As a wrestler, he is currently signed to WWE. At WrestleMania XXVI, McMahon fought Bret Hart at the age of 65. 2 Manami Toyota. Excelling in both the singles and tag ranks, Stunning Steve traded the Television Title with WCW greats like Barry Windham and Ricky Steamboat, but he was at his best alongside the fantastic Brian Pillman. One of the greatest bouts Ive ever had the privilege of calling was the infamous I Quit Match between Funk and Flair at a Clash of the Champions where I teamed with the great Gordon Solie on commentary. His glam rock looks and in-ring ability instantly attracted attention from the fans and cemented his place as a top heel. However, in 1996, Hogan had a career revival and became the leader of the NWO and one of the most hated villains in wrestling (helping WCW finally beat WWE in the ratings). Although The Hit Man continued to compete and won a second World Title, the effects of his concussion caught up to him, prematurely ending the WWE Hall of Famers career. Instrumental in the formation of The nWo, Nash helped change the landscape of sports-entertainment forever. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, around WrestleMania VIII (1992). Hes remembered now as the cackling, bug-eyed sociopath who set out to bring an end to Hulkamania through his cartoonish Dungeon of Doom. A staple of the Joint Promotions and All Star Wrestling promotions in Britain throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Marty made his wrestling debut in 1972. B.M. CRAIG TELLO. Deaths in 2023. Pat Patterson 2 of 26 When he joined the WWF in 1979, Patterson was an established heel. The confidence and cockiness of Buff Bagwell was a perfect fit for the nWo and their way of life, and Buff certainly proved that he had the stuff. During his impactful time in Atlanta, Hall was a Television Champion, a two-time United States Champion and a seven-time WCW Tag Team Champion. The young, hardworking grandson of a plumber, Dustin Rhodes fully lived up to his nickname, The Natural. Among WCWs most popular acts in the '90s, Rhodes seemed predestined for greatness from the very start, and he partnered frequently with fan favorites such as Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat and Sting. Shane McMahon 43. The Monday Night War is one of the most pivotal battles in the history of sports-entertainment. Before long, he would be touring as far away as France, Japan, and eventually North America. By beating Sleazy-E at Starrcade, Larry released the black and white clad group's tight grip on Nitro and returned control of the program to WCW. Mixing equal parts Snake Pit submissions and carnie survival tricks, the four-time Television Champion bested Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, fought Fit Finlay in a parking lot and left Bill Goldberg embarrassingly befuddled in the center of the ring on live television. He currently lives in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and finds his spare time training to become a wrestler. Here are twelve British wrestlers who were critical to the evolution of British wrestling and influenced some of the very best of today. It seems like professional wrestling today is a young man's sport. She then worked all over the world from then until 1968. Fate and injuries prevented that from occurring over the long haul for Flyin Brian, but while his star did shine, it was brilliant. Kanyon finally broke out from under his mask after Raven denied his attempts to join The Flock, Ravens group of cronies. Already a sports-entertainment icon by the time Ted Turner launched WCW, Ric Flair continued along his path of success in the Atlanta-based promotion. Believe it or not, there was a time when Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and John Cena were not the focal point of the wrestling universe. Even as a member of the legendary Four Horsemen, it was clear that Sid Vicious was his own man. Odelay! Or was it the man whos more handsome than 10 movie stars, big Scott Hall? That match took place when Jerry Lawler was 62, and it was the last time WWE allowed him to compete in their ring. He started out in his native France as Geant Ferre, a play on a French folk hero. What's in a name? Nash knew he had to step away or he could risk never walking when he reached his later years. The Wrestlers: Land of a Thousand Dances. He was trained by Hiro Matsuda. It. CM Punk, would be way higher than Cena but this is a continuation of a list I started awhile ago and I only remembered to add Punk in the end. When he revealed his identity later that night, Rude became the centerpiece of Paul Heymans Dangerous Alliance. It would be squaring off against the likes of Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask), Keiichi Yamada (Jushin Liger), and Dynamite Kid (more on him a little later), among others, which would earn the British grappler his initial acclaim and start him on the path towards leaving an indelible mark on the profession. However, he soon became an associate of the faction before winning his first of four U.S Titles in 1998. Mae Young began her career in 1939 at the age of 16. Disgusting yes, but it proved just how far the big man was willing to go for sports-entertainment. His tag team with Dustin Rhodes had one of the most memorable matches in WCW history at a November 1993 Clash of the Champions against Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. Jerry Lawler 47. Both an ally and an enemy of The Four Horsemen early on, Luger became a dominant United States Champion. In his very first match at Halloween Havoc, The Giant was able to overcome the champion and become WCWs biggest villain. The Tongan warrior known as Meng was one of the most intimidating forces in WCW. 1 Stone Cold Steve Austin 5,636 votes Whatever Happened To Stone Cold Steve Austin? PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! While Stevie Ray recovered from an injury, Booker T began his successful career as a singles competitor. He also won the AECW World Championship in 2007 -- at the age of 62. Without question, Terry Funk is one of the greatest to ever represent WCW or any organization for that matter JIM ROSS. While he has continued to wrestle into his fifties and remains in amazing shape, his retirement from 2004-2015 meant he onlyhad a little over a decade of professional wrestling experience and very little in the way of bumps breaking his body down. But few competitors were as enthralling as him when he stayed to fight. After a long battle with dementia, Rocco sadly passed away on July 30th, 2020. I'm not a Cena "you can't see me zombie", so you won't see him high on my list. Hulk Hogan. Widely regarded as one of the greatest, Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, singer-songwriter, painter, and musician. With a newfound rage and Heyman at his side, Rude was unstoppable. There is no face more recognizable or more closely associated with WCW than the man called Sting. Mr. McMahon 39. K.P. Over 1.4K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Wrestlers Over 40 Still Wrestling, The Toughest Professional Fighters in History. He would win his first singles championship from none other than Mark "Rollerball" Rocco in November 1976 when he defeated him for the British Light Heavyweight Championship, a Joint Promotions title he would go on to hold five times. Other older wrestlers, like Matt and Jeff Hardy, are still finding new storylines and holding their own against younger wrestlers. Ranking Explanations . During his battles with Savage, DDP showed a willingness to defend the honor of his wife Kimberly. For those of us that loved Brian, he will never be forgotten. When Goldberg battled Undertaker in Saudi Arabia, both men were over fifty. His thrilling rivalries with Psychosis, Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero made the San Diego-native the most popular flyer in the Atlanta-based organization as he became the face of the Cruiserweight division and a five-time champion. Joined together as The Hollywood Blonds, the hungry young competitors took an impromptu pairing and made tag team history as they topped the likes of The Dragon & Shane Douglas during their reign as champions. Whos next? soon became whats next? as the intense titan with incalculable strength amassed boons and recognition the likes of which few WCW warriors ever attained. Kane came back when he was 52 and won the 24/7 title from R-Truth and teasedmore wrestling matches when Bray Wyatt attacked him. At just 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 m) tall, and 175 lbs (79 kg), he was known for his brutal way of punishing opponents of all sizes. In 1999, he led the formation of the nWo 2000 a watered-down version of the original. Updated on August 13, 2021, by Shawn S. Lealos: Some wrestlers dont know when to call it a career. Perry Saturn let his actions inside the ring speak for him as he acted as an enforcer for the filthy faction. Dynamite Kid made his WWF television debut on August 29th, 1984, at the Maple Leaf Gardens teaming up with Bret Hart to defeat Iron Mike Sharpe and Troy Alexander. Honoring his roots, he adorned his trophies with Canadian flag stickers, renaming them the Canadian Heavyweight Championship, the 100kg and Under Championship and the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title. WCW fans were immediately thrilled by the high-flying competitor whose colorful attire added to the excitement of his jaw-dropping abilities. The two helped put over the young New Age Outlaws and Funk left in 1998, at the age of 54. Holla, if ya hear me! K.P. Whether teaming with Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane, Eaton was the glue that held the team together. However, like many on this list, his potential was not pursued to its extent as he tragically died in 2001 at the age of 46 due to being shot to death after a dispute with his former roommate. He was referred to as the man you love to hate!. The Road Warriors 40. He was also a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, where he trained the newest batch of WWE superstars. 24. WWE is an American professional wrestling promotion and entertainment company based in Stamford, Connecticut. His win streak eventually was ruined by opponent Peter Preston. There are so many old wrestlers who are great at what they do, but we need you to vote up the best active wrestlers who are 40 and older who are still truly the best of the best! R.M. This meant that her close friend Mae Young was able to eclipse her and became the oldest wrestler to ever compete in a WWE ring. Some of his best moments in the ring came when he tag-teamed against Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy in a tremendous feud that saw one of British wrestlings most prolific segments occur as he unmasked himself in 1977. To round out his history making career, Booker T became the second African-American to hold the prestigious World Heavyweight Championship after Ron Simmons. Then Steven Regal came along. ZACH LINDER. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. ?," take a moment to read the guidelines the WWE.com team followed when compiling this list. During the late-1990s, one of the mainstays of the Cruiserweight division was the intense and high-flying Juventud Guerrera. Before leaving WCW for WWE, Saturn captured the WCW Tag Team Titles on two occasions, further cementing his legacy in the Atlanta-based organization. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Eligibility begins with Ted Turners purchase of WCW in 1988. Sting retiredbut made his return in 2020 for AEW. In fact, he was so known to the British public that the Queen and former Prime Minister Margret Thatcher were said to be fans! Dynamite famously also teamed up with Davey Boy Smith as The British Bulldogs. In recent years, other wrestlers came out of retirement to compete in matches, including Shawn Michaels breaking his decade-long promise to never step into the ring to wrestle again. When Jericho made his highly anticipated debut in WWE, his arrival was significant due to his tremendous ability to entertain as showcased in WCW. After jumping from WCW to run roughshod over the WWE roster, Sid returned to terrorize once again, taking on the likes of Kevin Nash, Hollywood Hogan and Goldberg. He and Lane shocked The Four Horsemen by defeating Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard in 1988 to capture the WCW Tag Team Titles. However, as DDP can attest, it was his defiance of The New World Order and his legendary rivalry with Macho Man Randy Savage in 1997 that truly launched his career. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. When he wasnt brawling in the womens bathroom of Corpus Christis Memorial Coliseum (True story. Manami Toyota wasn't just considered one of the standouts of 1990s All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling -- many have even gone so far as to say that she's the greatest wrestler of all time. Not including special appearances like gimmick battle royales, here are the oldest active wrestlers in WWE history. [Photo: IMDB]His enormous stature was not lifelike as he stood an astonishing 6 feet, 11 inches (1.11m) tall and weighed 685 lbs (311 kg). His vicious rivalry with Cactus Jack set new standards for brutality ( FULL STORY), and he kicked out of Hulk Hogans immortal legdrop with authority before executing a Vader Bomb onto The Hulkster in a memorable bout at SuperBrawl. As might be expected, Jones is now a trainer for several British-based wrestling promotions and, in recent years, even mentored multiple members of the current NXT UK roster. The average age of most of the WWE talent is around the mid-thirties, with a few in their twenties and a few more in their early forties. Former employees in WWE consist of professional wrestlers, managers, valets, play-by-play and color commentators, announcers, interviewers, referees, trainers, script writers, executives, and members of the board of directors.. WWE talent contracts range from developmental contracts to . ITVs World of Sport was a household name in Britain, where it saw millions of viewers weekly. Air Force 1 x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 1982 . https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_former_WWE_personnel&oldid=1147080992, Lists of professional wrestling personnel, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 28 March 2023, at 18:58. Making an impactful debut at that years Halloween Havoc, he competed as the masked WCW Phantom and demolished Tom Zenk in minutes. Legendary British wrestling anti-hero Mick McManus. His prestigious career began as a member of Harlem Heat alongside his brother, Stevie Ray. His hard-hitting persona was hard not to hate as he would do anything to win, even if it meant cheating. In 1982, Dynamite Kid had an instant classic with Tiger Mask for the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City. If there is one lesson to be taken away from Curt Hennigs tenure at WCW, its that perfection never rusts. After one of his shows on December 2nd, 1997, he died from a stroke. When WCW went under, Hogan wasn't finished. WCWs success rested on the shoulders of experienced competitors and high-flying young ring warriors. 9 Andre The Giant As the wresting world's first ever global superstar, Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well. Pro Wrestling Documentaries, Books, and Movie Reviews, HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Competitors were rated only on their accomplishments while in WCW, so the achievements of Bret Hit Man Hart in WWE, for example, had no bearing on his placement. After a six-month tenure from 1989-1990, Cactus returned in 1991 with a more vicious persona. After a brief stint in WWE, Double A returned to what had become WCW and branched out on his own. So, while WWE fansmay remember him for being a wrecking ball in The APA, understand that Ron Simmons paved the way for Superstars like The Rock, Booker T, and Mark Henry. Styles), scar Gutirrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. At that age and size, one bump is likely all he had left in him.. This means that, by the time Finlay retired and moved behind the scenes, he had worked as a professional wrestler for almost 36 years. As technically gifted as Jericho was in the ring, his skills on the microphone catapulted him to greatness. Finlay also wasn't someone who started late, keeping his body healthy. He was also inducted into the Stampede Wrestling, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fames. He was a top heel and was renowned for bending the rules so the crowd would despise him as much as humanly possible. She was the NWA women's champion starting in 1956 and held the title for 28 years. Whether he was good or evil, Konnan engrained himself in the minds of WCW fans forever. Making his WCW debut in 1995, The Worlds Largest Athlete immediately went after Hulk Hogan and his World Title. [Photo: mirror.co.uk]Nagasaki had superhuman powers, such as the power of healing and the ability to hypnotize. Despite fans begging him to return for dream matches against young stars, he refused. But who was the most influential? He was also part of the biggest groups to come out during the '90s including the nWo and D-Generation X. Daikaij Batoru: Urutora Ginga Densetsu - The Movie. . He also had many great matches against British wrestling greats such as Fit Finlay and Mick McManus. K.P. G.S. Guerrera eventually lost his hood in a Cruiserweight Title vs. However, before he changed the wrestling game, the powerhouse from Warner Robbins, GA., made up one half of Doom with Hacksaw Butch Reed and won the WCW Tag Team Championships with the aid of their manager, Theodore Long. He continued to make a name for himself as one of the most recognizable faces among WCWs Cruiserweights on both Monday Nitro and Thunder. He also found success on his own, reaching the peak of sports-entertainment by defeating The Great Muta for the NWA World Title in 1993. 24. Although his father was against his son becoming a professional wrestler he would go as far as having Mark banned from his gym in Manchester, England Rocco would "learn the ropes" from many veterans from the age of 16 while his father was out on tour. Upon his exit from the faction, Larry battled "Stunning" Steve Austin and Bobby Eaton before retiring from active competition and becoming the color commentator on Monday Nitro. However, the seven-footers success goes beyond the revolutionary New World Order. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. 23. He was a muscular 6 feet, 6 inches. His terrifying visage, though, would not hide his tremendous in-ring ability. However, his unabashed use of brute force made him a mainstay in WCW. If we can be serious for a minute, no one made an impact in WCW quite like Lance Storm. His potential and ability have been often overlooked despite his influence on wrestling. This shocking turn of events pushed Hall to the frontlines of the Monday Night Wars as his foundation of The New World Order alongside Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan resulted in record television ratings for WCW. Brookside was introduced as a man that Shane McMahon had personally seen take down six men by himself in a fight at a local pub! WCWs initiative to introduce international stars to a American audiences brought a Mexican pop culture icon by the name of Konnan north of the border in 1996. Windham left WCW for WWE in 1989, but returned as 1990 began. Straight from the Rocky Mountains came The Man They Call Vader. The Top Ranked Pro Wrestlers of the 1960s Proving that he was WCW's elder statesman, the former TV Champion continued to compete on and off in 1999 and 2000. Previous Decade > Next Decade . You can learn more about this fearless trendsetter here. One of their biggest stars went by the name Big Daddy.. Eddie achieved far greater things in WWE, but his best nights in WCW were a thrilling sign of things to come. Collecting the Television Championship, U.S. Championship, and the WCW World Championship, Booker became one of a select few who achieved the Triple Crown in WCW. Before Chris Jericho broke the walls down in WWE, he was a key part of WCWs renowned Cruiserweight Division. British wrestling legend Kendo Nagasaki. If you dont like me, bite me, he often exclaimed. WWE Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting, playing a significant role in building the future stars of WWE. Matthews trained as a shooter (a wrestling term that describes a wrestler with a legitimate fighting background), and he often defended prize money against members of the public. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! The current oldest living in the wrestling industry is Bill Mercer from the United States. A staunch supporter of WCW during the company's struggle with The nWo, Zbyszko came out of retirement to battle the factions corporate leader, Eric Bischoff. J.C. Names are reported under the date of death, in alphabetical order. Mysterio went on to become a member of both The No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals and won the WCW Tag Team Titles twice before the end of WCW in 2001. Breaking down the best wrestlers by federation, belt, decade, and more. Throughout his tenure, The Stinger amassed six WCW World Titles, three WCW Tag Team Championships, two WCW International World Titles and two United States Championships before battling his longtime rival Ric Flair on the final Nitro. The two WWE Hall of Famers battled over the title for the remainder of that year, with Steamboat ultimately dropping the title back to his rival. K.P. Okay, now that that's out of the way, here are the 50 greatest Superstars in WCW history as decided by a team of editors, a WWE Hall of Famer and the simple, widely-known fact that Sid is the ruler of the world. Although he first stood up to The nWo, Savage eventually joined them in 1997, engaging in a physical rivalry with Diamond Dallas Page that highlighted the struggle between WCW and The nWo. Legendary rivalries with the likes of Sting, Ricky Steamboat and Lex Luger defined The Nature Boys reputation as one of the countrys best competitors and his seven reigns as WCW Champion gave him further ammunition for his freewheeling interviews. R.M. #123 of 183 The All-Time Greatest Action Stars #111 of 125 The Toughest Professional Fighters in History 2 The Undertaker 5,519 votes #623 of 787 The Greatest Entertainers Of All Time #18 of 20 The Worst Pro-Wrestling Promos Ever Cut, Ranked #5 of 25 K.P. Hey, yo! However, he never got his break in what was, at the time, the top promotion in the world, WWE. With his 64-inch chest and bleach blonde hair, it was hard for him not to be popular with fans. What she did after that is unknown, but she showed up in WWE in 1999. Giant Haystacks was one of the best-known wrestlers on the British wrestling scene in the 1970s and 1980s. The win, thus..Read More. The son of Blackjack Mulligan has been called one of the best athletes ever to step foot inside a ring. Together, the cocky duo battled legendary teams like Doom and The Steiner Brothers during their reign as WCW Tag Team Champions. This would prove to make him a crowd favorite in Britain throughout the 1970s and 80s. After losing and regaining the title in 1990, he held the title for an additional 210 days before vacating it after winning his first WCW World Championship. Employing the legendary Harley Race as his manager, Big Van Vader manhandled Sting to win the WCW Championship at The Great American Bash in 1992 and began a reign of terror he dubbed Vader Time. He won the title twice more once after losing it only six days prior but these accolades were not Vaders only triumphs. From his time as Col. Parkers bodyguard to his tenure in the Dungeon of Doom, the mighty savage was an immovable mountain of a man that no one wanted to face. He made his ring debut in 1977 and rose to prominence in wrestling during the 1980s as: Hulk Hogan; Terry Boulder; The Super Destroyer; Sterling Golden; Mr. America; Hulk Machine and as Hollywood Hogan. She and her childhood friend Lolo (Sherry Cola), a trash-talking free spirit making sex . Marty Jones perhaps might be the least known of the names mentioned on this list but is one of the best all-around grapplers of the bunch. Peter Thornleys version of the character remained a household name throughout Britain, but most Americans and Japanese fans associated the character mostly with Kazuo Sakuradas version. Anderson was also a bit of a hired gun. Rob Parkers Stud Stable. It is said that his disillusion with his career direction led to a return to the Texas independent scene in late 99. Winning a raffle to fill a vacant spot to challenge for the WCW Title, Simmons entered the ring, scoop slammed then-champion Vader and changed the world. In his three years there, Hennig captured the U.S. Championship and the WCW Tag Team Titles. 23. Storm also formed Team Canada, whose membership curiously included Americans like Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Mike Awesome, and engaged in memorable rivalries with the Misfits in Action and Filthy Animals.
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