This win at Madison Square would mark the beginning of a 170 days reign before dropping the titles to another promising duo, the Wild Samoans. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Cant you almost hear the raspy, strained shouts of Macho Man Randy Savage? [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! Prior to The Model, Rick Martel was one half of Strike Force along with Tito Santana. Remember, this is before professional wrestling was called sports entertainment. 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. Fans who started watching professional wrestling in the 1980s never got to see how great the Valiant Brothers really were. Little Beaver was born Lionel Giroux in Saint-Jrme, Quebec in 1935. he began his wrestling career at the age of fifteen and teamed up with fellow Canadian Sky Low Low, the pair going on to become two of the most famous wrestlers in history. Terry Funk had memorable matches in the 1980s and 90s. A wrestling promoter saw them in El Paso, Texas and convinced them to begin a wrestling training program in Ciudad Jurez, Mexico, lifting weights and running often. During WWEs first ever Main Event broadcast in 1988, fans in attendance at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis witnessed devastation as Hulk Hogan, the WWE Champion at the time, was forced to surrender his title to Andre The Giant after beating him at WrestleMania 3 a year prior. He then spent several years competing on the independent circuit and in ECW before officially joining WWE in 2002. Several pairs of twins have worked in Vince McMahon's company over the years, including The Bellas and The Usos. Two of the best tag team wrestlers ever. In the United States, in the First Golden Age of professional wrestling was in the 1940s and 1950s. Frenchy Lamonte heading for the ring in Tampa 1970. Meltzer has previously described her as the most popular womens wrestler of all time.. During the 70s, he spent time in the AWA, All-Japan Pro Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling where catch wrestling was emphasized. Even an alternative canon of pro-wrestling would have to include Andre The Giant. In the '70s, he had a chance to work title matches in the WWWF against Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales before returning to the AWA, where he finally became a babyface.He ended up feuding with former allies Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens. 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. Known for his signature evil laugh, "The Million Dollar Man" bragged about you guessed it his extraordinary wealth while trouncing opponents around the world. Amassing 34 total championship wins in his career, Pipers legacy now lives on in Ronda Rousey, whom he gifted the Rowdy moniker. PS. Two years later, Vince McMahon, Sr would come knocking and, in the process, signing Andre the Giant to the WWE. In his debut night, Tito Santana and Ivan Putski would win the World Tag Team Titles from Johnny and Jimmy Valliant. - Douglas Percy Bliss on his friend Eric Ravilious from their time at the Royal College of Art Eric Ravilious loved. [2], The twins were married to sisters Maryse and Danielle Juarry, whom they met in Montreal. Apart from doing all he could to win matches, Mr. Fuji always took it a step further and hid bags of salt within his pants. Rikishi spent over a decade in Vince McMahon's company, during which he won the Intercontinental Championship twice and the tag titles three times. Simon Dean made a few appearances for McMahon in the early 1990s. In 1965, Mascaras made his professional debut in Guadalajara, Mexico. Ron and Don have been wrestling since the late-1980s, competing against The Rock n Roll Express, Shane Douglas, and The British Bulldog in their early days. Sammartino would then go ahead and beat Inoki bloody. Though he never won a title, he was a firm favorite with fans. Widely known as the inventor of the DDT, Jake Roberts often arrived to fights toting his signature reptilian friend. A major star of 'Midget Wrestling' Littlebrook was born in England in 1929. The Owens, composed of Leah and Casey, are two Irish girls that recently auditioned for WWE Tough Enough casting. He retired in 1970 and moved to Las Vegas where he became a blackjack dealer. Koloff is one of the only former WWE Champions who is still not in the WWE Hall of Fame. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60s and 70s. During their reign as tag team champions, the Wild Samoans would go head to head with various teams including Rick Martel & Tony Garea, Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson, and The Strongbows. Whatever the roles may be, theres no overlooking the upper hand some identical siblings have over their rivals. The 72-year-old joined Vince McMahon's company in the early 1980s and has refereed some historic matches, including Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania V. Dave was also involved in a storyline with his twin brother in the late 1980s. Knowing what was to follow, the venue was apposite. Verne Gagne started out the 1970s as the AWA World Champion and he was a top contender to the title even after the rise of Nick Bockwinkel. The Russian Bear beat Bruno Sammartino for the WWE Championship in 1971, a win that almost caused a riot. [3], Benny died at age 54 on March 26, 2001 of heart failure. After meeting Frank Valois, a Canadian promoter, Andre would later relocate to Japan before moving on to Quebec Canada. Since leaving Vince McMahon's company, Dave Hebner has become a wrestling manager and has appeared in a few other promotions. Unknown wrestler getting flipped by Little Bruiser. 28. A force to reckon with, Big John Studd dominated matches with much ease. These portrait photographs of Russia's ruling Romanovs were taken in 1903 at the Winter Palace in majestic. 10. After briefly competing in Deep South Wrestling in 2006, WWE parted ways with both Mike and Todd. Andre started his career in 1964 and by the 1970s he was a top star all over the world. The main rival of the Crush Gals, Matsumotos ghastly look complimented her domineering in-ring presence. 1971-10 - The Ring Wrestling (credit: Doug McLeer) Men: Pedro Morales Verne Gagne Bruno Sammartino Gene Kiniski Dick the Bruiser Ray Stevens Victor Rivera Bobo Brazil The Sheik The Claw Ernie Ladd Gorilla Monsoon Killer Kowalski Bill Watts Pat Patterson The Battman Nelson Royal George Steele Chief Jay Strongbow Ciclon Negro Women: Bubby Rodgers and Bruno Sammartino were just among the few renowned wrestlers that faced Calhoun. For great art and culture delivered to your door, visit our shop. The Klimaszewski girls are popular for being The Coors Light Twins, yet they also appeared on WCW Nitro frequently as members of The Nitro Girls. He continued to dominate in the '80s, winning the AWA World Championship once. When it comes to the division, Jimmy and Jey have shared rings with WWEs best, and even though the Samoans havent rejuvenated since losing to Kidd and Cesaro back in February at Fast Lane, they should be resuming where they left off once Jey is cleared to compete again from shoulder surgery. 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 being a well-known name in the wrestling industry, many fans may not know that Adams has a twin sister, Brittaney. Of the two, Jack proved to be the star. It was loosely called a sport, and anything went! Thanks to photographerDavid Maciejewskiwe can see pictures of thelittle wrestlers before the hype and hoopla of WWF took hold. This was Afa and Sika, the men who were the patriarchs of the Samoan Dynasty. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportlister_com-small-rectangle-1','ezslot_28',122,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-small-rectangle-1-0'); Apart from losing his brother and sister, Bruno also watched helplessly as Hitlers troops wreaked havoc in his small home town. 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). Pro Wrestling fans may remember some of the most prominent wrestling twins, Today we are presenting you with " Top 10 Twins In Wrestling History That You Pro. 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. Moreover, there were instances when the Wild Samoans would eat raw fish during interviews or simply begin picking their noses. However, long before these emerging stars ever eyed a career between the ropes, there was a rugged brother tag team travelling the territories in the 1970's as "The Islanders". Kayfabe is often seen as the suspension of disbelief that is used to create the non-wrestling aspects of promotions, such as feuds, angles, and gimmicks, in a manner similar to other forms of fictional entertainment. Their parents bought a farm to increase their physical activity and they ate only 1,000 calories per day but could not stop gaining weight. Did a WWE legend just take a shot at Sami Zayn's physique right here? Ephemeral, disposable, they served only one purposeto let someone know "I'm here. Unfortunately, though, some twins have been more successful than others, and while a number of twins have set foot in WWE and other major promotions, most are easily forgotten. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. AWA All-Star Wrestling: With Scott Hall, Reginald Lisowski, Curt Hennig, Gene Okerlund. They were victims of some of the worst gimmicks in the history of the business. The Niedhart legacy these days is carried on through current WWE superstar Natalya, but her father frequently known as The Anvil had cemented his heroic status long before she began fighting. Poised as an everyman, Dusty managed to wrack up title wins across divisions and federations. Both brothers were released from WWE in midst of a merchandise scandal, as they were accused of selling WWE products without permission. The world of sports has seen its fair share of successful twin tandems, including NHLs Sedin brothers, MMAs Nogueira brothers, footballs Pouncey brothers, and the Lopez brothers competing in the NBA, to name a few. In 1974, Killer Kowalski would have his last match against Bruno Sammartino for the WWF World heavyweight championship. They often provided an excellent foil to the overpowered Crush Gals throughout their influential run. Bret Hart Self | WWF Survivor Series Your login session has expired. The nature of professional wrestling dramatically changed in order to better suit television audiences. Original release. He eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles. They both left TNA in 2014 and havent competed since. WWF and AWA, and Japan was as important as it ever was. In the year 1971, Ivan Koloff managed to end Sammartinos 7-year streak as world champion. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. ( 1960) -. Ed Farhat, uncle and trainer of Sabu and trainer of Rob Van Dam, held a number of regional titles across the Midwest in the 70s. [8] The brothers are buried side by side in a graveyard near Hendersonville. In the world of pro-wrestling, no other set of twins are as well traveled as The Harris Brothers. 1960. His reputation for playing mind games with his opponents never superseded his actual in-ring acumen. However, the company released him and his brother from their contracts in mid-2005. Wrestling became an international phenomenon with the expansion of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Weve compiled a list of 15 wrestlers whom we believe stood out during the 70s and helped propel the company to greater heights. He later briefly returned to WWE to compete in a few matches between 1992 and 1994. Remembered for his hardcore style of wrestling, Terry Funk became an inspiration to many up and coming wrestlers at the time like Mick Foley. Welcome to professional wrestling in the 1970s, where anything goes and grapplers werent participating in sports entertainment. The Funker won the NWA World Heavyweight title in 1975 from Jack Brisco and held it for more than a year defending it against the likes of Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes and Jumbo Tsuruta. Verne, who also owned the AWA, held the title 10 times in his career, starting in 1960, with his last reign starting in 1980. They even challenged The Steiner Brothers for the NWA Tag Team Titles in 1990 but came up short. The 49-year-old spent nearly five years in the promotion, during which he failed to win any titles on the main roster. Farmer Pete wrestling in Milwaukee, December 3, 1972. With the sex appeal of a Chippendales performer, this Ravishing fighter was a WCW legend before career-ending injuries forced him to stop performing in 1997. Its no surprise that The Crush Gals are often considered the greatest womens tag team of all time considering the duos perfectly honed and incredibly powerful movesets. Ive played a lot of evil, ball-breaking women. Both flashy and furious, Mil Mscaras is considered one of Mexican wrestlings first international stars. He won a variety of regional titles including the Stampede North American Title, the AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship and the PWF Heavyweight Championship. After a ban on masks in the WWF was lifted, Mil Mascaras would join WWE where he began his long-running feud with Superstar Billy Graham for the World Heavyweight title. Unlike a twosome formed by strangers-turned-best friends, twins possess an extra edge because they are mirror images of each other -- not only do most look identical, they know what their sibling is thinking more often than not. Certainly, the drug-fueled charms of the salacious and ostentatious Ric Flair are indelibly imbued into our collective memories. Little Tokyo (aka Shigeri Akabane) who was inspired to quit homeland and join Lord Littlebrook and his troupe after they visited Japan in the 1960s. The brothers worked together in the 1970s in Stampede Wrestling They also moved on in that decade to various territories in the NWA as well as in Puerto Rico and the World Wrestling Council, where the won several tag team titles before finally making their way to WWE in the 1980s. 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. 14. 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. The Hart . The Samoans were a staple of Vince McMahon, Sr. and his WWF company in the 1970s and early 1980s. It is his ruthlessness and fearless nature during matches and interviews that saw him pull crowds. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Tito Santana began his wrestling career as a jobber for other well-established wrestlers and heels. While Olsen is best known for his time in Chikara, Delaney is a familiar face to WWE fans, competing in the revamped ECW against the likes of Matt Hardy, Tommy Dreamer, and Mark Henry, to name a few. Over the past few years, the former Diva Search contestant has posted a few photos on Instagram of herself and her sister together. Known for his signature evil laugh, The Million Dollar Man bragged about you guessed it his extraordinary wealth while trouncing opponents around the world. They contracted rubella (German measles) when they were 4 years old, which caused problems for their pituitary glands and they started gaining weight. Her matches with her aforementioned nemeses were attended by sold-out crowds in Japan and bolstered the reputation of Japanese womens wrestling worldwide. Syndicated series featuring wrestling matches as promoted by the American Wrestling Association (AWA). The Phelps twins, 36, will forever be known as Ron Weasley's lovable older twin brothers, Fred and George, roles they played from 2001 to 2011. He died aged 76 in January 2013. 10 Best WWE Wrestlers Of All-Time, According To Cagematch.net, 10 Things Fans Should Know About Curt Hennig, The Russian Bear beat Bruno Sammartino for the WWE Championship in 1971, a win that almost caused a riot, 10 Best Pat Patterson Moments In WWE History, first Triple Crown Champion in company history, The 10 Best Wrestlers In The World Outside WWE, 10 Greatest WWE Golden Era Wrestlers, Ranked.