But what makes Keiji Mutoh special is how much of a pioneer he was for other Japanese workers. He is best remembered for the SummerSlam main event in London, where he beat Bret Hart in front of about 80,000 countrymen. Proceeds are to benefit the Mobile ARC program. If it wasn’t for Trish, people wouldn’t take talent like Alexa Bliss or Carmella seriously.

The greatest foreign heel ever, mostly because he was actually foreign. On to the list. This video of a young A.J. "So we put this together to try and get the folks out.". When Ivan Koloff beat Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF title 1971, the referee waited until he was back in the locker room before awarding him the title. This came at a time when The Goon was still in the company. Whether he’s an emasculated corporate shill or tagging with Daniel Bryan, he’s always serving a role. A second-generation pro wrestler, Combs was a 1980s WWF mainstay who made it into the 1990s with grit and ingenuity—she founded the short-lived Women's Pro Wrestling league. Yeah, his ring-work might look a little dated compared to the modern product, but nobody was able to get a room on his side quite like Dusty. And honestly, after watching Liger for three decades, none of us are all that surprised. In 10 years I expect to see Seth in the top 20, maybe the top 10. Part of me thinks we should put the whole Von Erich family here, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Vader’s legacy was cut short after he went to WWE and Vince McMahon bungled his booking—turning one of the most prominent monster heels ever into Shawn Michaels’ perch. He came up in the Vaudeville days, back when wrestling was trying to be as realistic as possible, and invented the Piledriver, which might be the least realistic looking wrestling move ever. Close to the top! Hats off. What a crazy risk, and somehow it worked. If you don’t think John Cena is in the Pantheon, you’ve been wrong for a long, long time. Like Inoki, Akira Maeda had a background in MMA, and worked hard to protect puroresu as a legitimate sport. Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images, Credit: When he was asked what it meant, Jake, in his usual terse snarl, replied, “the end.” He was a master salesman with an expansive vocabulary, and we’re all happy he seems to be dealing with his demons. They were managed by "Maw Maw" Bass, who was known for whacking an unsuspecting opponent with her "loaded" purse allowing her team to steal a victory. Once upon a time, The Undertaker was a stiff. In the late ‘70s, he’d put over Ric Flair, making him the new “nature boy.” Yeah, the most legendary wrestler of all time got his start from a Buddy Rogers rub. Brooke Shields? It’s hard not to imagine that if things went differently, Owen could’ve been one of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era and beyond. She continued wrestling on a regular basis until suffering a broken neck and back in 1979. He came up with that move. When people wax poetic about the older, realer days, they’re talking about stuff like Tatsumi Fujinami beating Ric Flair, and holding the IWGP title and NWA title at the same time. Whenever you see "Stone Cold" Steve Austin jump onto his opponent and push him into the mat, you’re watching a Lou Thesz Press. What a weird career Triple H has had. Of course, Gagne is best remembered for running the legendary AWA–but his in-ring career was just as important. © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. We can talk up Abdullah The Butcher and Bruiser Brody, but the original Sheik was where hardcore wrestling began. He was a heel, which is professional terminology for "bad guy," as a member of a tag team with his brother, Ron Bass. That counts for something. While his father was more famous, El Hijo del Santo is kind of like the Sting of Mexican wrestling. He was a big, burly heel who spent over 1,000 days as NWA Champion. to come up with our final list. The Rock is more famous, John Cena is more palatable and Hulk Hogan might be more iconic, but when we talk about zeitgeist, nobody comes close to Stone Cold.

Dory Funk Jr.’s philosophy has trickled down into a generation of talent. Terry Funk is still wrestling. Ted DiBiase might have my favorite gimmick ever. "I never really retired," said Green, who current resides in West Columbia, S.C., and operates a wrestling school. Styles eventually made it to WWE, but Christopher Daniels is one of the few remaining standouts of his generation yet to make it to the main event. Years of frightening back bumps and unprotected chair shots have left him semi-crippled, but his legacy is untouchable. quicklist: 5 category: Retro Wrestlers title: Jesse "The Body" Ventura url: text:Ventura, 62, has had a strange post-wrestling career. Real shame we can’t talk about him without shaking our heads and feeling weird though. I mean, seriously, where are you supposed to rank Bruno Sammartino? But I love the weird little niche he’s carved out in wrestling. He wasn’t like The Rock, but after great programs with John Cena, a fantastic Undertaker streak match and some of the most pure evil heel moves ever, I can’t think of many people who had a better career. Ringside seats, $15. In the process, I ended up getting her in a hold she could not get out of and she said, 'I quit.'".

It’s not the tidiest way to make money in the business, but it certainly drew, and the death matches of today owe him back tax.