10. George "The Animal" SteeleDon't be fooled by the lovable brute he became after falling in love with Miss Elizabeth in the 1980s. During the 1960s and '70s, The Animal was one of the WWWF's most monstrous villains, terrifying fans and opponents alike.
9. The Great KabukiA Japanese competitor who made a name for himself in the States as well, particularly in the Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling. Known for his nightmarish face paint and penchant for spewing green slime in his adversaries' faces.
8. Stan HansenThe epitome of the loud, intimidating, barroom brawler-style wrestler. He shut up fans in the New York area (not easy to do) when he broke WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino's neck during a match at Madison Square Garden.
7. MortisWCW never quite knew what to do with this Chris Kanyon, but you have to admit, this was a pretty creepy damn gimmick they gave him. He also got saddled feuding with the uber-lame Mortal Kombat wannabe Glacier, but it doesn't matter--he was still scary as hell.
6. The Missing LinkAnother World Class legend, who also tore a swath of terror through the NWA as well, Link was a bizarre cross between a caveman and an alien. You never quite knew what he was going to do, but you could be sure it involved inflicting uncalled-for amounts of pain.
5. SidCall him Sycho Sid, call him Sid Vicious, call him Sid Justice (OK, don't call him that). It didn't matter, he remained a superhuman, living, breathing monster--a madman who crushed his opponents with the dreaded powerbomb, and nearly exploded every time he gave an interview.
4. Bull NakanoIn hindsight, this '80s and '90s Japanese women's wrestler looked like something out of a J-horror flick. She even spent a little time mixing it up here in the States in the WWF, where she made the rest of the lady rasslers look like sad little girls.
3. Ox BakerThe master of the dreaded heart punch, a move as sadistic as it sounds, Ox was a massive, demonic looking individual who seemed to truly enjoy the punishment he dished out to others. Best of all, all these decades later, the old guy still has the same horrifying look!
2. Jake "The Snake" RobertsHe could chill your blood with just the sound of his voice. He was icy, calculating, and dead serious. And then there was the DDT, a finishing move designed to take your head off. And did I mention he draped a giant boa constrictor on his opponents after beating them?
1. Bruiser BrodyThe man. The myth. The monster. Massive Frank Goodish became a legend around the world, creating a mindless, animalistic persona that froze fans in their seats. The creepiness factor of Brody is only enhanced by the tragic fact that he was murdered in the locker room by a fellow wrestler jealous of his formidable drawing power. A bizarre, enigmatic figure in the history of pro wrestling.
Kudos for the "MASTER and the Ruler of the WORLD"!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I have no idea (except Jake the Snake) who any of these people are, so I'm just going to back away slowly. Great list though!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I did kinda go more old-school this time out. Still, glad you liked it though!
ReplyDeleteThe Dentist (Diesel's old persona) and Yeti you may want to add. I always thought One Man Gang was scary as hell and had one of those awesome names.
ReplyDeleteYou're thinking of Dr. Isaac Yankem, that was Kane's old gimmick. But scary for anyone who's ever gotten a filling!
ReplyDeletePerhaps you forgot about Abdullah the Butcher. He sure did scare a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteCertainly didn't forget him, sir! He made the top of my first list:
ReplyDeletehttp://thevaultofhorror.blogspot.com/2009/12/tuesday-top-10-scariest-pro-wrestlers.html
in nowdays there's no a wrestler that can inspire fear like the Undertaker, savagery, darkness attitude, and with that height, men that scare to anyone.
ReplyDelete