SamuelRoundtree
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OK...most people here now that I mark out huge when the Hall of Fame nominees get named each year. This years class is an 'interesting' group that I know causes great debate among fans and 'marks' alike. For those of you who don't know, here is a quick run down of this years class.
Hulk Hogan -- Combined 12 World Championships over an 18 year span.
Rowdy Roddy Piper -- Arguably, the best talker of the early-mid 80's. Former I-C champ and NWA U.S. Champ
Jimmy Hart -- Manager, Several Tag Champs as well as the manager for the longest reigning I-C Champ The Honky Tonk Man.
Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik -- Former WWF Tag Champs
Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff -- Main evented WrestleMania 1 with Piper, Hogan and Mr. T
Cowboy Bob Orton -- No major accolades that I know of. Long time associate of Roddy Piper. Hired gun for Harley Race in the 80's in his war against Ric Flair.
The first three are probably the most deserving of the batch. The other four would eventually go in,
I offer a short list of the top 10 people I think should be considered for next year.
10) Yokozuna -- 4 World Title defenses in 2 Wrestlemania appearances. At 650 pounds (before breakfast), disturbingly agile. Probably Undertaker's toughest opponent and if they had ever met at Mania, might have been the blemish on his record.
9) The Honky Tonk Man -- Although the gimmick was cheesy, 15 months as I-C Champ that no one saw coming and interviews that irritated everyone proved how over this gimmick truly was.
8) Ted Dibiase -- The Million Dollar Man was one of the top heels in the late 80's and early 90's. When fans heard that laugh over the P.A. everyone knew that they had a price. Just ask RVD.
7) Mr. Fuji -- Like Hart, Albano, and Heenan one of the great managers of the 80's. Former three-time tag champ.
6) Bruno Sammartino -- Two world title reigns that lasted nearly 12 years. The single longest title reign ever. A lot of 'purists' probably think that the WWE/WWF/WWWF wouldn't have gained the notoriety it did in the 60's and 70's without the original 'working man's champion."
5) Jake Roberts -- Although he had no major titles during his tenure with the WWF, the music, the snakes and the fact that he was intense as any other heel on the roster at that time, made him the only guy who could get away with using the DDT as his primary finisher.
4) The Hart Family -- I think this is the only way to do this properly. Stu and the family are the first family of wrestling. It is my opinion that this is the only way Bret would even show up on TV again as well. To avoid argument with anyone else, this is where I will stop on this issue.
3) Randy Savage -- I think as far as transitional champions go (I know he had the belt for almost a year, but I defy you to tell me who he had a pay-per-view title defense against) I think he was one of the better ones. Hogan had 4 years with the title and he was getting kinda stale. Savage was the perfect guy to step in, work with Hogan and then turn on him at a time when both guys needed that meaningful storyline to get them both back over.
2) Ricky Steamboat -- Probably as good technically as anyone in the business during the 1980's. Whether in mid-card feuds with Don Muraco or fighting Ric Flair for the NWA title, Steamboat never wrestled a cookie-cutter type of match. Also in my opinion he was the last guy who took what is considered a routine move (the flying body press) and made it a feared finishing maneuever.
1) Mr. Perfect Curt Henning -- From the time he was teaming with Scott Hall back in the AWA to the time he was catching his own touchdown passes, everyone knew there was an "X" factor this guy had. No one could take a fall like him, no one could irritate you and make you like him at the same time. Pairing him with guys like Ric Flair and Bobby Heenan just made him that much cooler. His induction to the hall of fame would be perfect.(Sorry Derek)
This list has just been my opinion....I could be wrong.
Hulk Hogan -- Combined 12 World Championships over an 18 year span.
Rowdy Roddy Piper -- Arguably, the best talker of the early-mid 80's. Former I-C champ and NWA U.S. Champ
Jimmy Hart -- Manager, Several Tag Champs as well as the manager for the longest reigning I-C Champ The Honky Tonk Man.
Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik -- Former WWF Tag Champs
Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff -- Main evented WrestleMania 1 with Piper, Hogan and Mr. T
Cowboy Bob Orton -- No major accolades that I know of. Long time associate of Roddy Piper. Hired gun for Harley Race in the 80's in his war against Ric Flair.
The first three are probably the most deserving of the batch. The other four would eventually go in,
I offer a short list of the top 10 people I think should be considered for next year.
10) Yokozuna -- 4 World Title defenses in 2 Wrestlemania appearances. At 650 pounds (before breakfast), disturbingly agile. Probably Undertaker's toughest opponent and if they had ever met at Mania, might have been the blemish on his record.
9) The Honky Tonk Man -- Although the gimmick was cheesy, 15 months as I-C Champ that no one saw coming and interviews that irritated everyone proved how over this gimmick truly was.
8) Ted Dibiase -- The Million Dollar Man was one of the top heels in the late 80's and early 90's. When fans heard that laugh over the P.A. everyone knew that they had a price. Just ask RVD.
7) Mr. Fuji -- Like Hart, Albano, and Heenan one of the great managers of the 80's. Former three-time tag champ.
6) Bruno Sammartino -- Two world title reigns that lasted nearly 12 years. The single longest title reign ever. A lot of 'purists' probably think that the WWE/WWF/WWWF wouldn't have gained the notoriety it did in the 60's and 70's without the original 'working man's champion."
5) Jake Roberts -- Although he had no major titles during his tenure with the WWF, the music, the snakes and the fact that he was intense as any other heel on the roster at that time, made him the only guy who could get away with using the DDT as his primary finisher.
4) The Hart Family -- I think this is the only way to do this properly. Stu and the family are the first family of wrestling. It is my opinion that this is the only way Bret would even show up on TV again as well. To avoid argument with anyone else, this is where I will stop on this issue.
3) Randy Savage -- I think as far as transitional champions go (I know he had the belt for almost a year, but I defy you to tell me who he had a pay-per-view title defense against) I think he was one of the better ones. Hogan had 4 years with the title and he was getting kinda stale. Savage was the perfect guy to step in, work with Hogan and then turn on him at a time when both guys needed that meaningful storyline to get them both back over.
2) Ricky Steamboat -- Probably as good technically as anyone in the business during the 1980's. Whether in mid-card feuds with Don Muraco or fighting Ric Flair for the NWA title, Steamboat never wrestled a cookie-cutter type of match. Also in my opinion he was the last guy who took what is considered a routine move (the flying body press) and made it a feared finishing maneuever.
1) Mr. Perfect Curt Henning -- From the time he was teaming with Scott Hall back in the AWA to the time he was catching his own touchdown passes, everyone knew there was an "X" factor this guy had. No one could take a fall like him, no one could irritate you and make you like him at the same time. Pairing him with guys like Ric Flair and Bobby Heenan just made him that much cooler. His induction to the hall of fame would be perfect.(Sorry Derek)
This list has just been my opinion....I could be wrong.