Mount Rushmore of pro wrestling

[bitteroldman]

Let's say that 4 wrestlers could be immortalized similar to what was done om Mt. Rushmore. What 4 wrestlers would you pick for this honor?

Here's mine

1. Lou Thesz - arguably the best technician ever in the ring, held the World title for years and during a period (30'a and 40's)where the champ had to be legit to avoid someone shooting on him and taking the belt. Innovated such moves as the powerbomb and STF. Along with Rikidozan created the market in Japan for pro wrestling

2. Gorgeous George - probably sold as many tv sets during the early 50's as Milton Berle and Lucille Ball did. Became the template for the bleached blonde prissy heel character. One of the first wrestlers to have mainstream/crossover appeal to non-wrestling fans.

3. Hulk Hogan - one of the biggest draws ever, responsible for the growth of pro wrestling starting in the 80's. Mainstream appeal to non-wrestling fans, was cast in many movies and brought his success to 2 different companies (WWF and WCW) in different roles for each (face in WWF, heel in WCW).

4. Ric Flair - the last great old-school traveling world champ, able to play both a face and heel depending on what was needed in each of the territories he worked in as world champ. One of the best at making his opponent look good (guy could have a top flight match with a broom). Numerous memorable feuds with Race, Steamboat Rhodes, Terry Funk and Sting. Able to work as a ring technician and as a brawler.

[ritt works hard fo da chickens]

Hackenshmidt and Gotch as Washington and Jefferson the originators.
Thesz as Lincoln did as much to establish the sport/country since the founding fathers
Bruno as Teddy the template everyone after would be compared to

[eDemento2099]

Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, and Chris Benoit

Since a lot of people are going to freak out over the inclusion of Benoit (not able to separate the life he lived in the ring from the life he lived outside of it), I'd consider substituting Sabu for Benoit. Not because Sabu is nearly as great a wrestler as Bret, HBK, or Angle, but because of the sacrifices he made and how he revolutionized hardcore/extreme wrestling in North America.

[rapidfire187]

Hogan, Flair, Austin, and Kenta Kobashi.

Why Kobashi? Because LARIAT YOUR MOTHER F***ING HEAD OFF that's why.

[Citizen Zero]

Theodore Roosevelt will still be on it.

Because he'll put his face wherever he damn well pleases.

[theryno665]

When Dave Lagana suggested his "Mount Rushmore of Wrestlemania" a little while back, I obviously picked the four people that had the most impact on my life:

-Vanna White
-The Hair Club For Men guy
-The "Where's The Beef?" lady
-Jonathan Taylor Thomas

[celtics543]

While not technically a wrestler, I think Vince Mcmahon needs to be up there. Maybe something like Hogan, Austin, Mcmahon, and Flair.

You need Vince on there, he's really the guy that has done the most for pro wrestling.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

May 8, 2011 19:32:38 GMT -5 celtics543 said:

While not technically a wrestler, I think Vince Mcmahon needs to be up there. Maybe something like Hogan, Austin, Mcmahon, and Flair.

You need Vince on there, he's really the guy that has done the most for pro wrestling.

Vince is that big, unfinished Indian statue.

[Mozenrath]

Hogan, Inoki, Vince, Flair.

Inoki representing the growth of wrestling in Japan, even if Rikidozan got the ball rolling.

Hogan of course is the Rock and Wrestling Connection era.

Vince is the Attitude and on as much as any individual wrestler was. They came and gone, but his was the constant.

Flair is perhaps the most convenient representative of the NWA era, as well as much of WCW history.

[ICBM]

May 8, 2011 20:13:16 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

May 8, 2011 19:32:38 GMT -5 celtics543 said:

While not technically a wrestler, I think Vince Mcmahon needs to be up there. Maybe something like Hogan, Austin, Mcmahon, and Flair.

You need Vince on there, he's really the guy that has done the most for pro wrestling.

Vince is that big, unfinished Indian statue.

That'd be Crazy Horse. Great joke dude. But I submit that if there were a Mt.Rushmore of wrestling that Hogan, Flair, Austin and Harley Race were the faces, Vince would be the entire mountain range they sit on

[thegame415]

Wrestling is too tough to pick for names. Hell, even WWF is too hard. Here's my four, I think?

Thesz
Hogan
Flair
Austin

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Hogan
Austin
Andre
Flair

[Red Impact]

If we're including people from around the world, Hogan, Bret Hart, El Santo, and Muta

If it's just US people, then Hogan, Andre, Flair and Austin

[eDemento2099]

May 8, 2011 21:48:12 GMT -5 Red Impact said:

If we're including people from around the world, Hogan, Bret Hart, El Santo, and Muta

If it's just US people, then Hogan, Andre, Flair and Austin

Wasn't Andre the Giant born in France?

[NOwave]

Nice idea for a thread. And since Mt. Rushmore is exclusively an American icon, wrestling's version should be as well.

The Four Faces? Hard to disagree with the OP on this one. Thesz, Gorgeous George, Hogan and Flair were (admittedly arguably) the four most important wrestlers to the business. Maybe not the best technical wrestlers, (although Thesz and Flair could reasonably make that argument) but the most important because they were the most recognizable faces of their locations and eras. Thesz is about only pre-1950 wrestler with any mainstream recognition. George ignited the first TV boom time in the 1950's. Flair was the biggest draw in the NWA's(and WCW's) southern territories(where wrestling was perhaps bigger than anywhere else) for nearly 20 years beginning in the 1970's. And Hogan ignited the 2nd wrestling TV boom of the 1980's, and is probably the most recognized name ever in the business.

[froggyfrog]

May 8, 2011 18:05:41 GMT -5 bitteroldman said:

Let's say that 4 wrestlers could be immortalized similar to what was done om Mt. Rushmore. What 4 wrestlers would you pick for this honor?

Here's mine

1. Lou Thesz - arguably the best technician ever in the ring, held the World title for years and during a period (30'a and 40's)where the champ had to be legit to avoid someone shooting on him and taking the belt. Innovated such moves as the powerbomb and STF. Along with Rikidozan created the market in Japan for pro wrestling

2. Gorgeous George - probably sold as many tv sets during the early 50's as Milton Berle and Lucille Ball did. Became the template for the bleached blonde prissy heel character. One of the first wrestlers to have mainstream/crossover appeal to non-wrestling fans.

3. Hulk Hogan - one of the biggest draws ever, responsible for the growth of pro wrestling starting in the 80's. Mainstream appeal to non-wrestling fans, was cast in many movies and brought his success to 2 different companies (WWF and WCW) in different roles for each (face in WWF, heel in WCW).

4. Ric Flair - the last great old-school traveling world champ, able to play both a face and heel depending on what was needed in each of the territories he worked in as world champ. One of the best at making his opponent look good (guy could have a top flight match with a broom). Numerous memorable feuds with Race, Steamboat Rhodes, Terry Funk and Sting. Able to work as a ring technician and as a brawler.

Literally the four I would pick. Possible subbing Thesz for Vince McMahon

[Monty Dawson]

Vince, Shane, Linda and Stef

and no one says Rock?

[DASH 243✅]

Lou Thesz
strangler lewis
Bruno Sammartino
Freddie Blassie

[Bob Schlapowitz]

May 8, 2011 21:56:44 GMT -5 eDemento2099 said:

May 8, 2011 21:48:12 GMT -5 Red Impact said:

If we're including people from around the world, Hogan, Bret Hart, El Santo, and Muta

If it's just US people, then Hogan, Andre, Flair and Austin

Wasn't Andre the Giant born in France?

But his biggest success came in U.S. Wrestling.

[DSR]

May 8, 2011 23:19:13 GMT -5 Bob Schlapowitz said:

May 8, 2011 21:56:44 GMT -5 eDemento2099 said:

Wasn't Andre the Giant born in France?

But his biggest success came in U.S. Wrestling.

The same could be said for Bret Hart.