In the 1980s, the world of pro wrestling generally shrank as WWE expanded from a regional concern to a global one, demanding more attention from fans, but the 1990s saw even more changes to the sport.

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As competition from WCW and alternatives like ECW rose in popularity, innovation resulted in another huge boom period and a television ratings war that reinvigorated the industry.

All statistics courtesy of Cagematch.net unless stated otherwise

36 Yokozuna Was A Dominating Presence In The 1990s

He Was One Of The Top Monster Heels In WWE

After the likes of Andre The Giant stepped aside, there was room in WWE for a new monster heel to emerge, and that happened in the form of Yokozuna, who quickly climbed the ranks thanks to his size. He would go on to win the Royal Rumble, headline two WrestleMania events in a row, and win the WWE Championship twice.

He continued the iconic legacy of the Anoa'i with his success and world title victories.

35 Alundra Blayze Was The Face Of Women's Wrestling In The US

She Thrived At A Time When Women's Wrestling Wasn't A Focus

It was often tough going for women's wrestling in the likes of WWE and WCW in the 1990s, but Madusa/Alundra Blayze was also in and around the top of the division. In WWE, she was a three-time Women's Champion, leading the women's roster as the most successful and dominant name, before a very controversial move to WCW, where she infamously binned the WWE Women's Title live on WCW programming.

Her time in WCW wasn't as successful due to the lack of focus on women's wrestling, but she did get her hands on the Cruiserweight Championship.

34 Bull Nakano Opened Doors For Women's Wrestling In The 1990s

She Was A Star In Japan Before Coming To WWE

Bull Nakano’s influence began in the 1980s, but it continued at full-throttle into the 1990s t00. She was a star of AJPW, winning several titles and growing the spectacle of women’s wrestling in Japan. She joined WWE in 1994, bringing her strong style and dominance to the US. She would go on to win the WWE Women’s Championship, defending it around the world in different promotions too. Unfortunately, her career was cut short due to injuries, but she still made a lot of impact.

33 Chris Jericho Helped To Carry The Undercard In WCW Before Jumping Ship

Jericho Was A Success In Both WWE & WCW

In the 1990s, Chris Jericho became a hugely important name in the underbelly of WCW, helping to carry their midcard divisions. He showcased great charisma and brought personality to an already thriving cruiserweight scene too. In the late 1990s he would leave to join WWE, having one of the most iconic debuts of all time and having a lot of success there too, particularly in the midcard scene early on.

32 Sable Proved Women Could Be Stars In WWE

She Was Insanely Popular In WWE’s Attitude Era

Sable was someone who gained natural popularity amongst the WWE Universe, and she became a massive star in her own right despite not being a regular in-ring performer. At a time where women were seen as objects in wrestling, Sable rose up and outshone many of her male counterparts. Whether it be for the wrong reasons, Sable’s influence in the Attitude Era was undeniable.

31 DDP Was A Hugely Popular Star In WCW Despite His Age

DDP Entered The Business Late

For a long time in WWE, it was common for younger names to become stars quite soon, however DDP paved the way for slightly older names to enter the business late and still find success. In WCW, he became a huge fan favorite very naturally, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Title numerous names. He was very much a homegrown star and he was one of the few highlights the company had during its later years of existence.

30 Eddie Guerrero Was Hugely Important For Smaller Wrestlers

A Star Of WCW's Cruiserweight Division

Eddie Guerrero would go on to reach dizzying heights in WWE, but in the 1990s in WCW he was a pillar of the cruiswerweight division - a division which was, at the time, of huge importance to wrestling and favorite part of the company for many fans.

He stole the show on so many occasions, and his feud with Rey Mysterio was iconic.

29 Ron Simmons Opened The Door For Black Wrestlers

Recognized As The First African-American World Champion

Ron Simmons made history in 1992 when he defeated Vader to become the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, making history as the first recognized black world champion. Over the years the likes of Booker T, Bobby Lashley, Bianca Belair, and more would follows in his footsteps, but his victory was a landmark moment.

He would later become a prominent member of both the Nation Of Domination and the APA in WWE, firmly establishing himself as a major part of the Attitude Era.

28 Big Van Vader Was A Big Part Of WCW In The Early 1990s

Vader Was A Dominant Force

In WCW throughout the early 1990s, Big Van Vader was someone who had size, speed, agility, and oozed presence in the ring, which led to becoming a world champion and someone who often stole the show. He was very influential in the early half of the decade for sure.

His run when signing with WWE wasn't all too impressive unfortunately, but that doesn't take away the inlfuence he had in WCW in the years prior though.

27 Triple H Brought More Attitude Into WWE

He Found Success In DX And The Corporation

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Triple H climbed up the ranks in the 1990s, first in WCW before being signed by WWE. It still took him some time to find his feet, but it was when he joined the nefarious and risque group of D-Generation X that his influence in the business began to be felt.

Triple H brought Attitude to the Attitude Era, pushed the limits of what could be said on TV, and by the end of the decade became one of the biggest stars in WWE when he aligned with Stephanie McMahon in one of the most dominant power couples in the history of the business.

26 Big Show Was The Most Dominant Giant Of The Late 1990s

He Filled Andre The Giant’s Shoes As Wrestling’s Largest Name

Filling the shoes of Andre The Giant seemed absolutely impossible, with the wrestling world not finding a big man who carried that same aura and presence. “Big Show” Paul Wight was perhaps the closest to come to that. In WCW as “The Giant”, he impressed with his size, speed, and overall aura as a dominant monster.

He was brought over to WWE in the late 1990s and upped the game for what it meant to be a big man in professional wrestling. Despite an up and down career, he became a legend in WWE when all was said and done.

25 Kane Was One Of The Scariest Wrestlers Ever

Redefined The Term "Monster" For The 1990s

Kane was an example of someone who debuted late in the 1990s but made an impact as one of the most feared and intimidating characters of all time in professional wrestling. He had a larger-than-life personality, helping to make the way for more true monster heels like himself.

He was a favorite for many given just how scary he was to a younger audience, with a unique attire that made him feel like something other than human at times. He played a big role in the earlier stages of the Attitude Era too, helping to run Raw with the likes of Undertaker, Steve Austin, and Mankind.

24 Kevin Nash Had Major Success In Both WWE & WCW

Made A Historic Jump To WCW

Kevin Nash led WWE through a rough patch in the 1990s, reigning as WWE Champion under his Diesel gimmick, but where he really influenced the business was when he jumped ship to WCW, becoming one of the bigger names to do so.

He helped to form the nWo faction, blurring the lines between fiction and reality at times and really breathing fire into the Monday Night Wars. In different ways, he was a major asset for the two biggest promotions in the world.

23 Owen Hart Was Taken From The World Too Soon

Technical Master In The Ring

The technical assets of Owen Hart made him hugely popular in the business, with him managing to showcase just how far in-ring ability can take someone.

Of course, Hart would develop his character too over the decade to showcase that when given the opportunity, he had so much charisma too. He was the spine of the WWE midcard and upper midcard throughout the 1990s, helping to elevate even bigger stars like his own brother Bret Hart, Steve Austin and more.

22 Curt Hennig Was The Mid-Card Workhorse Of The 1990s

Underrated, Underused, But Undisputed As A World Beater

Mr. Perfect’s blend of both the technical and showmanship styles of professional wrestling has been imitated and it has influenced a whole generation of professional wrestlers. Whilst he didn’t quite reach the level he should’ve done, he was still massively influential.

He propped up the midcard during his time in WWE, and he provided a good foe at times to babyface WWE Champions.

21 Scott Hall Ushered In The Era Of "The Cool Heel"

Charisma Oozing From This General Talent

Razor Ramon helped to revolutionize a particular type of heel, with him providing a cocky, arrogant, and cool demeanor that could both be unlikable and captivating at the same time.

He didn’t just do this in WWE, but he did it in WCW too when he was one of the three men to help form the nWo and boost WCW’s standing in their war with WWE. It could be argued that he should have achieved even more during his wrestling career.

20 Randy Savage Had A Career Resurgence In WCW

Leading Force In WWE And WCW

Although Randy Savage’s WWE career was winding down at the start of the 1990s, he still managed to carry a lot of influence not just his name value, but also due to the fact that he went over to WCW and proved the likes of Vince McMahon wrong that he could work longer than previously thought. His one-of-a-kind promo skills helped WCW rake in money but also establish new stars, like he did with his beloved feud against Diamond Dallas Page.

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WWE didn’t think he had much left to offer, but in WCW he carried on being the world-class performer he was previously, giving them a big boost.

19 Ultimate Warrior Was Hulk Hogan's Original Successor In WWE

A Super Over Superhero In WWE

The Ultimate Warrior became a huge phenomenon at the start of the 1990s, becoming the biggest opposition yet to Hulk Hogan’s stranglehold over the number one babyface spot in WWE.

Warrior became a two-time WWE Champion and larger-than-life individual, whose crazed charisma helped carry what was a relatively underwhelming ability in the ring. His charisma was so captivating that even a wrestler like Bryan Danielson admitted to loving Warrior in his youth. He showed that sometimes it is the connection to an audience that matters the most.

18 Jushin Thunder Liger Completely Changed The Game For Lighter Wrestlers

Leader Of The NJPW Junior Heavyweight Division

Jushin Thunder Liger was a captivating individual within NJPW during the 1990s, and he helped bring his style over to WCW during his spell there too, which was a major reason why the more fast-paced cruiserweight style was such a hit.

In NJPW, it is hard to keep count of how many times he stole the show and had a noteworthy match against names like Otani, Sasuke, Muta, and countless more.

17 Rob Van Dam's Style Is Imitated But Never Duplicated

Was One Of ECW's Best Stars

Rob Van Dam made a name for himself on the ECW brand, being one of the most influential names in the company which helped it to grow within the 1990s to having a cult following, so much so that it managed to find its way into a working relationship with WWE.

His style was unique, flashy, and it helped to bring about a whole new style of professional wrestling too. Many have tried to replicate his combination of flashy, powerful strikes with ludicrous high-flying moves but nobody can do it like "The Whole Damn Show".