Dan Severn

[8.0] "Dan Severn could have just gotten by with his general menacing aura (especially enhanced with The Stache), but he genuinely was a very solid worker as well, although he suffered from his most notable appearances being in places where his skillset was completely contradictory to the company's strengths and weaknesses. Severn is obviously one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts and an incredibly skilled amateur wrestler who was stuck in the wild world of the WWF in the late 90s. Like many who work a similar style, he was a bit screwed over in the sense that he was around just as the UFC was kicking off, but not the monster it would eventually become, Inokiism was also just beginning to truly kick off (but was obviously UNsuccessful in comparison), and there wasn't even a ROH-esque promotion at the time where he would've fit in better. However, I do still believe that Severn, with a manager, could have at least had programs with true top guys like Rock and Austin, and maybe even a title run, it would certainly add an aura of credibility from one wrestling's more underrated tough guys."

[7.0] "A legendary shooter, Dan "The Beast" Severn, always had his own special charisma to me as sincere, dangerous fighter. He had good shoot-matches, filled with the sense of danger, I admire that thrilling experience."

[3.0] "This guy just didn't have a personality at all. He was skinny fat and while he had a tough look, he just didn't have the photogenics for a long run in wrestling. I have no doubts he was a tough guy, but he sucked as a sports entertainer."

[4.0] "Ehh? he wasnt terrible. He wasnt a draw with the NWA-WWF storyline, but he was a decent worker in "shoot-style" matches. He was better as a shoot fighter rather than a pro wrestler. However, he was the only marquee name the NWA had for a while, which is why he held the NWA belt for 4 years in the 90's. He wasn't bad at all, just not completely built for pro wrestling. i'll give him 4 points. if he had a better character, maybe he could have gone far and had good matches with Angle, Benoit, etc. Nowadays, he probably wouldn't consider wrestling, and would have stuck with MMA."

[7.0] "Dan obviously had a great amateur wrestling and UFC career, but we aren't talking about that, we are talking about his pro wrestling career....it was decent enough. His best work came in Japanese shoot style promotions in the early 90s and his worst work was probably his WWF matches which never seemed to be longer than 4 minutes. Dan was a good grappler with some nice throws and take-downs, a good in-ring wrestler who'd have gotten way bigger in the 80s somewhere like AWA or in 80s AJPW. He wasn't made for 90s WWF."

[7.0] "A wrestler and MMA fighter who entered pro wrestling during the height of shootstyle in Japan. In many ways, I would compare him to Sakuraba and Kiyoshi Tamura, but he was a better pro wrestler than Sakuraba and a better fighter than Tamura. Many people rate him on his WWE career, but where his real genius in the ring got a chance to shine was in the NWA. There's many technical wrestlers who are said to be able to wrestle a broom and make it look good, Dan was one of these wrestlers in his own way. Watch his NWA matches to see him carry traditional midcard bingo-hall bread-and-butter wrestlers to competent shootstyle matches. Not a great talker, not a great draw, but a legit skilled wrestler who could have great matches in any style."

[8.0] "What a great wrestler, amazing look, great in-ring talent and many matches I've seen from him have all been quite impressive. His only setback was charisma and mic work, but he is one of the few guys that don't need to talk to be a great perfoemer. Sadly, there's a ceiling as to what you can get by a guy that doesn't talk, but for Dan, that ceiling was very high"

[4.0] "Never could make the transition to pro wrestling like Shamrock could. Just extremely boring look for a business that sells itself on cartoony comic book characters and zero personality."

[9.0] "One of the most decorated pure wrestlers of his time. Dan was a 2x all American in amateur wrestling, multi time AAU champion, UFC superfight champion/tournament winner, NWA world champion, and i'm sure there's others i'm forgetting. He was the real deal. A legit shooter who could hurt you any time he wanted to or have his way with you any time he wanted to. He was as believable as they came in his era. He had that iconic look as well -- the gray shirt, the tom selleck esque mustache, the slicked black hair, etc.. I don't think he was used properly on the pro scene, outside of his time as NWA champion, but man I still have all of the love in the world for Dan. I'm a UFC guy too, that's how i first saw him."

[9.0] "One of the most thrilling wrestlers of the last thirty years. Brock Lesnar if he looked like your dad."

[7.0] "Scary lookin guy and a real talented wrestler and fighter. He just didn't really fit into the direction the WWF was headed when he was introduced in '98, but could easily have had a long respected career if not for that."

[7.0] "Being decent in the ring and having excellent presence should have been enough to solidify him as an established upper-midcard wrestler, but he never really went anywhere in pro-wrestling unfortunately. That is weird because the WWE certainly wasn't stacked with talent in 1998, especially in the midcard. He should have at least had a run as IC Champion or had him team up with Shamrock or Blackman for the tag titles. By 99 the WWF inserted a lot more talent and him being lost n the shuffle would have made more sense then, but he should have definitely received a bigger push in 98. Also, his entrance theme is one of the best in the WWE, period."

[10.0] "A badass that deserved much better in the WWF, Dan "The Beast" Severn was a technical innovator in the ring as nobody in the WWE was doing what he was doing, sure ya had guys like Shamrock and Steve Williams throwing guys but they didn't do much mat wrestling like Dan. Hell the dude can still bust out a good match nowadays like his match with Matt Riddle."

[4.0] "One of the biggest busts of his time, as he was a real superhero in the emerging world of MMA. Didn't help that he always looked like he was wearing his warm up gear to the ring."

[6.0] "Dan Severn was a poor fit for the WWF. He didn't have the kind of look that Vince McMahon wants out of his performers, he wasn't the most charismatic person, he couldn't really talk, and his style looked out of place. Severn seemed primed for having a good run in New Japan, but, for whatever reason, it never worked out, and Severn would have been a much better fit there."

[9.0] "Brock Lesnar in 2013-today is what Dan Severn should have been in 1998. Severn still actively fought in MMA while wrestling, something Lesnar doesn't."

[10.0] "Dan is a legend, and one of the greatest pure wrestlers of all times. He's been an MMA champion, NWA champion and legitimate grappling champion. No matter what accolades he ever receives, he'll always be underrated. He's that good. People talk about how good Brock Lesnar is. Brocks MMA record is 5 wins and 3 losses. Dan Severns MMA record is 101 wins and 19 losses. He truly lives up to his nickname of "The Beast""

[8.0] "Insane ring skills. Distinguished amateur wrestler and MMA legend, Severn could mat wrestle, throw and suplex with anyone. Mic skills were limited, but he was not a play actor, he was the real deal. One gets the feelling he was distracted with amateur wreslting and MMA, which held back his professional wrestling success."

[9.0] "Out of place doing soap opera skits in a big american promation... and too soft spoken to really excel on the mic... but an absolute stud in the ring. If severn wrestled in the 40's and 50's we think oh him as one of the 10 greatest wrestlers of all time"

[8.0] "Not always the most entertaining performer (his style of wrestling is no-frills, straightforward, and brutally effective), but there's no denying his incredible skill."

[9.0] "Believable, to say the least. Dan Severn is a legend in mixed martial-arts, so when he worked as a professional wrestler, it was like a Lion performing at a circus. He had a 4 year long reign as the NWA world heavyweight champion (which may not have meant much in the late 90s, but it's in the history books now)."