Mainstream Wrestlers

[Guest Kimaster1976]

If you were to ask hundreds of non wrestling fans around the world to name you some pro wrestlers, who do you think would make the list, who do u think has made themselves famous and known even to non wrestling fans?

 

My list would go sometihng like this:

1. Hulk Hogan

2. Steve Austin

3. The Rock

4. Jesse Ventura

5. Andre The Giant

6. Randy Savage

7. Roddy Piper

8. Mick Foley

9. Bret Hart

10. Ric Flair

[brighty 0]

If you were to ask hundreds of non wrestling fans around the world to name you some pro wrestlers, who do you think would make the list, who do u think has made themselves famous and known even to non wrestling fans?

 

My list would go sometihng like this:

1. Hulk Hogan

2. Steve Austin

3. The Rock

4. Jesse Ventura

5. Andre The Giant

6. Randy Savage

7. Roddy Piper

8. Mick Foley

9. Bret Hart

10. Ric Flair

in the UK the truth is that your average non-wrestling fan (i.e. somebody who has never watched it ever) would still know Hogan and possibly Rock. and in America i'd guess they'd know Ventura since he's a politician? but no more than that.

[caboose 0]

Have you forgotten the British Bulldog, Brighty? The Dynamite Kid is also quite well known as the other half of the Bulldogs as well, which is kind of sad considering what Billington achieved in Canada, Japan and the US. Also the Undertaker is pretty well known as a result of his longevity and gimmick.

 

For the UK i'd say the top ten is...

 

1) Big Daddy

2) Hulk Hogan

3) Giant Haystacks

4) Britsh Bulldog

5) The Rock

6) Undertaker

7) Dynamite Kid

8) Macho Man Randy Savage

9) Mick McManus

10) Bret Hart

[Guest LooneyTune]

Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Ric Flair are the only people worth mentioning in the States. MAYBE Jesse Ventura.

[Nightfall 0]

I'd probably replacec Macho Man with Goldberg.

[IWD 0]

If you're asking around *the world* you would also get people saying Keiji Mutoh, Giant Baba, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Jumbo Tsuruta, and others.

 

Cheers.

[Guest The Mandingo Warrior]

Believe it or not, Ultimate Warrior is pretty recognizable and known to most people. I would put him on this list somewhere..

[Guest Loss]

Frank Gotch was bigger than Hogan or Austin in his day. He was more comparable to someone like Jordan or Ali from all accounts. He was a national sports celebrity and deserves some type of mention here.

[Nightfall 0]

After thinking about it, Kurt Angle is a good choice, and possibly Brock, because of his NFL tryouts. There are a LOT of sports fans out there who'd heard about it.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I've never met a non-wrestling fan who knew who the Ultimate Warrior was when even seeing a picture of him. Brock & Angle... only if you ask a sports fan.

[Guest Loss]

There are only really four household names in American wrestling -- Hogan, Andre, Austin and Rock. Jesse Ventura is famous as well. If we're doing the 10 biggest stars in American wrestling history, the six others are probably some combination of Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, The Undertaker and a lot of guys would be tied for the last spot.

 

It's much harder to do a US top ten list than a Japanese one since there have been a higher number of draws in Japanese wrestling, while most of the big periods in US wrestling have been led by a small few.

[brighty 0]

Have you forgotten the British Bulldog, Brighty? The Dynamite Kid is also quite well known as the other half of the Bulldogs as well, which is kind of sad considering what Billington achieved in Canada, Japan and the US. Also the Undertaker is pretty well known as a result of his longevity and gimmick.

 

For the UK i'd say the top ten is...

 

1) Big Daddy

2) Hulk Hogan

3) Giant Haystacks

4) Britsh Bulldog

5) The Rock

6) Undertaker

7) Dynamite Kid

8) Macho Man Randy Savage

9) Mick McManus

10) Bret Hart

yeah agreed on Bulldog, i didn't really think of the British guys (Daddy,Haystacks, McManus).

 

but the average non-wrestling fan will not know who Dynamite, Bret or Savage are. and with Taker, if you asked them 'who is The Undertaker' they would say 'he's a wrestler' but if you showed them a picture of him and said 'who is this?' the regular person on the street would not have a clue.

[Guest Loss]

Right, but the Undertaker remains one of the most recognizable wrestlers. I don't think the man on the street could name any 10 wrestlers. He's only going to know four if he's not a fan.

[eiker_ir 0]

were i live the only wrestlers that practically everyone knows are:

 

- The Rock

- Hogan

- Undertaker

[Special K 0]

Savage was a household name. I'd heard of him well before I was ever a fan. Worldwide, Inoki has to be way up there. He would be well known in the states too, as "oh, that guy that had that horrible match with Ali."

[Guest Loss]

Savage was a household name. I'd heard of him well before I was ever a fan.

Savage is a recognizable face, but I don't know about being a recognizable name. The opposite rings true for Undertaker.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned El Santo? I mean, some might know him by his movies alone

[Guest LooneyTune]

In that case, how bout Mil Mascaras?

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

In Canada? I won't count non-wrestlers like McMahon either, who if you include would be 1A.

 

1) Bret Hart

2) Owen Hart

3) Hulk Hogan

4) The Rock

5) Shawn Michaels

6) Jesse Ventura

7) Steve Austin

8) Ric Flair

9) Ultimate Warrior

10) British Bulldog

 

Except for Flair, it is all WWF all the time up here. WCW never really made that much of an impact and the AWA none at all. The top 5 are pretty much in stone. After that the order may be wrong for the rest of them. Bret, Owen, Hogan, Rock & HBK are the big five as far as Canada is concerned. Honourable mentions include Kurt Angle (believe it or not), HHH, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho & Randy Savage.

[Guest Pariah]

Roddy Piper may be known by some, back in the day he was in a ton of films and he was all over MTV during the 'Rock N Wrestling ' era, as he was Hogan's main enemy. Although most people may just remember him as that guy in a dress.

[Guest Loss]

In Canada? I won't count non-wrestlers like McMahon either, who if you include would be 1A.

 

1) Bret Hart

2) Owen Hart

3) Hulk Hogan

4) The Rock

5) Shawn Michaels

6) Jesse Ventura

7) Steve Austin

8) Ric Flair

9) Ultimate Warrior

10) British Bulldog

 

Except for Flair, it is all WWF all the time up here. WCW never really made that much of an impact and the AWA none at all. The top 5 are pretty much in stone. After that the order may be wrong for the rest of them. Bret, Owen, Hogan, Rock & HBK are the big five as far as Canada is concerned. Honourable mentions include Kurt Angle (believe it or not), HHH, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho & Randy Savage.

The AWA was big in some parts of Canada, though. They used to run successful shows in Winnipeg all the time if I'm not mistaken. But nationally, yeah, you're probably right.

[Some Guy 0]

The first three are in order the rest aren't.

The first four are the only one's my dad (who hates wrestling) would recognize, although he confuses Ventura with Austin)

 

Hogan (He's still the most recognisable face in the history of wrestling)

Rock (he's 1A to Hogan)

Austin (He didn't cross over as much as the first two)

Ventura (people only know him as the wrestler who became Govener)

Flair (Flair's big in the Carolinas in the mainstream but anywhere else people wouldn't really know him)

Goldberg (got a lot of mainstream pub with WCW in 98, but that might be too long ago for people to rememeber. In last month's Playboy they had a small picture of he and his wife at the Mansion and the caption said "WCW wrestler Bill Goldberg...")

Piper (Although he did his shitty movies in the late 80s, so he's larhely forgotten)

Savage (Slim Jim commercials)

Brock (the recent football thing, he wasn't even that over with wrestling fans before he left which made him a mega heel)

Foley (he got a lot of press during the backyard wrestling boom in 99)

[razazteca 0]

People will probably remember Savage, Warrior, Brutus Beefcake, Brian Knobbs, Jimmy Hart as the guys who follow Hogan everwhere.

[Some Guy 0]

Yeah, but what people? Only wrestling fans know who Brian Knobbs is. The mainstream of America wouldn't have the slightest clue.

[razazteca 0]

Knobbs as Hogan's Personal Assistant.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Andre, Austin, Rock, Hogan, Flair. Alot of people nowadays who don't watch wrestling did watch in the 80s, and they remember Flair. Randy Savage had the Slim Jim commercials and the Spiderman cameo, so he'd likely make the top ten. Jesse Ventura's governorship merits him a placement on the list. Jerry Lawler would probably make such a list due to the Andy Kaufmann feud. As long as we assume retired/dead wrestlers, Gorgeous George is more well-known outside of wrestling than most current wrestlers. The last spot probably belongs to Bill Goldberg, although he'll decline in recognition as time goes on.

[CBright7831 0]

Alot of people seem to know who The Undertaker is also.

[caboose 0]

yeah agreed on Bulldog, i didn't really think of the British guys (Daddy,Haystacks, McManus).

 

but the average non-wrestling fan will not know who Dynamite, Bret or Savage are. and with Taker, if you asked them 'who is The Undertaker' they would say 'he's a wrestler' but if you showed them a picture of him and said 'who is this?' the regular person on the street would not have a clue.

Yeah Big Dady, Haystacks and McManus are well known from the days of ITV Sports. Savage and Taker are better known that you'd think. From the days of Sky being a very minority thing the two of them followed Hogan for many years. Bret would probably be tossed off my list for Piper.

[Epic Reine 0]

I doubt people know who Dynamite is.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

In Canada?  I won't count non-wrestlers like McMahon either, who if you include would be 1A.

 

1)  Bret Hart

2)  Owen Hart

3)  Hulk Hogan

4)  The Rock

5)  Shawn Michaels

6)  Jesse Ventura

7)  Steve Austin

8)  Ric Flair

9)  Ultimate Warrior

10)  British Bulldog

 

Except for Flair, it is all WWF all the time up here.  WCW never really made that much of an impact and the AWA none at all.  The top 5 are pretty much in stone.  After that the order may be wrong for the rest of them.  Bret, Owen, Hogan, Rock & HBK are the big five as far as Canada is concerned.  Honourable mentions include Kurt Angle (believe it or not), HHH, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho & Randy Savage.

The AWA was big in some parts of Canada, though. They used to run successful shows in Winnipeg all the time if I'm not mistaken. But nationally, yeah, you're probably right.

Perhaps, I don't know. But in Ontario you would be lucky to find someone who even knows what the AWA is.