THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE: POUND-FOR-POUND UPDATE

WRESTLEMANIA SHAKEUPS: THE ROCK & RYU CLOSING IN ON HOGAN’S THRONE

HOUSTON, TX — The dust has settled in the Astrodome, and the ripples from WrestleMania X-Seven have turned into a tidal wave across the WWF Power Rankings. The April 2, 2001, Pound-for-Pound (P4P) index has been released, revealing a landscape where the “Immortal” era is under siege and a new generation of “Greatness” has arrived.

[[ THE TOP 10 POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS (AS OF APRIL 2, 2001) ]]

[[ THE ANALYSIS: FALLS & JUMPS ]]

The Vulnerable King: Hulk Hogan (#1)

Hogan remains at the summit by a hair, but his grip is failing. After a flawless 2000, back-to-back losses to Vader (at Elimination Chamber) and Andre the Giant (at WrestleMania) have seen his index drop from 7.75 to 7.50. He is officially on a two-fight losing skid, the first of his modern WWF career.

The Meteoric Rise: The Rock (#2)

The biggest story of the night. By winning two high-stakes matches in one evening—including handing Goldberg his first one-on-one defeat—The Rock has surged from #3 to #2. He has equaled Hogan’s record for consecutive wins (8) and is now statistically neck-and-neck with the Hulkster. One more win could see a new #1 for the first time in years.

The Champion’s Paradox: Ryu (#3)

Despite becoming the Undisputed WWF Champion and the Cruiserweight Champion, Ryu actually slipped one spot. This is purely a result of the P4P Index weighting his recent losses to Hogan and Andre more heavily than his victory over Vader. However, his index rose in value, indicating he is much closer to the top than he was in mid-March.

The Rising Dragon: Son Goku (#4)

Goku continues his quiet climb. Unbeaten at 3-0 and advancing to the World Cup Semi-Finals, the Turtle School prodigy has jumped from #7 to #4, establishing himself as the dark horse to win the entire tournament.

[[ THE NEWCOMERS & THE DEPARTED ]]

WELCOME TO THE ELITE:

• The Undertaker (#5): His 9-0 WrestleMania streak was too much for the analysts to ignore. After a brief absence from the Top 10, the Deadman returns in the top five.

• Stone Cold Steve Austin (#6): A dominant, five-minute destruction of Guile reminded the world that the Rattlesnake is still one of the most dangerous men alive. He enters the rankings with an unbeaten 5-0-1 record.

• Golimar (#10): The wildcard entry. With a strong 3-1 record and a series of high-impact performances, Golimar squeaks into the #10 spot, displacing more established veterans.

FALLEN FROM GRACE:

• Zangief (Was #8): The Red Cyclone falls out of the top 10 following a stagnation in activity and the surge of the “Big Three.”

• Vader (Was #9): Losing the Undisputed Title to a man half his size took a massive toll on Vader’s P4P standing. He falls into the “Honorable Mentions” category.

• Kimbo Slice (Was #10): The street-fighting legend’s recent losses have finally pushed him out of the elite circle.

[[ LOOKING AHEAD ]]

With Hogan and The Rock tied at 8 wins, and the World Cup Semi-Finals on the horizon, the April 2nd rankings are likely the last time we see this order. If The Rock wins his next outing, or if Ryu defends his new gold successfully, the “Hulkamania” era of the P4P rankings will officially be over.