Top 10 ground breaking wrestlers/people

[poppycock]

So this is not a top ten greatest, gifted or biggest draws list but instead a list made up of 'in your opinions' the most ground breaking wrestlers/people in pro wrestling history. Superstars who broke moulds, changed the way things were done, were original first evers who made marks in history, founders of certain aspects, creators and innovators.

Superstars like Hulk Hogan for the way he elevated the sport into the everyday persons subconscious. Wrestlers like Ron Simmons for being one of the first "recognised" black Heavyweight Champions, Vince McMahon for having the vision to take the WWE and make it what it has become today, Paul Heyman and ECW for being an inspiration for how American Pro Wrestling would pan out in the 90's...

Who or what would make up your list?

(You can include things other than people. such as matches, events, moves...)

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

So this is not a top ten greatest, gifted or biggest draws list but instead a list made up of 'in your opinions' the most ground breaking wrestlers/people in pro wrestling history. Superstars who broke moulds, changed the way things were done, were original first evers who made marks in history, founders of certain aspects, creators and innovators.

Superstars like Hulk Hogan for the way he elevated the sport into the everyday persons subconscious. Wrestlers like Ron Simmons for being one of the first "recognised" black Heavyweight Champions, Vince McMahon for having the vision to take the WWE and make it what it has become today, Paul Heyman and ECW for being an inspiration for how American Pro Wrestling would pan out in the 90's...

Who or what would make up your list?

(You can include things other than people. such as matches, events, moves...)

No particular order but for me here are my picks:

Gorgeous George - He is responsible for the advent of professional wrestling entrance music, I know people like to think that it was Hogan that was responsible for this, while Hogan might have made it more accepted to some folks, the fact is Gorgeous George thought of it first and used Pomp And Circumstance predating Macho Man's use of it. Plus he also ushered in the theatrics of professional wrestling that had laid the foundation to what we see the art form as today.

Superstar Billy Graham - Guys like Ivan Koloff and Stan Stasiak were transitional champions, basically if you blinked an eye you'd have missed their title reigns when they were WWWF World Champions. However, Billy Graham was a far cry from that and he showed that not only could you be a successful heel champion but you could also rival the popularity of some of the face champions too. Billy Graham did just that and his influence is shown in guys like Hogan and Jesse Ventura. He definitely was ahead of his time and the fact he held the World Title in WWWF for almost a year's time is remarkable. Not to take anything away from the pushes JBL and Yokozuna got when they were World Champions, but Billy Graham set the precedent for a dominating heel champion in the WWWF.

The Road Warriors - Tag teams had always been a wrestling staple, but in my mind there has never been a more iconic tag team than Hawk And Animal. Along with Precious Paul Ellering, these guys could main event shows on their own and no one would complain about it. These guys set a standard for tag team wrestling in the 1980s and into the early 90s that not many could touch. Yes there were other great tag teams the Von Erichs, Freebirds, The Hart Foundation, The Steiners, Demolition and so forth but Hawk and Animal were a class of their own. When you think tag teams, how can you not think of The Road Warriors/Legion Of Doom first?

Hulk Hogan/Vince McMahon - Most people know me as a Hogan mark, and I'm not slighting the Hulkster here but for this particular subject I am going to put him and Vince together in this list. Hogan and Vince fed off each other in the 80s wrestling boom, Vince obviously knew that he had to get Hogan back into the WWF after seeing how successful Hulk had been in Japan and the AWA following the end of his first stint up North (when Vince Sr was still running it). Had Verne been more flexible with the changing times who knows where the 80s wrestling scene would have been bottom line no matter what anyone says Vince knew how to take the talent from other organizations to another level while still having some heavy hitting guns of his own in the WWF (i.e. Don Muraco, Jimmy Snuka, The Iron Sheik). But Vince saw something bigger and better with wrestling and by wooing guys like Hulk Hogan back to the WWF, the Hulkster and Vince I am convinced needed each other to make this thing work the way it did. And as much as we good on Hulk Hogan's foray into movies nowadays it was the cinema that I am convinced that got Hogan noticed and got Vince thinking about taking wrestling to a new level. Then of course Hogan and Vince worked together to create Hogan as a Hollywood star. Despite the fact that Hogan's movies weren't mega blockbusters we can't forget that Hogan for a period of 4-5 years Hogan's films were theatrical releases. So even if it was only a marginal success compared to their wrestling foray, Hogan and Vince did pretty well for themselves crossing over into other entertainment features. (Also I could go on and on about Hogan's second career in WCW with the nWo and how Vince reinvented himself as Mr. McMahon but I think we all know the story about that :}) This I think had a hand in helping other wrestling personalities get roles in films. Which next brings me to...

The Rock - As I mentioned even though Hulk Hogan was obviously not body slamming Hollywood, to be someone from an entertainment art form that athletes and actors alike have scoffed at over the years, he still did pretty well by having several theatrical forays. The Rock though has taken this example to a WHOLE new level. The Rock out of everyone else that has entered Hollywood has surpassed the likes of Hogan, Jesse Ventura and Roddy Piper. The Rock is without a doubt someone that has found a second life outside of the wrestling business and he's done so rather effectively. With his heavy hand in helping the WWF rise back to prominence in the Attitude era The Rock established himself as a stalwart of the TRUE New Generation of the WWF and wrestling in general. And the fact that he can still come back with great fanfare and already be hyped up for a WrestleMania event a year ahead of times speaks volumes for what he has done in the wrestling business. Let's also not forget that one of his favorite words "SmackDown" has been entered into the dictionary and it's also one of WWE's flagship programs that has been around for over a decade. The Rock's influence on WWE is indelible and that warrants him as a nominee for this list without any doubt. And I can't help but also get sentimental with his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin it was the stuff of legend and I just couldn't get anymore. Some of the best TV I remember seeing as a youth back in the 90s into early 2000s. It will be interesting to see what The Rock's next few appearances in WWE will be like, but there is no doubt that he's still one of the best ever his legacy precedes him.

Steve Austin - This is another obvious one but I definitely want to contribute my feelings on this one. Austin was a key focus of the revitalizing of the WWF and you can't deny what he did for the WWF when it needed it most. He flourished in a storyline with Vince McMahon that emoted to the common man with little doubt. Who here doesn't want to beat the hell out of their boss sometimes? Austin definitely broke new ground in WWF because his type of character was someone that you would have booed in the yesteryear of the WWF. However with the changing times he became a hero that for a couple solid years surpassed the popularity of many folks in the wrestling business. It's sad that injuries cut his career short but while he was in the main event scene it was a great time.

Ted Turner - We all know how WCW ended up but when Ted Turner bought the company (then known as NWA affiliate Jim Crockett Promotions) who was to know that there would soon be a company that would give Vince's operation a run for its money for several years. That can't be denied at all and it was a great time in wrestling while it lasted.

Paul Heyman - ECW really wasn’t for everybody, let’s be honest here it was a good time in wrestling but I was here and there on the company, however I still have to give the devil its due and Paul Heyman obviously showed a lot of heart by offering an alternative to the big two of WWF and WCW. There was a lot of crazy stuff going in ECW and they had great stars in the company. I mean think of the who’s who of talent that were catapulted to stardom in WWF and WCW by being in ECW....Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Rob Van Dam, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio and so on. Therefore while my fonder memories of Heyman were as Paul E Dangerously in WCW, I still can’t discount what he’s done for the business and therefore I nominate him for my list.

Dick Ebersol - People might squint at this one but think about it, Saturday Night’s Main Event was a HUGE prime time program, while the NWA/WCW had Clash Of The Champions, WWF’s supershow was Saturday Night’s Main Event, this was a great fill in for pre-empted Saturday Night Live episodes and was a staple of the pre-PPV every month days. So while he might not be the name known to EVERY wrestling fan, his partnership with Vince McMahon broke ground in wrestling, no doubt about it.

Verne Gagne - This might be another “WTF” from folks, but Verne was a huge supporter of supershows when he was running the AWA. They had traveled several times outside of Minnesota to promote shows in California and promote outside their territory. Something that at its time was looked at as being a little unorthodox. Plus his training ground was one of the most renowned in professional wrestling and while they were an NWA affiliate they had a huge degree of autonomy. While Vince might have taken things to a whole other level, I have no doubt that Verne’s promotion tactics to a great degree inspired Vince, the only thing that’s obvious is that Vince knew how to adapt and evolve to changing times while Verne unfortunately struggled with it. Verne also was able to get a major motion picture starring TV legend Ed Asner called “The Wrestler”, not related of course to the 2008 Micky Rourke film but I think that should also say something about Verne’s effectiveness and contributions to wrestling.

This closes out my list and I am not sure if my picks are the absolute best but I do thing these aforementioned folks deserve a nod. I would say that an honorable mention that I did not devote to was Chyna who was unique for her ability to work matches, legit ones at that with men wrestlers. However considering her relatively short time in the business and the fact that she’s hard continuous stops and starts in her career I think someone takes away from the ground she broke in wrestling.

Anyway, looking forward to reading more posts from folks on here about this topic.

 

[boozinjedi]

I have one that deserves an honorable mention,

Jesse Ventura,Back in the day he was set to be the monster heel to Hogan's mega-face.If not for his issue with blood clots..I sincerely believe the ME at WM1 might've been Hogan@Ventura.
But since he couldn't wrestle on the full-time basis needed,they put him on mike.He took the heel announcer to whole new level.
When he and Monsoon were on mike together it was pure gold!!
His name might've gotten his foot in he door so to speak in the political arena,but he proved he had the smarts to win the election.

And I think that got to Hogan in ways you can't imagine,remember.....
When did Hogan start wearing the boas??...It wasn't until after Ventura election victory and Hogan tried to steal some of that thunder,he joked about running for president after that.

I'll admit it,Hogan was among the greatest names ever in the wrestling biz,BUT Ventura was one of the first to make his name OUTSIDE the biz!

 

[atkinson1717]

i dont post often so feel free to rip into my argument but in my eyes its easy pick ten but like i said others may disagree i will make it short as well.....

Hulk Hogan- Arguably the man that put wrestling on the map and everyone knows his accomplishments so there isnt really a reason to argue that in the past hogan was wrestling (not so much now) but if he wasnt around when the f started then maybe (i said maybe) the business wouldnt have took off as quickly.


Vince Mcmahon- same as hogan what he has done for the industry is remarkable he turned the company bigger than it ever had been and he brought in talented people to work alongside him to make it a bigger success.

Jim Ross- Not only has he made commentating worth listening to but in his role at talent relations he helped bring in some major talent. The rock being one of them that was back in the attitude era and even to this day he continues to see talent jack swagger being one of his most recent talents.

Kevin nash- I personally dont like nash i think he is greedy and he is only ever in it for himself however in the recent promo with punk he is right without him wrestlers wouldnt be payed as much and if not for pay how many people in todays business would actually be there.

The rock- Speaks for itself really great on the mic and had good in ring ability had some of the most memorable feuds in my generation with hhh, stone cold, big show, jericho and as stupid as it may sound i remember a good feud with rikishi. Proven he can handle anything thrown at him and still seen as one of the biggest icons of our generation.

Ric flair- Held the most world titles in the history of the business a good technical wrestler and was at one point good on the mic he also helped put some of the biggest names in the business today at the top. He also has some memorable moments with vkm when the brand split first came into play.

Chris Jericho- The man that made it all possible for cruiserweights to step up a division and challenge for the big titles. his accomplishments speak for themselves. most ic belts in history first undisputed champion of the world. My favourite wrestler of all time so maybe a bit bias but he has charisma and can make any character he is portraying golden great mic work and great in ring ability also trained all over the world to develop his craft.

Paul Heyman- Not only did he develop ecw and make it a lot of money but he also discovered a lot of talent too like brock lesnar and cm punk to name a couple. Fights for what he thinks is right and even when people saw ecw as a joke he turned it into a national company (its a shame wwe screwed it up in the end)

Stone cold- What!!! well isnt it obvious the hellraiser turned icon. reinvented wrestling in a way his first ever stunner on vkm proved a benchmark in the industry as what could and couldnt be done. went out of his way to prove a point and became one of the most popular one of the most iconic and one of the post important wrestlers of the attitude era. not only did he have amazing feuds with the rock and many others but he made the wwf/e very watchable with his antics. Not only that but as tough enough proved still goes out of his way to help the e as much as he can.

Finally..........

Shawn Michaels- The guy is wrestling to me he personifies everything about wrestling. Heart, courage, Likeable (or dislikeable depending on his character) and all in all a legend. Its been said before but he is mr hall of fame. he has done it all from carrying a company to being in great feuds both scripted and personal then to have it all ruined by drugs and to come back better than ever to prove that he is an icon proves not only is shawn michaels a success for the industry but he made himself a success. all of the nicknames he has gathered over the years show the kind of character and kind of man he is and overall show his contribution to the wwe.


I know i missed out bret hart and hhh and maybe a whole load of others that people may think are better than some of my choices but this is just my opinion and everyones is different

 

[Scorpion Eye]

The top ten influencial figures in wrestling history? This will be FUN!!!

My Picks.


Vincent Kennedy McMahon Love him or hate him he should be at the top of everyone's list. He made this cool.

Andre the Giant Don't know how this massive man hasn't been mentioned yet. Before Hulkamania became huge, Andre was Vince's "Golden Boy", everyone wanted to see him. He helped make Hulkamania huge too, not just Vince/Hulk. Plus he helped pave the way for wrestlers to become movie stars. Funny how his performance in The Princess Bride destroys everything Hulk, Cena, Rock and Austin as done.

Bob Backlund He helped carry the company up till Vince "changed the world".

Hulk Hogan Remember on Duck Tales how Uncle Scrooge had his Lucky No. 1 Dime? He is Vince's Dime

Macho Man Randy Savage Batman has the Joker. Hogan had Savage. The two are intertwined forever.

The Orignial 4 Horsemen They came, they saw, they conquered. Still the staple when it comes to stables.

The Franchise Shane Douglas Where would ECW and Paul Heyman of been if it wasn't for this signing? He was Heyman's Hogan

Paul Heyman Its easy for people to look back and bash ECW but at the time it was magical. It was here that some of the greats like Austin, really started to show their true potential.

Eric Bischoff/Kevin Nash/Scott Hall The arrival of "The Outsiders" was a pivital moment in wrestling history

Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels Like Hogan/Savage, these two are intertwined forever. This rivarly made in impact on wrestling never before felt.

 

[neildittmar]

Great thread. My top 10 in no particular order:

1. Hulk Hogan - what really needs to be said here? Though Vince arguably provided much of the "creative" behind Hulkamania, it was up to Terry Bollea himself to not only get the character over, but to take it to a level that no professional wrestler was ever able to go. Much to his detractors shagrin, Hogan did become bigger than professional wrestling itself and was just as marketable a brand as any other franchise that had come along. Then when Hulkamania had come to a close and the fans had become complacent, Hollywood Hogan was born and made Bollea relevant all over again.

2. Paul Heyman - Longtime wrestling fans were becoming incredibly disenfranchised with the general product in the early 90's. WWF was interested in creating way over-the-top caricatures of other professional athletes and occupations, resulting in a kiddy-fied presentation that turned a lot of the previously faithful audience off. Incredibly enough WCW, which had always taken a more serious approach to pro-wrestling than its competitor, was following in the same footsteps with vignettes featuring little people blowing up boats and white castles of fear. Paul Heyman had the courage to take wrestling where it needed to go in the 90's in an effort to bring the audience back from fantasyland. Edgier storylines, more realistic characters, more extreme levels of competition. Heymans ECW was the test-bed for all of these ideas that the big two either emulated (at least in part) or stole outright. Without Heyman and ECW, who knows how far down professional wrestling would have plummeted in the 90's.

3. Eric Bischoff and the nWo (Hogan, Nash, and Hall) - I'm lumping Bischoff and the nWo together because without each other, neither entity would've realized the levels of success they collectively had. Bischoff was the "idea man" with the grand vision of having two rival organizations battling it out week after week. Hogan turning heel was the biggest news to come out of pro-wrestling in a long time. Nash and Hall were established enough to carry the left and right sides of the nWo faction respectively. The whole thing made sense. Hogan felt dejected that fans were booing him and growing tired of Hulkamania. Nash and Hall were big names from the "other side" that were invading WCW. Their collective success at changing the business was undeniable... the tandem beat WWF in the ratings for 80+ weeks and was nearly successful at putting their competitor completely out of business.

4. The luchadores and cruiserweights - much of the success of WCW and ECW in the mid-90's was due to general innovation and forward moving of the industry at large. This push was due in large part to a new found focus on lower weight classes and the high flying, death defying moves that the smaller, but incredibly athletic competitors could accomplish. Wrestling had always been dominated by big, muscle-bound guys that had power arsenals and crushing moves. The luchadores and cruiserweights went the exact opposite direction and relied on speed, agility, and showmanship to keep the audience interested. While folks may point to specific names like Rey Mysterio, Pshychosis, Juventud Guerrera, and even guys like Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero as specific talent, it was really the general theme of the luchadores and cruiserweights that really broke ground and provided for incredibly exhilirating entertainment.

5. Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan - Much like Bischoff and the nWo, if you take one away the other doesn't reach nearly the level of definable success as they do collectively. At their core, Monsoon and Heenan were the epitome of what a two-man commentary team is supposed to be... playing off of one another and defining both sides of the competitive equation in kind. Then they took it to another level with their unique chemistry and uncanny ability to seemingly read one another to perfection. Monsoons "lateral collateral ligament" type calls coupled with Heenans unflattering and sometimes blatantly racist quips could've (or should've) been perceived as off-putting by the public majority. However, their unique ability to work with one another in such a complimentary manner and really play to each others strengths is what makes them, quite possibly, the best color commentary team to ever come down the pike.

6. Mick Foley - In what other industry would an earless, toothless, freak of a man who derives "pleasure" from crashing through tables, being splattered onto thumbtacks, and literally being set on fire become someone so heartily embraced by the audience watching him? Foley never had the best body and didn't do many traditional power moves like the bigger guys could. He was also no lightweight and couldn't fly around the ring and do swan dives like the cruiserweights. Overall, he was incredibly average as a wrestler when pure skill is the measuring stick. What differentiated Mick from everybody else and made him a superstar was two-fold. First, Mick had a mind for the audience and could make you believe in his character. That is absolutely key and what most of professional wrestling lacks. Second, he had the fortitude, will-power, and drive to see the vision of his character (Cactus Jack / Mankind) through to the absolute bitter end. If it meant him bleeding profusely, so be it. If it meant breaking bones, losing teeth, and even losing an ear, then let the show commence. His legacy, let alone his individual performances, were so important to Foley that you got a quadruple-A effort out of him in every outing. Though not every wrestler should be doing the things Foley did, every wrestler should aspire to have that level of passion and care for the character they're portraying.

7. Andre the Giant - How in the world does one maintain the aura of being a hulking, massive giant that can literally defeat three opponents at the same time, while still looking beatable in certain situations against a variety of individual opponents? I don't know the answer to that, but Andre did those things and more each and every time he set foot outside of the curtain. Hogan slammed Andre at WM3 and it was incredibly special, iconic even. Warrior did the same thing on his rise up and it was still perceived as something special, that cemented Warrior in the upper echelon of talent at the time. Even at the end of his run, having been on his back quite a few times, Andre's presence was still massive and he still came off as the "unbeatable" giant from all those years ago. Andre is nothing less than the blueprint that all "big men" should aspire to follow.

8. Ric Flair - Though his athleticism as the 60-minute man and his uncanny ability to "make" people are two incredibly standout traits, it's Flairs ability to properly translate slight nuance to the audience that makes him not only groundbreaking, but a bona fide legend in the business. To elaborate, Flair has pretty much been the same "character" for the better part of thirty years... sometimes as a heel and sometimes as a face. Typically when wrestlers "turn", their entire demeanor changes to match the good guy, bad guy aspect. Flair really never experienced this change. Sure, he supported the faces as a face, and naturally the heels as a heel. Yet somehow, what made Ric Flair "Ric Flair" was always the same and through very, very slight changes in presentation he could play either role flawlessly. This is where he has one over even the great Hulk Hogan. There are blatantly definable differences between "Hulk" and "Hollywood" Hogan. Flairs character really doesn't have those differences despite what side of the "fence" he's on.

9. Steve Austin - Even though he "drank his first beer in ECW", it wasn't until he arrived (and failed initially) in the WWF that "Stone Cold" was truly born. Austin was the complete opposite of the image that WWF was attempting to portray at the time. The story goes that creative had completely given up on fitting Austin into a character after a failed partnership with Ted Dibiase and the dead-on-arrival Ringmaster persona didn't take off. He was essentially told to just go out to the ring and do something, which is exactly what Steve needed to truly excel. Austin was the total antithesis to how WWF handled its Superstars in the past... heavily scripted, heavily choreographed, and incredibly modeled. Austin was his character with the volume turned way up. After "the Blue Chipper" failed miserably, the Rock would find success under this same formula as well. Austin was really the trailblazer here though... a self-made "character" in an organization that thrived (and still thrives) on absolute creative control.

10. Ultimate Warrior - Though I was a huge Warrior fan in the late 80's and 90's, the specific area he "broke ground" in doesn't come with as much fanfare or luster as my previous nine entries. Though wrestlers came and went from territory to territory, or company to company, in the 80's and 90's, those who achieved the level of stardom that Warrior did typically hung around for a long time and made decade spanning careers for themselves in the business, regardless of where specifically they plied their trade. Where guys like Heyman forged the blueprint for where wrestling needed to go in the 90's to evolve, and Andre crafted another one for how to portray a big man correctly, Warrior wrote the plans for how to be a super-successful, yet incredibly short-term wrestler. He paved the way for guys like Brock Lesnar, Dave Batista, and even the Rock to a certain extent to come in, work for awhile, achieve superstardom, make a ton of money, and then leave for bigger and better things. Essentially, to use wrestling as a stepping stone to get to that level in sports, entertainment, or otherwise that is difficult to achieve without a multi-million dollar organization promoting you. Though Warriors level of success after wrestling is certainly debatable, his role as effectively the first short-term transitional star of professional wrestling is not.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

Very nice thread I'm excited to try and make this list of 10 groundbreaking people.

1. Vincent Kennedy McMahon - The creator of Sports Entertainment, the man who ended the territories, the man who turned pro wrestling into a global phenomenon instead of merely a regional novelty act. There is no one in the history of wrestling who changed the business more than this man has, and I don't think there ever will be.

2. Paul Heyman - With WWF failing in the mid 90's with its campy 'Next Generation' campaign, this man created ECW and exposed wrestling fans to a much more hardcore and violent product. Vince capitalized on Paul Heyman's idea and made billions off it via the Attitude Era. I don't think any fact could prove the worth of Heyman's mind more than that one.

3. Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) - This man made a ridiculous gimmick last 20 years through his talent and his respect for kayfabe. You didn't see this man partying or getting arrested for DUI's, he lived a reclusive life to keep his Deadman gimmick alive. Undertaker is always on one end of the greatest stunts/moments in history and is an innovator like no other. Hell in a Cell matches, Last Ride matches, Casket matches, Inferno matches, and more have all been ushered into this business by him. Not to mention he's also probably the most athletic and versatile big man we will ever see in this business.

4. Michael Shawn Hickenbottom - They'll never be another HBK. This 6-foot 210 guy was just a highflying tag team guy but somehow, through hard work and dedication, became the guy in the WWF. His success and charisma opened the door for tag team stars like Edge, Jeff Hardy, and JBL to reach singles stars while simultaneously opening the door for small guys like Chris Jericho, CM Punk, and Eddie Guerrero. Do I even mention what he did via DX? Talk about raunchy television and the Attitude Era, it all started with the Showstopper, The Icon, and definitely the Main Event.

5. Stone Cold Steve Austin - Austin took the black and white world of pro wrestling and blurred the whole thing in gray. He pioneered the art of a badass face, who was supposed to be heel and ended up becoming a top face due to his massive crowd reaction. This success opened the door for The Rock, Triple H, and Randy Orton to all do the same.

6. Jim Ross - Onscreen, he put over talent better than anyone else who has ever put on a headset. His passion, his energy, and his down to earth persona helped evoke any emotion from the audience that the creative team wanted them to feel. He enhanced heel turns, celebrated face turns, and advised us on how to feel about tweeners. Offscreen, he was responsible for signing legends like Rock, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Edge, and many more from mid 90's-early 00's

7. Dwayne Johnson - This man helped break down barriers for a variety of people, most notably young charismatic stars of the future. He came in 1996 and was pushed to the moon as the young 3rd generation star but after that failed he developed the persona that made him the guy in 1999. As the first 3rd generation star ever, he became the youngest WWE champ ever in 98 at the tender age of 26, opening the door for Brock Lesnar to beat him for his record at 23. He also gave 3rd generation stars a good rep, which certainly helped Randy Orton (who became the youngest WHC ever) and made us excited for Ted Dibiase until we found out he sucked. Have you ever heard of Smackdown? Yeah that was coined by the Rock.

8. Sunny - Her effect on the business is actually a negative one IMO but I always give credit where credit is due. The first ever Diva in the WWE helped associate beautiful bodies and faces with the WWE instead of muscular and masculine ones (sorry Luna). She opened the doors for people like Sable, Trish Stratus, and Torrie Wilson to come into the business while Chyna, Jacqueline, and Ivory were lifting weights. Today, almost all of the Divas in the WWE are pretty models and Beth Phoenix finds herself being the odd one out.

9. Hulk Hogan - He probably should be higher due to his mass media fame and popularity but I think Vince was much more responsible for that than he was. Regardless, he was the biggest star ever in wrestling and he made it a part of pop culture. As a matter of fact, his heel turn in 1996 was recorded in Sports Illustrated as one of the biggest Sports Betrayals ever, forever changing the landscape of the wrestling world with the NWO. It made storylines about power instead of the title, and opened the door for people like Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and hopefully John Cena (some day) to turn heel despite their top face status.

10. Matt & Jeff Hardy, Adam Copeland, Jay Reso, Devon Hughes, Mark LoMonaco - Very few matches in 1999 had many guys battling in the ring at the same time that weren't Battle Royals or the Royal Rumble. Even less had multiple teams in a match at the same time and even less had these teams face off in a gimmick match. That all changed when the Hardys beat E & C at No Mercy 1999 and continued to feud with each other (and eventually the Dudleys) on and off for 2 full years. Not only did they revolutionize the Ladder Match (which then created TLC matches, Money in the Bank Matches, and more), but they introduced the concept of having fast-paced action packed matches with a bunch of people doing crazy spots (like X division matches or crusierweight opens or the Money in the Bank ladder match)

 

[jmh1971nyr]

My top 10 would have to be:

1) Hulk Hogan- Hands down put wrestling from watching WWF in my local High School gym to selling out area's all over the world. Yes I saw the WWF stars come to my High School gym and wrestle. Saw Rocky Johnson and SD Jones and many others like the Iron Sheik.

2) "The Nature Boy" Buddy Roberts- Anyone who says Ric Flair should look up Buddy! Ric stole everything from his name to look!

3) Andre The Giant- Before any other big men were around he and Big John Studd put on some memorable matches before he and Hogan had them!

4) Eric Bischoff- HE put WCW on the map though for a short run. Lightning hasn't struck twice though with TNA

5) VMK- The man is a legend love or hate him. Without him, there wouldn't be other shows in TV right now and wrestlers making the money they make.

6) Paul Heyman- No explanation needed

7) Mick Foley- He brought hardcore into the mainstream.

8) CM Punk- Love him or hate him, his character is bringing modern day wrestling into a whole new level.

9) Lenny and Lodi- Not in the memorial way everyone thinks, but if you watched them back in the WCW days they had the "gay" character thing going on. That was pretty groundbreaking to do in the 90's. I guess I could also add “Adorable” Adrian Adonis from the WWF 80's but he wasn't an "open" character.

10) Stone Cold" Steve Austin- He brought the redneck Mid-South NWA type audience and brought it to the WWE/WWF and made it cool.

Honorable Mention: Stan Hansen, New Jack, Sean Michaels, Ultimate Warrior, Vince Russo, Curt Hennig (and his undefeated streak way before Goldberg), and The Great Muta.

 

[Lugar]

Good list however if you go back a bit in history you also have the following.

1. Superstar Billy Graham - a bleached blonde powerhouse with huge biceps and ridiculous charisma on the mic (remind you of anyone.). The Superstar was Hogan before Hogan, not the greatest technical wrestler but the first heel to hold the WWE title for a long period of time.

2. Gorgeous George - the first wrestler to use the mic as a weapon. When possibly the greatest sporting icon ever in Muhammed Ali states that he based his entire verbal style on you, you know you are good.

There are many more and I'll post some later.

 

[RicoLen]

If this is about "Ground breaking" wrestlers, then this is about people who were the first to do something big, presumably something that everyone today does as a result.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was the first guy to really bring comedic segments and promos into the limelight so to speak. Comedy in pro-wrestling has always been around, but Piper made it big, and while The Rock took it to new heights as a wrestler and Heenan took the ball from Piper and ran with it to new heights as a commentator, The Hot Rod really paved the way for future comedic acts to be taken as a big part of what pro-wrestling had to offer to the fans. Without Piper's Pit, Christian's Peep Show, Carlito's Cabana or MVP's V.I.P. Lounge would never have come to be.

Hulk Hogan can never be mentioned enough when it comes to what made pro-wrestling what it is today. You want to talk about groundbreaking, you have to talk about the face of Hulkamania & pro-wrestling as a whole and has been for nearly 30 years.

Stu Hart was not the first pro-wrestling trainer, not by a longshot, but he was the first to make a legendary contribution to the world of Pro-Wrestling with his "Hart Dungeon". The wood paneled walls that substituted for ringropes, and the gym mats over the concrete floor in the basement of Stu Hart's mansion was the training ground for most of the very best wrestlers of the late 20th century. Bret & Owen Hart trained there, obviously, but so did Abdullah the Butcher, Bad News Brown, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Gene Kiniski, Jushin Liger, Gorilla Monsoon, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Junk Yard Dog, Luther Lindsey, Greg Valentine, Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, Fritz Von Erich, Honky Tonk Man, Chris Benoit, Steve Blackman, Edge, Christian, Mark Henry, Brian Pillman, Ken Shamrock, Lance Storm, & David Hart Smith, & Tyson Kidd.

Lou Thesz is the greatest wrestler of all time. Thesz invented many wrestling moves that are still used today including the belly-to-back suplex, the STF, the powerbomb, and of course his namesake move, the Thesz press.

The Undertaker has broken more ground when it comes to gimmick matches than any superstar. Matches such as the Casket match, Buried Alive match, Hell in a Cell and the Last Ride match. He was also the first star to take a supernatural gimmick. And good luck in ever seeing Taker's 19-0 undefeated streak at Wrestlemania ever be beaten by anyone other than himself.

Vince McMahon has changed the business of pro-wrestling more than any man in history. He unified the federations, and turned it into a multi-billion dollar industry, and now? He's starting his own television network dedicated to pro-wrestling.

Gorgeous George was the first flamboyant, outspoken heel and countless wrestlers base their gimmick off his. Muhammed Ali noted that after meeting George on one occasion he received the advice that, "A lot of people will pay to see someone shut your mouth. So keep on bragging, keep on sassing and always be outrageous."

"Superstar" Billy Graham's popularity grew because of his personality and physique, rather than his wrestling ability. Graham looked like a bodybuilder with blonde hair, balding with long side burns and frequently called his 22-inch arms, "pythons." Sound like someone else? Without "Superstar" Billy Graham, we would not have witnessed the characters of HHH, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Big Pappa Pump or The Hulkster.

Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard/Ole Anderson/Ric Flair Otherwise known as The Four Horsemen were the original pro-wrestling stable. They stuck together, they all wore NWA gold, and most importantly, without them you'd have never seen stables like The Nexus, Evolution, D-Generation X or the nWo. Some of the best stories and stables would not have been possible without the influence of the Four Horsemen.

Chyna is THE diva to end all diva's. She was the groundbreaker, she was the 9th Wonder of the World, she was the monster woman in the ring men took seriously, and wanted to watch wrestle, she won the intercontinental championship more times than either Bret Hart or Mr. Perfect, she set the standard, and only Beth Phoenix & Natalya have even come close to living up to HER reputation. ... too bad about the implants and porn though eh? I liked her better when everyone thought she was a tranny.

 

[Dynamitekid2012]

10. Hulk Hogan- He helped prove that wrestling could be a mainstream attraction as its top star in a groundbreaking time for the sport.

9. Verne Gagne- Not only was he a huge star and the first sports star ever to have a merchandising deal, he helped train so many legends thats its next to impossible to not have him considered on this list.

8. The NWO- Although the attitude era was just about to begin, it was actually the NWO that made anti-heroes and going against the establishment cool first. They helped change the entire landscape of wrestling and redefined the business at a time when it needed it most.

7. Dynamite Kid- I may be a little biased here, but I do believe he forever changed wrestling. He brought an intensity and a certain level of "crispness" to the sport that wasn't really there before. Now we see this is every match and that is a direct influence of his work.

6. Brian Pillman- Although at times he pushed the envelope to a point it wasn't ready to go to, I truly believed he is the catalyst for the "attitude" era of professional wrestling by doing some of the craziest and most unheard of things. I think he is not mentioned nearly enough for his influence in the 90's.

5. Stone Cold- He was the biggest draw of all time. No one sold more merchandise that Stone Cold, and his influence on the business was dramatic to say the least. Previously, guys wore wearing outlandish outfits and had terrible gimmicks, and then a guy came in wearing black trunks and became the biggest thing in pro wrestling history. Its hard to not give the guy credit for the hottest time in the history of the sport when he was it's biggest star.

4. Georgeous George- He really was the first entertainer to really be showcased. His did it all way before anyone else, and was a pioneer in terms of what we see today as sports entertainment.

3. Shawn Michaels- The guy changed wrestling forever in the ring. He was at the forefront of guys bringing in new moves to American wrestling, and although, I'm not big on the importance of moves. the fact is he helped change the sport forever. Every one of today's wrestling matches can almost always be traced back to an HBK match.

2. Vince McMahon- He destroyed the territories and made wrestling mainstream. For better or worse, the entire business aspect of professional wrestling has been shaped by one man's vision, and that is none other than Vince McMahon.

1. Ric Flair- I know some people will disagree, but if you ask most workers, I'm sure they'll tell you he has influenced more guys than anyone else. Not only did he change wrestling in the ring by constantly doing hour matches where the action was nonstop (remember prior to that, if guys went an hour, they would work a headlock for twenty minutes), he set the standard on cutting promos, and carried himself like a superstar. Say what you will about him these days, but he is by far the most influential man in the history of the sport.

 

[FlairFan2003]

1.) Vince McMahon Jr - It ws his vision and business sense that made WWE a multi national billion dollar kingdome. Pro wrestling as a whole was doing well financially before Vinnie Mac, but he single handedly destroyed the territories, completely changed television presentations, and pionerred the advent of Pay Per View. He was the one who saw dollar signs on Hulk Hogan too, which his father did not. After Verne Gagne foolishly let Hogan go, VKM snatched him up - the rest is history.

2.) Jim Crockett Jr: Fact is, many of VKM's more aggressive business traits were also present in Crockett. Crockett went against the advice of his business partners (with the support of Vince Sr) to make Ric Flair his World Champion, creating one of the most enduring and memorable characters in wrestling history. Crockett, along with Dusty Rhodes, was the one who spearheaded the idea and creation of the "SuperShow", the pre cursor to Pay Per View, when he started selling tickets in cities throughout the US to watch closed circuit feeds of his end of year Starrcade show, generating millions of dollars in revenue in an era when ticket prices barely eclipsed $10. It was the finacial success of Starrcade that gave Vince and his staff the idea to create WrestleMania. Crockett's shows did huge business through early 1988, but he tried to be too agressive, traveling around the country trying to invade all the other territories on a monthly basis (where as Vince would move in slowly, running ocassional live shows as special events while saturating local TV with his shows). With a little more restraint, we might have had a real two party system in wrestling for many years.

3.) Hulk Hogan - Biggest draw, most marketable star outside the ring - Even if you hate him or you think Vince made him, Vince made a lot of guys stars, none of them reached his heights. Hulkamania running wild built WrestleMania and was a merchandising dream.

4.) Dusty Rhodes: Much of todays promotional ideas and style comes from Dusty's booking, a true genius at times. Few writers could script compelling stories for TV like Dusty, and without Dusty, along side Jim Crockett Jr, there never would have been a Starrcade or Great American Bash, meaning there never would have been WrestleMania. One of the most popular guys ever, as a fan favorite he was second only to Hogan in the 80's among wrestling fans.

5.) Ric Flair: A guy who literally outlived eras, learning his trade in the slower paced days of syndicated TV and 6 night per week traveling schedules, the last great "traveling champion" of the territory days. His combination of look, ring style, and interview ability are credited as huge influences on many of today's biggest stars. Both men have said it repeatedly over the years, without Ric Flair there is no HHH or HBK, their styles and characters were built upon him. Also one of the ost respected workers among his peers. The second biggest draw in the industry for most of the 80's behind Hogan.

6.) Ted Turner/Eric Bischoff: Turner saved wrestling on TBS when he purchased the company from the Crocketts in 1989, but he had no interest in its day to day operations and never had the sense to hire good people, or people with a wrestling background, to run things, usually relying on former bookers from the 80's who were out of touch with the contemporary audience and Turner Company Execs who could count pennies but knew nothing of televised wrestling. Bischoff on the other hand had the "wrestling sense" to create the compelling television that would drive ratings and buy rates through the roof. It's true that Bischoff got the idea for the NWO angle from New Japan, but then Vince got the idea for WM from Starrcade, Flair's Nature Boy gimmick was originally an update on 60's star Buddy Rogers, Hogan's look was an update on SuperStar Billy Graham, HHH & HBK became updated Flair's, etc - every good idea starts somewhere and no doubt the NWO was one of the biggest angles in wrestling history.

7.) Verne Gangne: Ran of the largest and most successful territories in wrestling history(AWA), fighting valiantly till the end of the 80's against the two pronged atack of McMahon & Crockett. Gangne also is the guy who created Shawn Michaels (The Rockers), fist promoted Hogan as a main eventer, first promoted Curt Henning as a main eventer (he was AWA champion in 87), and helped create and promote The Road Warriors, who had major success working for him before the worked exclusively for NWA & Crockett starting in 86.

8.) Paul Heyman: Dedicated, tireless worker - created the ECW phenomenon. Had a great knack for knowing how to push the envelope to places it had never been before. Did I mention he got his big break working as a heel manager under Gagne's AWA!

9.) Bruno Sammartino: He wasn't a flashy or unforgettable character but know this - He was the first true champion of WWE (technically Buddy Rogers was but he was named champion without a match when the company started, Bruno beat him in 63 seconds to win the belt). He held the belt for 7 years - yes, in the pre PPV era champions typically held titles longer if they could draw on the road, and we know that Hogan and Flair spend nearly an entire decade as champions. Of course, they could also draw really well. If Bruno hadn't been a hugely popular star, WWE never would have taken off. 7 years is a long time folks, and he worked a lot during those days, unlike Hogan wrestling only a few times per month in his 80's heyday. There's no WWE for Vince Jr to take over if the company wasn't built upon the solid financial ground layed from Bruno's success.

10.) Fritz Von Erich: He had a lot of faults, and likely wont be winning father of the year anytime soon, but a lot of good stories and wrestlers were stolen by WWE & NWA from World Class in the 70's and 80's. The company did huge business in it's area for most of the 80's as well. He may have over promoted his sons a bit, although Kerry truly had superstar written all over him, at least until his motorcycle accident. World Class is gave us The Freebirds, Ravishing Rick Rude (who was a big star there before he went to NWA in 86, the WWE in 88), Tully Blanchard (the NWA snatched him up as an alternative mega heel to Flair because of the work he did in World Class) among others. The Freebirds vs Von Erichs gang wars in the early and mid 80's influenced the creation of Four Horsemen vs Dusty Rhodes/Alliance gang wars in the mid to late 80's that became so popular in the NWA, a theme revisited many times under different variations in the 90's, most notably NWO vs WCW.

I put Von Erich ahead of some well known wrestlers such as Billy Graham, Austin, and others because he ran a territory and created stars - Graham was ahead of his time with his look and presentation but also lasted a very short time. Austin was a huge superstar, no doubt, though he didn't influence the ring styles and presentations of other stars they way Flair has, and he didn't last as long on top as Hogan (though he might have if not for injury).

 

[Marzyk]

I would say Hulk Hogan of course. He not only took wrestling to the main stream after his Rocky appearance, but he pretty much came up with the ideal of selling merchandise. Even major sports leagues had not thought of making money off of apperel sales of individual stars. I am not a big Nash fan as he overhypes himself enough without any help, but he did bring about gauranteed money. Gorgeous George introduced the larger than life character. Even though it became commonplace, before then nobody else had ever imagined it. Vince McMahon... enough said. Sable brought the female wrestler out of the realm of wrestling and into the mainstream, being placed and playboy and non wrestling roles in small movies. I believe that if she had have stayed in her first run, her name would have been up the with The Rock and Stone Cold. Maybe you dont remember, but she was headed the same direction and was getting just as big of pops in the ninties. Following a dark time when promoters in major federations vowed that there would be no black champions, regardless of their popularity, Dusty Rhodes brought an end to the segregation. I have personally met him and he is a very good man. The Rock was the first to make a successful transition to a major star, completely outside of wrestling. That opened doors that Randy Orton must simply not want to go through. On almost every interview that guy has, they mention being an actor to him. Mick Foley decided to write a book one day and it led the WWE to expand their busines ventures dramatically. Jesse Ventura managed to work as a wrestler, which is blindly looked down on by the masses, and ended up becoming a governor. On a very sour note, Chris Benoit's hainess actions lead to an actual end of years of abuse wrestlers had been putting on themselves in an effort to compete. After his crime, real and long lasting actions were taken to control substance abuse amongst wrestlers.

 

[relentless1]

Vince Mcmahon- he brought and end to the territory system and brought wrestling into the forefront of modern entertainment

Hulk Hogan- without hogan vince wouldnt have had his centerpiece, wrestlings emergence into mainstream media was brought on hulk hogans shoulders, not to mention his revitalization of the industry with the nWo.

Ric Flair- the consumate world champion and the man that represented what a good wrestler was all about, nwa and wcw wouldnt have survived without ric flair

Eric Bischoff- the man that created the wrestling boom of the 1990's he revolutionized the monday night timeslot, and pretty much the way modern wrestling runs is because of eric.

Steve Austin- just as the 80's boom was shouldered on Hogan, the 90's boom was built on steve austin and his bad ass, boss beating character.

The Rock- He is the one thats succesfully bridged the gap from wrestler to actor, wether he likes it or not, rock is the ambassador for wrestling in hollywood and the rest of the world.

Andre the Giant- he was the first wrestler to be internationally known, andre was bigger than life.

Bobby Heenan- the greatest manager and one of the best announcers of all time

The Undertaker- no one has had the longievity and impact that the phenom has over 20 plus years, WWF wouldnt have survived the lean years without him, bret hart and shawn michaels.

Bret Hart- the first true main eventer that was a wrestler, someone who could tell a story in the ring.

 

[Midnight_express]

Bret hart the first main eventer that was a wrestler and could tell a storyin the ring.......really? Bob backland, Ric flair, Randy savage, Lou Thesz Harley race, Bruno sammartino and countless others would disagree.....

 

[realoldskoolfan]

1.) Vince McMahon Jr - It ws his vision and business sense that made WWE a multi national billion dollar kingdome. Pro wrestling as a whole was doing well financially before Vinnie Mac, but he single handedly destroyed the territories, completely changed television presentations, and pionerred the advent of Pay Per View. He was the one who saw dollar signs on Hulk Hogan too, which his father did not. After Verne Gagne foolishly let Hogan go, VKM snatched him up - the rest is history.

2.) Jim Crockett Jr: Fact is, many of VKM's more aggressive business traits were also present in Crockett. Crockett went against the advice of his business partners (with the support of Vince Sr) to make Ric Flair his World Champion, creating one of the most enduring and memorable characters in wrestling history. Crockett, along with Dusty Rhodes, was the one who spearheaded the idea and creation of the "SuperShow", the pre cursor to Pay Per View, when he started selling tickets in cities throughout the US to watch closed circuit feeds of his end of year Starrcade show, generating millions of dollars in revenue in an era when ticket prices barely eclipsed $10. It was the finacial success of Starrcade that gave Vince and his staff the idea to create WrestleMania. Crockett's shows did huge business through early 1988, but he tried to be too agressive, traveling around the country trying to invade all the other territories on a monthly basis (where as Vince would move in slowly, running ocassional live shows as special events while saturating local TV with his shows). With a little more restraint, we might have had a real two party system in wrestling for many years.

3.) Hulk Hogan - Biggest draw, most marketable star outside the ring - Even if you hate him or you think Vince made him, Vince made a lot of guys stars, none of them reached his heights. Hulkamania running wild built WrestleMania and was a merchandising dream.

4.) Dusty Rhodes: Much of todays promotional ideas and style comes from Dusty's booking, a true genius at times. Few writers could script compelling stories for TV like Dusty, and without Dusty, along side Jim Crockett Jr, there never would have been a Starrcade or Great American Bash, meaning there never would have been WrestleMania. One of the most popular guys ever, as a fan favorite he was second only to Hogan in the 80's among wrestling fans.

5.) Ric Flair: A guy who literally outlived eras, learning his trade in the slower paced days of syndicated TV and 6 night per week traveling schedules, the last great "traveling champion" of the territory days. His combination of look, ring style, and interview ability are credited as huge influences on many of today's biggest stars. Both men have said it repeatedly over the years, without Ric Flair there is no HHH or HBK, their styles and characters were built upon him. Also one of the ost respected workers among his peers. The second biggest draw in the industry for most of the 80's behind Hogan.

6.) Ted Turner/Eric Bischoff: Turner saved wrestling on TBS when he purchased the company from the Crocketts in 1989, but he had no interest in its day to day operations and never had the sense to hire good people, or people with a wrestling background, to run things, usually relying on former bookers from the 80's who were out of touch with the contemporary audience and Turner Company Execs who could count pennies but knew nothing of televised wrestling. Bischoff on the other hand had the "wrestling sense" to create the compelling television that would drive ratings and buy rates through the roof. It's true that Bischoff got the idea for the NWO angle from New Japan, but then Vince got the idea for WM from Starrcade, Flair's Nature Boy gimmick was originally an update on 60's star Buddy Rogers, Hogan's look was an update on SuperStar Billy Graham, HHH & HBK became updated Flair's, etc - every good idea starts somewhere and no doubt the NWO was one of the biggest angles in wrestling history.

7.) Verne Gangne: Ran of the largest and most successful territories in wrestling history(AWA), fighting valiantly till the end of the 80's against the two pronged atack of McMahon & Crockett. Gangne also is the guy who created Shawn Michaels (The Rockers), fist promoted Hogan as a main eventer, first promoted Curt Henning as a main eventer (he was AWA champion in 87), and helped create and promote The Road Warriors, who had major success working for him before the worked exclusively for NWA & Crockett starting in 86.

8.) Paul Heyman: Dedicated, tireless worker - created the ECW phenomenon. Had a great knack for knowing how to push the envelope to places it had never been before. Did I mention he got his big break working as a heel manager under Gagne's AWA!

9.) Bruno Sammartino: He wasn't a flashy or unforgettable character but know this - He was the first true champion of WWE (technically Buddy Rogers was but he was named champion without a match when the company started, Bruno beat him in 63 seconds to win the belt). He held the belt for 7 years - yes, in the pre PPV era champions typically held titles longer if they could draw on the road, and we know that Hogan and Flair spend nearly an entire decade as champions. Of course, they could also draw really well. If Bruno hadn't been a hugely popular star, WWE never would have taken off. 7 years is a long time folks, and he worked a lot during those days, unlike Hogan wrestling only a few times per month in his 80's heyday. There's no WWE for Vince Jr to take over if the company wasn't built upon the solid financial ground layed from Bruno's success.

10.) Fritz Von Erich: He had a lot of faults, and likely wont be winning father of the year anytime soon, but a lot of good stories and wrestlers were stolen by WWE & NWA from World Class in the 70's and 80's. The company did huge business in it's area for most of the 80's as well. He may have over promoted his sons a bit, although Kerry truly had superstar written all over him, at least until his motorcycle accident. World Class is gave us The Freebirds, Ravishing Rick Rude (who was a big star there before he went to NWA in 86, the WWE in 88), Tully Blanchard (the NWA snatched him up as an alternative mega heel to Flair because of the work he did in World Class) among others. The Freebirds vs Von Erichs gang wars in the early and mid 80's influenced the creation of Four Horsemen vs Dusty Rhodes/Alliance gang wars in the mid to late 80's that became so popular in the NWA, a theme revisited many times under different variations in the 90's, most notably NWO vs WCW.

I put Von Erich ahead of some well known wrestlers such as Billy Graham, Austin, and others because he ran a territory and created stars - Graham was ahead of his time with his look and presentation but also lasted a very short time. Austin was a huge superstar, no doubt, though he didn't influence the ring styles and presentations of other stars they way Flair has, and he didn't last as long on top as Hogan (though he might have if not for injury).

Good post just want to make a couple of corrections. Verne didn't create the Road Warriors. The Warriors had been wrestling in the Georgia region for a couple of years as part of Paul Ellerings Legion of Doom stable before debuting in the AWA around 1984. They already had a large following and were also working the Mid South region at this time. While they gained national exposure while in the AWA, Verne had nothing to do with the creation of them.

Also, Tully Blanchard never wrestled in World Class, except for maybe a one shot deal. Tully was best known for being a part of the original Dynamic Duo with Gino Hernandez in Paul Boesch's Houston territory before his days in JCP. While working the Houston and Amarillo territories, he never made it to Dallas because of the longstanding fued between Fritz and the other promoters in Texas at the time. It was rare to see talent switch between the Dallas and Houston offices at this time.

 

[DjinnNTawnik]

My list in no particular order

1. Rowdy Roddy Piper. All of the other interview segments (Highlight Reel, Peepshow, The Cutting Edge, etc...) All of them were made possible beacuse of the success of Pipers Pit. The man took trash talking to another level. His mic skills actually made people care about a match involving Mr. T, now that's talen.

2. Jake The Snake Roberts. Perfected ring psychology, and Inovated the DDT which is now one of the most used moves in the business, and again he was so good at what he did that he made you care about a feud with Rick Martel.

3. John Tenta AKA Earthquake. Actually made you feel like THE IMMORTAL Hulk Hogan could be beaten. He was able to actually make you afraid for Hulk's Life. Not to mention his "Snake Burger's" bit was just friggin awesome.

4. Cactus Jack. Pretty much responsable for bringing hardcore wrestling to the masses. Foley is GOOD.

5. Kanyon. Innovated too many moves to count. Phenominal ring work.

6. Kurt Angle. Somehow, in the Attitude Era where most wrestlers movesets consisted of mostly kicks and punches, our Olympic hero got over on the most unique gimmick ever he was a Legit Wrestler.

7. Mankind. Managed to make the crowd love a psychopath

8. Evil Doink. Hit crush in the face with a car battery (something I think we'd all love to do).

9. Chris Jericho took everything Rowdy Roddy Piper did and turned it up to Eleven. The Ahyatolla of Rock and Rolla is truely the best in the world at what he does.

10. Vader. much like Earthquake in WWF Vade made you feel like Sting was in danger for his life, he was the first heel to kayfabe hurt the super hero face.

 

[DjinnNTawnik]

quick PS Louie Spicolli gets an honorable mention for Inovating the DVD