July 1st is Canada Day, which is when Canada kindly asked for independence from the United Kingdom, and then got it. Not as hardcore as the United States demanding a title shot and then overcoming the odds to beat the biggest heels of the 18th century, the United Kingdom, but still pretty important.Besides maple syrup, Rush, and frightenedly cold weather, Canada’s greatest export is professional wrestlers.
So, to celebrate our big little brother to the North, here are the five best Canadian wrestlers of all time.
And sorry, this will not be written in French.
5. Kevin Owens
Even though he is the “Face of America,” KO is a proud Canadian from Maryville, Quebec. The tough-talking prize fighter made his name as the top name on the independent circuit before making his way to the WWE and instantly moving to the top of the card. Always proud of being Canadian and French-Canadian in particular, Owens loves to cut promos in his native French:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaZeL9COAio&t=8s
4. Edge
The Rated-R Superstar rarely discussed his Canadian roots. But he got his start driving up and down the ice roads of Northern Canada wrestling in front of small, frozen villages. Soon after this, he became a GLOBAL superstar. Edge, now retired, still lives in Canada with his wife former WWE Diva Beth Phoenix and their children.
3. Owen Hart
Even though his career and life were tragically cut short by the worst in-ring accident in wrestling history, Owen remains one of the best wrestlers of all time. He fought out of his brother’s shadow and showed himself to be a technical master in the ring. A graduate of his father’s Calgary Dungeon.
2. Bret Hart
The Excellence of Execution. The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be. Ask wrestling fans who they think is the, best of all time, chances are Bret Hart will be one of the names mentioned. A master of the Sharpshooter and making every move look flawless, Bret is considered a real Canadian hero. Trained by his father in the infamous “Hart Dungeon” in Calgary, Alberta the Hitman started as a tag-team specialist but then evolved into one of the greatest singles wrestlers of all time. Later in his WWF career, Hart turned into the villain and began bashing America, proclaiming Canada the superior country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHEfvsD4Ao
But why isn’t he the best? For one, his career ended rather unceremoniously after a move to WCW. His matches could be pretty boring. Sure he could tell a great story and do all the great moves, but I found myself yawning through a lot of his supposed classics. Also, he was not great on the mic and his unique hoarse-whiny voice makes me reach for the mute button.
Honorable Mentions:
- Lance Storm
- Sami Zayn
- Jacque Rougeau
- Christian
- Whipper Billy Watson
1. Chris Jericho
The Ayatollah of Rock-n-Rolla was born in the United States, but he was raised in Canada and is very proud of his Canadian roots. So much so that he has a Canadian-themed tattoo on his left arm.
Jericho won’t let you forget where he’s from in Canada either!
But why is he the BEST Canadian wrestler? Because he’s one of the best wrestlers of all time. Over a career spanning nearly three decades, Jericho has re-invented himself again and again. He went from a scrappy young lion to an arrogant man-bunned whiner to a rock star, corporate shill, and scarf-wearing list-writer. Every time Jericho comes back to the WWE, he returns with a fresh gimmick that the crowd eats up. And what’s more? He still wrestlers at an extremely high level. He isn’t going out there and doing a bunch of old tricks and taking no risks. He’s over 40 and getting thrown into thumbtacks, through tables, and main eventing PPVs. Jericho is my favorite wrestler of all time, so it is a no-brainer he’d be the best Canadian wrestler.
Disagree with our list (I am CERTAIN some of you do) Share your thoughts on this in the comments below.