WWE Alums Mark Henry & Tommy Dreamer On What 'Generational Talent' Means In Wrestling

The likes of Dolph Ziggler, Hijo del Vikingo, and Umaga have all been labeled as "generational talents" by their peers. What does the term exactly mean though? On a recent episode of "Busted Open Radio," WWE alumni Mark Henry and Tommy Dreamer weighed in with the criteria they believe qualifies someone to be a "generational" performer.

"Number one, to be a generational talent, I feel you have to have numbers, stats to prove it," Dreamer said. "How you change the wrestling industry, being a draw wherever you went, these are all parts of who would be a generational talent and who wouldn't be. But I think it also has to go to time in the industry."

Expanding on Dreamer's point of producing numbers, Henry noted that those with this distinction are not only able to sell additional tickets, but also attract more money from sponsors, potentially exclusive ones, for the shows they wrestle on. According to Henry, "generational" talents also tend to have a pattern of headlining wrestling events. 

"Was there anybody else like this person on during that era?" Henry added. "If you were Doink the Clown, was there anybody else like Doink? Was there another clown during that era? And how often was that person in main events? Were they valued enough that the numbers moved when you put them on a card?" 

Names specifically fitting under the latter parameter, per Henry, include Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as well as WWE Hall of Famers "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and The Undertaker.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.