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Post by Cap on Dec 18, 2019 14:58:39 GMT -5
I am not as good at coming up with these tough comparisons as Elliott is and many of his have been tormenting me, so here is my best attempt at some revenge that might facilitate an interesting discussion.
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Post by elliott on Dec 19, 2019 4:54:13 GMT -5
Top Matches - Draw. Probably #1 & 2 for me in terms of amount and variety of great matches.
Versatility - Funk. Santo was always Santo, even in radically different matches 20 years apart. But you'd get a different Terry Funk with almost every run.
Consistency - Draw. Funk is probably working harder in the average match, but Santo's execution of his trademark spots was basically perfect for 30 years.
Charisma/"It" Factor" - Hmmm. I guess Funk because he worked in front of such different audiences over his career and always got over. These guys are definitely both charismatic, but its honestly not one of the first things I think about for either guy. If I'm making a "100 most charismatic wrestlers list" I'm not sure either one makes the top 50.
Promos - Doesn't count but definitely worth noting that Funk is a top 5 promo ever.
Elevating Others - This is one of Funk's lasting legacies.
Offense - I love Terry Funk's offense. Its pretty basic in general (even going back to the 70s) and the execution got worse over the years, but I love all the moves he used. But lets be real, Santo is one of the best offensive wrestlers ever. He's my pick for the best high flyer ever.
Selling - Funk over almost everyone in history.
Rewatch Valley - Draw. My #1 and 2 ever.
Bonus Elliott's Question (Brody vs Nigel or best work associated with a crappy wrestler) - I'm going with Funk who had to team with his brother (kidding), feud with Brody (not kidding) and then ended up working a ton teaming with Tommy Dreamer (definitely not kidding). Santo had MOTYCs with Octagon as his partner, which is definitely impressive. But Funk had longer runs with crappy people. Funk had legit great singles matches with Brody.
Funk - 5
Santo - 1
Draw - 3
3 of my picks for Funk could have gone to Santo, but Funk gets the "he's my favorite guy ever" bonus.
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Post by Cap on Feb 13, 2020 19:23:50 GMT -5
I decided to do the last one of the first unofficial wave of comparisons that I care to do. Let’s compare two legit GOAT contenders for funzies. Top MatchesThis is far too close to call. I’ll try not to make everything a draw here, but I don’t have to count through every classic from both to know this one is as even as it gets. At a certain point you just have “a bunch” of classics and everyone in that group, unless they have one of the top 2-3 matches on my list… it’s a draw. Winner – Draw VersatilitySanto is probably a good bit more versatile than one might intuitively think. He is indeed “always santo” but he can have lots of different types of matches and excel in most of them. Funk can do that and he can radically transform himself. He even matches Santo’s acting chops. One appearance in Over The Top is worth at least as much as however-many films and TV shows son of santo was in. Winner - Funk ConsistencyTough one… I’ll give this to Santo I think. I think Funk worked about as hard as anyone in this business ever and he is probably one of the most consistent wrestlers to ever lace boots. Santo probably had it easier in terms of being consistent, but its tough to deny an act that just works virtually every time out for as long as it did. Winner - Santo Charisma/”It” FactorSanto has so much charisma, especially bell to bell. I’ll never forget little kids patting him on the back and cheering him on even when he is a bloody mess against Espanto Jr. He is a massive start beyond wrestling in Mexico. That is impressive… but Terry Funk got people on the edge of their seats in so many different places over such a long time with such radically different audiences. Funk would be hard to beat in this category. Winner – Funk PromosI have given this category out before when I couldn’t make a clear comparison. Funk’s level of greatness is almost enough for me to do that here, but I think I gotta make it a draw out of respect for my Santo. Winner – Draw Elevating OthersFunk by some margin here. He wasn’t just good at it, he put a lot time and energy into it. Winner – Funk OffenseI would agree with Elliot on this one. Funk’s offense is simple but good. It is also very entertaining because… well… Terry Funk is really entertaining. However, Santo is such a strangely graceful and affective offensive wrestlers I can think of. Winner – Santo Selling MY EYE! MYY EYYYYEEEEEE! Winner – Funk Rewatch Value These are two guys near the top of the list for me. If I were picking a top 10 for this list, they would probably be on it. Funk’s versatility and the sheer variety of matches/styles. Winner – Funk Elliott’s Bonus Question (Brody/Nigel or Best Work Associated With a Bad Wrestler)Brody is in the question itself. That is tough to beat. The Octagon match is pretty impressive, but Barr and Eddie did more of the carrying of Octagon than Santo did. Funk got saddled with a lot of dead weight and he always got solid wrestling out of people.
Winner - Funk
Results
Funk: 5.5
Santo: 2 Draw: 2
Wound up very similar to Elliott on this one. This is a lot closer than the score would indicate I think. These two are on the short list of legit contenders for the #1 spot on my GWE list and are probably both locks for top 10. They would likely fall in the top 10 or 15 of personal favorites too.
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