Jim became a household name in the late '80s after joining WWE where he became famous in part to his trusty 2x4 but also for being the winner of the inaugural Royal Rumble match. Vinesh Phogat. WWE billed Andre as an undefeated wrestler until his loss to Hulk Hogan, but that was not entirely true. Zeb had a small run with WWE in the mid-90s as "Uncle Zebekiah" but to the older fan, he is best remembered as "Dirty" Dutch Mantell. The current TNA Knockouts champ is simply a dynamic performer. Will she be given a chance to break heads and bend bones in WWE? Patti Smith Despite that, Andre was someone that territories brought in to beat their biggest heels, and he sold out every appearance. 7. Following Chyna's lead in 2010, she became only the second woman to enter the Royal Rumble. Koloff is one of the only former WWE Champions who is still not in the WWE Hall of Fame. Luke is an avid wrestling VHS tape and memorabilia collector. She didn't have the impact that Moolah did, but it is still talked about today, some 50 years after her retirement. His career finally came to an end in the '80s when he worked with his son. She also fought in an awesomely brutal cage match against Aja Kong, where Nakano performed a leg drop from the top of the cage. She spent much of her early career in the AWA, pulling the hair and kicking the head of Madusa Miceili, Candi Devine and whoever else got in her away. As far as we've progressed as a society, women still constantly have to prove that they belong in professional wrestling. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Cyndi Lauper and Lou Albano gave professional wrestling a huge promotional boost in the 1980s, but some of us remember the golden days when wrestling was gritty showmanship without the million-dollar production budgets. Bobo Brazil BoBo Brazil Interview from Big Time Wrestling Watch on Bobo Brazil was born Houston Harris in Little Rock, Arkansas, but moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan as a young man and got a. 38- Priscilla Kelly She is at the 38th rank and has played 74 games as of now in her career. For 10 years, AJW and CMLL fans saw Akira Hokuto finish off her opponents with her vicious Dangerous Queen Bomb and Northern Lights Bomb. She has an estimated net worth of $3 million, according to Sports Keeda. Roberts worked around North America in the 1970s in the NWA with his earliest match going as far back as September 1975 where he fought Dutch Mantel. Putting such a stud worker on the bench is a baffling choice. Her WWE title reign officially lasted for an insane 10,170 days. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. to these sites/people. On this page you find the full WWE Roster in the year 1970. RELATED: 10 Best Pat Patterson Moments In WWE HistoryPatterson also became one of the most important men behind the scenes when he retired in the '80s. AWA Champion: Verne Gagne Once considered an overlooked artist, James has since been regarded as one of the greatest and most diverse female musicians of all-time. He may best be remembered as a manager and/or commentator but Dutch wrestled for years in Puerto Rico and on the NWA circuit where he won many regional championships in the 1980s. Burke and Byers fought in one of the most discussed matches in wrestling circles. Bonnie Rait Bonnie Rait is something of a musical pioneer. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes rose to the top of the professional wrestling world in the 1980s. Luke is also a mail carrier in Alberta, Canada and a freelance wrestling website contributor. Nakano won multiple championships with AJW as well as the WWE Women's Championship, which she held for several months. She's often wrestled much larger women and had no issue executing perfect suplexes on them. As a fitness competitor, Wilson won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1999. Adams recovered, but Kaphengst died at a local hospital ten hours later. Richter is a Hall of Famer and an influential performer. 2022 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Rhodes made some appearances in the WWWF in the 70s, but it was the NWA where he had his biggest success. Killer Kowalski He, in the 1960s and 70s, was to Maple Leaf Gardens what The Sheik was to the beautiful air-conditioned Cobo Arena. This was an era where there were three major United States promotions in the NWA. Her toughness is obvious enough in the ring, but the fact that she also drives a monster truck is further proof. With an impressive combination of power and athleticism, Mickie James has been consistently one of the best women's wrestlers wherever she's gone. So even amidst all the yelping of her peers, the botching and booty shaking going on around her, she still manages to shine. Jack and his brother Gerry were the original Brisco brothers, not to be confused with the ROH pair. Morales also became the first Triple Crown Champion in company history after winning the World Tag Team and Intercontinental Championships. RELATED: 10 Best WWE Wrestlers Of All-Time, According To Cagematch.netMost wrestlers didnt have the physiques or follow the diet and workout regimen that many athletes follow today, but make no mistake, that didnt mean the action wasnt good. The 1995 edition was attended by 3,850 fans. These are the most beautiful women of the '70s. Policy. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, previously the World Wrestling Federation) under her real name Torrie Wilson. And while many people consider the 1970s and '80s (during which GLOW is set) to have been when women's . and alcohol. They defeated Johnny Valiant, Jimmy "The conquering" Vallioud to become world champion for 170 days before losing them once again - this time against Samoan teammates known as The Wild Samosas! The Baron enjoyed a great career with the WWWF in the '60s and in the '70s as one of the top heels. Today, Sasha is among the most prominent black WWE female wrestlers in the world. Sakshi Malik. It's not often someone so tough and talented is also pretty enough to sell magazines. A relatively large collection of wrestling matches and promos during the decade of 1980's from the WWE. Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American professional wrestler, model, fitness competitor, blogger, and actress. She is a two-time WWE Divas Champion and was the inaugural NXT Women's Champion in WWE's developmental branch, NXT. Paige is tall, 5 ft 8 in, and weights 120 lb. In April 2000, Adams and his girlfriend of four months, Linda Kaphengst, were both found unconscious inside a friend's apartment, the victims of an overdose of the drug GHB. Roberts became an industry legend with his time in WWE that began in 1986; he also would have a brief run in WCW in the '90s. Grable was trained by the Fabulous Moolah who later became her friend and in-ring rival. He lost it to Pedro Morales but cemented his place in history. In WWE, he beat Superstar Billy Graham for the WWE Championship in 1978 and held the title for five years before dropping it to Iron Sheik. Before becoming an NWA legend, Paul first wrestled for the AWA with his first match being in January of 1978. This is a list of oldest surviving professional wrestlers.As of 2017, there are 42 living veterans from the "Golden Age of Wrestling" (1950s-1970s) over 75 years old.The last surviving wrestler from the "Pioneer Era" (1900s-1940s) was American wrestler Angelo Savoldi (born April 21, 1914, aged 99 years, 145 days).The title of the oldest verified wrestler of all time belongs to Polish-born . She entrances an audience with intensity. And save for one fabulous wrestler, no one impacted the sport like her either. 15 wrestlers are featured in 3 seperate DVD's with Mean Gene Okerlund setting up the . Updated on February 1, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: The 1970s didn't feature the flashiest wrestlers in professional wrestling history, but its wrestlers were some of the toughest. She's been one of the pillars of the Shimmer promotion over the last few years. The earliest recorded match of Bobby's was in August of 1966. She is one of the better female heels we've ever seen. Owner/booker Verne Gagne may have been the face of the AWA, but Nick Bockwinkel wasnt far behind, holding the promotions heavyweight strap four times over his career. In honor of Women's History Month, The Sporting News presents the top ten female pro wrestlers today. For this list, we'll be ranking the most popular, influential and skilled wome. Stratus started out as a pretty face on the sideline. He adopted Bobo Brazil as his professional name and went on to grapple in some 25,000 matches over the next 40 years. He has also acted in several movies. Her matches with Awesome Kong (now Kharma) were spectacular. Hall of Famer Jaguar Yokota was one of Japan's greatest wrestlers, male or female. Remember, this is before professional wrestling was called sports entertainment. A predator in the ring, Sherri Martel was one of the most entertainingly vicious wrestlers of all time. Just two months after arriving in WWE, he was fighting for the world title. She possesses great power and ring prowess. In the 1960s and 1970s, Kowalski became a great tag team wrestler, while also becoming a top rival for world champion Bruno Sammartino. He started the decade as a heel, but in 1974 he turned babyface and shot to the top. She was a consistent headliner throughout the '80s for AJW. Her ranking has gone down by 17 positions, from 20 to 37. They were a chance for her to elevate her game and to show the world the extent of her talentunlike her time with WWE. His run in WCW in the late '90s did bring him success, but ultimately it was a disappointing time for Hart. 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. His signature move was the Camel Clutch, but his real schtick was behaving as if he was just barely civilized, which sometimes involved such stunts as eating the ring announcers necktie. Richter drew on her high energy and charisma to become one of the most popular women's wrestlers of all time. At that time he was a defensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers and, at 69 tall and 315 pounds, was one of the largest players in the AFL. Currently, she co-holds the Shimmer Tag Team Championship. Their 1954 two-out-of-three falls match in Atlanta may have been partly a shoot and ended in controversy. Her departure in 2010 from the WWE was a clear sign of their disinterest in talent and their obsession with Barbie doll-type women. Will she spend the last few years of her career roaming the independents in Japan or perhaps come to the U.S. and show us how kicking butt is done? The NWA is where Jim got his start, where he kicked off his career with a mini undefeated streak in April 1979. Chris Bournea produced Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring and he calls their story "amazing.". A popular and gifted wrestler, hopefully James will be appreciated for years to come. Kharma is riveting to watch in the ringshe's a beast of a wrestler. Even after witnessing the trailblazing greatness of June Byers and the Fabulous Moolah, after seeing Trish Stratus and Lita's achievements, after women from Japan and Mexico wowed fans again and again, women's wrestling isn't respected or celebrated nearly enough. Hart was a key player in WWE's tag team and mid-card divisions in the '80s and early '90s. She is one of the most decorated womens wrestlers of all time. RELATED: The 10 Oldest Current WWE Wrestlers. Helen Reddy had about 15 Billboard top hit songs during the 1970s. After football, Jim moved internationally to Calgary in the late 1970s to begin training in wrestling with Stu Hart and Stampede Wrestling and would wrestle his first professional match in February of 1979. 8. Tex was an amiable fan favorite, and his nice-guy persona seemed to infuriate heels like Pampero Firpo into paroxysms of rage. Pat Patterson was the first man to hold the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Superstar held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship one time after beating the legendary Bruno Sammartino in 1977, hailed as Pro Wrestling Illustrated Magazine's Match of the Year. WWF and AWA, and Japan was as important as it ever was. Her power and toughness made those contests legitimate and entertaining. Her intensity and adept in-ring storytelling were of Hall of Fame quality. Here athleticism alone is enough to rank her among the all-time greats. Privacy Hokuto also wrestled with WCW where she fought against Madusa Miceli and teamed with Bull Nakano. In the '70s, he was part of the WWE and was still on top of the world until his retirement in 1977. Copyright 1995-2022 puroresu.com. If given any chance at all to do what she does best, Phoenix will likely make much more history. The Worlds Strongest Wrestler was born Richard Garza and was a bodybuilder and former Mr. Michigan before adopting the persona of a friendly, somewhat confused Polish immigrant known as the Mighty Igor. With an impressive combination of power and athleticism, Mickie James has been consistently one of the best women's wrestlers wherever she's gone. Britani Knight, her mother and former professional wrestler herself. His catchphrase Oooohhh yeaaahh! was later borrowed by Randy Macho Man Savage. When he retired, Kowalski started a wrestling school and ended up training Triple H years later. This was Afa and Sika, the men who were the patriarchs of the Samoan Dynasty. He held the AWA World Championship for 4,677 total days. Shares: 293. blender free rigged character ud kakugo fontworks. Her near-perfect, five-star match withShinobu Kandorialone should rank her among the greats. Her wrestling style was equal parts brutality and precision. It might shock fans to know that some legendary wrestlers laced up their boots in the 1970s. She was the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble, to wrestle in the King of the Ring tournament and to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Jake began to become a household name in the early 1980s when working in the NWA and WCCW. 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. There are more talented wrestlers than Trish, but no one combined a marketable look, mic skills and in-ring storytelling like she did. Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat. It will be exciting to watch what the rest of her career looks like. Likes: 586. Killer Kowalski began his wrestling career in 1947 and went on to have a long and successful run in professional wrestling. He trained briefly in professional wrestling and has attended over 20 WWE events including WrestleMania 31 and 32. [5] Only one inductee, Eddie Gilbert, was inducted posthumously. He was born in Texas but has lived in Toronto, Ontario, since 1961. All rights reserved. Turns out Ed Farhat (his real name) was first and foremost a savvy businessman who is credited with pioneering the hardcore wrestling that became a staple of the WWF in the 1980s. Wherever she is, she will definitely make history. 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. RELATED: 10 Greatest WWE Golden Era Wrestlers, Ranked Ladd won a number of regional titles and was a master heel during the 70s wrestling WWWF champions Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund, NWA champion Harley Race and the AWA's top titleholder Nick Bockwinkel. Fellow artists Beyonc, Stevie Wonder, and Christina Aguilera performed as a tribute to James' life and career at her funeral. Jagjit Singh Hans was born in India, and usually entered the ring wearing a turban and carrying a sword in his mouth. Masks is an important part of Lucha Libre's tradition. A major international star and another wrestler who arguably is one of the best to never hold a world championship, "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith was a favorite to many fans in the '80s and '90s. . Antonio Inoki. 37- Bea Priestley Bea Priestley has played 60 matches. Ed Farhat, uncle and trainer of Sabu and trainer of Rob Van Dam, held a number of regional titles across the Midwest in the 70s. 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.