The greatest WWE SmackDown Superstars of all time
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
Who is the greatest SmackDown Superstar ever?
This was the question posed by the WWE on FOX account last week that sparked debate among fans.
Pretty much all of WWE’s biggest Superstars have been part of the blue brand’s roster over the years, so there are plenty to choose from, but picking just one as the definitive "greatest" is tough.
For starters, the term "greatest" is a little vague.
Is that based on longevity? Impact? Star power? Personal preference? Title reigns? There’s a lot to factor in here.
So instead of picking just one, I combed through the replies and consulted with our social media team to list the five Superstars mentioned most.
The Rock
You can’t make a list of greatest SmackDown Superstars ever without including "The Great One" himself.
I mean, c’mon, the show got its name from one of his most-popular catchphrases and a lot fans place him at the top for that reason alone.
The Rock was also a regular presence on SmackDown in the early days of it being on the air, as well as their number one draft pick when the rosters were first split into two distinctive brands, so he has to be given credit where it's due.
I do think it’s worth noting, however, that he was only exclusive to the SmackDown brand for a short period of time before eventually leaving to pursue a career in movies.
Either way, SmackDown will forever be synonymous with The Rock.
The Undertaker
While The Rock may be an easy first choice for most fans, my personal pick for greatest SmackDown Superstar ever is The Undertaker.
The Dead Man moved to the show months after the brand split was first introduced and stayed there until 2011 when the rosters were once again merged back together.
During that time, Taker was involved in tons of great matches and his feuds with wrestlers such as Randy Orton, Batista, Edge, Mark Henry and CM Punk helped elevate each of those Superstars to the next level in their WWE careers.
In my opinion, once the rosters were split into two brands, Undertaker became the backbone of SmackDown for almost a decade. He deserves as much credit as The Rock for being a large part of the show’s success.
Edge
The Rated-R Superstar is another wrestler who fans listed as one of the greatest SmackDown Superstars ever.
Edge was drafted to the SmackDown roster in 2002 during the first brand extension and quickly helped it standout as the wrestling-heavy show alongside a core group of talent known as The SmackDown Six.
Under the guidance of Paul Heyman, these Superstars turned SmackDown into a must-see show for wrestling fans which in turn helped Edge rise to new popularity.
Then, after solidifying himself as a top guy on Raw, Edge returned to the blue brand to have notable world title programs against Superstars such as Jeff Hardy and Undertaker.
"The Ultimate Opportunist" was unfortunately forced to retire in 2011, but after making a miraculous return in 2020 he’s now back to making memories on SmackDown as recently as last month in the buildup to the main event of WrestleMania.
With all those accolades, you gotta include him on this list.
Eddie Guerrero
Eddie is another SmackDown Six member whose success on the show led to him becoming one of the most beloved Superstars in WWE history.
Guerrero returned to WWE in 2002 after battling personal demons and was moved to the blue brand in the Summer where he eventually began teaming with his cousin Chavo.
This partnership gave Eddie a renewed energy in WWE and by 2004 he found himself defeating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship to become the top guy on the show.
He then went on to have noteworthy programs with wrestlers such as Kurt Angle, JBL and Rey Mysterio – the latter of which being most memorable for his famous "I’m your papi" line to Dominik Mysterio.
Guerrero tragically passed away in 2005, but his legacy on SmackDown will be remembered forever by those who knew him and the fans who watched him on TV each week.
Batista
As John Cena rose to prominence on Monday Night Raw as the top guy of the flagship show, Batista held it down on the other side of the spectrum for the blue brand.
Being on SmackDown allowed the former member of Evolution to find his character and become one of the top stars in the company at a time when someone was needed in that position to equal the rising star power of Cena on WWE's other brand.
For a period of time, John Cena and Batista were the faces of their respective shows, so it would be hard to make a list like this and not give proper respect to "The Animal" for how he represented SmackDown throughout that era.
Like I said at the top, the case could be made for a number of other Superstars to appear on this list as well. JBL, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio and many more could all be included.
So please don’t shoot the messenger.
Instead, send me a tweet @RyanSatin and let me know if you think someone else deserved to be mentioned.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
