These are the only true "crossover stars" in wrestling history

[Buggsy Mogues]

What do I mean by "crossover star" ? Someone who your girlfriend, mother, grandmother, teacher has heard of. Someone who a child, high school student, college student or adult would recognize. Someone who could walk on Sportscenter or Good Morning America and wouldn't need much explanation as to who they are. A person may not be able to tell you what their wrestling outfit looks like, or what their best match is, but if you say their name, everyone automatically goes “oh yeah, that guy is a wrestler.”


Hulk Hogan
Andre The Giant
Macho Man Randy Savage
Ultimate Warrior
Ric Flair
Brock Lesnar
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock
John Cena
Undertaker
CM Punk

 

[Da King]

Punk is not in the same stratosphere as those other names in terms of cross over appeal

 

[boriquaking]

Hulk Hogan
Andre The Giant
Macho Man Randy Savage
Ultimate Warrior
Ric Flair
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Tick
Undertaker

Fixed

 

[Buggsy Mogues]

Punk is not in the same stratosphere as those other names in terms of cross over appeal

I don't fukk with Phillip in any way shape or form, but I think he is now. The UFC thing is crossing him over like it did for Brock. He's been all over the media. ESPN been covering him like a real athlete. My mom never watched a day of wrestling since I was a little kid but she knows him because of being on Talking Dead.

 

[Da King]

I don't fukk with Phillip in any way shape or form, but I think he is now. The UFC thing is crossing him over like it did for Brock. He's been all over the media. ESPN been covering him like a real athlete. My mom never watched a day of wrestling since I was a little kid but she knows him because of being on Talking Dead.

Let's see what he does in the UFC first before we put him on Brock level, Brock was the face of UFC for a couple years.

 

[ADK]

Only Taker, The Rock and John Cena got that. The rest don't. debate me

 

[mrken12]

Fixed

 

[Kane]

Hulk Hogan and The Rock.

Everybody else is a huge step below them.

 

[Box Cutta]

Hulk Hogan
Andre The Giant
Macho Man Randy Savage
Ultimate Warrior
Ric Flair
Brock Lesnar
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock
John Cena
Undertaker
CM Punk

CM Punk sticks out like a sore thumb here. If he's in...I might have to consider Bret and Shawn.

But it's all subjective, and you mostly put together a good list.

Hulk Hogan and The Rock.

Everybody else is a huge step below them.

....You're absolutely right. There are definitely some tiers here.

HH, for as much as I hate his racist ass, *is* what most people think of when they think of pro-wrestling.

The Rock is a legit Hollywood star.

Speaking of which, at what point do we have to consider :

???

It's funny...but Batista may end up in that Rocky tier based strictly on his movies. He's already got that Marvel Money....He's also getting that Bond money soon.... He seems like The Rock in that, due to his wrestling background, he'll work harder than most of these pampered Hollywood actors. If he keeps hustling, I could see him getting a shot at his own film at some point.

Only issue is that he's older...46...that might be problematic for him.

Kinda going to need to see where this GotG gig goes.

 

[R=G]

Lol@mentioning Punk...he would have to get to Eddie and Bryan's level in popularity before he could ever be mentioned among Macho yet alone the Rock and Hulk Hogan. Man...everybody knows who Rock and Hogan are.

 

[R=G]

CM Punk sticks out like a sore thumb here. If he's in...I might have to consider Bret and Shawn.

But it's all subjective, and you mostly put together a good list.



....You're absolutely right. There are definitely some tiers here.

HH, for as much as I hate his racist ass, *is* what most people think of when they think of pro-wrestling.

The Rock is a legit Hollywood star.

Speaking of which, at what point do we have to consider :

???

It's funny...but Batista may end up in that Rocky tier based strictly on his movies. He's already got that Marvel Money....He's also getting that Bond money soon.... He seems like The Rock in that, due to his wrestling background, he'll work harder than most of these pampered Hollywood actors. If he keeps hustling, I could see him getting a shot at his own film at some point.

Only issue is that he's older...46...that might be problematic for him.

Kinda going to need to see where this GotG gig goes.

Batista didn't outshine everyone in the Galaxy movie...we'll see with Bond. Rock and Vin Diesel was the main hype when Fast Five took the success and money to the next level. Batista isn't bigger than Jennifer Lawrence or Scarlett Johannsen.

 

[Slic Ric]

I dont watch MMA so if this insulting let me know, but is Brock really mainstream ? Like would your mother know who he is ?

Also massive Punk stan, and I disagree

 

[TheGreatShowtime]

CM Punk goes on talk shows (regular on the Talking Dead), podcasts (shows up on the Nerdist podcasts), ESPN (Highly Questionable, Sports Center), etc.. If you don't realize his crossover appeal, then you're just kidding yourself

On the flipside, I haven't seen Undertaker in anything besides wrestling since the Attitude era. People know who the Undertaker is because he's been wrestling for so long that almost everyone who has watched wrestling has seen him.

 

[Silkk]

CM Punk?

If you wanna mention him then you gotta mention Daniel Bryan





Not to mention Total Divas as well

 

[BodeineBrazy]

I dont watch MMA so if this insulting let me know, but is Brock really mainstream ? Like would your mother know who he is ?

Also massive Punk stan, and I disagree

No, Brock is not known outside of the male demographic. If I didn't watch wrestling I wouldn't know who he was. My moms and uncles don't know that nikka so he not famous.

Undertaker
Hogan
Macho
Warrior
BRUNO
Andre The Giant
The Rock
Stone Cold

To me that's it.

My parents don't know Cena. My street nikkas kinda know of him. But if I brought up let's say... Sting, they would know him.