20 TOP WWE SUPERSTARS IN ERA 1998-2010
# 20. JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD (J.B.L)
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Clothesline From Hell / Clothesline From Wall Street (Running high-impact lariat)[1][2][38]
- JBL Bomb[1] / Release powerbomb, with theatrics[4] – 1998–2005
- Signature moves
- Backbreaker rack[1]
- Bearhug[1]
- Big boot[1]
- Eye poke[1]
- Flowing DDT[1]
- Last Call (Fallaway slam, sometimes from the second rope)[1][4]
- Multiple elbow drops[1]
- Sleeper hold[1]
- Swinging neckbreaker[1]
- With Faarooq
- Finishing moves
- Signature moves
- Entrance themes
- "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen[96] (GWF)
- "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex[96] (GWF)
- "Longhorn" by Jim Johnston
- "Bar Room Brawl" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- WWE Championship (1 time)[101]
- WWE Hardcore Championship (17 times)[31]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[102]
- WWE United States Championship (1 time)[103]
- WWF European Championship (1 time)[104]
- WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times)[105] – with Faarooq
- Tenth Grand Slam Champion
- Twentieth Triple Crown Champion
# 19. CHRIS JERICHO (Y2J) (christopher keith irvine)
In wrestling
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- Finishing moves
- Breakdown (Full nelson facebuster)[3][115] – 2001–2002
- Codebreaker (Double knee facebreaker, sometimes while springboarding)[1][115] – 2007–present
- Lionsault (Springboard moonsault)[1][3][115]
- Walls of Jericho / Lion Tamer (Elevated Boston crab sometimes with a knee to the opponent's back or neck)[1][115][116]
- Signature moves
- Backbreaker submission[3]
- Backhand chop[3]
- Double underhook transitioned into either a backbreaker[3] or a powerbomb[3]
- Diving European uppercut[3]
- Flashback (Sleeper slam, sometimes to an oncoming opponent)[3]
- Flying forearm smash[3]
- Jericho Spike (Hurricanrana)[3]
- Missile dropkick[3]
- One-handed bulldog[3]
- Running back elbow,[3] sometimes while performing a corkscrew[3]
- Multiple suplex variations
- Schoolboy[3]
- Scoop slam
- Spinning wheel kick[3]
- Springboard dropkick to an opponent on the ring apron[3]
- Springboard plancha[3]
- Standing, leg-feed, or running enzuigiri[3][115]
- Stepping on the opponent's chest with one foot in a pinning attempt, with theatrics[3]
- Triple powerbomb usually to a lighter opponent[3]
- Nicknames
- "Y2J"[3][115] (Used as a parody of Y2K; originally "The Y2J Problem" upon his WWF debut, it was shortened to just Y2J)
- "The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla"[1][115]
- "Lionheart"[115]
- "The King of the World"[115]
- "The Real Face of SmackDown"[119]
- "The Best In The World At What He Does"
- "The Manitoban Jet"
- "The Mental Mastermind"
- "The First Undisputed Champion"
- "Mr. Vocabulary"[120]
- "The Man of 1004 Holds"
- "The Millennium Man"
Entrance themes - "Rock America" by Danger Danger (SMW)
- "Thunder Kiss '65" by White Zombie (WAR)
- "Soul-Crusher" by White Zombie (ECW)
- "Electric Head, Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)" by White Zombie (ECW)
- "All The Days" (instrumental) (WCW) performed by Mammoth and composed by John McCoy and Nicky Moore
- "California Sun" (WCW)
- "One Crazed Anarchist" by Grunge City from the Aircraft Music Library[121] (A generic instrumental of "Even Flow" by Pearl Jam) (WCW)
- "King of My World" performed by Saliva and composed by Jim Johnston (WWE; 2002)
- "Don't You Wish You Were Me?" by Fozzy (WWE; 2005)
- "Break The Walls Down" performed by Adam Morenoff and composed by Jim Johnston and Adam Morenoff (WWF/E)
- "Crank the Walls Down" by Maylene & The Sons of Disa
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWF Undisputed Championship (1 time)5[130]
- World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) [131][132]
- WCW/World Championship (2 times)2[133]
- WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (9 times)3[134]
- WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Chris Benoit (1), The Rock (1), Christian (1), and Edge / The Big Show (1)4[135]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Edge / The Big Show (1)4[136]
- WWF European Championship (1 time)[137]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)[138]
- Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year (2008)[76]
- Slammy Award for Tag Team of the Year (2009) – with The Big Show
- Ninth Triple Crown Champion
- Fourth Grand Slam Champion
# 18. MICK FOLEY (michael fancis sr)
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Double arm DDT[2][3][95]
- Mandible Claw[3] (WWF/E / TNA) / Love Handle[96] (WWF) / Mr. Socko[2] (WWF/E / TNA; named for the sock he places over his hand to perform the move)
- Signature moves
- Biting the opponent's forehead
- Cactus clothesline[2][26] – innovated
- Cactus Elbow (Diving elbow drop to the outside of the ring, sometimes from the ring apron or another elevated surface)
- Cactus Jack Crack Smash[95][97] (Senton to the outside of the ring, usually from the ring apron)[98]
- Foley hits several forearms to the opponent's face followed by performing his "Bang! Bang!" taunt
- Nestea Plunge[97][99] (Falling straight back from the ring apron to the arena floor)
- Stump-Puller Piledriver (Pulling piledriver)
- Running double axe handle to an opponent in the tree of woe position
- Cactus knee to the face of a seated opponent in the corner[2]
- Running swinging neckbreaker
- Sunset flip
- Sweet Shin Music[2] (Superkick to the shin) – parodied from Shawn Michaels
- Two-handed bulldog
- Managers
- The Grand Lizard of Wrestling[100]
- Brian Hildebrand[100]
- Paul Bearer[46]
- Downtown Bruno[101]
- Ron Fuller[102]
- Kevin Sullivan[103]
- Linda McMahon
- Lita
- Melina
- Entrance themes
- "Mr. Bang Bang" – From "Slam Jam 1" album, WCW's first Rock & Wrestling album released in 1992. Produced by Jimmy Papa on Grand Theft Records, written by Jimmy Papa, Larry Velez, and Michael Seitz (WCW)[104]
- "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses (UWF)[105]
- "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf (ECW)
- 'Western Hardcore by Jimmy Hart , Tim Renwick and Zack Tepest (WWE) Cactus Jack's theme (1997–2000).
- "Dude Love" by Jim Johnston (WWF/E) Dude Love's theme music was a disco song (1997–1998). Foley wrote in his first book, Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, that he was confused about why a 1960s hippie would use 1970s disco music. The song is called "Dude Love" and was composed by Jim Johnston and is a Bee Gees sound-alike.
- The Mankind gimmick started with two different pieces of theme music. His entrance music was a dark, classical string piece in a minor key, and after winning a match, he would exit to a soft piano concerto. In Have a Nice Day, Foley mentions this was inspired by a scene in The Silence of the Lambs. After the Mankind character began to take off in 1998, he began using a faster version of the strings entrance music, with a drumbeat added. The song is called "Ode To Freud" and was composed by Jim Johnston (1996–1998).
- "Wreck" by Jim Johnston (WWF/E) Mick Foley's theme (1999–2001,2003–2008).
- "Chic Chic Bang Bang" by Dale Oliver and Serg Salinas (TNA)[106][107]
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Championship (3 times)[123]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)[124]
- WWF Tag Team Championship (8 times)[35] – with Stone Cold Steve Austin (1), Chainsaw Charlie (1), Kane (2), Al Snow (1) and The Rock (3)
- Slammy Award (1997)
