Wrestlers Who Are Household Names...

[chunkylover53]

When I think of a "household name", I think of somebody who is well known to the public. When this applies to wrestlers, I think of it as people who never seen wrestling to know who the superstar is. Here's my list....

Hulk Hogan - Let me tell you, if you haven't lived in the 1980s(I was born in 1986, but I've heard about it), you have no idea how big The Hulkster was. He was EVERYWHERE. Talk shows, Saturday Night Live, had a cartoon show, a cereal, at some point, his popularity rivaled Michael Jackson. Though its fizzled down over the years, he's still a well known name(put Hogan Knows Best aside).

The Rock - Even when he was wrestling during the Attitude Era, he was well known. His popularity launched him into movies.

Andre The Giant - His size drew big crowds and had roles in movies. The name itself is at least familar to none-wrestling people.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin - I really do want to say The Texas Rattlesnake is a well known name to non-wrestling people. At least in the late 90s.

Wrongful Examples
Owen Hart - Yes, that freak accident got TONS of media attention in the weeks and months that followed, but in my experience, people only know of "That wrestler guy who fell 80 feet from the roof". And I guarantee you, they forgot about it by the end of the year.

Chris Benoit - "That wrestler who killed his family" is not what a call a household name, not even for infamy sake. When the situation boils down(it already has), those people will forget about the incident.

Any names you can think of?

[Madagascar Fred]

Hogan
Austin
Rock
Goldberg
Sting
Flair
B.Hart

this should be it

[chunkylover53]

roidzilla said:

Hogan
Austin
Rock
Goldberg
Sting
Flair
B.Hart

this should be it

I don't know so much about Sting. Ric Flair maybe in Charlotte, NC. and Bret Hart in Canada.

[Corporate H]

Kurt Angle, for the most part, is a household name not only for his work in WWE and TNA but for his 1996 Olympic gold medals.

[ajizzle]

Bret Hart was pretty big in Germany in the 90's.

[Johnny Danger (Godz)]

Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Steve Austin, The Rock

To lesser degrees: Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper

[Mister Pigwell]

Even non wrestling fans know the name of Jake the Snake... it sticks with ya just hearing it once.

[Nice Guy Cody]

Roddy Piper and The Undertaker deserve mention.

[Batman]

From personal experience, I'd say Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Stone Cold, and the Rock are the only "household" names.

[poi zen rana]

bencrocker said:

Kurt Angle, for the most part, is a household name not only for his work in WWE and TNA but for his 1996 Olympic gold medals.

WAIT.


kurt angle was in the olympics?

[Arthur Digby Stamp]

poisonrana said:

bencrocker said:

Kurt Angle, for the most part, is a household name not only for his work in WWE and TNA but for his 1996 Olympic gold medals.

WAIT.


kurt angle was in the olympics?

Apparently. Word on the street is that he won it, too. With some sort of physical ailment. Pity we'll never know what it was.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant are definites- and if they weren't before, they are now thanks to VH1 and Shepard Fairey.

The Rock's a household name easily, and I think he hit that point shortly before his film career took off (at least where I live). Steve Austin's another. Chris Benoit's reached that point for the wrong reason, but it may be fleeting as far as the mainstream is concerned.

The "borderlines"- as in names that could, in some cases, be recognized by people who don't follow wrestling but know people that do- would be Roddy Piper, Ric Flair (a definite in the territories he dominated), Dusty Rhodes, Randy Savage, Mick Foley, Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, and Bret Hart.

[Tom Selleck]

Jesse Ventura I would say is number 3 behind only The Rock and Hulk Hogan.

[willywonka666]

I'd say Junkyard Dog-particularly back in the 80's His popularity was second only to Hogan

[Mozenrath]

roidzilla said:

Hogan
Austin
Rock
Goldberg
Sting
Flair
B.Hart

this should be it

You skip OOOOOOOOOH YEAH, SLIMJIM Savage?

Also, Jesse Ventura, somewhat?

[01010010 01101001 01100011]

valens said:

Even non wrestling fans know the name of Jake the Snake... it sticks with ya just hearing it once.

Yeah but, a lot of famous Jakes have been given that nickname so there is no telling which one they mean by it now.

I think Rock and Hogan are easily 1 and 2 (Hell, maybe 1a and 1b) and trading that back and forth based on what ever they are currently doing.

Then you get Austin, Savage, Ventura and Piper.

Finally there are the borderline guys like Hart, Andre, Sting and Flair.

[big nasty]

hogan, andre, gorgeous george (even if people only know the name)

savage's "oh yeaaah", more so than his actual name

and jake the snake, just for the name and everyone remembers "that guy who had the snake"

vince mcmahon is known to the general public, and when many people say WWF they mean all pro wrestling, in general. yes, wwf, not 'e'

probably the rock and stone cold as well, maybe to a slightly lesser degree. but if we're talking micheal jordon type recognition, hogan and maybe andre, and thats it.

[Dolph Zalgo]

I think very few qualify for this:

-Hulk Hogan (the most obvious)
-Randy Savage (he is still mentioned, quoted and remembered, mostly because of his voice)
-Bret Hart (barely, but I think he is)
-Ric Flair (barely, but I think he is, especially since people from all ages know him)
-Steve Austin (perhaps a little more than Flair and Hart)

I think mainstream entertainment programmes, who like to comment on pop culture are a good indicator on who can be considered a household name. Bret Hart and Savage have appeared on The Simpsons and Family Guy, Ric Flair can be seen in several movies when someone is watching wrestling. Hart, Savage and Ric Flair probably can be considered "typical pro wrestlers" in the eyes of pop culture. People have seen them, people associate them with wrestling, most people know their names. Guys like Cena, HHH, Jarrett or Sting maybe be very famous, but they are probably not famous enough to be considered household names.

[plushtar]

Ultimate Warrior: Everyone wants to know when he died and how.

[Red Impact]

In reality, I think there are, at most, 5, not including Benoit (who I think is, but infamously is)

Certainly in:
Hogan- Previously stated reasons- acting career, cameos galore, mentions on other shows. #1 easily.
The Rock- Same as above, acting career, fewer cameos (but with far less time), but mentions on some rather popular shows. He's easily number 2 by a wide margin.
Jesse Ventura- For his Governor position. He became very well known following that.

Likely in:
Andre the Giant- Even if he wasn't involved in as many outside wrestling ventures, he's just known for some reason
Yokozuna- See Giant, Andre the

Near:
Stone Cold- For a while it looked like he could be, but he didn't really have the outside success
The Undertaker- He's one of those icons that people with at least some wrestling knowledge will know, but are not quite up there.
Ultimate Warrior- Same as Undertaker
Randy Savage- Same as Undertaker
Ric Flair- You know, I'd actually put him a little below everyone else on this portion. I don't think a significant number of people who have no wrestling knowledge would know him from any other old guy.
Goldberg- Movies and television appearances push him higher, but I doubt he's a household name.

Better known than most, but not household names-
Kurt Angle- hate to break it, but people don't know the vast majority of olympic gold medalists, and certainly not in one of the less-glamorous events.
Roddy Piper- I think if his full stage name was used, people would recognize it, and likely at least figure out that he was a wrestler, but not really a household name.
Jake "The Snake" Roberts- I think he'd be the same as Piper, maybe a little better known.
Bret Hart- Hart told a story as to why he agreed to do his documentary or something like that, he saw a kid with an action figure of him, but that kid had no idea who he was. I think that is a rather representative statement of reality. I think mentions in Time Magazine as being among the greatest Canadians ever (#39 on that list, apparently) may have boosted him a little, but certainly not to household name status.

And I don't really think Sting is even borderline. He's certainly not the most famous person with that moniker, much less someone who has really done anything to go beyond being known in general pop culture.