The best wrestlers you dislike (who haven’t committed a serious crime)

[RedTwoster]

A self-explanatory topic here, and for avoidance of doubt, I’m looking for good wrestlers you dislike purely based on what we’ve seen on-screen.

The boring, obvious answer for me is Roderick Strong. He’s one of my least favourite wrestlers ever, but I can fully acknowledge that he’s tremendous in ring.

So with that in mind, I’ll go with a different pick:

For the most part, I’ve liked his booking. Recently his flaws in that sense have been exposed - but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve enjoyed his run as WWE creative lead up until this year.

As a wrestler, though…I’ve never enjoyed him. When I started watching wrestling in 2002, he was a blight on the Raw brand. I really enjoyed the first match I saw of his at Summerslam 2002, but after that I found him utterly tedious, even in the matches of his that people rate.

As with Roderick Strong, it’s mainly about his character. As a heel he’s boring, as a baby face he’s smarmy and unlikeable. The less said about his mid-late 2000s DX run the better. 

I found it almost impossible to enjoy any of his matches, in fact, I’d often skip them. Even now, if I’m watching older wrestling, I generally bring myself to watch his stuff. I’d just end up feeling irritated. 

Who would your pick or picks be?

Edited December 12, 2025 by RedTwoster

[BarryOVega]

Obviously he did commit two horrendous crimes but if it had never have happened I’d still say Chris Benoit

shite rolling German Suplex he was miles too short to make look good, him and Malenko running round like the Time Bandits at Survivor Series 2000, cringe inducing when they tried giving him some personality when him and Jericho were after Austin’s belt (telling Vince to ‘stand back’ after they’d shown the Slammy video)

Had the worst promo video on Thunder on PS1 as well, so fuck him

[IronSheik]

Dean Malenko

[RedTwoster]

3 hours ago, BarryOVega said:

Obviously he did commit two horrendous crimes but if it had never have happened I’d still say Chris Benoit

shite rolling German Suplex he was miles too short to make look good, him and Malenko running round like the Time Bandits at Survivor Series 2000, cringe inducing when they tried giving him some personality when him and Jericho were after Austin’s belt (telling Vince to ‘stand back’ after they’d shown the Slammy video)

Had the worst promo video on Thunder on PS1 as well, so fuck him

If he were to appear on the scene today, I’m not at all certain he’d have made it in the way he did - he was absolutely horrendous on the mic, and I struggle to think of the last men’s World Champion for either WWE or AEW who you could say that about. There are so many great in-ring performers out there, that this aspect of his skill set would make him stand out much less, as good as he was.

I’ve not watched a Benoit match since he murdered his family though, so my memory of how good he was might be skewed. I may be underrating his ability, but fuck him, he doesn’t deserve anything more than that.

[tiger_rick]

All of the Undisputed geeks. I hate the way they work, they look awful, they're always in spots they shouldn't be in and the only one of them who can talk, Cole, isn't anywhere near as good as Triple H and then TK think he is.

Can't think of too many more who I don't hate because they're a real life ball bag. 

 

[Slapnut]

I’m nominating Jeff Jarrett, although I would argue his entire career is a serious crime.

I’m currently in the middle of a full Nitro rewatch which I have on in the background while having breakfast or doing chores, and he’s just turned on Mongo with Debra joining him. He’s genuinely ruining the entire experience for me. I’ve got barely any memory of 2000 Nitro and I’m dreading getting to that purely due to his involvement.

His WWF return “shoot” promo in 97 is horrific, possibly my least favourite promo ever. Thank god they had the sense to revert him back to Double J where he was slightly less shit but still shit.

He was a fucking nightmare in TNA. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt as deflated as I did when he won the title back at King of the Mountain 2006. Double J Double M-A was shit too. Don’t care, it was.

No idea why I chose this username when I joined tbh. It definitely wasn’t Jarrett related, somehow it completely escaped my attention that it was in any way associated with him until afterwards.

Edited December 12, 2025 by Slapnut

[CTXRussomark]

8 hours ago, RedTwoster said:

If he were to appear on the scene today, I’m not at all certain he’d have made it in the way he did - he was absolutely horrendous on the mic, and I struggle to think of the last men’s World Champion for either WWE or AEW who you could say that about. There are so many great in-ring performers out there, that this aspect of his skill set would make him stand out much less, as good as he was.

Nah sorry, I completely disagree with that.  Benoit was in another league when he was at his in-ring peak (to his own detriment, ultimately) and would easily stand alongside peak Omega, Ospreay etc. in the current day.  Those same concerns about his mic skills were an even bigger concern back then (when his immediate predecessors were the likes of Austin, Rock, Angle, etc.) and he still made it through on merit alone.  He'd never be the face of a company but he would absolutely be up there in terms of position I think.  

[air_raid]

Years ago I’d have said Kofi Kingston. Despite being “good” I just hated him - Boom Drop, virtually all of his mannerisms, I just found him intensely annoying. Then New Day formed, being annoying was the point, and I started enjoying him. Should never have been permitted to win the belt from Bryan, but that’s another matter entirely.

These days, Gunther. Yes yes yes, executes well when he’s wrestling rather than giving potatoes but I never cared for him. When I was going to Progress and everyone insisted Walter was brilliant, I didn’t see it. I just saw a bully who lamped people, usually for me the second best wrestler in the ring, and I assumed the 21st Century epidemic of people confusing “stiff” with “good” had struck again. The only two matches of his I’ve ever enjoyed were against Zayn at Mania Porno, because I was bored to death of his ICT run and heavily invested in Sami getting a big win at the biggest show, and against Punksatawney Phil at SummerSlam, because I was simply massively invested in Punk winning the Silver Medal. Big Gunt on his own merits - I don’t get it.

Edited December 13, 2025 by air_raid
Gunther hit me so hard I had where/were confusion which NEVER happens to me, so must be post concussion syndrome.

[The Gaffer]

Benoit was fine on the mic. His worst stuff came when they put the big gold belt on him and insisted - as the top face on Raw - that he smile and joke. Then that didn't work and arguably Eugene was booked as the top face on Raw that summer. 

He was fine before that, though. Maybe even better than serviceable. When he was given straightforward material or bite size interactions that made him look like the murderer he would become trying to blend in at the office Christmas party, he was a great on screen character with plenty of traits and nicknames attributable to him, which got you over back in his day. 

Mind you he's also the complete antithetical suggestion for a thread like this. Bring back downvotes. 

Chad Gable for me, although I feel like it's a bit of a weak suggestion as @tiger_rick and @air_raid took mine. 

In terms of the Undisputed era, the current incarnation that curdles me is Kyle O'Reilly trying to do breakout-star-in-a-sitcom faces all the time. 

Gunther for me is like the create-a-wrestler that appears on screen before you make any changes to them. 

I also thought - I shit you not - of nominating Rey Mysterio because I don't think I've ever properly been sucked into a Rey match in WWE especially. The whole action figure who won't give up thing...I'm just not the audience for it. Almost always in a dull angle before his small fella came along. But I like Rey. He seems like a really great dude. 

Dax Harwood was my other thought but FTR can still be absolutely brilliant if you ignore him on social media (easily done) and with his more solo-oriented "I LOVE wrestling, I do! Have I told you how much I LOVE wrestling?" stuff toned down. 

So Chad Gable it is. A brilliant wrestler. Capable of fulfilling multiple roles and tones up and down any card. And I dislike him. He's perfectly symbolic of the no up, no down, nothing matters, were you invested in this last week? Well it's different now, keep up! WWE mid card of the modern era. 

He's Raw 2025's Disco Inferno. Got 10 minutes to fill? Put Gable out there. 

He reminds me I could be doing something better with my time. 

 

 

[HarmonicGenerator]

14 minutes ago, air_raid said:

These days, Gunther. Yes yes yes, executes well when he’s wrestling rather than giving potatoes but I never cared for him. When I was going to Progress and everyone insisted Walter was brilliant, I didn’t see it. I just saw a bully who lamped people, usually for me the second best wrestler in the ring, and I assumed the 21st Century epidemic of people confusing “stiff” with “good” had struck again. The only two matches of his I’ve ever enjoyed were against Zayn at Mania Porno, because I was bored to death of his ICT run and heavily invested in Sami getting a big win at the biggest show, and against Punksatawney Phil at SummerSlam, because I was simply massively invested in Punk winning the Silver Medal. Big Gunt on his own merits - I don’t get it.

For similar reasons, at the moment one of mine is probably Ilja Dragunov. Everybody raves about him but whenever I’ve watched one of his matches, it just seems like nobody ever told him in training that you don’t have to hit them, and be hit, for real every time.

I might be wrong and he’s just so exceptionally good that it only looks that way, but to me it seems like he can’t figure out how to make anything look good without doing it for real.

[air_raid]

I feel another “Bret had it right” coming on.

[tiger_rick]

On 12/13/2025 at 8:04 AM, The Gaffer said:

Benoit was fine on the mic. His worst stuff came when they put the big gold belt on him and insisted - as the top face on Raw - that he smile and joke. Then that didn't work and arguably Eugene was booked as the top face on Raw that summer. 

He was fine before that, though. Maybe even better than serviceable. When he was given straightforward material or bite size interactions that made him look like the murderer he would become trying to blend in at the office Christmas party, he was a great on screen character with plenty of traits and nicknames attributable to him, which got you over back in his day. 

Benoit's mic work in WCW was atrocious. I think failing to sound like a human being is next level poor mic work. He did improve to about 3/10 though to be fair to the murderous bastard. He'd be fine these days, you could sell him as the first AI wrestler before Triple H gets round to it.

On 12/13/2025 at 8:04 AM, The Gaffer said:

I also thought - I shit you not - of nominating Rey Mysterio because I don't think I've ever properly been sucked into a Rey match in WWE especially. The whole action figure who won't give up thing...I'm just not the audience for it. Almost always in a dull angle before his small fella came along. But I like Rey. He seems like a really great dude. 

He'd be on my list for the last 20 years but not as a whole. Rey in the mid 90s was incredible. As revolutionary as anyone who has come along in our lifetimes, if not more. He became dogshit in WCW because, well, WCW but, reinvented himself in WWE and from 2002-2005, he was superb. Given that he had bad knees more than 25 years ago, his longevity is remarkable. However, he was damaged irreparably in 2006 by some of my least favourite booking ever, by being a fucking chump who agreed to it all and by one of the worst world title reigns in company history to that point. I've just never cared again. 

On 12/13/2025 at 8:33 AM, air_raid said:

I feel another “Bret had it right” coming on.

Bret is always right. However, I'd actually like to see people going against one of his old points of view. I don't want to see anyone hurt anyone else badly but, holy fuck, what I wouldn't give to see some guys risk a big potato rather than wail away with dreadful punches and kicks. Option B would just be to take away all big stand-offs, pretend pull apart brawls, mounting an opponent and raining down "punches", etc. Either learn to throw punches and kicks or stick to wrestling and jumping off stuff. There are too many matches every week for me to be arsed with anyway so, the ones that are poorly worked have me reaching for the remote quicker than the 5 minute freeview.

[LaGoosh]

On 12/13/2025 at 8:09 AM, HarmonicGenerator said:

at the moment one of mine is probably Ilja Dragunov. Everybody raves about him but whenever I’ve watched one of his matches, it just seems like nobody ever told him in training that you don’t have to hit them, and be hit, for real every time.

Also not a fan of Druganov. And it's not because he appears to work very stiff because that stuff is between the wrestlers and none of my business. I just don't like him because I think he's pretty rubbish. Gurning and flailing about like a goofy twat all the time.

[Lorne Malvo]

It took me a while to think of somebody that qualified as my pick for this. I know most people rate John Cena now but I've always thought he's utter shite, but then I just don't regard him as a 'best wrestler' in any capacity so can't say he's the 'best wrestler I dislike'.

There's someone like Samoa Joe who I find very watchable and has had some cracking matches, but for me I've never bought into him as a main-eventer on the level that AEW/ROH have pushed him as. He's very much a B+ world champion for me. But I guess that's a different topic. 

Jay White might be a shout. He does everything right and is highly regarded in-ring but for the most part I find him pretty boring, can never seem to engage emotionally with his matches and think his promos alternate between bad and boring. 

[Browser Brady]

Michael Hayes.

 

Been watching a few of the Clash of the Champions recently that have been posted on the WCW vault and my god………..how i hate him.

I genuinely have come to despise the very sight of this man..

He is meant to be a cool rock and roll character but his music is shite, his hair is shit, his ring attire looks like crap and his stupid mannerisms drive me completely up the wall. He’ll sometimes try and do a moonwalk and you’ve guessed it, it’s shit.

He does this thing where he kinda nods rhythmically whilst pointing at Jimmy Garvin which is cringe/annoying but not in a way where you are like “i’d love to see someone kick his arse”

More in a “please go away” kind of way.

 

I will say he is perfectly fine as a wrestler though and weirdly Jimmy Garvin doesn’t annoy me at all 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Browser Brady