Wrestlers Who Should Be in the WWE Hall of Fame
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TheBossman
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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 cliché 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 ingénue and you had a recipe for success that was surpassed by few.
3. The Undertaker
Initially, we were hesitant to rank the Undertaker. It is not that we don’t think he is worthy, as Mark Callaway is about a sure thing for the Hall of Fame as they come. The debate for us was do we rank an active member of the WWE roster?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. ? Foley
When we spoke with ? Foley he mentioned that there was a plan to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame in Madison Square Garden as far back as 2003. Many signs point to his relationship with the WWE being mended so it would stand to reason that he could enter the Hall soon. Would anyone have any issue if he did?
7. 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.
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 cliché 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 ingénue and you had a recipe for success that was surpassed by few.
3. The Undertaker
Initially, we were hesitant to rank the Undertaker. It is not that we don’t think he is worthy, as Mark Callaway is about a sure thing for the Hall of Fame as they come. The debate for us was do we rank an active member of the WWE roster?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. ? Foley
When we spoke with ? Foley he mentioned that there was a plan to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame in Madison Square Garden as far back as 2003. Many signs point to his relationship with the WWE being mended so it would stand to reason that he could enter the Hall soon. Would anyone have any issue if he did?
7. 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.
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10. “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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Bruiser Brody
Bruiser Brody may not be known by a lot of wrestling fans today; but he should be. Much of the ? style that is popular today was originated by the man born as Frank Goodish.
14. The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes, Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy & Buddy Roberts)
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. 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.
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. The Destroyer
The enshrinement of Gorgeous George to the WWE Hall of Fame made us think it was time to look at the man who inducted him. The Destroyer was not just another masked wrestler; he may very well be the most important masked wrestler in American Professional Wrestling history.
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. Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash may not have been the darling of the internet community, nor was he ever confused with being one of the great workers of the business. Quite often his critics forget that he never had to be and possesses one of the more solid resumes on this list for Hall of Fame induction.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. “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”.
27. 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.
28. 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 ? ”.
30. 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.
31. 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.
33. The ? Tonk Man
The ? 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. 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.
35. The Midnight Express
(“Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, “Sweet” Stan Lane & “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey)
36. ? 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. ? the Bruiser.
37. Booker T
We held back on ranking Booker T in our inaugural list as felt that despite being in his mid 40’s we thought the “spinaroonie” master had another run left in him in the WWE. When he came back this year and returned to the WWE as a broadcaster, we felt it was time to list the five time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
39. 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.
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40. 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.
42. 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.
43. 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.
55. Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus may have started out in the WWE as just another pretty face, but that was certainly not how she left it.
58. 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.
64. 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.
65. 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.
68. 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.
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 ? , wore granny dresses and wore garish makeup. He looked more like a fat cross dresser than anything that may be found in a ? 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.
98. 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.
101. Chris Beniot -
I was coming in here to say the Macho Man
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owen hart will never be in the hall of fame because his widow won't allow it.
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Vince will sell his company to TNA before Benoit makes the HOF
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The Rock, Undertaker, Foley, Bob Backlund, Rick Rude, Bruno, and Jake the Snake will be in by 2016.
Macho Man may take a lil longer, just cause Vince had beef with him for all those years, otherwise he would've been in years ago.
Ultimate Warrior ain't NEVER getting in. Vince despises that dude.
If the Hart family wants it, Owen will go in. -
WWE Hall of Fame is a joke. What wrestling HOF doesn't include Sting???
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smittysmith wrote: »WWE Hall of Fame is a joke. What wrestling HOF doesn't include Sting???
he's not retired? -
smittysmith wrote: »WWE Hall of Fame is a joke. What wrestling HOF doesn't include Sting???
i think that has more to do with sting...he's never liked the way wwe did things. its why he didnt stay when they bought wcw -
Naturally Vince is gonna feel a certain way because Sting turned him down and refused to be a ? and decided to help out a struggling company but what's right is what's right. Sting should be included in the HOF. One of the top 5 most popular figures in the most populate era ever. Also one of the big reasons WCW was crushing the WWF in ratings for 3 years runningm
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macho before passing see he only would go in if they put his fam in it..
Elizabeth will go in with randy i think
Owen prob will go in when his kids are of age
