Honky Tonk Man - The Greatest?

Devon

He's been voted the Greatest IC Champion of all time on a WWE poll this year, but I don't see why. Does anyone else think he was over-rated? Or have we redefined the word "great"? Sure, the WWF let him have it for 15 months, but does that make him the "greatest"? It makes him the person who had it the longest IMHO. Good worker, don't get me wrong, but I just don't understand what people saw in him that made him the greatest. Comparing him to Roddy Piper back then, I'd have Piper over Honky as being far superior in the ring and on the mic and generally a better entertainer.

Anyone any thoughts?

Vince135792003

I think Honky was the one, more than anyone else that reminded everyone he was the greatest ever. In saying that he fit the WWE in the late 1980s really well. He was a fun character who played it perefectly. I think he'll most be remembered for how he lost the title to the Warrior at Summerslam which was a really cool moment.

The greatest ever I.C. champ? No but he was fun.

Mr. Presentable

Honky was fun, but The Hitman was best!

Glowingmind

They're doing an elimination poll about it on pwinsider at the moment.
They're down to the final 4 - bret, mr perfect, guerrero, jericho

Mr perfect get my vote.

AARRRGH

In the WWF arcade game, he was the best! Him, Macho Man and The Big Boss Man!!

gm1984

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blackbelt

Mr Perfect for sure.

The guy had class,great wrestling ability,great promos,a brilliant look.Played heel and face both very well.Great music.

Mr Perfect was a perfect IC champion.

I would have had him as the then WWF champion.He was in the same class as Bret Hart and had many great matches with him ie Summerslam and King Of the Ring 93.If he were alive and in his prime today,he could have been World Heavyweight champion.He could have been the superstar of Smackdown feuding with Booker T,Benoit,JBL,Rey Mysterio and Orton.

One of my favourite wrestlers ever.Mr Perfect gets my vote.

Devon

Yep I'll agree with Mr Perfect. He was an extremely talented guy and did great promos. Anyone remember where he used to throw a basketball over his head and it netted? Wonder how many takes it took..

Roar

jerryadams wrote:

Yep I'll agree with Mr Perfect. He was an extremely talented guy and did great promos. Anyone remember where he used to throw a basketball over his head and it netted? Wonder how many takes it took..

Or when he threw a football100 yards, waited a few seconds, sprinted all the way down to the other end of the field and caught the ball in the endzone? ha ha it was genius...

merlinsmerryman

Roar wrote:

Or when he threw a football100 yards, waited a few seconds, sprinted all the way down to the other end of the field and caught the ball in the endzone? ha ha it was genius...

Damn beaten to the punch. Thats one of my favourite promos of all time, remember watching as a kid sitting in awe thinking "how the hell can he do that". Class all the way and anyone who faced him spoke highly of him, gets my vote as best IC champion ever.

Lita Forever

The Honky Tonk Man was good at playing his character. But he was an average worker in the ring at best and had a ludicrous no loisng on TV clause. Greatest ever? Not a chance.

As for who was the greatest ever? I don't feel like debating that now. I'll agree with everyone else here though. Mr. Perfect was definatly one of the best of all time.

J.R.HARTLEY

HTM is a sad deluded old git nowadays, i'd vote for either perfect or jericho, perfect was better in the ring, but jericho had an edge in that he could be a heel or a face IC champ and was gold on the mic either way.

Stalfos

I think the reason he was voted the greatest IC champ ever cause he went around saying it for years and then ppl forgot he was the one who said and voted for him
He is the longest reigning IC champ afaik so you gota give him that.

I'd still go with Mr Perfect over Honky Tonk Man any day closely followed by Jericho.

Glowingmind

jerryadams wrote:

Anyone remember where he used to throw a basketball over his head and it netted? Wonder how many takes it took..

Only one.
He was Mr. Perfect.

slicus ricus

What about Shawn Michaels. He held the belt 3 times and was involved (responsible for) some of the best IC titile matches ever including the famous ladder matches for that very belt with Scott Hall (Razor Ramone). Hall himself is a contender.

Triple H held the IC title a few times for lengthly periods as well, and is a top contender, up there with Michaels, Bret, Perfect etc. Im not really a fan of the Honky Tonk Man: I think he was a limited wrestler and besides, a lot of guys held the IC strap nearly as long as he did. The only reason he is still mentioned as the longest reigning champion is because it was used as a comparison to put over Ortons reign as champ.

Overall id have to go with HBK: he had some great matches for the IC title!

Hulk4ever

No Way man the greatest ever is the 2 time IC legend THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR

Lita Forever

the 2 time IC legend

Shoudln't that be 2 move legend ?

Fozzy

slicus ricus wrote:

The only reason he is still mentioned as the longest reigning champion is because it was used as a comparison to put over Ortons reign as champ.

It's funny, because Shelton actually held the belt longer than Orton, and it was never once mentioned, even after all the hype they'd done for Orton

Didn't think HTM was that great. He was kind of one of the guys that you actually did hate, and prefer not to see him in the ring. I'd go with Bret probably

gimmick

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I see why Honky was the greatest ever - he made money for the wwe by having the ultimate heel aura. People paid into a wwf event to see him get beat. He also made the belt look very credible, possibly one of the first to do so. His long reign made the faces on the roster want it, and at the same time pushed these same faces into the fans eyes. They may have lost the feud, but boy would they have been put over well by Honky. He won the strap off a huge fan favourite in Ricky Steamboat, who after his feud with Savage helped the belt along nicely, and, when he did eventually lose the title it was one of the greatest ever Summerslam moments. He made what that belt was right up until Austin/Rock/HHH were all on that scene.

That is why he is the greatest ever IC Champ. He had numerous feuds, put people over, had more heel heat than most mid card heels have ever had, was good on the mic and mostly added credibility to the belt, credibility which it just doesnt have anymore, but will hopefully regain.

yak_kadafi

spannerhead wrote:

Honky was fun, but The Hitman was best!

if i was pressed to choose a best bret would be it but it was a pity the way his career ended the way it did............
as for honky...good wrestler and champ.........but the best?i think no......
then again i wouldn pick any one wrestler as the best unless i REALLY had to

RavenX

Best IC champion? Christian! Just because he ntossed Jericho out and cheated to win. I love it

Mr.Nice Guy

I'd say Bret Hart.

He was involved in so many emotional contests for the belt which gave the belt importance.

gm1984

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