Do you remember the “Blow Away” diet starring “Playboy” Buddy Rose?  We do, and as funny as it was, this is not how we remember him.  In a profession with chiseled bodies, Buddy Rose stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb.  He was overweight, and later in his career was morbidly obese.  It has to be noted that regardless of his size, he was an excellent worker whose ring psychology was matched by few.  His last run in the WWE may have been as enhancement talent, but the “Playboy” once received a title shot against Bob Backlund at Madison Square Gardens, was the co-holder of the AWA Tag Titles when it still mattered, and was a huge draw in the Pacific Northwest.  Bottom line is that Buddy has a lot more credentials than those who only remember the Blow Away diet.

A former professional Football player, Wilbur Snyder entered the pro wrestling ranks and made a mark for himself almost immediately.  Snyder competed primarily in the American Mid West and would eventually buy into the Indianapolis based WWA promotion.  While there, he was one of the top draws and constantly was holding championships there.  Although he was a former gridiron great, Snyder was a technical marvel and is largely credited with inventing the abdominal stretch.  Snyder never really competed under the WWE banner, but every now and then you will hear a commentator refer to the late Snyder when a grappler applies the abdominal stretch.  Sounds like an impact to us.

The first WWE run of Juan Rivera was not an impressive one as he was cast as masked ninja named Kwang.  When that persona thankfully ended, he was given the name of Savio Vega and embraced his Puerto Rican roots.  The fit was perfect and for years, Savio Vega was a solid mid card performer for the WWE.  After Vega left the WWE, and rehabbed his injuries he would again become a star in the Caribbean where he started his career.   Vega is still performing, but he has reached the end of his runs in the American spotlight.  Should Vega use his skills outside the ring (which he is more than capable of) on a higher profile, he could sneak into WWE Hall contention.

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.