The Wrestling Honor Roll Celebrating Legendary Babyfaces
Apr 29, 2024Episode 5
Ben and Bash
Ever wondered who'd snag the title of the ultimate babyface in the wrestling ring? Buckle up, fellow grappling enthusiasts, Ben and Bash of Tag Team Talk are about to rumble through the pantheon of pro-wrestling's greatest heroes. Our latest episode is a no-holds-barred debate where we punch our way through a list that boasts names like WWE Women's Champion Bayley, the electrifying People's Champ The Rock, and the blue-collar brawler Dusty Rhodes. We don't shy away from controversy, either, clashing over Kevin Owens' and Randy Orton's rightful places in babyface lore. And of course, no discussion would be complete without weighing in on icons like Bruno Sammartino, Mick Foley, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Trust us, this is one showdown where we're not pulling any punches.
Ever wondered who'd snag the title of the ultimate babyface in the wrestling ring? Buckle up, fellow grappling enthusiasts, Ben and Bash of Tag Team Talk are about to rumble through the pantheon of pro-wrestling's greatest heroes. Our latest episode is a no-holds-barred debate where we punch our way through a list that boasts names like WWE Women's Champion Bayley, the electrifying People's Champ The Rock, and the blue-collar brawler Dusty Rhodes. We don't shy away from controversy, either, clashing over Kevin Owens' and Randy Orton's rightful places in babyface lore. And of course, no discussion would be complete without weighing in on icons like Bruno Sammartino, Mick Foley, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Trust us, this is one showdown where we're not pulling any punches.
Speaker 1:
welcome to the ben and bash podcast. Tag team talks I'm ben I'm bash. It's time to lace up your boots and hit the mat with the ben and bash podcast tag team talks all right, another episode.
Speaker 2:
This episode here we are going to be doing the top 10 baby faces in wrestling. We both compiled our own list of 10. As usual, we don't know each other's list until right this moment. Right now, let's get to it.
Speaker 1:
Okay, my number 10 on top 10 baby faces is the WWE Women's Champion Bayley. She is on this list. I mean I have a pretty big list, a lot of top stars. I would love to have her higher, but really, with the people on my list, I can't have her anywhere higher, gotcha.
Speaker 2:
All right, that's all Mm-hmm. All right for my number 10,. I'm going with the Rock. The Rock In the Attitude Era. The Rock did change a little bit from heel to babyface, but when he was the People's Champ, the original People's Champ, babyface Rock he was. I mean, I don't know anybody who didn't like the Rock growing up, you know. So that's my number 10, the Rock.
Speaker 1:
Okay, my number 9 is my favorite tag team right now Awesome Truth.
Speaker 2:
Are we doing tag teams?
Speaker 1:
It's just tag teams.
Speaker 2:
I know we're doing tag teams, but's just top ten. Oh, that's fine. I know we're doing tag teams, but all right, go ahead.
Speaker 1:
Okay, oh, I didn't mean to no go ahead, you're fine.
Speaker 2:
I didn't know we were doing tag teams, but we're good, go ahead.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so they're on here. They're my favorite tag team right now and again, like I said, my list just gets better and better. From here on, I have to put them there, because I can't put them any higher on the list, gotcha.
Speaker 2:
Alright, that's good Number nine right there. Alright, my number nine is an old school guy. I wasn't around when he was wrestling. I've seen some old videos of him on YouTube and TV and all that. I put him kind of low on my list just because I didn't see him in person, didn't see him wrestle live. But I put Bruno San Martino. The guy stood out at Madison Square Garden. I think he still has the record for the guy sold out Madison Square Garden. I think he still has the record for most sellouts at Madison Square Garden. If I'm not mistaken, he had the belt for what? 10 years. I think it was seven to 10 years, something like that. It's the longest in the history of wrestling. People loved him. Like I say, people cheered him all over the place. I put him kind of low on the list just because he wasn't my era, but I still had to put him out of respect for him.
Speaker 1:
Okay, okay. My number eight is the prize fighter, kevin Owens. Ed Kevin Owens, the veteran, future Hall of Famer. He's a veteran and he's a great baby face. He's also a great heel, but I put him on the baby face category, gotcha, because I feel like he's better as a baby face and I've not really ever seen him as a heel.
Speaker 2:
Okay, nice, nice to know. For my number eight pick I picked the dad of the current world champion, cody Rhodes, dusty Rhodes. I picked him because he was the average normal guy. He didn't have a bodybuilder type look, he wasn't fast in the ring, he was just like a normal guy, I mean. So, like I said, he resonated with a lot of normal people. Like I said, he didn't look like a normal person, so people, I think, gravitated toward him because of that. He didn't look like the big Hulk Hogan's and those kind of guys like that back in the day. He looked like a normal guy. So that's my number eight.
Speaker 1:
Man, you're doing old school guys.
Speaker 2:
Say it right some history.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I know, but Go ahead. For my number seven, I said the Legend Killer Randy Orton.
Speaker 2:
For Babyface.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, well, he's Babyface right now. Okay, and I realized I should have put him in the heel category All right.
Speaker 2:
For my number seven pick. I picked Mick Foley, aka Mankind, Dude Love, Cactus Jack, whatever you want to go with the three faces of Foley, I picked Mick Foley the ultimate, one of the ultimate baby faces. I mean a lot of times he was the hardcore icon, hardcore legend, whatever you want to moniker you want to put for him, but he did get cheered, especially with him and the Rock tag team, with the Rock and Sock connection. But Mick Foley is my number seven pick for top babyfaces.
Speaker 1:
Okay, for my number six, I picked Manevant Jey Uso. He had a rivalry with Jimmy Uso, which I thought could be way better at WrestleMania. He's one of the top babyfaces, along with Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. He's staying at Raw currently in the draft and I feel like he's great as a heel, but I feel like he's better as a baby face.
Speaker 2:
Got you. Got you. Nice Number six. All right, my number six. I picked the rattlesnake Stone Cold. Steve Austin In the Attitude Era yes, he had a little heel run there for a minute, but he was predominantly a babyface. I mean as an adult now, you know, I mean looking back. Then Stone Cold was the babyface. I mean People cheered him when that glass broke. The crowd went crazy. I mean even to this day, when that glass breaks, the crowd goes crazy. So yeah, stone Cold is my number six for top babyfaces.
Speaker 1:
For my number five on top babyfaces I pick Seth freaking Rollins.
Speaker 2:
That's a good one.
Speaker 1:
Same thing with Kevin Owens. He's a veteran, future Hall of Famer. He's good as a heel. He's good as a heel and he's pretty good as a baby face. That's why I have him on number five.
Speaker 2:
Got you. Okay, nice, my number five. I'm going to take one of yours. You had her a little bit lower. I'm gonna pick bailey bailey for my number five. He uh, baby face. In nxt. She was the ultimate baby face. I mean I don't think she turned heel one time in in nxt. I mean the matchup between her and Sasha, her and Charlotte, I mean they went at it and she was the ultimate babyface. That little fan, lizzy with her and all that went to WWE, became babyface. It wasn't until recently, when she founded Damage Control, that she went full-blown heel. Up until that point she was babyface all the way for years. So Bayley is my number one female babyface of all time, but also my number five babyfaces of all time.
Speaker 1:
For my number four, I picked another female in Jade Cargill, nice. She's an up-and-comer, at least in WWE. She's teaming with Bianca Belair at Backlash against the Kabuki Warriors. I think they're going to win that match. She's been a heel in AEW. I haven't seen much of that, but I know because I've seen clips of it and I've seen it on YouTube. That's how I know she's a good heel, but she's also a good babyface.
Speaker 2:
Nice, nice, alright, my number four. I went with Bryan Danielson, aka Daniel Bryan, when he was in WWE. So in WWE, I think it was WrestleMania 30, the ultimate heel. I mean the ultimate babyface, sorry, the ultimate babyface, daniel Bryan. He had to win a match in the opening match in order to main event WrestleMania that same day.
Speaker 2:
I mean the yes movement was crazy. I mean I remember watching it live on TV. Fans bombarded the ring. I mean there was a fan every single spot in that arena doing the yes. They were in the ring, they were outside the ring. I mean you couldn't. I mean there was a fan every single spot in that arena doing a yes, they were in the ring, they were outside the ring. I mean it was a crazy sight to see. And then he fast forward, like I said, to WrestleMania and he goes on to win a world championship and solidifies the yes movement and also him being one of the better wrestlers in the world at that point in time and he's still technically one of the best technical wrestlers right now. So I got Daniel Bryan for my number four, babyface of all time.
Speaker 1:
For my number three. I have another female on this list. For my number three. I picked Bianca Belair and she's a veteran future Hall of Famer. If I knew who we were doing all the time I would have picked other people, but she's on my list since I'm doing current babyfaces. She's on my list since I'm doing current Babyfaces and she's the EST WWE and she is probably going to win the Tag Team Ties with Jane Cargill and that's pretty much why I have her on my top, but I have her on three, nice, nice, all right.
Speaker 2:
For my number three babyface, I picked John Cena, john Cena a guy who he went heel for a little bit when he first started wrestling.
Speaker 2:
He was a little bit of a heel when he was the doctor of thugonomics I mean talking about people doing raps and all that. He was a little bit of a heel when he was the doctor of Thuganomics I mean talking about people doing raps and all that he was a little heel. But after that he has never been heel and he was so much of a babyface that people actually disliked him so much because he was such a babyface. I mean it was people begging for him to turn heel, but he never did. John Cena, probably one of the biggest baby faces in WWE. I mean merchandise sales, make-a-wish most Make-A-Wishes in history, which is I mean, that's crazy numbers, astonishing. I mean Make-A-Wish dreamers he's had, he's done for the different kids around the world. But yeah, so John Cena is my number three for top babyfaces.
Speaker 1:
For my number two, I picked LA Knight. Yeah, because he is the fastest rising superstar in SmackDown history. Because he is the fastest rising superstar in SmackDown history, he lost to. Aj Styles. But he beat AJ Styles at WrestleMania. He made a video crowd duel against Roman Reigns. A lot of people are mad that he didn't get a title opportunity at WrestleMania, but I'm sure that'll come down the line. Nice, okay, and that's why I have him on number two.
Speaker 2:
Nice, nice. My number two is one of my all-time favorite wrestlers period. But my number two wrestler is Sting, more specifically Surfer Sting, the original Sting when he came with the blonde hair, the multicolored face paint, before he did the black and white Sting in the 90s. But before that he was Surfer Sting. I mean, that's when I started watching wrestling. That was my favorite wrestler then and he still is my favorite wrestler now. Still sad that he retired. But Sting, my number two, which, like I said, he's never totally went heel. He went heel a little bit in TNA with the main event mafia, but other than that he's never really full-blown gone heel, except for that time in TNA when he was with the main event mafia. But yeah, aew, he was a straight babyface. Wwe when he came from TNA to WWE he was a babyface. Wcw, he was a baby face. Wcw, he was a baby face. I mean he went against the NWO, I mean it was. So yeah, sting is my number two baby face of all time.
Speaker 1:
Nice pick, Nice pick For my number one got the American Nightmare Cody Rose. Nice, or, better yet, the undisputed champion Cody Rose.
Speaker 2:
Get it right.
Speaker 1:
He's on my number one. He finished the story and beat Roman Reigns. He's a great baby face. I've never seen him as a no. I have Like over clips dashing Cody Rose and when he was injured with his face mask on dashing Cody Rose. That's all I've seen. But I know he was in TNA, right? No, it was independent wrestling. He was also a heel, right.
Speaker 2:
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:
Okay, and that's why I have him on our list. Because he's been a baby face longer, I feel like he's a better baby face. Everybody's been wanting him to finish this boy for like two years now.
Speaker 2:
And he finally did it.
Speaker 1:
Mm-hmm, he finally did it At WrestleMania. Yeah, wrestlemania 40.
Speaker 2:
Mm-hmm and finally did it At WrestleMania.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, wrestlemania 40.
Speaker 2:
Mm-hmm. Biggest in history. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:
Mm-hmm, and that's why I have Cody Rose on my top 10 baby faces list at number one Nice.
Speaker 2:
Nice. Well, it looked like you did a top 10 current baby faces. Yes, I more so did like a top 10 all-time babyfaces. Yeah, right, okay, just nice little top 10 on each side. So my number one babyface in wrestling history I mean, if you know anything about wrestling history, this guy is on everybody's top 10 list all time. Not currently, because he's been retired for a while. He makes appearances here or there, but he's been retired for a long period of time. But my number one pick for baby faces, for top baby face of all time in wrestling history, is Ricky the Dragon Steamboat. This guy has been wrestling for well over 30, probably closer to 40 years now, and he has never went heel one time.
Speaker 1:
He hasn't.
Speaker 2:
Never. He's never went heel, not one time in his whole career.
Speaker 1:
No more than John Cena.
Speaker 2:
John Cena went heel a little bit.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, but you said he never went heel. John Cena John Cena went heel a little bit, yeah, but you said he never went heel.
Speaker 2:
No, John Cena went heel a little bit when he was the Dr Thunk of the Olympics.
Speaker 1:
No, I'm talking about him.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, ricky the Dragon Thumbel, that's why he's number one. That's why he got number one on my list. I don't know anybody else in the history of wrestling that I can think of on top of the head that has never went heel one time. Not even a touch of heel. I mean not even a smidgen.
Speaker 1:
I mean, he's never went heel, he's never turned on anybody.
Speaker 2:
Never, never, turned on anybody. That's all I can remember, unless there's a fan out there somewhere. I've seen a lot of Ricky the Dragon thing about matches and I cannot remember him ever turning heel on anybody Be. And I cannot remember him ever turning heel on anybody beating anybody up. That wasn't pulling a good beat up. That wasn't a bad guy. Yeah, no, attacks from behind, none of that. I can't remember him ever doing that. So he is the reason why I have him as the number one baby face in the history of wrestling. Anything else you want to add before we close this out?
Speaker 1:
Nah, Pretty good list. You think anything else you want to add before we?
Speaker 2:
close this out. Nah well, pretty good list, you think.
Speaker 1:
I mean yours better, because you did all the time. I mean, I've been watching wrestling longer, so you know I have more, more memory to look at yeah you know, you'll get there one day though and even if I was doing current, I don't know how I miss John Cena that's fine.
Speaker 2:
John Cena doesn't wrestle as much anymore. That's why.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
But are you done now? Looks like you're already finished with this episode.
