A long-time referee in the NWA, Teddy Long got his big break as a heel official who became a successful manager. He would develop a stable of monster tag teams, and his fast talking and sneaky ways put him near the top of managers in the early 90’s. He would turn face and would still manage, though with limited success on screen, though he would always remain employed. He would bolt to the World Wrestling Federation where he again became a referee, but his persona was too large and he again became a rule breaking manager. After that ship passed, Teddy Long would remain on screen as a long-time General Manager of Smackdown. Considering his lengthy tenure on and off screen of the two biggest wrestling organizations of all-time, is an induction for Long impossible?

WCW was way ahead of the curve in terms of developing a cruiserweight division, and the WWE was far behind.  In 1997, they tried to rectify that, and TAKA Michinoku became the centerpiece of that movement.

Michinoku wrestled in his native Japan, making a mark for himself in FMW and Michinoku Pro, and it gave him the springboard to go to North America, first for ECW, and then for the WWF, where he was the dance partner of the Great Sasuke.  Michinoku jobbed for Sasuke twice, but the masked wrestler never came back to the WWF, and TAKA was signed and a division was built around him.  He won the tournament to win the Light Heavyweight Title, and held it for a year before he settling into to an enhancement team with Sho Funaki.

Michinoku returned to Japan, and formed his own promotion, Kaientai Dojo, which would help train wrestlers to reach larger ones.  Taka was still a top light heavyweight for years, and his legacy in Japan is very strong.

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A sentimental favorite for many ECW fans, Stevie Richards went from “clueless putz” to a certified ECW Heavyweight Title contender.  Amidst the parodies and comedy routines lied a very good in ring wrestler who while he never really found his niche in the WWE (though he did work there for a few years) will always be remembered in Philadelphia…and should be!

Steve Corino never made it beyond enhancement work or tryout matches to the WWE, but his matches in the dying days of ECW turned many heads.

Corino was not afraid to bleed, and many of his matches ended with the proverbial crimson mask.  While the WWE passed on him, he won a plethora of singles and tag team titles on the independent scene, and was a coveted mind and draw on that level.

That should mean something, shouldn’t it?