The Contentious Ten 06.07.10: Should-Be Hall of Famers

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Owen Hartsize=6>

People have been clamoring for this induction since the Hall of Fame was brought back in 2004. The realist in me says that people wouldn’t be calling for it so vehemently if it weren’t for his tragic death. Not to make light of it, but it would be a small tragedy if the only thing Owen was remembered for was dying. Owen Hart never rose to the heights of his more famous brother Bret, but he was every bit the worker, more charismatic, and much more athletic. He was an Intercontinental Champion, a Tag Team Champion, a proud Slammy winner, and had a legendary rivalry with Bret. Beyond that, he was a quality human being; no one in the business has ever had a bad thing to say about Owen Hart. I imagine the only reason that Owen hasn’t been inducted is because of his wife’s issues with the WWE, but I see her point. To a certain extent, inducting Owen is little more than a PR move, exploiting the name for the sake of tugging on the heartstrings. Owen was a Hall of Fame wrestler and person, even if he never makes it to the actual WWE Hall.

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Tully Blanchard & Arn Andersonsize=6>

Great as singles wrestlers and better as a tag team. Tully Blanchard was a star in Texas during the territorial days before coming to the NWA, where he had a legendary feud with Magnum T.A. that culminated in one of the most gruesome, violent cage matches ever. Arn tried to make his name in Georgia, but Ric Flair took a liking to him and suggested he work for Jim Crockett promotions; Arn would team with Ole Anderson as the latest version of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Flair, Ole, Arn and Tully formed The Four Horsemen, the most important and longest lasting stable in wrestling history. Arn and Tully would eventually form a team that became the first team in history to win the NWA and WWF Tag Team Championships, getting over in the cartoony WWF despite having minimal gimmick. Blanchard would develop personal problems and his career would stagnate, while Arn returned to WCW, formed another successful tag team with Larry Zbysko, and continued to be a major part of the four horsemen before a back injury forced him to retire. Whether you call them one half of the Four Horsemen or The Brainbusters, these two absolutely deserve the Hall of Fame, either as a team or as singles wrestlers.

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Jake “The Snake” Robertssize=6>

Despite never holding a title of any kind during his years in the WWF, Jake “The Snake” Roberts is remembered as one of the biggest and brightest stars of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. There are several reasons for that. The python Damien, which he carried to the ring in a bag before having it constrict the life out of defeated opponents, was certainly a big part of. Obviously, the DDT, which was the deadliest and coolest move in wrestling at the time, contributed to that fame. The eerie promos he delivered, in a quiet, menacing voice are also certainly memorable. But the real reason Jake Roberts is remembered is that he mastered the psychology of his character. Everything from the way he moved in the ring to the way he talked to the calculated wrestling style he used to his story lines screamed “snake”. Few, if any, wrestlers played their gimmick more perfectly than Jake Roberts. While he might not be “viewer friendly” in the current PG environment because of his personal demons, The Snake does deserve the honor.

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Lou Theszsize=6>

Thesz is the only wrestler on this list to never compete in the WWE, to my knowledge at least. However, WWE hasn’t shied away from putting non-WWE stars, like Stu Hart, Gorgeous George, or the Von Erichs into the Hall if they deserve it, and Lou Thesz definitely deserves it. Thesz was a six-time NWA Heavyweight Champion and the biggest star of the “TV Era”: the 1950’s and 1960’s where wrestling was one of the hottest things on television. He held the title for 3,749 days total, more than any other wrestler in history. He is the only wrestler to compete in seven consecutive decades. One of the true innovators of the sport, Thesz would have thrived in the 1980s and even in today’s world because he had classy charisma and was a great, great wrestler. Thesz is a first-ballot Hall of Famer by a longshot, and no Hall of Fame is complete without the man who many critics still consider to be the greatest of all time.

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Mr. Tsize=6>

All due respect to Pete Rose, but when WWE decided to include a celebrity wing in their Hall of Fame, the first person they should have called was Mr. T. Perhaps they did call and he’s rejected them, I don’t know. Regardless, there are few celebrities that have had the kind of impact on Pro Wrestling that Mr. T had. The first Wrestlemania was sold on the main event, which saw Hulk Hogan team up, you guessed it, Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. While the match isn’t an all-time classic by any stretch of the imagination, much praise is given to Mr. T for his performance and living up to the pressure. He was also a large part of Wrestlemania 2, competing against Piper in a boxing match, which I feel is one of the most unfairly criticized matches in wrestling history. It is very difficult to imagine where WWE, and Wrestlemania in particular, would be today if it had not been for Mr. T’s presence at the first two. I pity the fool who doesn’t think Mr. T deserves his spot in the celebrity wing.

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THE BONUS LIST!color=blue>size=6>

Top Ten Suplexes
10. Gutwrench Suplex
9. Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex
8. Superplex
7. German Suplex
6. Inverted/Reverse Suplex
5. T-Bone/Exploder Suplex
4. Half-Nelson Suplex
3. Tiger Suplex (Double Chickenwing Suplex)
2. Perfect Plex (Fisherman’s Suplex)
1. Dragon Suplex (Full-Nelson Suplex)

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The Ultimate Warriorsize=6>

Warrior is little more than a punchline in modern WWE. I myself have gone on record as calling him a poor man’s Sting, and never saw the big deal about him. However, The Ultimate Warrior was a huge star in his prime, one of the most popular characters in wrestling and seemingly the heir to Hulk Hogan’s throne as the top dog. His promos, his look, his energy are all fondly remembered. Despite being a poor worker who’s average match consisted of clotheslines and a press slam, Warrior did compete against Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VI and Randy Savage at Wrestlemania VII in two of the most memorable matches in wrestling history. Obviously, the only thing keeping Warrior out of the Hall of Fame is the man himself, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be included here. For me personally, I’d love to hear the acceptance speech, where he should thank “the souls of Warriors past” for his success.

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Bob Backlundsize=6>

Jim Ross has been campaigning for this guy’s induction forever, and why he isn’t in is just baffling to me. Bob Backlund is a two-time (three-time if you count Inoki’s reign) WWF Champion, and held that title for most of four years. Only Hogan and Sammartino have logged more days as champion than Backlund, and while that is a sign of changing times, the fact remains that Backlund was the top guy for the company in the early 1980’s before Hulkamania came calling. Backlund was the first champion in the territory to get over based on his in-ring ability, not his charisma (Graham), his physique (Sammartino) or his ethnicity (Morales). If Vince doesn’t think he’s a big enough star to headline a class, fine. Induct him the same year as Warrior or Savage. But, for goodness’ sake, induct him! I mean, heck, you’ve even got his spiritual successor in Bryan Danielson on the roster to do the induction speech! Bob Backlund for Hall of Fame 2011!

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The Road Warriorssize=6>

If greatness is measured in success, these two are the greatest tag team ever. They drew more money than any other tag team, dominated North America and Japan, are the only team in history to win the AWA, NWA and WWF Tag Team Belts, were two of the very first “cool” heels, inspired imitations ranging from pathetic (The Powers of Pain) to almost as good (Demolition), stayed on top for most of two decades and are generally considered to be to tag wrestling what Hulk Hogan is to singles wrestling. Call them the Road Warriors or the Legion of Doom, Hawk and Animal changed the game of pro wrestling with their larger than life characters. These two have to be inducted at some point. WWE is pretty much the only Hall of Fame that doesn’t have these two listed, and that’s something they should rectify ASAP.

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Bruno Sammartinosize=6>

The Living Legend. Bruno Sammartino’s omission from the Hall of Fame is arguably the most grievous, but it’s also the one you can’t really blame the WWE for. They’ve approached Sammartino multiple times for induction, only for him to turn them down. So while most of these are, “Hey, come on WWE!”, this one is a call out to Sammartino. Bruno’s credentials speak for themselves. He was the second WWWF Champion (the predecessor to the WWF/WWE Champion) and had the longest uninterrupted world title reign in the history of wrestling. He would win a second title and continue his dominance into the 1970’s. An extremely popular champion in the territorial days, Sammartino’s name still inspires respect as both a man of the people and as a draw. The WWE as it exists today may be the house that Hogan built, but it was Bruno who laid the foundations. Sammartino will go into the HOF eventually, but I really hope he puts his issues aside and gives a final farewell to the WWE Universe so that it doesn’t have to be a posthumous induction.

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Randy Savage & Miss Elizabethsize=6>

Yep, I’m pairing these two together. Everyone knows Randy Savage is HOF-worthy, but in my opinion, so is Miss Elizabeth, the First Lady of Wrestling. They were the biggest couple in wrestling history, with one of the greatest long term stories in wrestling history. They were and are virtually inseparable; I can’t think of Randy Savage without Elizabeth, and I darn sure can’t think of Liz without Savage. It only makes sense for them to be included as one entry. Savage obviously had the HOF Career; he was a star in the 1980’s territorial system, renowned for his wild brawling and high flying ability, before making his mark in the WWF. He was a successful Intercontinental Champion, a two-time WWF Champion, and was Mr. Wrestlemania when Shawn Michaels was still teaming with The Rockers. He was both a great hero and a great villain, and continued to have success well into the 1990’s, mostly in WCW, where he won more World Titles. One of wrestling’s most recognizable superstars, Savage is a true legendary figure. And Elizabeth was every bit as important to his character as the eccentric mannerisms, the over-the-top outfits, and the gravelly voice. Is this a Hall of Fame pair? OHHHHHH YEAH! DIG IT!

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Next week, the Contentious Ten is going to take a break from mainstream wrestling. In honor of the one-year anniversary of his passing, next week I will cover The Top Ten Mitsuharu Misawa Matches. If you are a fan of Misawa, or are curious to know why he was held in such high esteem, you won’t want to miss next week. If not, I’ll see you guys in two weeks for something more “average American wrestling fan” friendly.