3. Sammartino is still one of the most famous and popular faces ever to wrestle for the McMahon machine. 2 Antonio Inoki. He was also one half of the tag team combination called the Executioners. When he caused a riot during a 1957 match at Madison Square Garden, he was banned for life from wrestling in the state of New York. The Kangaroos would win multiple tag team championships in the 1970s but are best known for adding entertainment to their professional wrestling matches. B. The baby face worked with the biggest names in the business and was pushed like he had his own Gulas-mania going on for him. Yet, we all know, muscles on top of muscle dont make you the ultimate wrestler, no pun intended. 25 25. Andres professional wrestling career began in his home country France where he wrestled under the moniker, Jean Ferre. It is said he helped Vince McMahon Sr. get the WWWF on its feet. While he never beat Bruno for the world title, Kowalski teamed up with Gorilla Monsoon and Big John Studd to win tag team titles. Tolos' popularity as a heel would grow as he performed in a long term feud with Classy Freddie Blassie. Jacques Rougeau via onlineworldofwrestling.com While featured as a prominent member of two French-speaking WWE tag teams, Jacques Rougeau would also find himself playing the role of A stereotypical Canadian Mountie - who shocked his opponents with a cattle prod - somewhere in-between. Professional wrestling emerged for the first time in the late 1860s and 1870s in post-Civil War America. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event (see promoter).Within the convention of the show, the company is a sports governing . Technically, these two were Rockstars in Japan. 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. During his early years as a professional wrestler, Killer Kowalski managed to land a knee on an opponents head. Given that the 70s was the last major decade of the territories age, there are many big stars from that era that today's fans may not know of. Born and raised in a small Italian town, Bruno Sammartinos childhood was quite tough. Follow him on Twitter @sslealos. Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki became two of the most popular Japanese wrestlers of all time. Many have seen the famous photo of the twins riding motorcycles side by side. Pat Patterson 2 of 26 When he joined the WWF in 1979, Patterson was an established heel who already accumulated 32 vhampionships in various territories. He faced all challengers in the WWWF and even had matches against the NWA faces Jack Brisco, Dusty Rhodes and Mil Mascaras. Dubbed the Executioners, the duo would go ahead and capture the World Tag Team belts in the same year. 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. In the early 1970s, Vivian would feud with notorious women's champion, Fabulous Moolah. One year after their debut in the WWE, the Wild Samoans would win their first-ever tag team championship. Giant Haystacks was slow, very slow. Fans who started watching professional wrestling in the 1980s never got to see how great the Valiant Brothers really were. While Terry Funk had many classic singles matches, it is his tag team matches that stood out. Also during this time, Vivian would become California Women's Champion and capture the AWA World Women's title. Apart from being charismatic, Billy Graham was also smart, creative, and engaging. During his run in the land of the rising sun, Mascaras wrestled Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, and other legends, while performing acrobatic moves that would become a staple of the Japanese style. You just take one look at the way he moves around in the ring and you think to yourself you can do a better job. Mick Foley has portrayed several characters in WWE. Despite that, Andre was someone that territories brought in to beat their biggest heels, and he sold out every appearance. A lot of holds, hip tosses, over-hand punches, and body slams made up most of the match. This win meant that Bruno became the second-ever WWE champion. The 2 male black mambas, both over 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, were wrapped around each other and wrestling over a female during mating season. One of the biggest and baddest men in WWF history. Professional wrestling is a popular form of entertainment in Australia, North America, Latin America, Europe and Japan. All are heavyweight unless otherwise noted. Remembered for his hardcore style of wrestling, Terry Funk became an inspiration to many up and coming wrestlers at the time like Mick Foley. In a match with Ernie Ladd, Verdu threw a punch or two, and drove Ladds head into the turnbuckle unconvincingly. Something of a clown in the ring, he often wore long underwear and handed out kielbasa to fans. As a competitor, Fuji was a great tag team wrestler who was famous for throwing salt in the eyes of his opponents. When he returned to the WWF in the early 1980s, he challenged Bob Backlund for the WWF title and feuded with Andre the Giant. Despite his size, he was far from a novelty act; he actually had an impressive repertoire of maneuvers and once defeated 800 pound grappler Happy Humphrey, who outweighed Haystacks by a good 200 pounds. A tough Italian guy who fans loved and honored as their hero. Hart comes from the legendary Hart Family of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 1965, Mascaras made his professional debut in Guadalajara, Mexico. He worked mostly in the AWA and was a tag team specialist, winning titles in the 60s with Harley Race. Blood, barrel chests, and mutton chops. That is not the Baron from the 1970s, though, who was always a threat to any champion. In the 1950s, he appeared on Art Linkletters House Party TV show, where he demonstrated his brute strength by tossing bales of hay into a loft. Brazil's career would start in 1951 and end in 1993. He joined the WWWF in 1970 as Chief Jay Strongbow, wearing the Native American headdress and using Native-themed moves. 22. Transitioningfrom body building to wrestling, The Polish Hammer quickly rose up the ranks in the WWWF to challenge the likes of Superstar Billy Graham, Stan Hansen, and Bruiser Brody. This view did not endure into the 1930s, as professional wrestling became identified with modern theatrics, or "admitted fakeness" ("kayfabe"), moving away from being a showcase for true competition. Perfect and the Beverly Brothers going by the name Coach. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1-0-asloaded{max-width:320px!important;max-height:50px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1','ezslot_17',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1-0');@media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1-0_1-asloaded{max-width:320px!important;max-height:50px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1','ezslot_18',116,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1-0_1');.narrow-sky-1-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}. ranked by. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. This was Afa and Sika, the men who were the patriarchs of the Samoan Dynasty. 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. During the 70s, he spent time in the AWA, All-Japan Pro Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling where catch wrestling was emphasized. 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. At the end of his career, Andre turned heel and met Hogan in Wrestlemania III, cementing Hogan's place in immortality when he slammed the Giant and got the pinfall. Studds most memorable opponents include Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Both were known for their unusual personas. Fred Koury started out his show business career as a circus strongman at the age of 16 to help support his brothers and sisters. Before The Ultimate Warrior, you had Ivan Putski. Before the expansion of cable television, regional promotions would run their local shows as the only wrestling in town. To show dominance over the American, Inoki applied a real submission move that Sammartino somehow managed to overpower. Backlund was a two-time world champion from 1977-1984. This secret weapon made Mr. Fuji one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the WWE. The Kanagroos have had several versions throughout their history. In 1955, she began working for Vince McMahon Sr. as Fabulous Moolah. 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. Secondly, a lot of wrestlers from that era are downright awful and I cant go through all the no-names that never stuck around. Top 25 Wrestlers from the '60s and '70s TheWWEsFinest 408 subscribers Subscribe 43K views 10 years ago History of Pro Wrestling In Atlanta (1986 TV Special) Joe Dombrowski's Pro Wrestling. Koloff wrestled WWWF title matches against Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Superstar Billy Graham and Bob Backlund during his reign. Adnan Al Kaissie would both be a hated heel and popular face for WWE in the 1970s. Title as his first strap by beating Classie Freddie Blassie. What can we say about Pro wrestling in the '70s? As a professional wrestler, Terry Funk worked with various promotions including WCW, USWA, ECW TNA, and WWF. 10 The Sheik. I strive to be a ornithologist, philatelist, and philanthropist. The longest reigning world champion in the federation's history from 1963-1971. When he retired, Kowalski started a wrestling school and ended up training Triple H years later. It seemed all too often he would hide his in-ring ability and clumsiness with comedic relief. 5 years down the line he would join NWA briefly, before returning to the WWE one more time. This made Koloff one of the only men to ever beat Sammartino in a WWE match. Hulk Hogan did work in the WWF before he became the mega star in wrestling. Koloff went on to the NWA where he became a top villain as the leader of the Russians, with his kayfabe nephew Nikita Koloff and Krusher Kruschev. His ministry has an emphasis on athletics, youth, and young adults. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-leader-2-0-asloaded{max-width:300px!important;max-height:250px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportlister_com-leader-2','ezslot_6',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-leader-2-0');@media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-leader-2-0_1-asloaded{max-width:300px!important;max-height:250px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportlister_com-leader-2','ezslot_7',112,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-leader-2-0_1');.leader-2-multi-112{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:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Starting in 1971, Tolos would win his first of ten NWA America's Heavyweight Title for NWA Hollywood. Hogan began his professional wrestling career in . Giant Babas most memorable match would be a tag team match with Andre the Giant against Demolition at the Wrestling Summit. Despite receiving a serious gash over one eye, Bruiser crushed Karras in just 11 minutes in front of 16,000 fans. 14. It doesnt matter if its Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday, every day of the week, people are taking the opportunity to look back and reminisce about the glory days. 7 Jack Brisco. We know wrestling gods such as Bruno Sammertino, Andre the Giant, and Superstar Billy Graham graced us, the fans, with their presence. What can we say about Pro wrestling in the '70s? The WWWF/WWF was the brain child of Vince McMahon Sr., who used regional stars to create his own circus of stars in the northeastern part of the United States. These wrestlers of the 70s were violent and dangerous men who had no problem beating up the wrestler across the ring from them, and most had no problem stepping in the ring with other athletes. Before he got his break up north, he was a journeyman on the East Coast. Bob Backlund was as different from Bruno as anyone. Another great tag team specialist of the 1970s, not just the WWWF. Mr. Wrestling II got his start in wrestling in 1955 as Johnny Walker, and he retired in 1972 after working a short time as a masked wrestler known as The Grappler. In 2014, the New Age Outlaws would win the WWE World Tag Team titles from the Brotherhood. Chris is a pastor in Central, Kentucky. He finally returned to WWF in 1982 and retired in 1986. She was and still to this day is the most dominant women's wrestler of all time. via wrestlingnewscenter.blogspot.com. He has worked as a journalist for over 20 years, first in the world of print journalism before moving to online media as the world changed. Top 19 Best Wrestlers Of The 1970s. Waldo Von Erich would debut in 1950 and wrestle until 1979. The feud would be highlighted by many bloody matches concluding in August 1971. Just two months after arriving in WWE, he was fighting for the world title. He was like other villains, constantly choking his opponent, pushing the baby faceto a corner, deliveringa headlock followed by a punch, and over hand rights. Yet, their sister, Vivian had her claim to fame in the 1970s as well. After retiring in 1986 he shaved his beard, trimmed his shrubbery of hair and took a job with the post office in San Jose, California. Prior to his professional wrestling debut, Giant Baba was a professional pitcher for one of the biggest baseball teams in Japan. Brazil was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994. Heres a Tex match for you, an elbow smash, then two high knee lifts, followed by a bulldog. 2 Antonio Inoki. Yet, regions throughout the country had their own territories to cheer for. The result, a ripped cauliflower ear and tons of bandages. With Grand Wizard by his side, it did not take long before Billy Graham became a WWE Heavyweight Champion, in the process toppling Bruno Sammartino. Bruno Sammartino is the greatest 70s wrestler of all time. Santana won his first title in 1979 when he and Ivan Putski defeated Johnny and Jerry Valiant to claim the WWF world tag titles. Fit Finlay. Standing at 610, Giant Baba was one of the biggest wrestlers in the WWE. With her brothers, Vivian would star in the motion picture, Wrestling Queen. Although he is as rough as they come in the ring and was one of the toughest SOBs in the business when he was in the WWWF, his fame came in the AWA, where he held the world title. Rick Steiner 2 of 100 While Scott Steiner was winning singles titles and being the bad man he grew into, Rick carved himself out a pretty good career as a singles and tag team wrestler. At 6'6, and 270 pounds, Brazil stuck out in a wrestling ring. Many wrestling fans will remember him for his feud with WWEs golden boy, Tito Sammartino. Like Sweet Daddy Siki, he made Toronto his base until 1981, when he moved to Japan and joined New Japan Pro Wrestling. This includes the list of all WWWF Superstars, division between Men and Women Roster, as well as Managers, Announcers, Authority figures, Producers and other personalities in World Wide Wrestling Federation. Wrestlers such as Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, Ivan Koloff, and Antonio Inoki helped lay the foundations that the WWE currently stands on. rank it your way 1 Hulk Hogan 4,914 votes Hulk Hogan's Most Ridiculous Opponents #35 of 143 WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century #69 of 73 The Best TNA Wrestlers of All Time 3,818 votes There were three major promotions at the time: the AWA, NWA, and WWWF (WWE). Haystacks Calhoun is a gem among the super-heavy weight wrestlers. Harley Race stated in his book King of the Ring, that he had to carry the bum, in their bout. Due to his size, his natural rival was Andre the Giant, whom Ladd frequently referred to as The Big Fat French Fry.. This was an era where there were three major United States promotions in the NWA. Inoki, originally born to a well to do family in Japan, moved to Brazil after.. Read More 04 Jun, 1960 Books The Thrills of Houston's 1970s-Era Friday Night Wrestling Come Alive in a Stunning Photo Book Nearly fifty years ago, photographer Geoff Winningham spent months documenting wrestlers, and . Garea held the WWWF world tag title on five occasions with the likes of Haystacks Calhoun, Dean Ho, Larry Zybysko and Rick Martel. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes rose to the top of the professional wrestling world in the 1980s. In October 1970, Brazil would team with El Mongol to battle Mr. Ito and Great Ota in the first racially mixed match in Atlanta, Georgia history. He helped pave the wave for others like King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang, and Bastion Booger. In 1957 after spending most of his early wrestling years in Canada, Kowalski began working for Vince McMahon. Being a Luchador, Mascaras has never stepped into the squared circle without a mask. Before he got his start in the NWA and was a tag team champion, Koloff caused havoc in the WWWF in a feud with Bruno Sammartino. A force to reckon with, Big John Studd dominated matches with much ease. Top 19 Best Wrestlers Of The 1970s. Lastly, this list is about wrestling and not about how entertaining a wrestler was. Last updated on May 8th, 2022 at 11:16 am. Their popularity in Japan can be compared to Hulk Hogan's popularity in the United States. Jagjit Singh Hans was born in India, and usually entered the ring wearing a turban and carrying a sword in his mouth. Apart from losing his brother and sister, Bruno also watched helplessly as Hitlers troops wreaked havoc in his small home town. Afa and Sika were these big bruising wrestlers from the island of Samoa that did nottalk andlet Capt. In the 1970s, Mr. Wrestling II was a massively over babyface and held the Georgia Heavyweight Championship 10 times in that decade. Thanks to size and height, Andre the Giant popularity in the United States grew tremendously. He held the AWA World Championship for 4,677 total days. A favorite amongst WWWF fans, he was also a highly competitive singles star, but never held a singles title. LEGOs were becoming more and more popular as the seventies rolled along. Hansen's lariat broke Sammartino's neck. He left the WWWF to go back to Canada to return to wrestling, and eventually died in a car accident with fellow wrestlerPierre 'Mad Dog' Lefebvre and referee Adrien Desbois. Kaufman had a terrible physique, couldnt pull off any technical moves and Im sure many thought he was making a joke out of the industry. 5 Dory Funk Jr. 4 Giant Baba. Before the. Apart from Tito Sammartino, Ivan Koloff also holds several other memorable wins against renowned wrestlers such as Bob Buckland, Gorilla Monsoon and Bruno. Two years later, Vince McMahon, Sr would come knocking and, in the process, signing Andre the Giant to the WWE. Regardless if his career was coming to an end in the '70s, he couldnt sell very well, had a slow work rate, and would blow up in the shortest amount of time during the match. 9 Nick Bockwinkel. See how many of these stars of yesteryear you remember. Tolos would officially retire in 1992 after a run as a manager in Herb Adam's infamous UWF. His interviews were comical because he did not know great English. He lost it to Pedro Morales but cemented his place in history. During their reign as tag team champions, the Wild Samoans would go head to head with various teams including Rick Martel & Tony Garea, Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson, and The Strongbows. This is the same way that Andre the Giant was booked later in his career. Rocky Johnson. Pope was built like a terminator. He won the WWWF U.S. First, tapping into the superhero craze of professional wrestling by becoming The Battman around the Pittsburgh wrestling area, his popularity was highlighted on Studio Wrestling TV in Pittsburgh. Remember, this is before professional wrestling was called sports entertainment. This brings me to my list of the 15 worst wrestlers in the '70s. After teaming up with his brother, Dorry Funk Sr., The House of Funk (Hoss of funk) was created. To be fair, they looked like they took the job seriously and did hit their spots when they could reach them. He wrestled in the WWWF, challenging Bruno Sammartino. He won a variety of regional titles including the Stampede North American Title, the AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship and the PWF Heavyweight Championship. Many have seen the notorious video of Inoki vs the Great Antonio. I am adding them since they were 21-time tag team title holders in the different promotions they appeared in. Bobo Brazil was one of the first African American's to break down racial segregation in sports entertainment. Maivia turned heel, and the two had a classic feud. He beat Sammartino to become the WWWF world title holder and bridge the gap so Pedro Morales could claim the world title. Their second reign would last approximately 6 months. He won the world title by beating Superstar Billy Graham for his first title reign andchasedthe world tag titles with Peter Maivia. During her early years, Moolah would move from one promotion to another while trying to get a foothold. RELATED: 11 Important Wrestling Territories (That Died During Vince McMahon's WWE Expansion). Because of his ability to stand out and cut amazing promos, many WWE fans flocked to the ring to see the superstar in action. George Gulas got over, more over than he should have, but hey its the '70s. The Big Cat first tried his hand at wrestling as a publicity stunt. Bret Hart Actor | WWF SmackDown! So why is he on the list? With the '90s being the bulk of The Attitude Era and the "Monday Night Wars" between WCW and the WWE, here are 25 wrestlers that stood out. 3. A hardcore wrestling pioneer, the Sheik was vicious in the ring, attacking with whatever weapons he could get his hands on. Tony Marino would mostly retire his "The Battman" gimmick in 1970, yet his popularity throughout the decade remained undeniable. A face for all his career in the federation, Morales beat Ivan Koloff after Koloff shocked the wrestling world to beat Bruno Sammartino. Haiti Kid would wrestle all over North America in the 1970s. Later, he becamea great manager in the 1980s, wielding a cane as a weapon when he stood outside the ring. But before fans could get to Hulkamania, there was a group of tough, rugged and loved and hated wrestlers that made up this organizations main roster. He was a heel in the 80s and died from being shot in his hometown in Quebec. Thanks to his massive size, Haystacks Calhoun became an instant hit during the golden era. But it was in the seventies that some of the most enduring personalities of the sport were created. No one can deny that he faced top competition when bouncing from one organization to the next. One of the first true giants in professional wrestling, Haystacks Calhoun weighed more than 600 pounds making him one of the biggest wrestlers of all time. This pissed off the legend so much that the match became a shoot and he began to actually beat up The Great Antonio into a bloody mess. While the WWE continues to evolve and incorporate new ideas and aspects into its production, we can attribute the success that the company currently to the foundations laid by these wrestlers during its formation years. However, he had his biggest success when he showed up in the WWWF and hit the big stage where he became one of the biggest babyfaces in the world of professional wrestling and influenced so many stars with his in-ring work. Johnny and Jimmy won the WWWF tag titles from Tony Garea and Dean Ho in 1974. Here are twelve British wrestlers who were critical to the evolution of British wrestling and influenced some of the very best of today. Hogan began his professional wrestling career in . Giant Baba Standing at 6'10, Giant Baba was one of the biggest wrestlers in the WWE. In the ring, they were menacing. Haystacks Calhoun would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017 as part of the Legacy Wing. Many old-school wrestling fans remember the House of Funk for their Wrestlemania 2 appearance. Stevens got his start in wrestling in 1950 when he was only 15, and he worked his way up after learning under former world champion Nature Boy Buddy Rogers. On this page you find the full WWWF Roster in the year 1970. He and Killer Kowalski were the masked Executioners and claimed the WWF tag team titles. Even though he had been on tour offering a $1,000 prize for any woman who could beat him, Kaufmans first time to wrestle in front of a television audience came on Oct 20, 1979 during Saturday Night Live. Eddie Gilbert and Tommy Rich: They were tag team champions in the Memphis territory in the mid-'80s, but began a feud that. In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. 1 Bruno Sammartino. Today's fans are familiar with the Living Legend Bruno Sammartino, Pat Patterson, Vern Gagne, Gene Kiniski, Gorilla Monsoon, but many of the stars of the 70s aren't household names. During the 70s, little people wrestling would be a huge draw on most promotion's cards. Calhoun and Garea defeated Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka to win the titles. Inspired by the legendary Muhamad Ali, Billy Graham would step in front of a microphone and deliver a promo that is full of rhyming words. 29. 1971-10 - The Ring Wrestling (credit: Doug McLeer), 1972-04 - Inside Wrestling (credit: Doug McLeer), 1972-11 - The Wrestler (credit: Doug McLeer), 1973 - Pro Wrestling Annual (credit: Doug McLeer), NWA Champion: Dory Funk Jr. He is creator of the pardon_the_wrestling Instagram account. In this time in the WWWF in the 1970s, Strongbow won the tag team titles in 1972 with Sonny King and then again in 1976 with Billy White Wolf. He held onto the strap for 296 days. Calhoun would play up the hillbilly country gimmick that WWE would also love with Hillbilly Jim and the Godwinns. Killer Kowalski was a Canadian wrestler mainly known for his feuds with Bruno Sammartino and his tag team wrestling under Capt. His famed moment came in the first Wrestlemania where he helped show the pure brutality of King Kong Bundy. He had a long-standing and famous rivalry with The Sheik, and the two seemed to forever be reclaiming the World Heavyweight title from one another. The Wildman of the Pampas was born Juan Kachmanian and experimented with several personas, including Ervan the Armenian and The Missing Link, before settling on Pampero Firpo. Moolah trained Vachon and their rivalry included Bettie Boucher and Toni Rose. They debuted at the beginning of 1980. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He took a cast of characters that represented the common, hard-working people that made up the melting pot of America. There was a WWWF and a WWF before there was a WWE. He set the bar for wrestlers like King Kong Bundy and other larger men in the business. 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. With a wrestling career that spanned more than three decades, Ivan Koloff managed to win various titles including the WWWF Heavyweight Championship and the NWA tag team titles. With Frank Valois, Andre managed to make a name for himself in the United Kingdom, Africa, New Zealand, and Germany. Vivian was also the aunt to Luna Vachon who starred in WWE in the 1990s. During his career, had many memorable feuds including with Ken Patera, Stan Stasiak and Larry Hennig. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60s and 70s. Imagine my surprise when I found out that not only did The Sheik not hail from Syria, as was always announced at the beginning of his matches (he was born in Lansing, Michigan), but he was also the head honcho behind the Big Time Wrestling franchise. 6 Terry Funk. He became so popular in that country that he eventually starred in a comic strip bearing his name. After meeting Frank Valois, a Canadian promoter, Andre would later relocate to Japan before moving on to Quebec Canada. Verne, who also owned the AWA, held the title 10 times in his career, starting in 1960, with his last reign starting in 1980. Bret Hart is one of Canada's most successful wrestlers. Golden Era WWE fans may remember Al Kaissie joining Sgt. In 1974, Pro Wrestling Illustrated named Robinson their Most Popular Wrestler of the Year. However, it was in the 1970s that he picked up an even more successful gimmick when he became Ray "The Crippler" Stevens.

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