Lo to the news she was never pregnant in the first place, D’Lo lost his shit. He was now a face.

 

Meanwhile, Mark Henry was having a spot of bother on his own, in the form of Tag Team Champions, Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett. In their first PPV match, Mark Henry suffered a knee injury which put him out for a while. You’d have to think Brown and Henry would have won the belts somewhere down the line (everyone else seemed to) if he stayed fit. The injury was probably the best thing to happen to D’Lo. He went into singles competition and when Henry was fit still palled up to the big man in his times of need (like the time his sex addiction saw him shagging old women). The European title was brought back for D’Lo as well. After Shane McMahon won it, the belt disappeared, only to be brought back as a present for Shane’s Corporate Ministry stable mate Mideon. At Fully Loaded, D’Lo made quick work of Mideon in a match designed to get the belt back on its greatest ever holder. Fans were going mental for D’Lo during this period. He was loved by the fans. His had it all by this point. Usually one of the best matches on the card, completely likable and some trademark Jim Johnston brilliance over the PA system in the form of some cracking new entrance music.

 

“What you gonna do about it - BRING IT ON!”

 

Jeff Jarrett was the best opponent for D’Lo Brown. Two of the WWF’s best wrestlers and characters couldn’t fail. On an episode of Raw, D’Lo kicked off the feud by winning the Intercontinental title from Double J, making himself the first ever Eurocontinental champion. They had another good match at SummerSlam where D’Lo lost both the belts to Jarrett when Mark Henry did the unthinkable and SWERVED~ our man. The pop D’Lo got when he came out was that of a star, though. He was in the best form and shape of his life. Nobody was chomping at the bit to see the two lovable friends feud. Henry was portrayed as the thick as fuck heel, and was given the European belt as a reward for getting the IC title back on Jarrett’s southern silver trunk adorned hips. D’Lo won the belt back as easy as you like the month after.

 

His career completely fell off a cliff. He became the Godfathers tag team partner, and even dressed as him in an attempt at comedy. If that was bad enough, he was given Headbanger Mosh as a tag team partner in a team called Lo Down. They had a good start. They did a combination Suplex and Frog Slash move reminiscent of Power and Glory’s finisher and seemed be getting a slow build beating teams on heat. Plans changed when Tiger Ali Singh became their manager. They began dressing as Sikhs, complete with Turbans and Indian dresses. They were fucking rotten. The end came for this dynamic duo when they were arguing who was going into the Royal Rumble and Vince McMahon had to inform them Drew Carey was getting the gig ahead of this pair of jokers. Someone must have still liked D’Lo, because Mosh and Singh got the sack, and D’Lo remained employed and sent to the Developmental leagues. D’Lo returned two years later on Sunday Night Heat, working squash matches and generally feuding with nobodies. D’Lo was under the management of Teddy Long when he finally appeared on Raw. He worked a racism angle, until someone thought D’Lo couldn’t carry the angle and Rodney Mack took over. D’Lo was finally released from his contract in 2003.

 

D’Lo popped up in the early days of NWA: TNA’s Weekly PPV’s. He looked good as well. He cut a memorable promo which included the words “I got fired, do you think I want to be here?” as the fans cheered. He also wroked for All Japan, adopting a red singlet to his outfit, which was confusing. D’Lo took a trip across the Atlantic to coach a bunch of celebrities on ITV’s Celebrity Wrestling. A complete disaster in every way, nobody watched it. If memory serves me right, “Needs More D’Lo” was what Gary Bushel and Ally Ross wrote their columns in the British Tabloids. He came back to the WWE for a few months in 2008 and was again released. He then jotted off back to the Land of the Bright Floodlights and became the GHC Tag Team Champions in Pro Wrestling NOAH. He partner, you ask? It was Bull Buchanan. So, no Bull wasnt on his arse, and no Cena wasnt the best partner Buchanan ever had. So there! He currently works for TNA as a road agent and generally odd job man. We might not have seen the last of D’Lo though. He recently worked an angle with Al Snow where they brawled in the ring, which seems to forgotten about. He also popped up in an angle with Eric Young as well, so you never know. Hopefully we might see D’Lo wrestle again. Anything is possible with TNA. I cant be the only one who'd rather see D'Lo than Abyss, Mr. Anderson, Brian Kendrick, Crimson, Matt Morgan, Football Boy, the little Mexican Bloke and Shannon Moore.

 

 

Did he have shit on the market?: Not as much as you would think. Since D'Lo had a good 2 or 3 years, he was about obviously. But the last 10 or 11 years he'd been in and out of promotions and doing very little as far as an onscreen character goes. I myself thought there would have been more out.

They Said? "Great music. BRING IT ON!", "One of my favourite wrestlers. Used to listen to his theme song all the time".

[Tommy!]

You forgot his crowning glory, that blindfold match with HHH.

[ColinBollocks]

Did you miss out a paragraph?

 

I loved D'Lo at the time, like all fine men. Still isn't better than Sting, but I'll probably say that for most of the remaining list.

[Bus Surfer]

I forgot D'Lo got hooked up as a fucking Sikh.

 

Loving these write ups. Fantastic job.

[Arch Stanton]

I really wish I had bothered to vote in this now, but most of my favourites are popping up anyway. I used to love D'Lo, he had it all really- a good look, awesome theme tune, loads of charisma and a cracking moveset. It's depressing looking back at how over midcard guys were back in the Attitude era compared to now.

 

I remember being really gutted for D'Lo when his WWE comebacks in 2003 and 2008 both failed to take off.

[steve rayson]

Why till 97? Sting was still a champion and a top draw for WCW till late 2000.

You could try reading the write-up if you wanted to know. Or watch Sting in WCW in 2000 to see why anyone would think working nothing matches in a dying promotion and looking like he'd rather be somewhere else would be his prime years.

 

I read it and it's hard to agree that the Stinger was just "another wrestler" during that time. Had some great stuff in 99 and 00 and was one of the main guys in that time in the number two promotion, how is that period of time not eligible to count as Sting being in his prime? Christ, you gave Bossman a 1988-1999 run when in fact The Boss/Big Bubba Rogers/Ray Traylor didn't do anything from 1994-1998...

[IANdrewDiceClay]

You obviously dont understand what a persons prime is. Post 1997, Sting never wrestled house shows, was never a significant draw and never as good as he was in 1997 both in the ring or as far as his ability to be a stand out wrestler. He's been the resident legend or special attraction draw since he returned at Starrcade. Big Bubba/Ray Traylor/The Boss was obviously still considered enough in his prime to be signed by the biggest promotion in the world working house show main events in 1999 during the biggest business boom ever. Boss Man was arguably more use to the WWF in 1998 and 1999 as he was in the early 90s. If he wasnt still in his prime, he wouldnt have been used to that degree or been resigned and put into a main event feud. Did Austin's prime end in 1999 because he was out for a year? Hogan's been past his prime since 1998, does that mean Hogan hasnt done anything since 1998? No. Thats not what my point is. Bret Hart's been past his prime since 1997 as well, but he did some good stuff in 99. Stop nitpicking.

[HarmonicGenerator]

D'Lo is responsible for my favourite live wrestling experience. He was appearing on an Indy show (Dan Fitch's first one) in Newcastle, alongside Raven, Austin Aries, Doug Williams and Sandman. It was a good show in the first half - PAC became a star, Spud and Joe Legend were good...

 

... And then D'Lo came out. And the place LOST ITS SHIT.

 

Seriously, I've never experienced a reaction like it. The pop was MASSIVE. Newcastle loved D'Lo more than anyone could have known. And they didn't fucking stop the entire time he was out there - his entrance pop essentially lasted the entire match and beyond.

 

He was there for a Triple Threat match against Sheamus and a north east guy called Assassin, but to be honest, they may as well not have bothered. That crowd was there for one reason and that reason was D'Lo. The pop sustained, the cheering and chanting continuous. He tried to get out of the ring and let the other two guys get a bit of the spotlight, but we weren't having it.

 

The main chant was "D'Lo is a legend". It got progressively louder and louder, and after the match, it kept going. Sheamus and Assassin mercifully returned to the back and let D'Lo have the ring to himself. "D'Lo is a legend, D'Lo is a legend". I'd like to think he was genuinely a bit moved by how much love he was getting.

 

Anyway, he was a class act when I met him as part of that show, and he's responsible for my favourite live wrestling show memory. D'Lo is indeed a legend.

[Arch Stanton]

Did D'Lo work the first ever 1PW show? I can't remember anymore.

[steve rayson]

You obviously dont understand what a persons prime is. Post 1997, Sting never wrestled house shows, was never a significant draw and never as good as he was in 1997 both in the ring or as far as his ability to be a stand out wrestler. He's been the resident legend or special attraction draw since he returned at Starrcade. Big Bubba/Ray Traylor/The Boss was obviously still considered enough in his prime to be signed by the biggest promotion in the world working house show main events in 1999 during the biggest business boom ever. Boss Man was arguably more use to the WWF in 1998 and 1999 as he was in the early 90s. If he wasnt still in his prime, he wouldnt have been used to that degree or been resigned and put into a main event feud. Did Austin's prime end in 1999 because he was out for a year? Hogan's been past his prime since 1998, does that mean Hogan hasnt done anything since 1998? No. Thats not what my point is. Bret Hart's been past his prime since 1997 as well, but he did some good stuff in 99. Stop nitpicking.

 

The Bossman getting re-hired by the WWF seemed much more like Vince wanting to give an old washed up star a second chance than anything else. Saying he still was in his prime during 94-98 when he pretty much did nothing and didn't look like the talent that he once was is just nonsense.

[Arch Stanton]

You obviously dont understand what a persons prime is. Post 1997, Sting never wrestled house shows, was never a significant draw and never as good as he was in 1997 both in the ring or as far as his ability to be a stand out wrestler. He's been the resident legend or special attraction draw since he returned at Starrcade. Big Bubba/Ray Traylor/The Boss was obviously still considered enough in his prime to be signed by the biggest promotion in the world working house show main events in 1999 during the biggest business boom ever. Boss Man was arguably more use to the WWF in 1998 and 1999 as he was in the early 90s. If he wasnt still in his prime, he wouldnt have been used to that degree or been resigned and put into a main event feud. Did Austin's prime end in 1999 because he was out for a year? Hogan's been past his prime since 1998, does that mean Hogan hasnt done anything since 1998? No. Thats not what my point is. Bret Hart's been past his prime since 1997 as well, but he did some good stuff in 99. Stop nitpicking.

 

The Bossman getting re-hired by the WWF seemed much more like Vince wanting to give an old washed up star a second chance than anything else. Saying he still was in his prime during 94-98 when he pretty much did nothing and didn't look like the talent that he once was is just nonsense.

Fuck's sake, just let it go.

[steve rayson]

You obviously dont understand what a persons prime is. Post 1997, Sting never wrestled house shows, was never a significant draw and never as good as he was in 1997 both in the ring or as far as his ability to be a stand out wrestler. He's been the resident legend or special attraction draw since he returned at Starrcade. Big Bubba/Ray Traylor/The Boss was obviously still considered enough in his prime to be signed by the biggest promotion in the world working house show main events in 1999 during the biggest business boom ever. Boss Man was arguably more use to the WWF in 1998 and 1999 as he was in the early 90s. If he wasnt still in his prime, he wouldnt have been used to that degree or been resigned and put into a main event feud. Did Austin's prime end in 1999 because he was out for a year? Hogan's been past his prime since 1998, does that mean Hogan hasnt done anything since 1998? No. Thats not what my point is. Bret Hart's been past his prime since 1997 as well, but he did some good stuff in 99. Stop nitpicking.

 

The Bossman getting re-hired by the WWF seemed much more like Vince wanting to give an old washed up star a second chance than anything else. Saying he still was in his prime during 94-98 when he pretty much did nothing and didn't look like the talent that he once was is just nonsense.

Fuck's sake, just let it go.

 

Not until white boots Sting will get the respect he deserves

[air_raid]

Did D'Lo work the first ever 1PW show? I can't remember anymore.

 

Yes. He wrestled Sterling Keenan. The finish was him getting SJK ready for Three Amigos and shouting to the crowd "this is for Eddie Guerrero!" I was most baffled, turning to my mates and saying "What? Is Eddie dead?" As D'Lo went for the third suplex, Keenan small packaged him for the upset.

 

Six weeks later, Eddie was dead. Spooked me a bit, it was almost as if D'Lo knew.

[Arch Stanton]

Did D'Lo work the first ever 1PW show? I can't remember anymore.

 

Yes. He wrestled Sterling Keenan. The finish was him getting SJK ready for Three Amigos and shouting to the crowd "this is for Eddie Guerrero!" I was most baffled, turning to my mates and saying "What? Is Eddie dead?" As D'Lo went for the third suplex, Keenan small packaged him for the upset.

 

Six weeks later, Eddie was dead. Spooked me a bit, it was almost as if D'Lo knew.

That's jogged my memory- cheers. I can't remember if I got to meet D'Lo or not now. I'm sure if I had I would at least remember that.