Tipping the scales at approximately 1,470 pounds, The McGuire Twins were once the worlds heaviest twins in the Guinness Book of World Records. 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. For great art and culture delivered to your door, visit our shop. In fact, it was the Crush Gals that catalyzed All Japan Pro Wrestlings international following. Their gravestone displays images of two Honda motorcycles and is inscribed "Worlds Largest Twins". WWF and AWA, and Japan was as important as it ever was. Certainly, the drug-fueled charms of the salacious and ostentatious Ric Flair are indelibly imbued into our collective memories. We need to confirm your email address. The company released Dean from his contract in 2007. 10 Things You Should Know About Kevin Nash's Life Outside WWE, 10 Great Women's Wrestlers Who Never Got Their Big Break, 5 Wrestling Valets & Managers That Were Helpful (& 5 That Were Just Eye Candy). 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. 7. Competing since the mid-1980s, The Batten Twins have tussled against some of the best in the world, but they never quite got the recognition they wanted. His IRL truculent personality and tendency towards bridge-burning made him an unlikely favorite in the industry and although he was likely portrayed as a villain (along with his partner Nikolai Volkoff) due to xenophobia within the USA, he certainly lived up to his dastardly, devil-may-care reputation out of the ring. The legendary Lord Littlebrook (aka Eric Tovey), in Milwaukee July 7, 1968. Quick! Throughout the 1990s, professional wrestling achieved highs in both viewers and financial success during a time of fierce competition among competing promotions, such as WWF, World Championship Wrestling, and Extreme Championship Wrestling. Remembered for his hardcore style of wrestling, Terry Funk became an inspiration to many up and coming wrestlers at the time like Mick Foley. Sammartino was a tough Italian guy who immigrated to the United States at the age of 15. It is his ruthlessness and fearless nature during matches and interviews that saw him pull crowds. Studds most memorable opponents include Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Last updated on May 8th, 2022 at 11:16 am. While other '80s wrestlers are known as much for their bombastic personalities as for their actual fighting ability, its the latter quality that continues to endear industry insiders to Hart. [5] They used the stage name McGuire, which is the French version of their last name, since it was easier for Japanese ring announcers to pronounce. As you will notice, this list features some of the biggest wrestlers in the history of wrestling, a trend that the WWF adopted back in its early years. Competing in Ohio Valley Wrestling for five years with a combined four title reigns, Hannah and Holly made a name for themselves wrestling under TNA, first appearing on TNA Wrestling: British Bootcamp, where Rockstar Spud and Mary Scurll were also discovered. Best known as a top showjumper who occasionally flicked a V-sign, Yorkshire's finest, 78, also grappled in the 1970s. After briefly competing in Deep South Wrestling in 2006, WWE parted ways with both Mike and Todd. Terry Funk had memorable matches in the 1980s and 90s. In the year 1971, Ivan Koloff managed to end Sammartinos 7-year streak as world champion. 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. In the '70s, he was part of the WWE and was still on top of the world until his retirement in 1977. When he retired, Kowalski started a wrestling school and ended up training Triple H years later. The Shane Twins will forever be subject to ridicule in the wrestling world and some of that criticism is unfair. During his early years as a professional wrestler, Killer Kowalski managed to land a knee on an opponents head. Its almost impossible to overstate the precision and crispness of Harts technical abilities and his resilience in the face of some very real tragedies is beyond admirable. The Usos joined the WWE in 2010 and have been managed by their cousin Tamina Snuka as well as Jimmy's wife Naomi. In retrospect, its actually shocking that he only had one heavyweight title run during his stint in WWF. Little Bruiser in action against Bobo Johnson in Chicago, September 1972. Their second reign would last approximately 6 months. While Inoki never accepted nor denied these claims, however, this is just but one of the many incidences that took place back in 70s that fans were never aware of. Despite that, Andre was someone that territories brought in to beat their biggest heels, and he sold out every appearance. 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. They dont quite look alike, but to the Olsens credit, they often wore matching outfits, which facilitated the gimmick, also helping tag teams like The Fabulous Ones, The Dicks, and The Basham Brothers to look like similar siblings in the past. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes rose to the top of the professional wrestling world in the 1980s. [6][4], Billy McCrary died on July 14, 1979, at the age of 32, following a motorcycle accident in Niagara Falls en route to a Ripley's Believe It or Not! Rikishi and his twin brother shared the ring a few times in WWE and other promotions throughout their careers. Many of the guys on this list were legit tough guys and gave the sport the credibility lacking in a sense today. Thanks to his massive size, Haystacks Calhoun became an instant hit during the golden era. He became good friends with fellow wrestler Andre the Giant and has a career as a movie actor. Funk was the PWI Wrestler of the Year in 1976 and won the inaugural AJPW Real World Tag League tournament in 1977 and won it again in 79. In a book that became to be known as 'The People of the Abyss' London described the time when he lived in the Whitechapel district sleeping in workhouses, so-called doss-houses and even on the streets. Born in England, Robinson is one of the godfathers of strong style and is considered one of the best ever by Japanese fans. Boris Spremo/Toronto Star via Getty Images. This, and a ton of hard work, became the blueprint to win championships for specific sets of twins in WWE. 12K views 6 years ago Led by the NWA in Detroit this territory was highlighted as the first renegade promotion in the USA, their battles were bloody their feuds were intense with such stars as The. One of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, Antonio Inokis contribution to the world of wrestling cannot be ignored. 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. Hebner's twin brother Dave is also a wrestling referee. One of the greatest mic Workers in WWE, Billy Graham knew how to captivate audiences using his mic exploits and in-ring abilities. [1][2], The twins were born in Hendersonville, North Carolina. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_25',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_26',106,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-medrectangle-4-0_1');.medrectangle-4-multi-106{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}. Her reigns as womens champion lasted for 8, 6, and 10 years in her run as the top female wrestler in the world. Used primarily for their looks, these two glamour models -- Brie and Nikki -- often competed as a tag team and even had an onscreen breakup not long ago. Please logout and login again. Though he never won a title, he was a firm favorite with fans. 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! They each weighed 200 pounds by age 10 and 600 pounds by age 16. Its in the genes, which is something that cant be taught. They were tough, savage-like and had some of the hardest. 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 . A Montreal native, The Wild Bear was a dominant force in the WWF. One of wrestlings premiere villainesses, Bull Nakanos striking punk rock-influenced look would enrapture audiences around the world, as did her absolute physical domination in the ring. Just two months after arriving in WWE, he was fighting for the world title. He won a variety of regional titles including the Stampede North American Title, the AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship and the PWF Heavyweight Championship. Since leaving Vince McMahon's company, Dave Hebner has become a wrestling manager and has appeared in a few other promotions. This win meant that Bruno became the second-ever WWE champion. All of this when the AWA sported one of the deepest rosters in territorial wrestling. Amassing 34 total championship wins in his career, Pipers legacy now lives on in Ronda Rousey, whom he gifted the Rowdy moniker. Brooke Adams tried out for the 2006 Diva Search competition. His first job was a constructions worker and during the evenings, he worked out at a local gym in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. See production, box office & company info, WWE Legends: Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s. Their popularity in Japan can be compared to Hulk Hogans popularity in the United States. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60s and 70s. 10. RELATED: 10 Greatest WWE Golden Era Wrestlers, RankedLadd 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 AWAs top titleholder Nick Bockwinkel. He later moved to Walkertown, North Carolina and worked for the Christian Golfers Ministry. 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. I believe this was broadcast on 26 August 1997. Since then,both Bellas have worked hard and improved drastically in the ring. Pedro Morales was the perfect champion for Vince McMahon Sr.'s New York territory in the 70s. Wrestlers such as Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, Ivan Koloff, and Antonio Inoki helped lay the foundations that the WWE currently stands on. In the '70s, they were one of the most successful tag teams in history. Benny then opened a pawn shop and worked as an auctioneer in Hendersonville. Entering the ring to Queens infectious anthem, Another One Bites The Dust, Junkyard Dog was a paradigm of pure power. As a member of the notorious Crush Gals tag team, Lioness Asuka helped to propel womens wrestling to global popularity. 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. He spent his later childhood years growing up in Brooklyn and became a fan favorite for New York Citys large Puerto Rican population, the home base of the WWE. Jaguar Yokota for a time was considered the best wrestler in the world period. They held the WWWF tag titles twice, and held NWA titles in both Georgia and Florida. St Petersburg is the city Christopher Hitchens called "an apparent temple of civilization: the polished window between Russia and Europe the, "I never saw Eric Ravilious depressed. Both flashy and furious, Mil Mscaras is considered one of Mexican wrestlings first international stars. 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. While both men were great wrestlers in their own right, there was not a tag team in the 1970s that was more dominating that the Wild Samoans. The Dynamite Kid was one of the most innovative wrestlers of the 1980s. His first run lasted more than 1,700 days from 1975-1980. In general, anything in a professional wrestling show is to some extent scripted, or "kayfabe", even though at times it is portrayed as legitimate. 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. Mascaras is one of the best-known Luchadores in Mexico and spent the bulk of his time wowing crowds in the U.S. and Japan during the 1970s. The 37-year-old spent nearly a year in Vince McMahon's company, during which she only competed in four matches on the main roster. Unlike his brother, Dash, Tweek still competes to this day and both twins have wrestled indie vets like Austin Aries, The Briscoe Brothers, Chris Sabin, and The Young Bucks. They include: The Executioners (Kowalski, Stuff, & Volkoff), The Blackjacks (Blackjacks Mulligan & Lanza), The Wild Samoans (Wild Samoans Afa & Sika), The Valiant Brothers (Johnny, Jimmy, & Jerry), The Strongbows (Chief Jay & Jules Strongbow). He then spent several years competing on the independent circuit and in ECW before officially joining WWE in 2002. During her wrestling career in the WWE, Fabulous Moolah won various Womens World Championship titles. In 1960, Giant Baba left Baseball and began training in Mitsuhiro Momotas dojo as the legend identified him as his successor. The Usos also went to war with another brother duo in Goldust and Stardust, where they lost their belts to the Rhodes brothers at Night of Champions 2014. A key member of The Hart Foundation faction, Niedhart ran roughshod through the WWF with his pink-clad partners throughout the 1980s. He moved to the US in the early 1960s, where he became NWA World Midget Championwinning a record three times (tied with Little Tokyo). Now, they host a podcast called " Normal Not Normal ," in which they interview child stars, including former costars Alfred Enoch, Evanna Lynch, Katie Leung, and more.