The recent Dark Side of the Ring episode placed a spotlight on Chris Kanyon and his extremely underrated career. WCW had such a rich depth to their roster that many names flew under the radar. The hit list of top WCW stars featured a nice mix of established legends (Hulk Hogan, Sting, Randy Savage) and future major stars (Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Booker T) all delivering big moments.Unfortunately, it led to talented names being forgotten in the bigger picture. WCW had one of the largest rosters in wrestling history, with some talents that deserved more credit for their work. Each of the WCW wrestlers in question were unsung heroes who didn’t get their due at the time but should be celebrated more today.
10 Chris Kanyon
The ups and downs of Chris Kanyon in wrestling were showcased in the Dark Side of the Ring episode about his career. Kanyon’s work was appreciated in a new light for the respect of his peers and the things he dealt with backstage.
WCW witnessed quite a few impressive matches and character shifts from Kanyon. Mortis was cool for a gimmick with a ceiling, and he really sold the martial arts background. Kanyon thrived most during his time in the Jersey Triad faction getting to work with his close friends Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow.
9 Meng
Many fans will remember him more for his WWE run as Haku, but Meng thrived as an intimidating figure in WCW. The tag team run with The Barbarian saw the Faces of Fear thriving with Jimmy Hart as their manager.
Even before the tag run started, Meng had a strong run as a singles performer, especially during a program against Sting. WCW trusted Meng enough to once have a major WCW Championship match against Goldberg when his undefeated streak was still going.
8 Psychosis
The WCW cruiserweight division stands the test of time best of all the aspects of the product. Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero became legends in WWE to further help their WCW legacies as time goes on.
Psychosis remains one of the most underrated members to have stellar matches at the time. Other names like Dean Malenko and Juventud Guerrera are celebrated, but Psychosis rarely gets discussed for all his great work.
7 Bobby Eaton
The recent passing of Bobby Eaton had many legends who worked with him in WCW praising his underrated career. Eaton was never pushed in a huge singles role, but he made the most of every opportunity.
The tag team run of Eaton in the Midnight Express is beloved since it showcased him at his best. Eaton still had great matches and made his opponents look strong on his own. WCW rarely pushed him, but Eaton still made the best of his time for underappreciated success.
6 Billy Kidman
The WCW cruiserweight division would see a few names hitting the top tier of that style. Billy Kidman progressed from a forgotten role in Raven’s Flock faction as Sick Boy to having his singles success as a cruiserweight.
The lack of WWE success saw Kidman not getting treated with the love he deserves for WCW. Kidman had classics with Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerrera, Dean Malenko and many others. Even the dying years of WCW had Kidman as a rare positive.
5 Cactus Jack
The WCW tenure of Mick Foley as Cactus Jack is viewed as one of the instances of the company misusing a future top star. Foley deserved more opportunities in WCW, but he still managed to have an underrated stint there.
The Cactus Jack character was the greatest hardcore wrestler for WCW and had many great matches. Foley delivered classics with Sting, Vader and the Nasty Boys to prove his potential was there. WCW unfortunately didn’t let his character evolve like WWE did and it led to his reputation in the company suffering.
4 Ultimo Dragon
WCW typically associated high spots and aerial offense with the masked wrestlers in the cruiserweight division. Ultimo Dragon changed that by showing a more well-rounded style and breaking out as a major player.
This is another instance of a former WCW star not getting discussed as much since he didn’t do well in WWE. Dragon is one of the best wrestlers in WCW’s history when it comes to the bell-to-bell action of must-watch matches.
3 Rick Steiner
Fans usually name Scott Steiner before Rick when discussing the most important WCW wrestlers. Scott did reach the top of the mountain when winning the WCW Championship in the final year, but Rick deserves almost as much credit.
Both brothers thrived in the tag division and became the most important homegrown stars outside of Sting and Lex Luger. Rick was arguably the better all-around wrestler during the tag run and even had solid singles stints in the earlier WCW years.
2 Barry Windham
Ric Flair and Arn Anderson each name the incarnation with Barry Windham as the best version of the Four Horsemen. Windham broke out during that opportunity and moved into a huge role on his own when pushed as a singles star.
Fans often overlook the early years of WCW before Hulk Hogan arrived. Windham was one of the names to step up when Flair left for WWE to keep WCW afloat without the same star power. Classics with Flair, Sting and others should rank Windham a lot higher than he is historically in WCW.
1 Ricky Steamboat
The trilogy of matches between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat was what created a reputation for WCW as having something special that WWE couldn’t offer. Flair vs Steamboat was viewed as the top few matches of all-time at that point due to the magic they hit every time.
Steamboat thrived in every singles opportunity against opponents of different styles like Rick Rude, William Regal and a young Steve Austin. Few fans rank Steamboat in the top ten WCW stars, but he clearly has an argument for delivering some of the best work of his career.