El Canek may not have made a dent in the United States, but he was the primary star for Mexico’s UWA promotion for nearly two decades.  As the multiple Heavyweight Title holder for UWA, Canek holds victories over a diverse group of Lou Thesz, Vader, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.  In fact, he is one of the few who can boast body slamming the French giant.  Had Canek’s star shone outside of Mexico (like Mil Mascaras) or if the UWA was still around, perhaps the legacy of El Canek would have extended towards current WWE fans.

Although “Superstar” Bill Dundee was undersized and was rarely used in a National promotion, he was a huge star in the Memphis area and a great ally and foil of Jerry Lawler there.  The Superstar could be flashy, arrogant or modest depending on what character was needed in the area at the time.  His biggest taste on the big stage was a largely unremarkable performance as “Sir William”, Steven Regal’s manager in WCW where he barely spoke, and it is a shame that he was essentially muted in that role as he was a decent speaker.  If there was a Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame of Memphis, Dundee would be elected on the first or second ballot.

Prior to his career in the squared circle, the “Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez played football at West Texas and was a legitimate tough guy.  He took this manly resume into the world of pro wrestling where he proved to be a natural for the business.  He looked tough, acted tough and could cut a mean promo when needed.  Fernandez became a star in Mid Atlantic and parlayed that into a NWA World Tag Team run with Rick Rude.  Had Fernandez ever had a WWE run, it is possible that he could have done something special there, but those who saw him perform knew they were seeing a star.

Masa Saito was not your typical Japanese wrestler.  Many of them will never compete outside of Japan, and those that do may do so only for a run or two in the United States.  Saito competed often in the U.S. for various promotions often competing in tag teams with other foreign born heels.  Saito was a compact powerhouse with a legitimate amateur background (he competed for Japan in the 1964 Olympics).  This allowed him to wrestle virtually any American style.  As a former co-holder of the WWE tag belts with Mr. Fuji, Saito does have WWE experience under his belt and a large amount of American exposure with other promotions.  This could make him a dark horse candidate to become the next Japanese wrestler for the Hall.