The world of pro-wrestling has had its ups and downs in terms of cultural relevance over the years. In the 1980s, it was building partnerships with the worlds of film, TV and music, only to experience a sharp decline as overall interest levels dropped throughout the early 90s.
Hulk Hogan
When you mention professional wrestling to anybody, whether they are avid fans or someone who hasn't watched a single second of it, more often than not they will at least know who Hulk Hogan is. Hogan's fame is a testament to how big and culturally relevant wrestling used to be back in the 1980s.
Andre the Giant
While Hulk Hogan has helped to cement many wrestlers' careers just by being in the ring with them, the superstar that arguably turned Hogan into one of the industry's top legends was Andre Rene Roussimoff, better known as Andre the Giant.
John Cena
The so-called Hulk Hogan of the 21st century, John Cena is another one of those instantly recognisable names regardless of how much professional wrestling you follow. While never quite reaching the levels of a Hogan or Rock, Cena is no stranger to the world of light entertainment, regularly being called on to represent the WWE on talk shows and award ceremonies.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Wrestling fans are, by their very nature, constantly locked into a debate around who the greatest professional wrestler of all time is. One name that certainly tops many people's lists is Stone Cold Steve Austin. One thing you can say for sure is that Austin has probably proven to be one of WWE's most important superstars owing to the fact that he essentially saved the company from annihilation in the mid to late 90s. Along with The Rock, Austin helped WWE and the wrestling business as a whole transcend the four corners of the squared circle and is now one of the sports most recognisable names.
Jesse Ventura
The former 80's colour commentator Jesse Ventura might not enjoy the levels of notoriety as some of the other entries on this list, but anybody with at least a passing interest in US politics may well know who he is.
Mick Foley
When you're seen as one of the main building blocks of WWE's most successful era, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to learn you are fairly well known outside of the ring as well. This is definitely the case with Mick Foley, who is also known as a best selling author, a regular TV and film personality, and a liberal activist.
CM Punk
It's safe to say the now infamous 'pipe bomb' that CM Punk delivered on that legendary episode of Monday Night RAW turned his entire life around. Before then, he was struggling to make a name for himself with anyone who hadn't followed his independent scene career. Now he is one of the most recognisable names in the world of sport.
Brock Lesnar
Another name synonymous with both professional wrestling and MMA is Brock Lesnar. The fact that Brock is a widely gifted athlete is more than just a Paul Heyman promo soundbite. The man has tried his hand at wrestling, mixed martial arts and professional football in his time.
Chris Jericho
When fans think about Chris Jericho, they will either recall his legendary in-ring wrestling career or his time on stage as the lead singer of Fozzy. It's probably safe to say his time in the ring during the Attitude Era helped Fozzy reach the heights it currently enjoys, but there are still many hardcore metal fans that will know the name Jericho without having watched any of his matches.
The Rock
As we've seen from the other entries on this list, there are many ways to make a name for yourself outside the world of Pro-wrestling. But perhaps none have been able to do it with the sheer amount of love and admiration than Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
No comments:
Post a Comment