AJSTYLES Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Big Daddy From: Halifax Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1930-1997 (67) Career Began: 1952 Mini Biography: English Wrestler, started wrestling in the late 1950s, took on the Big Daddy moniker in 1974. Headlined Wembley Arena in contests against John Quinn and Giant Haystacks. Transcended into the mainstream making multiple TV appearances including Tiswas and This Is Your Life. Was due to have his own Saturday TV show. Had own Comic Strip. UK’s biggest crossover star both Margaret Thatcher and The Queen were proclaimed fans. Why We Voted For Him: “say what you want about him, he is a bonafide superstar of British wrestling. A larger than life character (how cliché of me) that appealed to the British public in a way that nobody has come close to doing. Ultimately, he delayed the inevitable decline of British wrestling when he started using this gimmick.” “Iconic, no other word for it. Ask anyone aged over 40 to name a British wrestler and it’ll be this guy or Haystacks.” Brian Dixon From: Birkenhead Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: ? Career Began: 1960s Mini Biography: Promoter and founder of All Star Wrestling the UK’s most successful promotion. The longest running UK promotion ever at 46 years old. Created the Giant Haystacks gimmick. Run shows all across the UK on a touring basis Why We Voted For Him: “Great businessman who was one of the only people able to make a living from the art in the UK during a real low point.” “for having been promoting close to 50 years (longer than the whole Joint run) and arguably being the biggest promoter over a good 20 year period.” Davey Boy Smith From: Wigan Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1962-2002 (39) Career Began: 1978 Mini Biography: Started wrestling on World of Sport in 1978 aged 15 before wrestling internationally for Stampede Wrestling out of Canada and NJPW out of Japan. Signed with WWF in 1985 where he won the tag team titles in his first run. Beat Bret Hart in front 80,000 UK fans in the main event of Summerslam 1992 for the Intercontiental title. First ever WWF European champion and longest reigning WWF Tag Team Champion of the 1990s. Why We Voted For Him: “the most successful British import in the Western world in terms of mainstream publicity and drawing. Subject to timing, he should have been the first British world champion for an American promotion. Main evented the highest attended WWE show outside of Mania 3 & 33, I believe.” “Most successful British wrestler ever, which more than qualifies him for this.” Dynamite Kid From: Wigan Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1958- Career Began: 1975 Mini Biography: English wrestler, Started wrestling for Max Crabtree in 1975 before moving to Canada for Stampede Wrestling in 1978. Became Stampede’s first British Commonwealth Champion a title he would hold 5 times. Was WWF Tag Team Champion. Most success came in Japan where he would hold titles in both AJPW and NJPW. Why We Voted For Him: “a true innovator of a wrestling style that has been adopted and modified to the commonplace style we see every single day. His matches against Tiger Mask were revolutionary and iconic.” “Mark Rocco and Dynamite Kid, both for their sheer impact/ability on the British scene and for taking it overseas and helping establish the modern form of junior-heavyweight wrestling in Japan.” Giant Haystacks From: Salford Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1947-1998 (51) Career Began: 1967 Mini Biography: One of the most recognisable names of the World of Sport era. Made his debut in 1967 under the name Luke McMasters. Joined Joint Promotions in 1975 under the name Giant Haystacks. Formed a heel tag team with Big Daddy. Tag team split resulted in the most famous feud in British Wrestling history which lasted into the 1990s with both becoming household names. Signed with WCW in 1996. Why We Voted For Him: “Similar to Big Daddy. Massive presence and an iconic figure in the WoS era.” Kendo Nagasaki From: Stoke on Trent Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1941- Career Began: 1964 Mini Biography: English wrestler. Made his debut in 1964. Wrestled a Japanese Samuari gimmick, Feuded with Billy Robinson in the late 1960s. Made his ITV debut in 1971. Toured the United States and Canada in 1972. Beat Big Daddy in 1975, the two had a long feud. Unmasked in the ring in 1977 in a ceremony which was one of World of Sport’s most watched moments. Won the WWA World Title in 1987. Why We Voted For Him: “The greatest heel in the history of British wrestling. Had an incredible aura that is no doubt due to his method-like outlook on performing. Perhaps the second biggest draw in British wrestling of all-time behind Big Daddy, if not THE biggest. His unmasking was an iconic moment.” “Big daddy and haystacks had gimmicks but this guy had the art down to a T. Still to this day maintains an aura of mystery.” “one of the biggest names and also the most successful masked man/gimmick.” Kent Walton From: Surrey Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1917-2003 (86) Career Began: 1955 Mini Biography: World of Sport commentator for 33 years. All legendary World of Sport moments have Walton’s voice as accompaniment. World of Sport could command up to 12 million viewers all listening to the voice of Kent Walton Why We Voted For Him: “Unmistakable voice of WoS.” “the key to wrestling being able to retain its wacky appeal while still being plausible as part of World of Sport.” Mark Rocco From: Manchester Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1951- Career Began: 1972 Mini Biography: English wrestler, made his professional debut in 1972. Defeated Bert Royal for Joint Promotions British Heavy Middleweight title in 1977. A title he would hold 2 times. Toured North America in 1980, wrestling Hulk Hogan in WWF. 3x World Heavy Middleweight Champion. In NJPW took on the moniker of Black Tiger an alternative to Tiger Mask with the two exchanging the WWF Light Heavyweight Title. Retired in 1991 due to a heart condition. Why We Voted For Him: “did some great stuff with big name wrestlers including Fuji Yamada (Liger) and Tiger Mask. His style has aged amazingly. Just his USA flag outfit makes him instant booable in my eyes.” “Mark Rocco and Dynamite Kid, both for their sheer impact/ability on the British scene and for taking it overseas and helping establish the modern form of junior-heavyweight wrestling in Japan.” Mick McManus From: London Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1920-2013 (93) Career Began: 1947 Mini Biography: English wrestler. UK’s biggest ever heel. Made his debut in 1945 during World War II whilst posted in Australia. Made more TV appearances than any other wrestler. Won British Welterweight title in 1949. Match with Jackie Pallo in 1963 was watched by over 20 million people. 4x European Middleweight Champion. Retired in 1982. Enshrined in the Wrestling Observers’ Hall of Fame in 2012. Why We Voted For Him: “The ultimate heel. My mum is 71 and still says “Oh, he was a right bad bastard him.”” William Regal From: Staffordshire Year of Induction: 2017 Life Span: 1968- Career Began: 1983 Mini Biography: Made his debut in 1983 at the age of 15 at the Blackpool challenge booth. Formed The Golden Boys with Robbie Brookside on World of Sport. Signed with WCW in 1993. Won the WCW Television Title four times. Battled Shinya Hashimoto for the IWGP World title. Following a stint in 1998 and a return to WCW, Regal signed with the WWF proper in 2000. Worked as the commissioner and wrestler. Where he won 5 Hardcore titles, 4 European titles, 2 Intercontinental titles and 4 Tag Team titles. Won the King of the Ring in 2008. Now works as talent scout, a trainer in NXT as well as the on air authority figure. Instrumental in creating the WWE United Kingdom Championship Why We Voted For Him: “perhaps the most decorated British wrestler in the states, winning multiple titles in WCW and WWE after cutting his teeth in Britain, appearing on World of Sport. An expert when it comes to promo work and character development, he is a huge force behind the popular NXT brand today. One of the finest technical wrestlers of our time.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted February 23, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted February 23, 2017 Cracking lineup. Cheers for the work put into this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted February 23, 2017 Awards Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2017 Will make a HOF thread in the Awards forum tonight for the Class of 2017. Well done for doing this - some of my top 10 didn't make it in but you can't argue with that line-up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members PunkStep Posted February 23, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted February 23, 2017 Love the pics you've done for the entrants, good job doing this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Linus Posted February 23, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted February 23, 2017 Great work! The only one I'd argue is missing that should have made it is Jackie Pallo - he & McManus were two sides of the same coin - but that's a solid ten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dopper Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Really well put together series of topics for this, great work AJSTYLES. 8 of the 10 I voted for made the final 10, so I'm happy with that. And I can't argue with the 2 I didn't vote for deserving their place: Nagasaki & Walton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members theironshake Posted February 25, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted February 25, 2017 8 out of 10 for me and all of them made my top 15. I too feel that Jackie Palo is probably the one who should be there but can't complain with those choices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJSTYLES Posted February 25, 2017 Author Share Posted February 25, 2017 Jackie Pallo came 12th in the voting. He was two votes away from making it on the list. Johnny Saint was 11th and tied with Mark Rocco for 10th which would have seen them both go in but at 23:58 I received the final ballot which had Rocco's name on it but not Saint's knocking Saint out with just a minute left of voting time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members eugenespeed Posted February 25, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted February 25, 2017 I didn't vote mainly because I couldn't decide, but I like the list. Glad Regal made it in and my favourite WoS wrestler, Rocco. Can't argue with Kent Walton, for a while when I did community radio I used to finish off my show with "have a good week, til next week". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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