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Top 100 Not in the WWE Hall of Fame

Top 100 Not in the WWE Hall of Fame

Posted: Dec 21st 2010 By: mikeiles

1. Bruno Sammartino
During NIHOF committee meetings, it was extremely rare for us to agree unanimously on anything. We were all however in agreement that Bruno Sammartino had to be considered the most deserving man not yet in the WWE Hall of Fame.

2. Randy ?Macho Man? Savage
When Randy ?Macho Man? Savage first entered the WWF it wasn?t a clich? to say that he took the federation by storm. He had uncontrollable intensity, a flashy look, a gravelly voice, lightning speed and a unique move set that made Savage completely unique for the WWF in 1985. Throw in a doe eyed ing?nue and you had a recipe for success that was surpassed by few.

3. Shawn Michaels
The Icon. The Main Event. The Showstopper. The Heartbreak Kid. Mr. Wrestlemania. Every nickname that Shawn Michaels bestowed upon himself was boisterous and reeked of an arrogance that seemed impossible for a man to live up to. The amazing thing was that he was that good and lived up to every moniker that was associated with him.

4. The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal)
Our fourth choice is the first tag team on our list and without argument the most deserving of being our highest ranked duo. The Road Warriors were not just a tag team; they were a force of nature. With their painted faces, spiked shoulder pads, strange haircuts and cerebral manager (Paul Ellering) they created a new style of power wrestling in the 80?s. They didn?t just beat their opponents, they destroyed them. When they won their first recognized world title in the AWA over the near sixty year old Crusher and forty four year old Baron Von Raschke they showed the wrestling world what the future was going to look like.

5. Bob Backlund
When Bob Backlund first hit the Northeast he had the credentials to be a wrestling star; he was a legitimate amateur champion, he had the boyish good looks and the humble demeanor that made him the perfect face. This equated to him holding the WWF World Heavyweight Championship for over five years.

6. The Rock
When The Rock called himself the most electrifying man in sports entertainment he wasn?t kidding. There has been no wrestler before or after who was could captivate an audience like he could. The amount of wrestlers who have tried to segue over into Hollywood is long but only Dwayne Johnson became a megastar in that medium. Vince McMahon has often been quoted that he was not in the wrestling business but that he was in the entertainment business. It seems that no past employee of Vince ever personified that statement better than the Rock.

7. The Ultimate Warrior
There has been a lot of negativity surrounding the Ultimate Warrior, and honestly a lot of it is justified. His detractors point to his lack of wrestling ability and incoherent interviews. They are right, as the vast majority of his matches were not wrestling clinics and more often than not, you really didn?t have a clue what he was talking about. With all of that said, there was a huge population of wrestling fans that made the Ultimate Warrior one of the most popular wrestlers of the late 80?s and early 90?s.

8. Lou Thesz
Despite the major respect we have for Lou Thesz, we were not initially planning to put him in our list. The bulk of Thesz? career took place before the dawn of the WWE and even then he barely had any dealings with the North Eastern promotion. Still, the induction of Gorgeous George has opened up the idea of looking at an older era of Professional Wrestling and if you are looking at the most flamboyant wrestler of the first era of televised wrestling, you have to look at the best of its time.

9. The Dynamite Kid
Far too often it is said that an athlete or performer gave their life to their profession. The Dynamite Kid dedicated his life to wrestling and it is no exaggeration to say that he gave his body to the business he loved.

10. Mil Mascaras
As one of the most recognized ?Luchadores? of all time the ?Man of 1,000 masks? broke barriers everywhere he went. His size allowed him to be one of the first Mexican wrestlers to be able to compete in the Heavyweight division. Mascaras also broke down the barrier of becoming the first Mexican babyface star in the United States and become a star in Japan as well.

11. Paul Heyman
Is it possible that the most influential figure in the world of Professional Wrestling during the last half of the 90?s was not even a wrestler? The statement is a bold one, but it is not impossible to make that case for Paul Heyman; the ?mad scientist? responsible for the creativity of the original ECW.

12. Bruiser Brody
Bruiser Brody may not be known by a lot of wrestling fans today; but he should be. Much of the Hardcore style that is popular today was originated by the man born as Frank Goodish.

13. Jake ?The Snake? Roberts
The highlight of a Jake Roberts match wasn?t usually what happened inside the ring, but often what happened before it. His bone chilling, cerebral interviews would set him apart from the traditional bellowing that most wrestlers would do.

14. Carlos Colon
Pedro Morales may be the most known wrestler from Puerto Rico, but we openly question if the people from Puerto Rico view Morales in the same high regard as they do Carlos Colon. Our bet is that Colon would get the nod.

15. The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes, Terry ?Bamm Bamm? Gordy & Buddy Roberts)
Talk about innovation. Before there was the N.W.O, D-Generation X or the Four Horsemen there was the original gang concept; The Fabulous Freebirds.

16. Ivan Koloff
A quick way to get heel heat in the world of Professional Wrestling is to declare your hatred for the United Sates and take on the persona of one of their enemies. More often than not, these performers were not from those countries, but back in the 70?s and 80?s had you told anyone that Ivan Koloff was not really a Russian, it would be hard to find anyone to believe you.

17. Owen Hart
At one point wrestling prognosticators predicted that Owen would be the first Hart brother to be a World Champion. Needless to say, that didn?t happen, but when fans say that he was just as talented as his older brother Bret, few can argue.

18. Stan Hansen
The state of Texas has given wrestling superstar after superstar, though none of them could have been a better brawler than Stan ?The Lariat? Hansen. Nobody played the part of a deranged cowboy better than he did either.

19. Arn Anderson
It seemed throughout his career; Arn Anderson has always seemed to be in someone else?s shadow. His first large profile role was as Ole Anderson?s nephew due to his wrestling style and appearance. As part of the original Four Horsemen, ?Double A? became the ?Enforcer? of the group whose stellar no nonsense ring work and intelligent promos were one of the highlights of any show he was on.

20. Jim Cornette
It was very tempting to include Jim Cornette with our Midnight Express entry, but upon further review the vast repertoire of Jim Cornette?s non Midnight Express accomplishments were too vast and he deserves an entry all his own.

21. Giant Baba
Trained by the legendary Rikidozan, Shohei ?Giant? Baba was a true groundbreaker. His huge size (6 ft 10) made him stand out and break the stereotype of the smaller Asian athlete. Baba became the first Japanese wrestler to win the coveted NWA World Heavyweight Title and his status as a national hero was well deserved.

22. Ray Stevens
If the old Yankee Stadium is the house that Ruth built than the Cow Palace in San Francisco might be called the house that Ray Stevens built. Seriously, he was that big in that region?s wrestling world.

23. Barry Windham
As the son of current WWE Hall of Famer, Black Jack Mulligan, Barry Windham was a natural for the business. Virtually from the start of Windham?s career, he was able to put clinics in the ring. Almost everything Barry Windham did seemed so effortless. He was a natural worker and his underappreciated athleticism gave him the ability to put on strong matches every night.

24. The Crusher
Before there was ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin chugging beer and identifying with the every man, there was the man who made Milwaukee famous, the barrel chested Reggie ?Crusher? Lisowski.

25. ?Ravishing? Rick Rude
It used to be that if you were a good looking wrestler that you would automatically be a babyface. ?Ravishing? Rick Rude may have had the body of a painting and the face of Magnum P.I., but he was the farthest thing from a ?good guy?.

26. Eric Bischoff
It is easy to say that because he had access to Ted Turner?s resources he was able to mount an offensive against the WWE. Just because you have the resources doesn?t mean you know what to do with it.

27. Vader
Generally, Vince McMahon has been known to make professional wrestlers bigger stars than his competitors in the South. This wasn?t the case Vader who may have been kicking ass in WCW but was remembered by some in his WWE stint for declaring himself ?a fat piece of shit?.

28. Haystacks Calhoun
As the initial televised era of wrestling was winding down, one of its stars proved to be a big draw without ever having to chase for a championship. His unique look and size were enough to get him ?over?. Tipping the scales at over 600 pounds, Haystacks Calhoun was a mammoth of a man who was used as a special attraction much the way Andre the Giant would be used years later.

29. Dick the Bruiser
The world of wrestling has had its share of combatants who looked mean. Yet we doubt that there was anyone who looked meaner (even if he tried not to) than William Affis; A.K.A. Dick the Bruiser.

30. Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith had it all. He had the strength, the speed, the technical skills, stamina and could cut a promo. He was equally adept at playing a face or a heel and could always be counted on to put on a solid match.

31. Yokozuna
In a down period for the WWF, Yokozuna was one of the few bright spots in a thin roster. Initially arriving to the Federation in the fall of 1992, Yokozuna took over the spot as the organization?s top monster heel, but unlike others who held that designation, Yokozuna was made their World Champion for almost a year.

32. Gene Kiniski
With all due respect to Iron Mike Sharpe (whom we love by the way) when Gene Kiniski was billed as Canada?s Greatest Athlete it seemed far more legitimate. The former NWA World Heavyweight Champion looked every bit the tough guy and far from anyone you would want to pick a fight with.

33. The Honky Tonk Man
The Honky Tonk Man proclaimed himself the ?Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All Time?. Considering that he held the title for fourteen months and was one of the greatest heat generators it is really hard to argue that statement.

34. Tully Blanchard
The term of ?personal demons? is thrown around a lot in the world of Professional Wrestling. Thankfully, Tully Blanchard did not perish because of those demons as many of his peers had, but as stellar as his career had been, it could be only be imagined ?what could have been?. Blanchard was the son of Texas promoter, Joe Blanchard and quickly adapted to the business.

35. Ken Patera
Before there was Kurt Angle, there was another legit Olympian who competed in the squared circle. Ken Patera competed for the United States in weightlifting at the 1972 Munich games (he did not medal) and was one of the first to use the moniker as ?the world?s strongest man? while competing in wrestling.

36. The Midnight Express
(?Beautiful? Bobby Eaton, ?Sweet? Stan Lane & ?Loverboy? Dennis Condrey)

Despite the temptation, this entry will focus on the tag team and not the entire package that featured the dynamic Jim Cornette.

37. Tatsumi Fujinami
Does the induction of Antonio Inoki pave the way for other past stars of New Japan? If it does, the next logical choice would have to be Tatsumi Fujinami who held their version of the World Heavyweight Championship on six different occasions.

38. King Kong Bundy
When the late Gorilla Monsoon called King Kong Bundy ?a condominium with legs? he wasn?t far off. Bundy looked liked he was created on an easel. His 450 pounds were spread over a very wide frame, a hairless body and pale white skin. Bundy looked like a movie monster come to life.

39. Stan Stasiak
Although he was considered a transitional champion (bridging the WWF World Championship by beating Pedro Morales and losing the title to Bruno Sammartino a week later), you have to be considered a solid wrestler to have been given the strap in the first place.

40. Scott Hall
Scott Hall may be another name in the discussion of ?best wrestler never to win a World Championship?, though few would have thought based on his first eight years in the business that he would be World Championship material.

41. Ron Simmons
The color barrier in professional sports was famously broken in Professional Baseball in 1947 by Jackie Robinson. It can be argued that this barrier was never truly broken until 1992 in Professional Wrestling.

42. Rick Martel
It?s hard to believe that as talented as Rick Martel was, he was always a little underrated. It didn?t matter which promotion he was in, or where he was on the card; the odds was always that Martel would be in the best match of the night or at least close to it.

43. Abdullah The Butcher
We are not sure if the ?Madman from Sudan? has actually ever been to his alleged birthplace, but there is nothing alleged about the international stardom of Abdullah the Butcher.

44. Demolition (Ax & Smash)
Now here is an interesting case. Ax (Bill Eadie) wrestled successfully as Bolo Mongol, The Masked Superstar and The Super Machine before donning the face paint. Smash (Barry Darsow) was also making money as Khrusher Khruschev before becoming Smash and had good runs as The Repo Man and The Black Top Bully after. It is hard to argue though that in each case their greatest recognition was together as Demolition.

45. ?Dr. Death? Steve Williams
From the University of Oklahoma, ?Dr. Death? Steve Williams was a legitimate athlete who excelled in both amateur wrestling and on the gridiron. He adapted very quickly and his matches were a showcase of skill, brute force and unequalled intensity.

46. Lex Luger
The man dubbed in wrestling circles as the ?Total Package? really hasn?t had a lot of good fortune the last few years. After making millions in the industry, Lex Luger has found himself without money, the use of his legs (he is currently paralyzed) and unfortunately is the butt of many a joke in the wrestling industry. This is not how we will choose to remember Lex Luger.

47. Baron Von Raschke
Only in Professional Wrestling could the most known German competitor not actually be German. Many wrestlers cashed in on the image of the evil Nazi that still resonated from the Second World War, but only James Raschke drew money with it, which was quite ironic considering his All American background.

48. Kamala
When James Harris adopted the gimmick of a ?Ugandan Headhunter?, he stumbled upon one of most bizarre yet memorable personas in wrestling history. With his painted face and stomach, Kamala was a large savage who looked like he could destroy anybody and then eat them for dinner.

49. Larry Zbyszko
It is hard to determine just whether Larry Zbyszko was best known for his feud with Bruno Sammartino, his loud arrogance or his hatred for Vince McMahon.

50. The Rock and Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)
Wrestling fans that were not exposed to promotions outside the WWE may only remember the Rock and Roll Express as a lower card tag team in brief runs in the late 90?s. Those however who saw Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson in the NWA during the 80?s saw their version of the Rock and Wrestling connection and one of the most copied tag teams of all time.

51. Brian Pillman
With the discussion of the late Brian Pillman it is as if you remember two different wrestlers. The first was the aerial specialist who was one of the first American wrestlers to successfully adopt a high flying style that could match any Japanese performer or Luchadore spot for spot. The second was the psychotic heel character who blurred the lines between reality and fantasy.

52. Wahoo McDaniel
More often than not if you ask people who the greatest Native American wrestler, more often than not the answer is Chief Jay Strongbow. With Strongbow played by an Italian American that answer never seemed right to us. Sometimes the answer would be Jack Briscoe though since he never wrestled with a ?stereotypical Native? gimmick, his name does not come up first a lot either. To us, the easy answer is Wahoo McDaniel, the former New York Jet who was as popular as he was tough.

53. Kevin Sullivan
The first half of Kevin Sullivan?s in ring career was solid, but fairly non-descript. He was lean and muscular and was often in the mid card or in tag teams of which ever promotion he worked. In his mid thirties, Sullivan?s career did an about face with the advent of a devil worshiper gimmick that had never been done before.

54. John Bradshaw Layfield
Although he is still a relatively young man, the successful outside ventures of John ?Bradshaw? Layfield make is confident that we can include him on our list and that his retirement will likely stick. It is interesting that he made our list as when he started in the WWE he really didn?t have the makings of a Hall of Fame performer.

55. Mike Rotundo
There have been many wrestlers who were great amateurs and were able to parlay that into a successful career in professional wrestling. Mike Rotundo was one such wrestler, though people really paid attention when he dropped the nice guy vanilla toast persona and showcased a side that nobody thought he was capable of.

56. Dick Murdoch
The words underrated and overrated are brandished often wrestling. Although Dick Murdoch was much respected he could very well have still been vastly underrated. He was a tough Texan capable of delivering a technically brilliant masterpiece or a full out brawl.

57. Ron Garvin
A quick look at Ron Garvin would not make you think you are looking at a star. He was not very big (by wrestling standards) and not the best interview. However once he got in the ring, he was tough, capable and looked like he could take anyone apart.

58. Johnny Valentine
Virtually all followers of wrestling are aware of the 1975 plane crash where Ric Flair?s back was broken and his career was threatened. We know that Flair came back to wrestle again. Johnny Valentine was not as lucky as the injuries he suffered ended his wrestling career permanently.

59. ?Hacksaw? Jim Duggan
Hoooooooooooooo!! One common formula in wrestling is to find a character that identifies with the American working class. Many have tried that role and some have even excelled. Nobody ever embodied that role better or longer than ?Hacksaw? Jim Duggan.

60. Bam Bam Bigelow
A graduate of Larry Sharpe?s ?Monster Factory?, no other graduate fit the bill of a monster better than ?The Beast from the East?, Bam Bam Bigelow. He was a large man (nearly 400 lbs) and though he wasn?t the first of his size in the business, he was the first to debut such incredible agility.

61. Elizabeth
In a business dominated by athletic men a star emerged while doing very little physically and saying even less. How did Elizabeth do this? Certainly she was beautiful, but there are a lot of beautiful women. What made her special was that she was classy, shy, sexy and sweet all at the same time. She was the girl next door who you wanted to bring home to meet your parents during the day and take home to your bedroom at night. You wanted to jump through the television and help her when she was in trouble. No other woman before or after her could illicit this type of reaction. She is probably a long shot to make the Hall, but it can never be forgotten just how big a star she was in the last half of the 1980?s in the World Wrestling Federation.

62. Ray Traylor ?The Big Boss Man?
When Ray Traylor first emerged on the national scene it was a large suit clad bodyguard, Big Bubba Rogers. When he arrived to the WWF, he donned the gimmick of a sadistic prison guard (a job he actually had) and achieved his best success.

63. Jackie Fargo
Many current wrestling fans may not be familiar with the name of Jackie Fargo, but long before Jerry ?The King? Lawler ruled the Southern wrestling scene Jackie Fargo was perfecting the art of the wrestling brawl and was a star south of the Mason Dixon Line.

64. Jumbo Tsuruta
A superstar in the All Japan Promotion, Tommy ?Jumbo? Tsuruta was the man who unified the three major champions in the promotion and was the first ever ?Triple Crown? Champion. As impressive as that was, it was just a portion of what he would accomplish in professional wrestling.

65. Diamond Dallas Page
When Diamond Dallas Page announced in 1991 that he was going to give up managing to become a wrestler few gave him a chance. As a manager, he was average at best, but the fact was at the age of thirty five he was entering a profession that was generally started by people ten to fifteen years younger.

66. Spiros Arion
By the time Spiros Arion made his return to the then World Wide Wrestling Federation in the mid 70?s, he was already a star of international proportions. The Greek born grappler had already been a star in Europe, but was already one of the biggest stars in Australia. Arion came close to duplicating that status in the United States.

67. Ole Anderson
One of the best tag team wrestlers in wrestling history, Ole Anderson caught a break because of his looks. No, it wasn?t because he was exceptionally good looking (he wasn?t) but because he looked like Gene and Lars Anderson.

68. ?Hot Stuff? Eddie Gilbert
The time that Eddie Gilbert spent in the WWF was largely uneventful. He was basically a glorified jobber whose high water mark was getting destroyed by the Masked Superstar on television. It wouldn?t be much longer after that he got to shine in smaller promotions and ?Hot Stuff? Eddie Gilbert really made people take notice.

69. Nikita Koloff
The amount of wrestlers who shaved their head and donned a Soviet gimmick is numerous, but none were a more gifted physical specimen than Nikita Koloff. Looking like he belonged as the opponent for Rocky in Rocky IV (though that came after Nikita?s debut), Nikita Koloff looked like the new breed of Russian athlete: one who would destroy you by brute force as oppose to cunning guile and deviousness.

70. Billy Robinson
One of the purest wrestlers of all time has to be Billy Robinson. His catch as catch can style helped to influence the Japanese shoot style and he was putting on classic matches across the world winning titles everywhere he went.

71. Domenic DeNucci
Most people are familiar with Domenic DeNucci as the trainer of the Hardcore legend Mick Foley and ?The Franchise? Shane Douglas, but it is often forgotten that DeNucci was an accomplished grappler and a Tag Team star in the 70?s.

72. Jimmy Garvin
When discussing the case of Jimmy Garvin the NIHOF committee openly discussed placing him in the Freebirds page. In future editions, we may do that (or we may witness Garvin get inducted with the Freebrids) but for now we will concentrate on his career before his association with Michael Hayes and company which was a very good one.

73. Magnum T. A..
By the time 1986 rolled around it was clear to anyone following the NWA that Magnum T.A. was being groomed as a future World Heavyweight Champion. Had he not had a car crash that ended his career, all bets are that he would have gained that coveted belt.

74. Adrian Adonis
The bulk of Adrian?s career was spent as a leather clad biker who excelled in the tag team ranks and was known for his technical skills. That isn?t how he is best remembered. Like others before him, he was given the gimmick of a playing a homosexual, but nobody before or since had played as over the top as Adonis did. He claimed he was gay, wore granny dresses and wore garish makeup. He looked more like a fat cross dresser than anything that may be found in a gay pride parade but he was playing the perceived stereotype. His weight ballooned to the mid 300?s, yet his skill never waned. After his Wrestlemania III match with Roddy Piper, he was let go from the company and was killed in a car accident a year later. Regardless of what his gimmick was, Adonis should be best remembered as a great wrestler.

75. Butch Reed
What would the legacy be if Butch Reed had not have no showed one night in Buffalo where he would have been scheduled to win the Intercontinental Title from Ricky Steamboat? It stands to reason that it might be greater than it is now, but it is not like Butch Reed did not have a solid wrestling career.

76. Dean Malenko
As the son of Professor Boris Malenko, Dean Malenko was bred to be a wrestler. Surprisingly, the Iceman really didn?t hit the national stage until his mid thirties, but when he did; anyone who watched a Dean Malenko match knew they were watching one of the best ring tacticians in the world.

77. ?The Assassin? Jody Hamilton
The Assassin may not have been the best wrestler, or even the best in the tag team ranks, but you would be hard pressed to find a man who had more success in the tag team division than the Assassin.

78. Tony Garea
When a lot of wrestling fans were first discovering professional wrestling in the 80?s, they saw a Tony Garea at the end of his career whose main job was to put heels over during their first few matches in the WWF.

79. The One Man Gang
Tall men with exceptional girth may be a rare sight on the street but in the world of professional wrestling it is actually commonplace. What wasn?t standard was for those wrestlers to have agility, skill and a solid workrate. In the case of George Gray, A.K.A., the One Man Gang, all those attributes were present.

80. Tommy Rich
The American South has generated wrestling superstar after wrestling superstar. ?Wildfire? Tommy Rich was one of those great stars whose southern accent and reckless style allowed for easy switches from good ole boy face to a dirty rule breaking redneck.

81. Bad News Brown
Possibly the only Olympic winner (Bronze in Judo at the 76 Olympics) in Professional Wrestling history to have that accolade ignored, Allen Coage found far more fame as a wrestler than he ever did in Judo competition.

82. Brutus Beefcake
Prior to his parasailing accident in 1990, it is often forgotten just how popular Brutus Beefcake was. In the late 80?s while assuming the barber gimmick he ascended to the upper mid card and was one of the top faces in the company. In tag team main events with Hulk Hogan, Beefcake held his own and although he was not the most spectacular in ring worker, he played the barber gimmick perfectly and was a true superstar.

83. Rene Goulet
The first time that most wrestling fans saw Rene Goulet it was at the tail end of his career where ?the #1 Frenchman? would usually go down to defeat against the new babyface in the WWF. Goulet was a great choice for that role, as even in his 50?s Rene Goulet was among the best conditioned and dependable workers on the card.

84. ?The Spoiler? Don Jardine
There are many big men in wrestling and have been throughout its history. The Spoiler may be the first really tall wrestler to show incredible agility and would foreshadow that larger men could move like men half their size.

85. Jim ?The Anvil? Neidhart
We remembered one of Jim Neidhart?s last WWF appearances when Shawn Michaels courted him to join DX. He told Neidhart about how he used to carry Bret Hart and he became overlooked. This may have been a scripted line, but in the early years of the Hart Foundation, it was actually true.

86. Steve Keirn
Although we kind of found the ?Skinner? character a guilty pleasure, it was hardly a reflection of the great career of Steve Keirn.

87. Dino Bravo
His later years in the WWE saw Dino Bravo rely on his overwhelming strength. As such he was a plodding grappler, but to those who saw Bravo prior to his final years in the ring, saw an underrated performer who could deliver a very well rounded match.

88. Haku
The next wrestler has to be considered the toughest wrestler on this list. In fact, any informal poll of wrestlers conducted would likely name Haku as the man would least want to mess with in a legitamite fight (ask Jesse Barr and his glass eye about that).

89. ?Psycho? Sid
Many times, wrestling promoters talk of someone who has the ?look? of a wrestler. Looking back in the past twenty five years or so, it seems difficult to find anyone who had the designation more than Sid Eudy.

90. John Tenta ?Earthquake?
Often when you look the large men in wrestling you assume that they got into to Professional Wrestling just because when you are that big, it ?makes sense? to do that. In the case of John Tenta, the big man was actually in wrestling all of his life.

91. ?Mr. Wrestling? Tim Woods
George Woodin started his career late (at age 29) but once he did, he ustilized his natural athletic background from his days of football and amateur wrestling and became a superstar in the American South as Mr. Wrestling, a character he was born to play.

92. Hercules
As one of the many strong muscle bound wrestlers in the WWF during the 80?s, Hercules Hernandez still managed to stand out. Anyone with the moniker of ?Hercules? better have the physique to back it up. Thankfully, that was not an issue for the man who gained his greatest fame as a member of the Bobby Heenan family.

93. Hillbilly Jim
Nowadays, a fan pandering ?good guy? might struggle to gain fan approval, but we have a feeling that even with the outdated Hillbilly gimmick, Jim Morris (Hillbilly Jim) could still get over as a face.

94. Paul Bearer
For all intensive purposes the last important manager in the WWE of note, Paul Bearer was not just a successful on air manager for the WWE, he was one of its more unique characters as well.

95. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobs & Jerry Sags)
It was certainly no misnomer when Brian Knobs and Jerry Sags dubbed their team The Nasty Boys. They looked and wrestled the part and while you wouldn?t see a wrestling clinic when they competed, you would certainly see a match that was well?..nasty.

96. King Curtis Iaukea
The majority of wrestling fans who remember seeing King Curtis Iaukea would remember him as the mouthpiece for Kamala during his 1987 run and later as the figurehead leader of the unintentionally comical Dungeon of Doom in the mid 90?s. Prior to his managing stint, Iaukea was one of the most feared wrestlers and wreaked havoc in various promotions in the 60?s and 70?s.

97. Marty Jannetty
We have to admit that we hate it when current WWE performers talk about becoming ?the Marty Jannetty? of their team. Jannetty may not have had a career that came close to what Shawn Michaels did, but honestly how many could?

98. Jacques Rougeau
When you think of Jacques Rougeau usually two things will come to mind. The first is his excellent tag teams with his older brother Raymond and later with Pierre Ouelette.

99. Adnan Al-Kaissie ?General Adnan?
A lot of people only remember General Adnan as the Iraqi mouthpiece of Sgt. Slaughter during the former G.I. Joe pitchman?s run as an Iraqi sympathizer. Adnan didn?t wrestle much during that final National run, but that wasn?t his role at the time. With that said, Adnan wrestled a lot more in the past than most people realized.

100. The Brooklyn Brawler
Yeah, we know. He barely won any matches and was a career curtain jerker. But aren?t those wrestlers necessary to make others look good? Nobody, was a longer glorified jobber and sent more people to the pay window than Steve Lombardi; the Brooklyn Brawler.

 

Tags: WWE, WWF, AWA, Ultimate Warrior. Lou Thesz, Mil Mascaras, ECW, Bruiser Brody, Jake Roberts, Fabulous Freebirds, Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts, Stan Hansen, Jim Cornette, NWA, Rick Rude, Vader, WCW, Haystacks Calhoun, Andre the Giant, Mike Shar

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Spotlight in History

  • 1956 Don Evans def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 1974 The Texan def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 2004 Terry Montana def. Shadow of Death for the TPW Hardcore Champion
  • 2006 Seth Allen def. Cody Jones for the MSWA Mid-South Cruiserweight Champion
  • 2016 The K. C. Wolves/The Diamond Dogs (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) def. What Wrestling Should Be (Jermaine Johnson & Jordan Jacobs) for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 2016 Double D def. Damon Windsor for the IZW Heavyweight Champion
  • 2022 Anarchy [2nd] became the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 2022 Ronnie Morton became the RDW Brass Knucks Champion
  • 2022 Murder, Inc. (Mr. Nasty & Killbane) def. The OMGs (John Omari & Mike Anthony) for the WCR Tag Team Champions
  • 2022 Moonshine Mantell became the WCR Heavyweight Champion

Week of Sun 03-17 to Sat: 03-23

  • 03-17 1982 Bob Roop def. Ted DiBiase for the MSW North American Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-17 2006 Beau Dalton & Bobby Dalton def. Tommy Smash for the SRPW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-17 2007 Kareem Sadat became the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 03-17 2007 Dexter Hardaway became the SWCW Sooner Xtreme Champion
  • 03-17 2007 John O'Malley def. Ryan Davidson for the IZW Impact Division Champion
  • 03-17 2007 Canadian Red Devil def. Rocco Valentino for the FCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-17 2007 AWOL def. Rocco Valentino for the ComPro Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-17 2007 Texas, Inc. (Tim Rockwell & Bernard Funk) became the SWCW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-17 2012 John E. Stone def. Drake Gallows for the SWCW All-American Champion
  • 03-17 2012 Aaron Neil def. Jermaine Johnson for the IZW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-17 2012 The Old School Suckas (Gary Tool & Randy Price) def. Nemesis (Rage Logan & Damien Morte) for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-17 2021 El Torito def. Flyin’ Ryan for the MWF Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-17 2023 Edge Stone def. Shane Taylor for the TexPro Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-17 2024 Micro Tiger def. Disco Don for the MWF Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-18 1963 Louie Tillet def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 03-18 1976 The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Buddy Roberts) def. Greg Valentine & Gorgeous George, Jr. for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 03-18 2006 Aaron Neil def. Big Van Vader for the IZW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-18 2006 John O'Malley def. Kenny Campbell for the IZW Hardcore Champion
  • 03-18 2006 The Old School Assassins (Brad Michaels & Seth Allen) def. Impact Inc. (John Zorthos & Bernie Donderwitz) for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-18 2012 Drake Gallows def. The Canadian Red Devil for the BYEW Caution Champion
  • 03-18 2012 Prophet def. Sam Stackhouse for the BYEW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-18 2017 Arrow Club (Ky-Ote & Kyle Hawk) became the IWR Tag Team Champions
  • 03-18 2022 Doz Camachos (Onyx Camacho & Zarek Camacho) def. The Unit (Charlie Haas & Dane Griffin) for the TexPro Tag Team Champions
  • 03-18 2023 Nashoba def. Skidz for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Champion
  • 03-18 2023 Skidz def. Nashoba for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Champion
  • 03-19 1956 Don Evans def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 03-19 1974 The Texan def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-19 2004 Terry Montana def. Shadow of Death for the TPW Hardcore Champion
  • 03-19 2006 Seth Allen def. Cody Jones for the MSWA Mid-South Cruiserweight Champion
  • 03-19 2016 The K. C. Wolves/The Diamond Dogs (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) def. What Wrestling Should Be (Jermaine Johnson & Jordan Jacobs) for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-19 2016 Double D def. Damon Windsor for the IZW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-19 2022 Anarchy [2nd] became the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-19 2022 Ronnie Morton became the RDW Brass Knucks Champion
  • 03-19 2022 Murder, Inc. (Mr. Nasty & Killbane) def. The OMGs (John Omari & Mike Anthony) for the WCR Tag Team Champions
  • 03-19 2022 Moonshine Mantell became the WCR Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-20 1962 Bull Curry def. Jack Dalton 1st for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 03-20 1970 The Spoiler def. Tarzan Baxter for the TSW North American Champion
  • 03-20 1988 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. John Tatum & Jack Victory for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
  • 03-20 2009 Brandon Groom became the TAP Pure Xtreme Champion
  • 03-20 2021 Dimitri Alexandrov def. Tim Rockwell for the WFC Hometown Heroes Champion
  • 03-20 2022 Little Foot def. Li’l Show for the MWF Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-21 1972 The Continental Warriors (Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente) def. Tom Jones & Billy Red Lyons for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 03-21 1998 Rocco Valentino def. Jimmy Kane for the OPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-21 1998 Generation X (Zane Morris & Ian St. James) def. Body Count (Krull Danzig & Brett Knight) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
  • 03-21 1998 Bernard Funk def. Rocco Valentino for the OPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-21 2009 The Good Ol' Boys (Bud Barnes & Moonshine) became the SWCW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-21 2009 3rd Rail def. Kevin James Sanchez for the SWCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-21 2015 Paul Puertorico def. Matt Majestic for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 03-22 1980 The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy) def. Ted DiBiase & Paul Orndorff for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 03-22 2008 Canadian Red Devil became the TAP Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-22 2008 The Innovators (Anarchy 2nd & Fuel) became the TAP Tag Team Champions
  • 03-22 2008 Tim Rockwell became the TAP Oklahoma Heritage Champion
  • 03-22 2008 Dominique Lereaux became the SWCW Womens Champion
  • 03-22 2008 Sage became the SWCW Cruiserweight Champion
  • 03-22 2008 X-Rated (Kevin James Sanchez & Shane Sanchez) def. Death Row [1st] (Blade [1st] & Shank) for the SWCW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-22 2008 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Rage) def. X-Rated (Kevin James Sanchez & Shane Sanchez) for the SWCW Tag Team Champions
  • 03-22 2014 MHM, Inc. (Ray Martinez, Alabastair Hunt & K. P. Moore) became the SRPW United States Champion
  • 03-22 2015 A. C. Slaughter (Aaron Anders & Clint Cassidy) def. The K. C. Wolves (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) for the WFC Tag Team Champions
  • 03-23 2007 AWOL def. Mustafa Sharmoot for the AACW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-23 2013 Hurricane Ross became the NAW Heavyweight Champion
  • 03-23 2013 Pretty In Pink (Michael Duplanti & Mike Rose) became the NAW Tag Team Champion
  • 03-23 2013 Damien Morte became the IZW Impact Division Champion
  • 03-23 2013 Johnny Z became the IZW Heavyweight Champion
03-19
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