John Cena: First ballot Wrestling Observer HOF'er

[Warner2BruceTD]

1996 INDUCTEES

Abdullah the Butcher
Perro Aguayo
Andre the Giant
Bert Assirati
Shohei “Giant” Baba
Jim Barnett
Wild Red Berry
Fred Blassie
Blue Demon
Nick Bockwinkel
Paul Boesch
Bobo Brazil
Jack Brisco
Bruiser Brody
Mildred Burke
El Canek
Negro Casas
Riki Choshu
Jim Cornette
The Crusher
Alfonso Dantes
The Destroyer
Ted DiBiase
Dick the Bruiser
Dusek family
Dynamite Kid
Fabulous Kangaroos
Jackie Fargo
Ric Flair

Tatsumi Fujinami
Dory Funk Jr.
Dory Funk Sr.
Terry Funk
Verne Gagne
Cavernario Galindo
Ed Don George
Gorgeous George
Frank Gotch
Karl Gotch
Superstar Graham
Eddie Graham
Rene Guajardo
Gory Guerrero
George Hackenschmidt
Stan Hansen
Bret Hart
Stu Hart
Bobby Heenan
Danny Hodge
Hulk Hogan
Antonio Inoki
Rayo de Jalisco Sr.
Tom Jenkins
Don Leo Jonathan
Gene Kiniski
Fred Kohler
Killer Kowalski
Ernie Ladd
Dick Lane
Jerry Lawler

Strangler Lewis
Jim Londos
Salvador Lutteroth
Akira Maeda
Devil Masami
Mil Mascaras
Dump Matsumoto
Earl McCready
Leroy McGuirk
Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent K. McMahon
Danny McShane
Ray Mendoza
Mitsuharu Misawa
Joe "Toots" Mondt
Sam Muchnick
Bronko Nagurski
Pat O'Connor
Kintaro Oki
Atsushi Onita
Pat Patterson
Antonio Pena
John Pesek
Roddy Piper
Harley Race
Dusty Rhodes
Rikidozan
Road Warriors
Yvon Robert
Billy Robinson
Antonino Rocca

Buddy Rogers
Lance Russell
Bruno Sammartino
El Santo
Jackie Sato
Randy Savage
Billy Sandow
The Sheik
Hisashi Shinma
Dara Singh
Gordon Solie
El Solitario
Rick Steamboat
Joe Stecher
Tony Stecher
Ray Steele
Ray Stevens
Nobuhiko Takada
Genichiro Tenryu
Lou Thesz
Tiger Mask (Satoru
Sayama)
Jumbo Tsuruta
Frank Tunney
Mad Dog Vachon
Big Van Vader
Johnny Valentine
Fritz Von Erich
Whipper Billy Watson
Bill Watts
Jaguar Yokota
Stanislaus Zbyszko

1997 INDUCTEES

Edouard Carpentier
Toshiaki Kawada
Jimmy Lennon
William Muldoon
Chigusa Nagayo
El Hijo Del Santo

1998 INDUCTEES

Dos Caras

1999 INDUCTEES

Lioness Asuka
Jushin Liger
Keiji Muto
Jim Ross

2000 INDUCTEES

Steve Austin
Mick Foley
Shinya Hashimoto
Akira Hokuto
Bill Longson
Frank Sexton
Sandor Szabo

2001 INDUCTEES

Black Shadow
Diablo Velasco
Lizmar
Bull Nakano
El Satanico

2002 INDUCTEES

Martin "Farmer" Burns
Jack Curley
Kenta Kobashi
Wahoo McDaniel
Manami Toyota

2003 INDUCTEES

Chris Benoit
Earl Caddock
Francisco Flores
Shawn Michaels

2004 INDUCTEES

Kazushi Sakuraba
The Undertaker
Bob Backlund
Masahiro Chono
Ultimo Dragon
Kurt Angle
Carlos “Tarzan” Lopez

2005 INDUCTEES

The Fabulous Freebirds
Triple-H
Paul Heyman

2006 INDUCTEES

Eddie Guerrero
Hiroshi Hase
Masakatsu Funaki
Aja Kong (Erika
Shishido)
Paul Bowser

2007 INDUCTEES

The Rock
Evan “Strangler” Lewis
Tom Packs

2008 INDUCTEES

Paco Alonso
Martin Karadagian

2009 INDUCTEES

Konnan
Everett Marshall
The Midnight Express
Bill Miller
Masa Saito
Roy Shire

2010 INDUCTEES

Rey Mysterio Jr.
Chris Jericho
Wladek Zbyszko

2011 INDUCTEES

Curtis Iaukea
Steve Williams
Kent Walton

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I don't understand where the voters are coming from with The Midnight Express being in, but the Rock & Roll Express being out.

 

[FedEx227]

...OVER 600 POUNDS, ART!

 

[FedEx227]

I don't understand where the voters are coming from with The Midnight Express being in, but the Rock & Roll Express being out.

Right, that's beyond silly. Maybe this is a stupid question but which tandem? I'm assuming Lane and Eaton but you could make an argument fro Lane and Condrey. Or is it just a "the entire history of Midnight".

In which case, it's stupid because their history is joined, pretty much at the hip, with the Rock & Roll Express, who had more longevity in addition to drawing huge crowds alongside ME.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Its both Eaton versions. Eaton & Condrey, Eaton & Lane. None of the others.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

The best Midnight Express story, is when Bill Watts invited Jerry Jarrett down to his territory to scout for the talent exchange that ultimately led to the Midnights coming to Mid South, Jarrett looked around the locker room and said "where's the blowjobs?". Watts was like, listen man, you're barking up the wrong tree, find that shit on your own. Jarrett had to explain that in Tennessee locker rooms, "blowjobs" was slang that referred to pretty boy babyfaces who draw teenage girls to the matches. Mid South was a tough guy territory full of big, husky, ugly manly men.

 

[FedEx227]

Then Watts got pissed the Midnight Express left their feet.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I posted a Midnights/R&R thread on the observer board, hopefully after the smarm & trolling runs its course big dave will come in and give his take. Rovert is already laying on the smarm quite thick.

 

[Liquidrob]

Gorilla knows all the ligaments of the human body

GOAT commentator

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Gorilla knows all the ligaments of the human body

GOAT commentator

Highly unlikely

 

[s@ppisgod]

Would Brian Pillman have had a shot if not for the hummer accident? He was a great wrestler before, and had a really hot gimmick of the Loose Cannon that spanned the entire big 3. In the WWF, he was still involved in major storylines of Pillman's got a gun and a bit player in the Canada vs. US feud. I think he could have been a main event level wrestler in WWF if he was healthy. He had the athleticism, the in-ring talent, a unique persona. Him and Owen Hart left a lot of unfulfilled potential, but Owen was buried in the mid-card for years when he went. I really feel like if Pillman hadn't been cut down in that accident, he could have been a big star in WWF. Like the Magnum TA story, only with more talent. A healthy Pillman as the Loose Cannon feuding with HBK when he was pushing the envelope would have been entertaining in every way possible.

Gorilla was a great commentator, even if it was based more on shtick than calling the action. I'd put him in. Him and Heenan was just a pleasure to listen to. I miss when the announcers would bring the production up, instead of drag it down. Be it with JR, Hayes, The Body, Heenan, or Gorilla.

 

[s@ppisgod]

Highly unlikely

Will you stop?!

 

[EmpireWF]

OCCIPITAL PROTUBERANCE!

 

[EmpireWF]

Would Brian Pillman have had a shot if not for the hummer accident? He was a great wrestler before, and had a really hot gimmick of the Loose Cannon that spanned the entire big 3. In the WWF, he was still involved in major storylines of Pillman's got a gun and a bit player in the Canada vs. US feud. I think he could have been a main event level wrestler in WWF if he was healthy. He had the athleticism, the in-ring talent, a unique persona. Him and Owen Hart left a lot of unfulfilled potential, but Owen was buried in the mid-card for years when he went. I really feel like if Pillman hadn't been cut down in that accident, he could have been a big star in WWF. Like the Magnum TA story, only with more talent. A healthy Pillman as the Loose Cannon feuding with HBK when he was pushing the envelope would have been entertaining in every way possible.

Nobody can say for 100% that Pillman becomes a major WWF star.....but there's no doubt he had all the tools to become a main eventer if his ankle is not crushed to pieces. He went to WWF at the perfect time and probably is given the opportunity to work like a major player because of his talking abilities. Plus, Vince paid him a bunch of money so it would've been only logical to think he wouldn't have been buried.

As for Owen, you always got the sense (in the years since his death) that he didn't really care as much about his being kept in the mid-card all those years. His widow has insisted that he was going to work until his contract ended, take all the money he earned and retire from wrestling. Plus, his personality didn't lend itself to being a political player in WWF at any point. You could argue, it's probably true, the only reason he got the biggest push of his career (late 93-94) was because Bret pushed Vince to do it. After their feud, he was strictly mid card from the end of 94 until his passing.

 

[FedEx227]

OCCIPITAL PROTUBERANCE!

THIS WHOLE PLACE IS GOING BANANAS!