Legion of Doom/Road Warriors: Worthy or Not?

[TheOneBigWill]

The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team famously composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis, though other members were added later. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion of Doom (L.O.D. for short) in the World Wrestling Federation. Under either name, their gimmick was the same - two imposing musclebound wrestlers in face paint.

Generally recognized as the greatest tag team in professional wrestling history, the pair is well known as innovators, popularizing the use of face paint, using their massive physiques and power moves to win over audiences, and introducing a tandem maneuver known as the Doomsday Device. Both men used the move as a team finisher throughout their careers, even when teaming with other partners. They were managed by Paul Ellering for much of their career.

The tag team would take several courses through thick and thin, especially with Hawk's personal problems. They were originally brought into the W.W.F. to feud with Demolition, but the feud didn't pan out like the company had hoped. Ultimatley, they only won 1 Championship, defeating The Nasty Boys. They would drop the titles later to Money, Inc. Hawk left the company and pursued a career in New Japan, forming a team called "The Hell Raisers" w/ Kensuke Sasaki while Animal continued working with the W.W.F. until a back injury put him out. Upon return together, they reformed in W.C.W. but never won the Tag Team Championships.

When their careers didn't pan out under Eric Bischoff in W.C.W., they returned to the W.W.F. in 1997, ultimately winning the Tag Team Championships again, but dropping them to the New Age Outlaws in the end. They tried reformatting themselves in a ways, by changing their look to a new generation style and adding Sunny as their manager. They also tried to add-in a new member by the name of Darren "Puke" Drozdov, but the transition failed miserably.

After Hawk's death, Animal returned to the company for one last run under the L.o.D. name, this time bringing in John Heidenreich. The duo defeated M.N.M. to become Tag Team Champions, but ultimately this mess-up formation of L.o.D. never panned out either. Their list of accomplishments and Championships (according to Wiki) are as follows:

The Road Warriors / Legion of Doom
All Japan Pro Wrestling
NWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time)

American Wrestling Association
AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)

Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling
World Japan Tag Team Championship (1 time)

Georgia Championship Wrestling
NWA National Tag Team Championship (4 times)

i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling
i-Generation Tag Team Championship (2 times)

Independent Pro Wrestling
IPW Tag Team Championship (1 time)

Jim Crockett Promotions | World Championship Wrestling
NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Dusty Rhodes (2) and Genichiro Tenryu (1)
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1 time)
NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup (1986)
NWA Iron Team Tournament (1989)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Tag Team of the Year (1983-1985, 1988)
PWI ranked them #1 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003

World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment
WWF/E Tag Team Championship (2 times)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Rookies of the Year (1983)
Tag Team of the Year (1984)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

The Hell Raisers
New Japan Pro Wrestling
IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times)

Legion Of Doom 2005
World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time)

Legion of Doom: For as much as Demolition set standards in the Tag Team division for the W.W.F., I would say the Legion of Doom/Road Warriors set standards in the Tag Team division for the entire Wrestling world. While Mr. McMahon in my honest opinion bastardized this duo, and tried molding it in several different ways, adding the likes of Sunny, Droz & even Heidenreich, the original duo of Animal and Hawk would never, could never and should never be forgotten. They without question deserve their own wing in the Hall of Fame.

This is the end-all, be-all to a Tag Team. While the modern-day era would have you believe it's The Dudleys, this was that era's "Dudleys" or rather the Dudleys are this era's "Road Warriors". Either way, I firmly and fully believe it's a shock that this Tag Team hasn't already been inducted. What are your thoughts and opinions on Legion of Doom (Road Warrior's Hawk & Animal) being a Hall of Fame inductee? Worthy or Not?

 

[klunderbunker]

Again, yes. Ask any wrestling fan that's been watching at least 17 years who the most dominant tag team of all time is and you'll get one answer easily above all others: Hawk and Animal. They didn't need tag belts to be great. The LOD were just it, plain and simple. Look at them in WCW. They were put up against the Four Horsemen. How many other teams can say that? They went up against the Horsemen and didn't get their asses handed to them. I don't think anyone else can say that. Throw in the bad ass theme music in WWF and how can you not say they get in? They define the brawler style of tag teams. When they still get mentioned this many years later, I don't see how you can say no, not with the standards the HOF has.

 

[Mr. TM]

I had a talk with Robyn about LOD the other day. When I was young, these guys were the scariest and the most dominant tag team I can remember short of those two in pink. LOD however, or the Road Warriors accomplished a lot more outside the WWE then they did inside. That however does not stop the WWE from putting people into the hall.

LOD deserve it, and with Johnny Ace being a higher up in the WWE, I can see this happening for his brother sooner than later. It just depends on how many other people deserve in who have fallen, such as Hawk has. I just think that as long as Animal is still alright with the WWE, it is a possibility, as quick as WM 25.

 

[NSL]

I'm shocked they're not already in. They absolutely deserve a spot.

Like Demolition, they didn't need the titles to be feared, and they were always at the top of a stacked tag division. Whether you were a fan or not, you knew great things were going to happen when you heard "Ohhhhhhhh What a rush!". The Doomsday Device always gets a pop, even when modern tag teams do it. They could brawl with anyone, and they never backed down from anyone.

KB hit the nail on the head, when he said that being mentioned this long after their career is very important.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I am on the fence with these guys. I rate them ahead of Demolition by a quarter-mile, and thought they produced better in-ring work than Demolition did overall. I thought they helped carry the tag division which some of you claim was "stacked" at the time (debatable, but ok) for a few years. They had some strong feuds with the Hart Foundation and the Nasty Boyz.

At the same time, I'm not convinced they are Hall of Fame worthy, so I will withhold my vote until someone provides me with unequivocal evidence that they deserve it. If I am unsure, then I will vote "no" because with Halls of Fame, they need to be sure things to make it in my book.

 

[Shocky]

Unlike Irish, I rate Demolition a mile and a half ahead of The Road Warriors, and find their work in the ring to be on a level about a hundred times higher then that of the Road Warriors. That being said, I think without question the Road Warriors get in. these guys drew, and drew big. They are the only team (correct if I am wrong) to win the NWA, the AWA, and the WWF tag team championships, not an easy accomplishment, considering that those belts at that time weren't being handed out like free samples at the grocery store.

The Road Warriors had a look and a gimmick that got them mega over in the busienss, and that succeeded in all 3 of the big companies, a feat that most singles wrestlers don't even accomplish.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

In Japan the Road Warriors were on par if not bigger than Hulk Hogan, when he made his visits. They never lost, they could go in and have shitty 5 minute long matches and people would lap it up.

They proabably maintained their popularity down to Hawk having frequent breaks. So yeah, drugs really do serve a purpose.

The only question is weather Heidenreich or Droz should induct them.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Well of course they should. They drew huge were ever they went, and have done it all as far as titles and accolades go. I say its tough to do all of that if you arent very good at what you do. They are Icons of our sport, and one of the most popular teams of all time, so much so, that a broken down, old fat Animal, and fucking HEIDENREICH could get over by just throwing on the shoulder spikes and face paint. Hell yes the LOD should be in ANY sort of HOF.

 

[emceelokey]

They were the most visually dynamic tag teams of that era by EVERY means. Thrie physiques, the shoulder pads, the face paint, the big power moves, and they were ALWAYS a draw. Not only that but they were on the winning end of the first scaffold match in which the VHS tape of that sold over 500,000 copies. Plus NWA and AWA had no where close to the national reach that the WWF had at the time but were probably more recgonzeable than half of the WWF tag teams at that time. No question they get in.

 

[GameOver]

Demolition was a clone of The Road Warriors and devised after WWF at the time couldn't get the services of the Road Warriors. Demolition worked well in there postion but by the time they won there third title at WrestleMania 6 they were becoming stale. LOD was dominant and had fan support there entire career.

Legion Of Doom was an awesome team in every sense of the word, they had the look, the imposing nature and "ERRRRRRRRRR WHAT A RUSH!"

And who can forget Demolition (3 man team) faced off against LOD on several occasions, and who came out on top? Legion of Doom. Art imitates Life.

As for the greatest team in wrestling history well thats debateable i guess, but neverless I would definately put them in the finals.