The Golden Era and the Attitude Era gave wrestling fans some of the most electrifying matches in WWEs history. Known for his signature evil laugh, "The Million Dollar Man" bragged about you guessed it his extraordinary wealth while trouncing opponents around the world. The nature of professional wrestling dramatically changed in order to better suit television audiences. With Frank Valois, Andre managed to make a name for himself in the United Kingdom, Africa, New Zealand, and Germany. Aside from a week in December 1974, Brisco held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from July 1973 to December 1975. The Phelps twins, 36, will forever be known as Ron Weasley's lovable older twin brothers, Fred and George, roles they played from 2001 to 2011. In his debut night, Tito Santana and Ivan Putski would win the World Tag Team Titles from Johnny and Jimmy Valliant. In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. 10. The Klimaszewski girls are popular for being The Coors Light Twins, yet they also appeared on WCW Nitro frequently as members of The Nitro Girls. Due to the lack of complete records, it is believed that Farmer Pete was World Champion for seven days in 1957, after beating Sonny Boy Cassidy, who won the title back in a rematch in October the same year. In the 70s, kayfabe was alive and well and crowds believed what they were seeing. Although she was far more active in All Japan Womens Wrestling, she made brief appearances in the WWF in 1986. Good luck trying to get that out of some of todays professional wrestlers. Because of his immense popularity back in the 60s and 70s, Haystacks Calhoun got the opportunity to go head to head with some of the biggest names in wrestling at the time. museum. Sammartino would then go ahead and beat Inoki bloody. Whatever the roles may be, theres no overlooking the upper hand some identical siblings have over their rivals. Fans and pundits even began referring to him as the 8th Wonder of the World, thanks to his colossal size and ability to attract the masses. They even challenged The Steiner Brothers for the NWA Tag Team Titles in 1990 but came up short. In 1965, Mascaras made his professional debut in Guadalajara, Mexico. Wrestle: A compilation of old school images of 80s wrestlers has been published by nostalgia website These Americans and the best (or worst) of the bunch can be seen here The Point: The fashion. Until the 1920s, professional wrestling in the United States was viewed as a serious and legitimate sport showcasing true athletic competition. A pioneer of womens wrestling, Fabulous Moolah had an illustrious wrestling career that saw her become one of the biggest female superstars of all time. Bucci competed in a few matches between 1996 and 2002, but is now retired. Because of his in-ring skills, Big John Studd had some amazing matches with some considered to be the greatest at the time. One of the greatest mic Workers in WWE, Billy Graham knew how to captivate audiences using his mic exploits and in-ring abilities. Flair had nothing but praise for Race upon his death in 2019: Without Harley Race, there was no Ric Flair. 18. Because of his ability to stand out and cut amazing promos, many WWE fans flocked to the ring to see the superstar in action. They contracted rubella (German measles) when they were 4 years old, which caused problems for their pituitary glands and they started gaining weight. Gorgeous George gained epic mainstream popularity, followed in the Second Golden Age in the 1980's and 1990's by the likes of Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Sting, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Triple H. Ric Flair Saturday Night was all about the WWF Main Event! I tried my hardest every day to live up to his standard in the ring, he said. Brie, along with her identical twin sister, Nikki, rose to fame with their "Twin Magic" in which they would switch places in the ring during matches a move created by movie star Freddie Prinze Jr., who was writing for the WWE at the time.The rest, as they say, is history, and now the Bella twins have . The company then released her from her contract in November 2007. Although wrestling matches in the 60s, 70s, and 80s were not as smooth and immersive as the matches of later years especially The New Era, these matches still lived up to the expectations of the fans at that point in time. The company released Dean from his contract in 2007. Born in a wrestling family, Mil Mascaras began his training at an early age. Please consider making a donation to our site. The result, a ripped cauliflower ear and tons of bandages. He was born Roland Barriault in Sudbury, Ontario on July 22, 1946. Active since 2011, the Owens are still trying to catch their big break in the business, wrestling for smaller promotions across the United Kingdom and Japan. Bruno Sammartino was the biggest name in WWE in the '60s and '70s, but in the late '70s, another man took his spot. We don't want to rely on ads to bring you the best of visual culture. He worked everywhere from the AWA and WWWE to Japan and the territories. Though he never won a title, he was a firm favorite with fans. You can also support us by signing up to our Mailing List. Apart from Tito Sammartino, Ivan Koloff also holds several other memorable wins against renowned wrestlers such as Bob Buckland, Gorilla Monsoon and Bruno. A key member of The Hart Foundation faction, Niedhart ran roughshod through the WWF with his pink-clad partners throughout the 1980s. But Ladd never won a major promotion's top belt. Wrestling began featuring enhanced, hyped character traits and storylines. Earl is notorious for ringing the bell at Survivor Series 1997, costing Bret Hart the WWE Championship against Shawn Michaels in an episode titled the Montreal Screwjob.. During that span, he notched victories over Lou Thesz, Dory Funk Jr., Gene Kiniski, Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, all of whom held the same title at least once during their careers. [4] Benny believed in evangelicalism and enjoyed golf, playing until he was bedridden. The Blossom Twins had high hopes in the wrestling industry as two twin girls growing up in the United Kingdom. These guys could keep their fans crowds on the edge of their seats for 30, 45 or 60 minutes with no effort at all. Frenchy Lamonte heading for the ring in Tampa 1970. In relative terms, a wrestler breaking kayfabe during a show would be likened to an actor breaking character on-camera. This secret weapon made Mr. Fuji one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the WWE. They made their WWE debuts in 1995 as The Blu Brothers, participating in the Royal Rumble Match and eventually losing to Davey Boy Smith and Lex Luger in the opening bout of WrestleMania 11. Weve compiled a list of 15 wrestlers whom we believe stood out during the 70s and helped propel the company to greater heights. In 1957 after spending most of his early wrestling years in Canada, Kowalski began working for Vince McMahon. Terrys wrestling career spanned for more than 50 years, enabling the wrestler to compete in all the well-established promotions. Respected and influential wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer went as far as calling him "one of the key figures in the growth of WWF., Named one of the top five WWF Intercontinental Champions of all time, Curt Hennig AKA Mr. The Tonga Kid joined the company in 1983 and spent nearly five years there before leaving in 1988. Since then,both Bellas have worked hard and improved drastically in the ring. A major star of Midget Wrestling Littlebrook was born in England in 1929. All of this when the AWA sported one of the deepest rosters in territorial wrestling. Frenchy Lamonte was also known as Rolly the Rocket, the Little Hawk, and Little Evilborn. By the end of his illustrious wrestling career, The Macho Man had accumulated an impressive 11 titles. While Terry Funk had many classic singles matches, it is his tag team matches that stood out. Ted Dibiase. Surely, Jimmy and Jey are set aside by some in favor of Tyson Kidd & Cesaro or The Prime Time Players, yet theyve been holding down the fort for a while and excel in entertaining matches. 5 years down the line he would join NWA briefly, before returning to the WWE one more time. Backlund was a collegiate All-American and a former NCAA Champion. Amassing 34 total championship wins in his career, Pipers legacy now lives on in Ronda Rousey, whom he gifted the Rowdy moniker. Giant Babas most memorable match would be a tag team match with Andre the Giant against Demolition at the Wrestling Summit. Since leaving Vince McMahon's company, Dave Hebner has become a wrestling manager and has appeared in a few other promotions. Even when he fell in love - and that was frequently - he was never submerged by disappointment. Just try not to cry while watching it! Born Wayne Coleman, the bodybuilder with the 22-inch biceps spoke as well as the Christian preacher whose name he used as his own. Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan are big stars both in the WWE world and reality TV world. Kayfabe was fiercely maintained for decades, but with the advent of the Internet wrestling community, and the sports entertainment movement, the pro wrestling industry has become less concerned with protecting so-called backstage secrets and typically maintains kayfabe only during the shows. He worked mostly in the AWA and was a tag team specialist, winning titles in the 60s with Harley Race. While Andre the Giant took part in various high-stakes matches in his professional career, it is his match at Wrestlemania 3 against Hulk Hogan that would earn him a spot in the anarchs of sports entertainment. When it comes to the division, Jimmy and Jey have shared rings with WWEs best, and even though the Samoans havent rejuvenated since losing to Kidd and Cesaro back in February at Fast Lane, they should be resuming where they left off once Jey is cleared to compete again from shoulder surgery. Having made appearances in Japan, Mexico and North America, The Headhunters (consisting of twins Manuel and Victor Santiago) are best known for their stints in WWE and ECW. On top of that, the win would mark one of the longest reigns as Bruno would retain the title for 8 consecutive years. This ones a little cheeky, but with reason; the Olsen Twins (not to be confused with the starlets of Full House), were branded as twin brothers in Chikara, yet Jimmy Olsen and Colin Delaney are not real-life brothers. He won a variety of regional titles including the Stampede North American Title, the AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship and the PWF Heavyweight Championship. Their gravestone displays images of two Honda motorcycles and is inscribed "Worlds Largest Twins". The Sheik was PWIs Most Hated Wrestler of 1972, the first year of the award, and has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Bret Hart Self | WWF Survivor Series Dave Hebner, the assigned referee, greeted his doppelganger mid-match and the two brothers began clawing at each other to prove who was the real referee. Original release. Trained by the legendary Killer Kowalski, Big John Studds debut in the WWE would be alongside his trainer and partner. During his debut at Madison Square, Santana did not take any chance in establishing himself as an upcoming wrestler with so much promise. WWE billed Andre as an undefeated wrestler until his loss to Hulk Hogan, but that was not entirely true. The Dynamite Kid was one of the most innovative wrestlers of the 1980s. - Douglas Percy Bliss on his friend Eric Ravilious from their time at the Royal College of Art Eric Ravilious loved. For most, there were no high spots; the German suplex and a bodyslam were finishers, and nobody knew what a hurricanrana, five-star frog splash, Swanton bomb, and outside dive were. Her garish fashion statements have since inspired a new generation of sartorial outsiders. First-run syndication. [3], Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 17:23, List of premature professional wrestling deaths, "The Wrestling Mc Guire Twins Weigh 747 and 727 but It's Their Opponents Who Go Boing, Boing", "700-pound NC twins rode minibikes, wrestled with Andre the Giant. We could always count on a suplex, a body slam or a chair over the head. Nikki Bella. was a promoter and wrestling manager. As a pioneer . Best known as a top showjumper who occasionally flicked a V-sign, Yorkshire's finest, 78, also grappled in the 1970s. via twitter.com. Born in England, Robinson is one of the godfathers of strong style and is considered one of the best ever by Japanese fans. They were tough, savage-like and had some of the hardest. Twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso are the sons of former wrestler Rikishi and members of the Anoa'i wrestling family. Billy and Benny werent exactly the most talented superstars in wrestling history, yet the business was different in their days, which ultimately led them to matches in NJPW and Canadas very own Stampede Wrestling. Known for his signature evil laugh, The Million Dollar Man bragged about you guessed it his extraordinary wealth while trouncing opponents around the world. Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, Ricky Steamboats fights against Macho Man Randy Savage (1987) and Ric Flair (1989) were both awarded Match of the Year by Pro-Wrestling Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer. A warrior and fighter inside the squared circle, Terry Funk managed to win a title with almost every promotion that he worked with. He eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles. Although the conceit might seem silly, Sayama had the skill to back up the story: his match at NJPW Sumo Hall Show in 1983 (against Dynamite Kid Thomas Billington) was the first fight Meltzer ever granted a 5 Star rating. Bob Backlund was as different from Bruno as anyone. Little Bruiser and Billy the Kid, September 23, 1972. Thanks to photographerDavid Maciejewskiwe can see pictures of thelittle wrestlers before the hype and hoopla of WWF took hold. WWF and AWA, and Japan was as important as it ever was. Dubbed the Executioners, the duo would go ahead and capture the World Tag Team belts in the same year. He later briefly returned to WWE to compete in a few matches between 1992 and 1994. Unfortunately, though, some twins have been more successful than others, and while a number of twins have set foot in WWE and other major promotions, most are easily forgotten. Wrestling became an international phenomenon with the expansion of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Hence, she has made her Instagram profile private. RCW Tag Team Title: The Wrecking Crew ( Dean Richtor & Shaun Martens) defeat The Voros Twins ( Chris Voros & Patrick Voros) (c) - TITLE CHANGE !!! Ultimately, promoters in Canada would run out of acceptable opponents to face this giant. Cheerfulness kept creeping in." Cowboy Bob Bradley was born Robert Claton Bradley in Dickens County, TX, in February 1935. Andre the Giant won his only world title in 1988, but he was a man who never needed a title to be the biggest star in any company he wrestled in. Stan Hansen was one of the toughest wrestlers in the '70s, running through everyone and making his name in both the United States and Japan. Apart from doing all he could to win matches, Mr. Fuji always took it a step further and hid bags of salt within his pants. In 1955, she began working for Vince McMahon Sr. as Fabulous Moolah. [4][3], The twins often used a finishing move called the "Tupelo Splash", which involved one of the twins diving belly-first onto a prone opponent; they would follow this with "The Steamroller", where the twin would roll back and forward over the opponent. In 1971 he became a dual titleholder when he won the WWWF World Heavyweight Title from Ivan Koloff while holding the United States Heavyweight Title. Most of the wrestlers didnt even have the physiques or follow the diet and workout regimen that many athletes follow today. Poised as an everyman, Dusty managed to wrack up title wins across divisions and federations. IN THAT WORLD where the world of Sports & Athleticism collides with the universe of the Melodrama, the Morality Play and Mythological Heroes & Monsters, we find the American phenomenon of Professional Wrestling. This was Afa and Sika, the men who were the patriarchs of the Samoan Dynasty. The history of womens wrestling may have taken an entirely different direction had Wendi not been bamboozled by Vince McMahon and The Fabulous Moolah during the infamous Rock N Wrestling connection moment. ( 1960) -. All-Star Wrestling footage (and AWA footage as a whole) is now owned by World Wrestling Entertainment . 10 Best WWE Wrestlers Of All-Time, According To Cagematch.net, 10 Things Fans Should Know About Curt Hennig, The Russian Bear beat Bruno Sammartino for the WWE Championship in 1971, a win that almost caused a riot, 10 Best Pat Patterson Moments In WWE History, first Triple Crown Champion in company history, The 10 Best Wrestlers In The World Outside WWE, 10 Greatest WWE Golden Era Wrestlers, Ranked. Just two months after arriving in WWE, he was fighting for the world title. Bucci (AKA Donnie B.) Unlike a twosome formed by strangers-turned-best friends, twins possess an extra edge because they are mirror images of each other -- not only do most look identical, they know what their sibling is thinking more often than not. He died aged 76 in January 2013. Little Bruiser in Chicago, September 1, 1972. He was a clever and wily opponent who brought considerable showmanship to the arena. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. At the same time, the 1970s had some of the most technically proficient wrestlers in history, men who could work rings around many of todays top stars. This win at Madison Square would mark the beginning of a 170 days reign before dropping the titles to another promising duo, the Wild Samoans. Eventually, the character morphed into a deranged barber who cut the hair of his opponents following his decisive victories. He sadly died at the age of 56 in January 2007. Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki were key figures in the Japanese womens tag scene during the 80s and even had success as a duo in the WWF. However, when picking out the best wrestlers of the decade, a fan will always find more names to add to the list of the best of the best. Verne was as old-school as they come, a grappler who was all about mat wrestling, and someone who could tie up any opponent and win a match with just about any move. Fans who started watching professional wrestling in the 1980s never got to see how great the Valiant Brothers really were. He became good friends with fellow wrestler Andre the Giant and has a career as a movie actor. His later years were spent training the up-and-coming legendary children of NXT and his own biological children, Cody and Goldust, remain in the top tier of wrestlings biggest stars to this day. [3], Benny died at age 54 on March 26, 2001 of heart failure. Ron and Don have been wrestling since the late-1980s, competing against The Rock n Roll Express, Shane Douglas, and The British Bulldog in their early days. [7], After the death of Billy, Benny tried to continue wrestling, partnering with Andre the Giant, but was not successful without his brother. Tipping the scales at approximately 1,470 pounds, The McGuire Twins were once the worlds heaviest twins in the Guinness Book of World Records. He then spent several years competing on the independent circuit and in ECW before officially joining WWE in 2002. Larry "The Axe" Hennig remains known as the father of Mr. This made Koloff one of the only men to ever beat Sammartino in a WWE match. Brooke Adams tried out for the 2006 Diva Search competition. 1960. A gimmick that kind of worked out but was really cheesy. Earl still officiates TNA Wrestling matches alongside his son and former WWE employee, Brian Hebner. If you enjoy what we do, please consider becoming a patron with a recurring monthly subscription of your choosing. Their second reign would last approximately 6 months. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60's and 70's. Born and raised in a small Italian town, Bruno Sammartino's childhood was quite tough. In the '70s, he had a chance to work title matches in the WWWF against Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales before returning to the AWA, where he finally became a babyface.He ended up feuding with former allies Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens. Wrestling journalist In the book WCW: The Ultimate Guide, Dave Scherer described Hennig as "one of the best all-round competitors this business has ever produced.. The Hardcore Legend Terry Funk had memorable matches in the 1980s and 90s, but the 70s might have been his golden age. He started the decade as a heel, but in 1974 he turned babyface and shot to the top. Pat Patterson was the first man to hold the WWE Intercontinental Championship. After meeting Frank Valois, a Canadian promoter, Andre would later relocate to Japan before moving on to Quebec Canada. The twin brothers founded Phoenix Championship Wrestling together in 2001. WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century 2 Roddy Piper 3,754 votes #5 of 48 Professional Wrestlers with the Best Stage Names #4 of 32 The Best Brawlers In Wrestling History #14 of 49 The Best Wrestling Announcers Of All Time 3 Randy Savage 4,962 votes #138 of 183 The All-Time Greatest Action Stars #206 of 248 The Best Marvel Movie Actors Ever In the '70s, they were one of the most successful tag teams in history. Impresarios were the managers who chose how a wrestler could gain fame and interest among the fans, creating personas and improvising matches to make them more interesting. RCW Saturday Night Fights - Event @ Royal Canadian Legion Norwood Branch 178 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Some twins rose to prominence by being glamour models inside and out of the squared circle, while other duos shared a common goal of calling matches down the middle. A major star of 'Midget Wrestling' Littlebrook was born in England in 1929. In 1960, Giant Baba left Baseball and began training in Mitsuhiro Momotas dojo as the legend identified him as his successor. An early example of the queer coded villain in the wrestling world, Adrian Adonis was a grotesque caricature of gay culture but a compelling personality nonetheless. As a professional wrestler, Terry Funk worked with various promotions including WCW, USWA, ECW TNA, and WWF. Being a Luchador, Mascaras has never stepped into the squared circle without a mask.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-sky-3','ezslot_23',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-sky-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-sky-3','ezslot_24',116,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-sky-3-0_1');.sky-3-multi-116{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Terry Funk had memorable matches in the 1980s and 90s. They'd be 74 today", "Benny Loyd McCrary, World's Heaviest Twin", "McCrary Twins Awe Wrestling Fans Across Country", "Services for Billy McCrary to be Held Here Tomorrow", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_McGuire_Twins&oldid=1141937960, 666kg (1,468lb) (Billy and Benny McGuire), This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 17:23. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright .