|
When we talk about the WWE, we’ll often have different eras in mind depending on when we were born. For many of us, the greatest time in WWE history was the Attitude Era, when the gimmicks were distinctive, the storylines were shocking and well-written (albeit somewhat insensitive at times), and the costumes were outlandish and brilliant. We idolised those wrestlers, but there are plenty of other eras to draw from as well.
Every one of those eras has produced a lot of Superstars worth talking about, but today, we’re here to discuss the legends. Sure, there are plenty of CM Punks and Drew McIntyres out there, but these aren’t the wrestlers that will penetrate the public consciousness and become known to even those who don’t follow the sport much. Here, in no particular order and without further ado, are the 9 greatest WWE legends of all time.
1. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
In an interview with Betway, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan describes his win at the inaugural Royal Rumble event in 1988. He says you’ve got to be “aggressive, you want to be strong, you want to be quick”. These are all attributes that Duggan embodied with aplomb during his time in the ring. Duggan is still signed to the WWE on a specific Legends contract, and he’ll still make appearances from time to time, so if you want to see this legend of the sport in action, you have only to tune in and watch the mayhem unfold.
2. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
It doesn’t get much more iconic than “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Originally wrestling under the moniker of “Stunning” Steve Austin, he underwent a radical change in character around 1996, shaving his trademark blonde hair and leaning hard into the redneck rattlesnake stereotype. Stone Cold is, as the name suggests, a character that will take no nonsense from anyone. His iconic Stone Cold Stunner has ruined many a career, and although he began life as a heel, his massive popularity quickly saw him endeared to audiences.
3. The Rock
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson isn’t the first person to wrestle under that name. He’s preceded by Don Muraco, who adopted the name in the 1980s. Muraco now has a podcast where he talks about wrestling, but Dwayne Johnson has become an international movie star, and he did it by sailing on his effortless charisma and set of iconic moves. The People’s Elbow, Rock Bottom, the raised arm; The Rock has a litany of moves that set him apart from his competitors, and as soon as he enters the ring, the crowd knows it’s in for a show.
4. Lita
Amy Dumas, otherwise known by her ring name Lita, is a true icon of wrestling. She made her debut in the WWE in 1999, being paired with Essa Rios. However, she would find her footing alongside Matt and Jeff Hardy, joining the Hardy Boyz’ stable and forming Team Xtreme. A storyline featuring Lita cheating on her boyfriend Matt Hardy with fellow wrestler Edge turned out to be more than fiction; the affair was very real, and Hardy was released from his contract as a result (though he was later re-hired).
5. Mick Foley
No list of the most iconic WWE legends is complete without Mick Foley. He’s wrestled under a number of different names; you’ll probably know him best as Mankind, but he also embodied the characters of Cactus Jack and Dude Love. Mick Foley is the real deal; he’s a hardcore wrestler who may have bought into the pantomime drama of the WWE, but that didn’t stop him sustaining real injuries in the ring, most notably the loss of his ear against famously brutal opponent Vader.
6. The Undertaker
One of the WWE’s most stalwart and long-lived legends, The Undertaker is a masterclass in storytelling. Although his character was blatantly supernatural, going against what many considered to be the grounded element of wrestling (yes, really), The Undertaker proved a surprisingly effective villain, no-selling punches and making his way to the ring with a terrifying gravitas unmatched by other wrestlers. Short-lived “American Badass” promotional moments aside, The Undertaker is a testament to what can be done with storytelling through the medium of wrestling.
7. Becky Lynch
One of the WWE’s newest stars, Becky Lynch is known as “The Man” in reference to her commanding presence and ability to keep up with any male Superstar. The WWE, and wrestling in general, helped Lynch to emerge from the doldrums of alcoholism and find a place for herself where she felt welcome and loved. She’s also the first female WWE star to headline Wrestlemania, and it looks like she might be following the career trajectories of The Rock and John Cena, moving into mainstream acting while she keeps up her wrestling gigs.
8. Hulk Hogan
Well, obviously, brother. Hulk Hogan got his stage name from The Incredible Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno, who noticed that Hulk was actually bigger than him during a talk show appearance. Hogan started life being intimidated by professional wrestlers; he thought they were protective of their craft and weren’t approachable. However, while he was playing in a band, he noticed that the audience was filling up with wrestlers, and so he decided to make the jump to pro wrestling. The rest, as they say, is history.
9. Trish Stratus
As people finally started to take WWE women seriously, we can credit Trish Stratus with at least being partially responsible for that. While her early promos were disastrous, she quickly began to find her feet, developing a style that was unique to her and a personality to match. Whether she was teamed up with Test and Albert under the T&A stable moniker or battling fellow female stars like Lita, Trish Stratus will forever be known as one of the WWE’s most iconic and enduring Divas.
