5. Here are 15 of the best of all-time. Famous As: Professional Wrestler. The Samoan-American wrestler (and nationally ranked shot putter) used her solid 350lbs to knock out competitors with a clothesline (extending out one arm so your attacking opponent catches it … Tanaka and Diamond were managed by Diamond Dallas Page in the AWA and feuded with the Midnight Rockers and Mando and Chavo Guerrero. }); document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { Dynamite Kid flew around the ring with aerial and technical displays. Yet, as his new NBC show Young Rock reminds us, The Rock’s father, Rocky Johnson, was a Black man from Canada whose family had escaped and then fled slavery in America and who grew up to be a flamboyant Black wrestler in the 1970s nicknamed “The Soul Man.”Now, most times, the son of that man, by American standards, is Black. On Tuesday night, Cinefamily screened G.L.O.W. They would move to Canada and work in Stampede Wrestling as well as New Japan Pro Wrestling until WWE purchased Stampede and The Bulldogs became WWE-exclusive. Created by promoter Jerry Lawler originally as an alternative for The Fabulous Ones when they were booked elsewhere, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express soared above and beyond what was initially intended. Before he returned as an Iraqi sympathizer in 1990, he was a huge star for the WWF in the early He is a retired professional wrestler, actor, television… Yokozuna was one bad dude. It’s not a bad argument to make, but to say that these two men weren’t successful, is another story entirely. 6 | Pretty Mean Sisters (WWF, 1998-1999. And with that eyebrow thing, he drives women crazy. One of the great things about growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s was watching wrestling on television on Saturday mornings. Many wrestlers from the Anoa'i family dynasty sport tribal tattoos. 8. The thing I liked about the programs (beside the ringside interviews, the characters and Barbara Clary in Florida) were the different wrestlers that came through promotion like Killer Karl Kox, The Great Kabuki and the Wild Samoans ruled the tag team ranks in the WWF. Amazingly, he might have become more famous since retiring due to his family. They moved from territory to territory destroying talent left and right and winning championship gold everywhere. Subcategories. Ooooohhh what a rush! The original three (Hayes, Roberts, and Gordy) were a fearsome threesome that weren’t beyond breaking the rules to get their way in the squared circle. A American professional wrestlers of Samoan descent‎ (23 P) Pages in category "Samoan professional wrestlers" The following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total. Afa and Sika were some of the first Samoans to enter the realm of WWF, and were a formidable team using innovative moves to take themselves to tag team glory. A gallery of classic WWF wrestler's from back in the day. On the Mat - 29 July 1980 - This episode of the legendary pro-wrestling show screened on 29 July 1980. They would enter the company having some rave matches with The Hart Foundation until finally setting sights on the WWE Tag Team championships held by The Dream Team of Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcakes. After retiring, Curtis managed the likes of Kevin Sullivan and Lewin (as the Purple Haze) in the late 1980s. They were some of the most technically sound men in the ring and were two of the founding four members of the Four Horsemen. * Championships in parentheses ( ) are noted according to the approximate date of the information, usually three or four months prior to the publishing date, in order to give a better idea why the wrestlers are ranked. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s. Born on March 28th, 1973, Eddie Fatu, more widely known as WWE Wrestling Superstar "Umaga" came from a long line of Samoans A Samoan Drop from Afa or Sika, and you’re lights out. Utilizing brutal strikes, surprising athleticism, and demolishing Samoan Drops, these were two men that would make men regret lacing up the boots. No one in wrestling has the pedigree as The Rock. But hey, it's OK! The thing about Calhoun was he actually had a wide variety of grappling … They weren’t the greatest technicians in the ring, but they dominated. Put two talented wrestlers together, throw in a mouthpiece of Jim Cornette, and you have yourself something wonderful. Utilizing brutal strikes, surprising athleticism, and demolishing Samoan Drops, these were two men that would make men regret lacing up the boots. One of the most used expressions in today’s wrestling world when it comes to tag teams is who is the ‘Shawn Michaels’ and who is the ‘Marty Janetty.’ When tag teams break up, that often seems to be the question. A legitimate 7-foot-1, Studd had the mass of an NFL linebacker with hands like baked hams. Not to mention they won the Jimmy Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup which had almost every top tag team in the 80’s. Everything about The Road Warriors was memorable. They had arguably the greatest rivalry of all time. Finishers and signature moves Boston Crab Samoan Drop Sleeper Hold STF Profile Profile Solofa Fatu Jr. (October 11, 1965) is a Samoan-American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi (which means wrestler or sumo wrestler in Japanese) with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was a one time Intercontinental Champion, two time World Tag Team Champion, and one time WWE Tag Team Champion 1 Professional wrestling career 1.1 The Samoan … But to put two hugely hated heels together as a tag team and get that over was a rarity. He was a serious champion in the WWF, holding the Intercontinental Championship prior to the beginning of the Hulk Hogan Era. This is a list of foreign-born professional sumo wrestlers by country and/or ethnicity of origin, along with original name, years active in sumo wrestling, and highest rank attained. 🤼ğŸ�½â€�♀ï¸� WrestleMania ğŸ�´â€�☠ï¸�. The Headshrinkers, Samu and Fatu, were billed as a pair of savages who would do anything to earn a win. With the success of our Top 100 Wrestlers Of All Time list, we’ve decided to go even bigger and bolder. The Russian Team consisted of quite a few wrestlers in their mid-80s heyday, and together they gathered everything from the Six-Man Tag Team Championship to, of … The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Janetty). You might think your family is cool, but realistically they ain't sh*t compared to The Rock's. In the early 80's, the training center moved to Hamden, Connecticut when the Wild Samoans were making their way through the WWE chewing up and spitting out all tag teams that came their way. Then they would return with a live mascot named Matilda. The massive man was intimidating from the moment he got into the ring, and Vince McMahon cashed in on his Sumo success and made him an even bigger star. WWF was the “Big Daddy” of Pro Wrestling in the 1970’s! In the United States, in the First Golden Age of professional wrestling was in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Trained by the legendary Verne Gagne and born in the Semnan Province of Iran, Iron Sheik was one of the most loathed wrestlers of the 80s and 90s. The family’s extended … But he never did hold a WWF title in his career. 9. A singles and tag team champion in the NWA, WCW and the WWF, Iaukea was a tag team partner of Mark Lewin when he started out in the business. And after all of the years that they wrestled they had accumulated thirty-four title reigns. He will go down as one of the best of all-time. Known for his submission holds and his brute strength, he challenged John Cena for the WWE Title before he died in 2009 of a heart attack. Known for his submission holds and his punishing blows, and of course, his never-stop attitude. While most of them did not talk or give the best interviews, they were stylist and exotic and drew crowds for their brand of wrestling and their ability to, in most cases, manhandle their opponents. They had a unique look, a unique move set, and a unique soundtrack. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ }); In the early 80’s, there was not a more feared team in all of the WWF than The Wild Samoans. Ernie Leonard and Steve Rickard compere the action at Canterbury Court Stadium. A second-generation pro wrestler, Combs was a 1980s WWF mainstay who made it into the 1990s with grit and ingenuity—she founded the short-lived Women's Pro Wrestling league. He was responsible for the wrestling booms of the '80s and '90s. ... Janetty.’ When tag teams break up, that often seems to be the question. They practically created the three-man group form that many groups, including today’s The Shield, have emulated. After a year-long struggle, The British Bulldogs would capture the gold at WrestleMania II. Donald Trump's Long Wrestling History Explains His Presidency. List View. Great Khali. The Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika) In the early 80’s, there was not a more feared team in all of the WWF than The Wild Samoans. World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), also known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich. In the first match up Aussie grappler Larry O'Day teams up with local Merv Fortune to take on Kid Hardie and young Ricky Rickard. In the late 80’s, the Walking Disaster was the duo to avoid if you had any hopes of coming out the victor. 4. A great tag team wrestler who joined forces with Paul Diamond to form "Badd Company" in the AWA. (I mean, really, it was never ok to do it, but it was notably not ok by the time we hit the ’90s.) Smith had the strength as one of the most jacked wrestlers in the business. There are many second- and third-generation wrestlers who have made marks in the business, but there is one family that has produced more champions than any -- The Anoa'i family. The High Chief and grandfather of The Rock and father-in-law of Rocky Johnson. Davey Boy Smith, or The British Bulldog, was one of the great technical wizards of the ‘80s and ‘90s, wrestling great matches all across the world. They were initially a heel team taking on all of the aforementioned tag teams in the list until after WrestleMania IV where they would begin feuding with teams managed by their former manager, Jimmy Hart. Gordon Solie, Lord Alfred Hayes, Lance Russell and a young kid named Vince McMahon would call the action from various promotions and territories. The twins compete for the SmackDown brand of WWE and have won several tag team championships. The Rockers were a high-octane, fast-moving, adrenaline-pumping team in the 80’s that revolutionized the tag team scene today. All that aside, these two men started as The Rockers. Terri and Jacqueline among others) Samuel Fred Anoa'i (born May 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samu. I became interested in the likes of Prince Iaukea, The High Chief Peter Maivia and one of my favorites in Florida, Cocoa Samoa. Peter Maivia trained Rev. It marked the first time Yokozuna had won the WWE Title in his career and was a monumental moment for the Samoan dynasty. 27 Beth Phoenix. He was a 624-pound hillbilly that somehow still managed to be cool. What began with High Chief Peter Maivia was passed on to nephews Afa & Sika, who took WWE by storm in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Just the sight of him alone was enough to strike fear in wrestlers. Snuka was also a popular wrestler in the NWA before he moved up to Stamford. Like nearly all wrestlers, The Wild Samoans was the duo's character, and they fully committed to their gimmick. They were a different breed, but a follow-up of the original Samoans. Here comes the Ax and here comes the Smasher. Whether he was in the AWA, NWA, WCW or WWF, he was always paired with another giant who caused pain and destruction in their path. In 1980s wrestling, heels were a dime a dozen. Eddie Fatu was a two-time Intercontinental Champion in the WWE and was a beast in the ring. Anoa’i’s two sons Afa and Sika – … Another one of those wrestlers who was highly underrated as a singles competitor. Nor was The Rock ever acknowledged during any Black History Moments as a Black wrestler (until a few years ago when there was a debate about having a Black WWE Champion and people chose not to acknowledge The Rock). This category has only the following subcategory. Harris shot to fame in the 1980s heyday of pro wrestling, battling superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and The Undertaker for World Wrestling Entertainment, then known as the WWF, or World Wrestling Federation. Truly one of the great icons of the early 1980s wrestling and a true champion of the Vince McMahon Era. Lou Albano do their talking for them. I feel like 1994 was way too late in the evolution of society to still package Samoan wrestlers as primitive and uncivilized. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid). The Rock . STORY HIGHLIGHTS Eddie Fatu's death highlights trend of pro He feuded with the Road Warriors for a time in the AWA and again in the NWA, adopting their style of face paint along the way. Well they were 3-Time WWF Tag Team Champions and have held tag team championship gold in every company there were employed. The Isle of Samoa ". Sika. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Samoan professional wrestlers. The Hawaii-born Muraco was a great heel in both the NWA and in the WWF in the late 1970s and early 1980s. And he never backed down from an opponent, even challenging Sting on many occasion in WCW. While in Connecticut, Afa trained such stars as: the Big Cheese, Afa's nephew Yokozuna (A 2 time WWE World Heavyweight Champion and 2 time WWE World Tag Team Champion), Rikishi Phatu (2 time WWE … He has had mainstream success as a movie and television star. Related Article. 3. Names in bold indicate a still-active wrestler.. He feuded with the likes of Pedro Morales, Tito Santana and Bruno Sammartino. 1981. They were also former WWF World Tag Team Champions. As Gordon Solie said, "He wasn't quick; he was sudden.". Using their cunningness as well as their ‘win-at-all-costs’ mentality, The Brain Busters (as they were known in the WWE) won three tag team championships with their one WWE Tag Team Championship ending the 478-day long reign of Demolition. Fandom Apps Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Rugby Players. The Brain Busters (Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson). The tag team division also seemed to constantly feature a Samoan duo. Davey Boy Smith. They incorporated a lot of tag team moves into their arsenal, and they didn’t look like Shawn Michaels and Marty Janetty. 25. Uploaded 11/04/2008. Top 50 professional wrestlers of the 1990's using win-loss record, championships won, quality of competition, major feuds, prominence within their promotion and overall wrestling ability. He is the younger brother of the Tonga Kid and Rikishi. - The Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcakes)- Foreign Legion (Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff)- Strike Force (Tito Santana & Rick Martel)- The Powers of Pain (Warlord & Barbarian)- The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard & Stan Lane)- The Steiners (Rick & Scott Steiner), - Tag Teams of the 90’s- Tag Teams of the 00’s. The Hart Foundation is a team that won’t soon be forgotten as it was the launching pad for Bret Hart. WireImage / Getty Images. A sumo wrestler turned professional, he teamed with Mr. Fuji (which was perfect for him) and captured WWF gold. 1980/01 - The Wrestler Recommended Lists: Rally Drivers . On Sunday morning, President Donald Trump shared a blurry, 30-second video of himself giving a clothesline to a wrestler … Of Samoan and African-American descent, he is one of the most exotic and unique-looking athletes of our generation. : The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a documentary on the low-budget, female version of … They held the tag team titles for over a year! The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart). Check out a gallery remember classic 80's star King Kong Bundy. Bret Hart would be the technical piece of the team as well as the speed while Neidhart would be the muscle. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid worked together all over the world before finding success with WWE in the 80s. The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. These two teams were practically the Yin and Yang of each other during the 80’s. Bill Mulkey and Randy Mulkey are best known for their run as an enhancement talents in the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1980s and in the World Wrestling Federation in 1990. He has been a multiple champion in TNA and could eventually own every championship record in the company. Later, he feuded with Lewin, and after he became a fan favorite in time for the 70s, King Curtis feuded with Tiger Singh. The wrestler, whose real name was James Harris, was part of pro wrestling's 1980s popularity boom. Snuka was a tough, sculpted high flyer who was as popular as ever. What began with High Chief Peter Maivia was passed on to nephews Afa & Sika, who took WWE by storm in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. 11 Stars of Big Time Wrestling. Meng (also known as Haku) had one of the hardest heads in wrestling. In Samoan culture, close familial friends are considered as close as blood family, and it was this bond between Rev. They were also billed as having hard heads that were impervious to pain; any attack that targeted a Headshrinker's head would have no effect. The year 2021 saw the debut of Young Rock, a comedy series about The Rock, following not only global superstar’s formative teenage and college years, but also his childhood, growing up in the wrestling business as the son of WWE’s “Soulman” Rocky Johnson. There are 186 wrestlers who have listed a foreign country as their place of birth on the banzuke or official ranking sheets. Blackwell’s unique style gained him initial notoriety in WWE in the mid-70s where he gave WWE Champion Bob Backlund a run for his money in a series of matches. A short, squatty Islander who made his living with short moves and quick feet, he was a fan favorite who feuded with the likes of Dory Funk, Jr., Kabuki and the Masked Assassin. 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 … In … Samoan Tribal Tattoos. They fit together perfectly and would constantly pull out incredible matches. Word is that he weighed 300 pounds by the time he was 14 years old. Roman Reigns Retains WWE Universal Championship, Remains Head Of The Table At WrestleMania 37 ... At that point, wrestling had changed from Hulk Hogan and the musclemen Our ranking differs from the PWI 500 because we use math. Johnson is part of the Anoaʻi family, a group of professional wrestlers originally from American and Independent Samoa. Michaels goes on to being one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and Janetty goes on to being the guy that Michaels threw through Beefcakes’ glass window. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ }); We have detected your browser is out of date. Another tag team to feature two close wrestlers was the British Bulldogs. These were two rugged and rough individuals that hailed from the Mother Land. They looked like Rocker #1 and Rocker #2 which, in tag team wrestling, isn’t a bad sentiment at all. The only team to rival that infamous feat is The Midnight Express. The Mulkey’s most memorable matches were against Rhythm And Blues, The Rock n Roll Express, Barry Windham & Ron Garvin, The Samoan Swat Team, and The Orient Express. Much like The Rockers, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express incorporated a lot of tag team moves into their repertoire including their double dropkick which they finished a lot of their opponents with. Boogying on out to the ring was just the way The Fabulous Freebirds made their entrance in WCCW. Schilling: The Rock … The Samoan-born star of the WWE was 36 and came in at 6’4” and a whopping 340 pounds. The Midnight Express (Primarily Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton). He was thought of as the pioneer of the big guys in pro wrestling. Despite never winning the tag team gold in WWF, the impact that this team left on the company was just too much to ignore. Both of those records hold true to today. But this isn’t the case with The Rock. The thing I never understood was why he never tried his hand at singles competition on a full-time basis. 478 days to be precise. They earned a ridiculous amount of tag team titles rivaled only by The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. Hawaiian WWE Wrestler, WWE Hawaii, Polynesian Wrestlers, Hawaiian Wrestling, Hawaiian Sumo Wrestler, WWF Wrestlers Names, WWE Samoan Wrestlers, Famous Hawaiian Sumo Wrestlers, WWE Wrestler Rikishi, WWE Japan Wrestlers, Akebono Sumo Wrestler, WWF Old Wrestlers Names, WWE Crush, WWE Dead Wrestlers List, WWE Japanese Wrestlers Names, Hawaiian Pro Wrestlers, WWE Fat Wrestlers, WWF Wrestlers … The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson). He was paired with some really good tag team partners over the years (The Barbarian) and was a member of Paul Jones Army. They were tough, savage-like and had some of the hardest heads in the business. He was a nondescript wrestler, but he was also one of the first I recognized with being a good guy as opposed to being bad. How much glory you may ask? Samoa Joe is currently one half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions with Magnus. However, due to the Dynamite Kid’s terrible back injury, he wasn’t able to defend the title a lot and Davey Boy Smith had to find replacement partners until they lost the belts to The Hart Foundation. Debut. First for their reality show Hogan Knows Best and then for their problems which have included a nasty divorce and his son going to jail. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ }); 7. Their finisher was called the Rocket Launcher and it usually meant the end of the match when it hit. Before it was the buzzy Netflix series starring Alison Brie, “GLOW,” or Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, was an bonafide ’80s phenomenon ― a hit television show that combined athletics, music, humor and over-the-top costumes and camp into one professional wrestling extravaganza. Like many teams during the 80’s, The Midnight Express bounced from company to company finding tag team success everywhere they went. Muraco was one of the truly "big" men in the sport. Snuka was rumored to be the lead wrestler to take the reigns of the business had Hulk Hogan said no to McMahon in Tampa. “The Big Cat” first tried his hand at wrestling as a publicity stunt. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1672430-pro-wrestlings-10-most-successful- The first … Michaels goes on to being one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and Janetty goes on to being the guy that Michaels threw through Beefcakes’ glass window. Known as "The Samoan Bulldozer," Edward Fatu was a member of the Anoa'i wrestling family. 02. of 10. But the man from Stone Mountain, Ga., truly established himself as a major player in the AWA during the ’ Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart and Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart were a workhorse in the ring and fit into the ‘little man with big man’ tag team mold. So say your pra There could be no doubt as to who would top this list. Hulk Hogan was born Terry Gene Bollea on August 11th, 1953. Ax and Smash were a brutal group that many call Road Warrior-lite. Billed from. " Also known as a legend for having appeared in the fifth James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice, where he plays a driver that drives a disguised Bond to Osato headquarters. A two-time WWF Champion. He was a strong and burly wrestler who was an Island's favorite. The best thing about their gimmick was they never spoke and let Capt. The Hart Foundation would eventually go on to win the WWE tag team titles twice with their first reign being ten months long. The Legion of Doom or the Road Warriors are arguably the greatest tag team of all time. Two of the most cerebral and diabolical men in the ring, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson were ring generals by the time they started teaming up.