Mount Rushmore of Wrestling (based on real one's criteria)

[Chico Torres]

Limiting it to American wrestling and wrestlers only these would be my choices as the core figures:

William Muldoon

Frank Gotch

Ed Strangler Lewis

Jim Londos

[Carbomb]

Just as a tangent, I'd put Tony Khan for the Preservation bit - I think there's a bit of an argument to say he's provided enough competition to keep fans who would otherwise have given up watching pro-wrestling because of WWE's monopoly and the general horrendousness of McMahon and co.

However, the main and most important reason is that I'd get a huge laugh out of seeing his coked-up, shock-eyed, gurning face carved into a mountain.

[Merzbow]

I'm sure there's at least one Indie promotion that'd say he's done harm to independent wrestling rather than preserving it, but knowing Brett is one it kinda loses the argument when he's in bed with WWE. 

[Roy]

Specific to professional wrestling in America:

Foundation: Paul George (I could easily have a trio of Ed Strangler Lewis, Billy Sandow and Toots Mondt here, but if it's one person I've gone for the guy that founded the National Wrestling Alliance)

Development: Vince McMahon (McMahon's aggressive tactics in the 70s and 80s were critical to the rise of the WWF and forced other promotions to follow suit)

Expansion: Hulk Hogan (Hogan was the bridge to the mainstream. Simply put, without his charisma and star power, wrestling would not have been as popular as it is today)

Preservation: Dave Meltzer (I don't think Dave's contribution to preserving the history of wrestling can be underestimated, though I suspect a lot of people will only realise this when he's gone)

Edited July 31, 2025 by Roy
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