Most Deteriorated Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the person whose skill has deteriorated the most over the
past year. This person should be a shadow of his/her former self.  

Previous Winners:

  1990: Dusty Rhodes 
  1991: Hulk Hogan 
  1992: Hulk Hogan 
  1993: Hulk Hogan 
  1994: Hulk Hogan 
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: Hulk Hogan
  1997: Roddy Piper
  1998: British Bulldog

**1999**: Hulk Hogan

334 first place votes
321 second place votes
304 third place votes

 48 25 11  337   Hulk Hogan
 34 27 17  285   Jake Roberts
 32 28 18  280   Randy Savage
 30 23 23  265   Undertaker
 31 19 21  254   British Bulldog
 16 13 20  159   Scott Steiner
 16 16 12  152   Kevin Nash
 13 18 14  147   Rick Steiner
 11 21 14  146   Roddy Piper
 11 19 15  142   Steve Austin
 13 15 15  140   Ric Flair
 13 11 15  128   Mankind
 10  5  6   77   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  9  4  8   73   Shane Douglas
  9  4  7   71   Fabulous Moolah
  3 12  1   53   Buff Bagwell
  3  5  9   48   Berlyn
  1  7 11   48   Total Package
  5  1  7   42   Bret Hart
  2  4  7   36   Sabu
  3  5  2   34   Rock
  3  3  2   28   Big Show
  2  4  2   26   Madusa
  0  4  6   24   Curt Hennig
  2  2  3   22   Tommy Dreamer
  1  2  3   17   Scott Hall
  3  0  0   15   Owen Hart
  2  1  1   15   Akira Taue
  1  1  2   12   Mae Young
  0  2  3   12   Al Snow
  1  1  1   10   Barry Windham
  0  2  2   10   Diamond Dallas Page
  0  2  1    8   Gangrel
  1  0  1    7   Hacksaw Jim Duggan
  0  1  2    7   Ken Shamrock
  0  2  0    6   Sting
  1  0  0    5   Steve Regal
  1  0  0    5   Shawn Michaels
  1  0  0    5   Mark Henry
  1  0  0    5   Hayabusa
  0  1  1    5   Meng
  0  0  2    4   Sid Vicious
  0  1  0    3   Vader
  0  1  0    3   Steve Williams
  0  1  0    3   Sandman
  0  1  0    3   Sable
  0  1  0    3   Nikolai Volkoff
  0  1  0    3   Devil Masami
  0  1  0    3   Chrt Hennig
  0  1  0    3   Chris Jericho
  0  1  0    3   Chris Candido
  0  1  0    3   Brian Knobs
  0  0  1    2   X-Pac
  0  0  1    2   Warrior
  0  0  1    2   Perry Saturn
  0  0  1    2   One Man Gang
  0  0  1    2   Marty Jannetty
  0  0  1    2   Marc Mero
  0  0  1    2   Lance Storm
  0  0  1    2   Kidman
  0  0  1    2   Jimmy Snuka
  0  0  1    2   Jerry Lawler
  0  0  1    2   Jeff Jarrett
  0  0  1    2   Iron Sheik
  0  0  1    2   Dean Malenko
  0  0  1    2   Chris Benoit
  0  0  1    2   Buh Buh Ray Dudley
  0  0  1    2   Big Bossman
  0  0  1    2   Bert Hart
  0  0  1    2   Atushi Onita
  0  0  1    2   Akira Hokuto

REJECTED

  0  2  2        Ric Flair - duplicate votes
  1  0  0        "Tie" votes 
  0  1  0        Bobby Heenan (ineligible)

CHRIS BIRD: Randy Savage can barely punch. Kevin Nash can barely walk.
Kind of an easy vote.

EDC: Bulldog and Moolah should be out of the business, they're disgracing
the rest of there careers by continuing to compete. Rey Rey has blown out
his knees more times then I can remember.

K. CANZANELLA: Shane Douglas used to be good, now he's rotund and awful.
Buff Bagwell doesn't seem to care after the neck injury. Rey Misterio is
still a really good wrestler, but considering where he was when his knees
were healthy and he was masked, and where he is now... the difference is
startling.

GENE MOORE: There's a reason why the Undertaker has downgraded his feud
with Kane. He makes Kane look like the real Phenom.

FETT9025: I thought about putting Owen Hart as "most deteriorated", but
that's just fucking cold.

SVEN MASCARENHAS: Davey Boy Smith was able to work great matches as late
as 1997. See what brining Warrior into your promotion can do to your
employees? Don't make that mistake, Mr. Heyman. Sabu continues to amaze
me, as he's actually managed to cut some spots from his repertoire while
still remaining unmatchable. And Shane Douglas is a shell of the young
star that I remember teaming with Ricky Steamboat. Hell, he's a shell of
the injured ECW heavyweight champion I remember beating Terry Funk.

CHRIS OSTER: Anyone who votes for Owen Hart here deserves to be strung up
by their thumbs.  That goes triple for whoever nominated him.

MIKE SONBY: Savage has just become an embarassment.  Injuries have slowed
down Mankind and Austin this year, to the point that they can't deliver
stellar matches.  Hopefully rest will help them recover.

AARON: Scabu and Ric have become shells of their former selves. Austin's
work hasn't gotten offensive yet, but that beer gut certainly has.

OCTAVIAN:  Heroes of Wrestling proved that Jake the Snake earned top
honors in this category.

JOHN ROMANO:  The sad thing is that Mideon could beat this guy.  Piper
sucks.

DON BECKER: Akira Taue has finally been passed in terms of importance and
skill by Jun Akiyama in the AJPW Big Five.  Jake Roberts has shown more
personal deterioration than anyone in the biz, which has affected his
in-ring work - he didn't suck so badly last time I saw him as he did this
year.  The Rock just doesn't seem to be trying anymore, and as one of his
biggest supporters last year, that's disappointing.

SHAWN MULLIN: Randy Savage stunk during his 3-4 months this year.  He's
always been the one we all said hadn't lost a step whereas the other old
guys had.  However, Randy lost that step and then some this year.  Sorry
Mach, you were a favorite of mine for years, but you've lost your game.

MAX CHITTISTER: Most of the easy picks have either been on huge downward
trends for years (Hogan, the Steiners, Savage) or sucked to begin with
(Piper, Mae Young). Jake the Snake, DBS, and Alex Wright were all at least
acceptable a couple of years ago, but now shouldn't even be allowed to buy
tickets.

JBELL55146: Taker'<1st> used to one of my all time fav's, now since the
injuries, he is a shell of his former self. Ditto about Savage<2nd>

PAUL SHOCK:  Savage was useless after his knee surgery, Jake Roberts is a
pitiful drunk and Roddy Piper reached the apex of uselessness; Bret Hart
couldn't even carry him to a good match.

BLOB: Undertaker has gone from mysterious to bearable to simply
unbearable. I can't stand to watch this guy anymore. If I see another
Undertaker/Austin matchup, I think I'm going to have to stop watching WWF.
Buff Bagwell has really lost some talent this year. He seemed much better
when he was teaming up with guys like 2 Cold, Riggs, and even last year. I
never thought Luger was anything much, but he's gotten worse, if that's
possible.

GEORGE CARTER:  Poor Bulldog, he should have retired after Montreal. He
was horrible in WCW, but even worse now. The Undertaker has never been
great but he outdid himself this year by not going for surgery early and
'gracing us' with even more horrible matches.

JOHN C.:The Randy Savage I saw in '99 was nowhere near the wrestler who
took part in the classic matchup against Steamboat at WrestleMania III.
Savage is horrible in the ring now but he does have Gorgeous George so
he's not that bad. Rick and Scott Steiner are next cause they were great
wrestlers a few years ago but now they are pathetic in the ring.

JON RICHARDSON:  It's truly sad to see how badly both Steiner Brothers
have declined over the past year.  Injuries (and steroids) have obviously
ravaged the two of them but that they can no longer even be carried to a
good match is really upsetting to see.  I'm not sure whether Kevin Nash
has actually deteriorated due to his eternal laziness but he certainly
can't wrestle for more than a couple of minutes without starting to blow
everything that he does.

JAN-MORTIZ KAEDING: Remember when Alex Wright could wrestle? I normally
don't vote for something I didn't see, but the reports on the internet
convinced me to put Jake Roberts second. Savage: When you can't execute
your finishing move anymore, it's time to retire. (1st: Berlyn, 2nd:
Roberts, 3rd: Savage)

ELLIOT SPARKS: The Undertaker's deterioration has been terrible. In every
respect, the poor guy has suffered; in terms of his status in the
promotion, his physical condition, and probably in terms of his morale for
the wrestling business. Worst of all, it wasn't even his fault: had the
bookers been more careful with his stories, he might still be on top of
the WWF. More importantly, if he was given time off at a more convenient
date his body might not have crumbled in the discouraging way that it has.

JOE GENTILE:  Mankind gets my top vote. While some may consider this an
insult to Mick, I consider it a compliment. No one will ever have another
year like Mick had a year ago. Austin is second for all his injuries.  
Sabu takes third. I guess no one could keep up that pace forever.

DONALD SEMACK:  I just wish that they wouldn't have take the mask of.  
That, and injuries, have ruined the mystique of Rey Misterio Jr.

NATE PERRY: Whoever nominated Owen Hart for Most Deteriorated is a
complete asshole.

RUTGERSGYM: You mean I can't just say, "Everyone who appeared on the
Heroes of Wrestling PPV"????

JOE GAGNE: Did the Steiners really used to be the best tag team in the
world?  Look at them now:  Scott is (or was) a juiced up freak, while Rick
became the sloppiest wrestler in America.  Alex Wright used to be
watchable, but the pasty-white Berlyn is just awful to watch.

DAVID HANNA:  Kevin Nash is pathetic.  He looks like a big goof out there
trying to be cool and hip.  It's sad.  What is sadder are ther morons who
cheer this guy who couldn't work if his life depended upon it.  After all
that was said about Jake the Snake at his last PPV outing, how can he not
be on this short list?  Let's not forget Nash's buddy Scott Hall.  Who
cares what this stoned out loser has to say?  Again, its like "cheer for
me, I am cool!"  The tag team "Too Cool" are more cool then the Outsiders.

SEAN FLYNN: I know he was injured and and in awful angles, but damn UT
sucked this year as compared to the past.  Savage once was an exception to
old and slow in WCW_no more.  As for Tommy, it's not that his skills are
worse, he just looks so hurt with every step now to me.

KEVIN WONG: Madusa has deteriorated immensely, both in ring skills and
looks. Randy Savage should probably quit before he hurts more people.  
And any skill Alex Wright had left him when he shaved his head.

B. SZPAKOWICZ: Anyone remember the time when Lex Luger was actually, you
know, *good*? Yes he was, really. There was a time he could actually
wrestle a good match with the likes of Flair or Steamboat. Shame someone
went and gave him the impression he was a *draw*. Kevin Nash was also, as
Diesel, a better worker than he's given credit for. Then he got lazy.
Really lazy. Really, really lazy. And Scott Steiner is just a shadow of
his former self. Again, lots of other possibilities, but really, none of
them have deteriorated much over the *past year*, so these three votes are
as good as any.

RYAN GRANT:  Where did the Jake Roberts I knew and loved as a kid go?  
What happened to the British Bulldog who worked a **** 1/2 match with Owen
just two years ago?  How did the Undertaker manage to become even less
mobile?

RICK SCAIA:  I am kind of upset that people always use the Most
Deteriorated category to vote for their least favorite WCW wrestlers year
in and year out.  Trust me people:  they can't deteriorate that much EVERY
year from six years running; and some of 'em just weren't that good to
begin with.  So in an effort to keep this list fresh, I'll top my list
this year with Jake Roberts; Jake has been showing the signs of age for a
while, but his embarrasing display at the Heroes of Wrestling show
indicated a deterioration as a person, as well as as a performer.  Scott
Steiner used be a damned good wrestler; over the past year, he never
showed us once why we used to like him.  Undertaker used to be one of the
best big men in the business, but was slowed by injuries in 1999.

JEREMY SORIA: Jake fell off the wagon and has had a hard time getting back
on again. Alex Wright took what had been a decent gimmick and a decent
body into a character that just does NOT fit him at all.

SELENA KYTE:  You know, for a wrestler to have his or her skills
deteriorating over the year, wouldn't s/he have needed skills to begin
with?  So why was Sable nominated in this category?

MICHAEL STAKELY: Most deteriorated It's actually sad to see the guys on
this list these days, when I was ten or eleven they were all really
talented, these days not even Benoit can make Steiner watchable, Savage is
only slightly above that level, and Bulldog makes the Mean Street Posse
look good in comparison.

HEATM:  Hard to believe that Randy Savage once had five star matches with
Ricky Steamboat.  Savage is now a complete shell of his former self, and
one has to look no further than the lungs of Charles Robinson that Savage
punctured while dropping the elbow.  Meanwhile, Roddy Piper's wrestling
skills have reached ridiculously bad proportions.  British Bulldog
narrowly beats out Curt Hennig for third place.