2014 WWE List Revision Ideas

It's hard to say if Schultz was told to smack him around or if he just went further than management would have liked. Hogan put Richard Belzer to sleep and ended up cutting open his head when he released him from the hold and let him drop to the floor. Sometimes these guys just forget who they're dealing with.


The YES and MAYBE (to be revisited at the end) list

Roy Shire
Larry Sharpe
Johnny Barend
Danny Davis
Johnny Saint
Paul Boesch
Bobby Davis
Tony Parisi
Bart Gunn
Killer Khan
Sean Mooney
Billy Watson
Skull Murphy
Willie Gilzenberg
Joey Styles
Aja Kong
Bertha Faye
Joey Styles
Jim Crockett
Red Bastien
Bill Apter
Linda McMahon
Miguel Perez
Sam Muchnick
Lance Russell
Hans Mortier
Les Thornton
Dick Ebersol
Mickey James
Phil Zacko
Ray Morgan
Tony Altomore
Steve Blackman
Bull Curry
Gene LeBell
Bill Cardille
Missy Hyatt

---

Final 10


Buddy Austin
James Mitchell
Yvon Robert
Raymond Rougeau
Hisashi Shinma
Mike Awesome
Tony Shiavone
Iron Mike Sharpe
Frank Tunney
Vickie Guerrero


Killer Buddy Austin - Had some mild success in the WWE back in the 60s when he challenged Bruno Sammartino and even Buddy Rogers for the championship. He won tag gold in the WWWF and had some success in the WWA. Bottom feeder? VOTE YES.

James Mitchell - Relatively successful and well respected manager over the past 25 years. The problem is that he never once worked for WWE. Will he ever get inducted? No. But he probably has a better shot at it than Bill Alfonso, JC Dykes, Eddie Creatchman and so on. But I VOTE NO.

Yvon Robert - Figured I'd mention one of Canada's greatest. But most of his success came before television and thus I VOTE NO.

Raymond Rougeau - The other half of the famous Rougeau brothers. Though that's being one half of the fifth or sixth best tag team of their run. His time as a backstage interviewer is forgettable. VOTE NO.

Hisashi Shinma - Former WWF President who helped promote international bouts between WWE and NJPW. He is probably the least important President WWE has ever had though. That said, if the rest of the Presidents can make it, maybe a bottom feeder position for his work isn't bad. VOTE YES.

Mike Awesome - Great big man performer who sadly never had much success outside of ECW. I would vote yes as bottom feeder but I doubt he'd survive the final audit. VOTE NO.

Tony Shiavone - He was a big part of the wrestling scene in the 1990s. But he represented all that was wrong with WCW. So I VOTE NO.

Iron Mike Sharpe - The cleanest wrestler ever.....because he'd take 16 showers before and after the match. Yvon Robert might have been one of Canada's greatest, but Iron Mike....ah forget it. VOTE NO.

Frank Tunney - Speaking of Canada, Frank is one of the big promoters. What Jack offered WWE was built by Frank. He and Vince Sr had a good working relationship. I wonder if they ever decide to induct Jack, they'll just tag uncle Frank in there too. VOTE YES.

Vickie Guerrero - It's time to move her from the future list to the main list. She may even be inducted next year. WWE loves a feel good story. VOTE YES.

Still thinking about something to write about. heh


We have 40 names on the YES and MAYBE list.


Roy Shire
Larry Sharpe
Johnny Barend
Danny Davis
Johnny Saint
Paul Boesch
Bobby Davis
Tony Parisi
Bart Gunn
Killer Khan
Sean Mooney
Billy Watson
Skull Murphy
Willie Gilzenberg
Joey Styles
Aja Kong
Bertha Faye
Jim Crockett
Red Bastien
Bill Apter
Linda McMahon
Miguel Perez
Sam Muchnick
Lance Russell
Hans Mortier
Dick Ebersol
Mickie James
Phil Zacko
Ray Morgan
Tony Altomore
Steve Blackman
Bull Curry
Gene LeBell
Bill Cardille
Missy Hyatt
Tony Shiavone
Buddy Austin
Hisashi Shinma
Frank Tunney
Vickie Guerrero



For every name we add, someone needs to be taken off the main list. We'll go with 4 groups of 10 to help put things in perspective.


These are the top 10 IMO

ADD

Vickie Guerrero
Joey Styles
Linda McMahon
Jim Crockett
Mickie James
Johnny Saint
Hans Mortier
Bobby Davis
Miguel Perez
Billy Watson



SUBTRACT

The Harris Twins
Rip Oliver
Eric Embry
Buck Robley
Tor Kamata
Bunkhouse Buck
Scott Irwin
Jose Estrada
Sho Funaki
Chris Kanyon


To me it's about 10 people who are likely to be considered for induction, are legends, or helped build the WWE versus 10 guys who just do not qualify for any of that. But if you disagree, are hesitant about adding someone or removing someone there, or have substitutes, time to debate.

I understand why some were added in the past though. Kanyon was wasted throughout his career.

Hopefully we can get this done before the winter. lol


I would probably say they're in the 101 to 200 range. (I can get more specific later though)


From top to bottom...

Vickie Guerrero (Maybe top 100)
Billy Watson
Mickie James
Bobby Davis
Jim Crockett
Linda McMahon
Joey Styles
Miguel Perez
Johnny Saint
Hans Mortier



Push out of the 101 to 200 range...(in no order)

Mike Graham
Scott Norton
Tarzan Tyler
The Godwinns
Bob Geigel
Gene Anderson
Samu
Public Enemy
Jim Brunzell
Sputnik Monroe



Push off the list (in no order)

The Harris Twins
Rip Oliver
Eric Embry
Buck Robley
Tor Kamata
Bunkhouse Buck
Scott Irwin
Jose Estrada
Sho Funaki
Chris Kanyon

---

The next 10 are more 201 to 300 range in its current state

From top to bottom

Sam Muchnick
Willie Gilzenberg
Ray Morgan
Paul Boesch
Red Bastien
Roy Shire
Tony Parisi
Frank Tunney
Skull Murphy
Dick Ebersol



Get rid of... (in no order)

Col DeBeers
Hard Boiled Haggerty
Mike Shaw
Jay Youngblood
Brad Armstrong
Tojo Yamamoto
Bob Roop
2 Cold Scorpio
Sonny King
Cyclone Negro

---

The next 10....(the 250 to 300 range)

Gene LeBell
Bull Curry
Lance Russell
Tony Altomore
Aja Kong
Bill Apter
Hisashi Shinma
Bertha Faye
Tony Shiavone
Bart Gunn


If the above get added, then bump off... (in no order)

The Headbangers
Dutch Savage
Iceman King Parsons
Bob Brown
Otto Wanz
Billy Jack Haynes
Bugsy McGraw
Dean Ho
Billy Kidman
The Berzerker

---

Final 10 (bottom feeders)

Johnny Barend
Steve Blackman
Missy Hyatt
Buddy Austin
Larry Sharpe
Sean Mooney
Phil Zacko
Bill Cardille
Danny Davis
Killer Khan


Remove... (in no order)

Pampiro Firpo
Crash Holly
Marc Mero
Ron Bass
Chris Adams
Angelo Mosca
Johnny Weaver
The Missing Link
Buddy Landel
Perry Saturn



Obviously it gets a bit murky towards the end by saying that Steve Blackman deserves to be added while Crash Holly is taken off. It's really just trading one guy who will never be inducted for another guy who will never be inducted. Though they've got better shots than Buck Robley or Eric Embry. This is just a perspective lineup in regards to the names we've suggested over the past few months versus the weakest names on the current list IMO. They start to equal out a bit towards the end.



Back to Santino Marella though, he's been talking about making a comeback next year. So it might be premature to add him.

Then there's A-Train who looks to be retired as a wrestler. He'd probably be good in the 201 to 300 range.

Vickie Guerrero - That's fine about not putting her ahead of Chavo Classic and Gory Guerrero but I think the 201 to 300 range is a bit too far back. Is around 150 okay?

Schmidt versus Mortier - It's interesting because Schmidt probably had the better career but Mortier had the better WWE career. That said, Waldo Von Erich was a better "German" foe and he's only in the mid 100s with Schmidt not too far behind. It probably wouldn't hurt putting Mortier further back.

Crockett, Styles, Perez, Saint, Watson, James, Davis, and Linda McMahon I agree with.

I agree with Muchnick, Boesch, Bastien, Shire, Ebersol, Morgan, Frank Tunney, Parisi, and Gilzenberg for the most part. I might have put Gilzenberg a little higher but just getting some of them on the list is a victory for now.

Skull Murphy - A 14 time tag champion throughout the territories. He teamed with Brute Bernard to win the United States Tag Team Championship in the WWE before dropping the belts to Killer Kowalski and Gorilla Monsoon. He was bald because of a childhood illness which is why he called himself Skull and he was a master of the heart punch. He was one of those guys that just died too soon. Might have made a good manager.

Gene LeBell - For the bottom feeder spot, just be convinced that it's entirely possible someone like Daniel Bryan could suggest him for the Hall of Fame. WWE.com did interview him a few years ago and they're heading out to California next year. Usually when WWE shows its territories map, it lists the LeBells as being the top promoters from southern California. Who knows, maybe they'd be able to get a celebrity to induct him and you know how WWE salivates at an idea like that. It probably will never happen, but plan for the possibility. The WWE Hall of Fame certainly doesn't need him to be complete which is why I think a bottom feeder spot works. It makes more practical sense to have a bio all made up for him than it does Eric Embry.

Bart Gunn was also a 3 time WWE World Tag Team Champion in the WWE. The Smoking Gunns were rather popular. Not on the level of the British Bulldogs or the Demolition, but I won't deny Bart Gunn a bottom feeding position.

The rest makes sense for now.



I have concerns about expanding to 400 given the current structure of the site. I feel like people will just stop reading past a certain number in its current design. But if you think it's worth the extra work, go for it. I'm sure you could add Bull Ramos, Tony Marino, Mario Milano, and a bunch of guys we cut earlier.

Given the size of this list already, I'm glad guys like Willie Gilzenberg, Red Bastien, and Tony Parisi will finally be represented though. Feels like we've covered most of the bases.






Next on my agenda is debating some specific rankings.

Toots Mondt - Why is he stuck in the 170 range when he could be argued for top 10!?!? Owning 50% of the company has to be worth something on top of the fact that he is one of the most influential people in wrestling history. Vince even says he was a badass. He was the guy that kept the peace between WWE and the NWA and pushed for Bruno Sammartino to be champion. The only reason he isn't in the WWE Hall of Fame is because of the hiatus they went on in the late 90s and the lack of footage they have on him. Surely his inclusion into the WWE Hall of Fame would add more credibility than Ole Anderson.

Gah! The pressure!

How often is regular?




Ray Stevens should go in next year with Pat Patterson inducting him. That said, they have a lot of potential dead guys on their plate and you know WWE when it comes to inducting people posthumously.