WWE Mount Rushmore

[SHOGUN]

Has to be Rocky.

/biased

 

[dave]

Hulk Hogan
Steve Austin
Bruno Sammartino

It has to be Vince McMahon.

Without McMahon, there is no WWE Mount Rushmore.

I think an argument could be made for Andre The Giant over Bruno. Bruno was a regional worker and had nothing to do with the WWE's global success. Andre's match with Hogan got the WWE over the top.

 

[manchild24]

I get what people are saying here but really, Bruno Samartino. Hell he was WWF not even WWE though thats not much of an arguement.

When I think of WWE/WWF he doesnt even pop in my mind, neither does guys like Macho Man, Andre, Hart. I agree with the Undertaker statement, its really just been his longevity over the years, he had a great gimmick (but I dont know how you go from an Undertaker to a Bad Ass riding a Harley to the ring, never got that one.)

If your going back to Bruno, then Vince Sr should be on that list. He started it all but Vicne took it to where it was and is today. Really it just all depends on what era you look at, yeah when I was a kid I watched the WMs and I remember my dad waking me up to watch Hogan vs Piper on MTv. Hell I remember watching on Saturday mornings when the main event was Hogan vs tiger chung li and watching Saturday Night Main Event. But the WWE and Wrestling IMO didnt take off until the Monday night Wars started and then when WWE went with the entire Attitude era. But Im rambling here so a WWE Mount Rushmore for me.

Vince
Hulk
Austin
Rock

Vince and Hulk started it, Austin and Rock took it to the next level as the faces of the WWE.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

The lack of respect for Bruno is pretty surprising.

Held the WWF Title for seven years when it truly meant you were THE MAN, and sold out MSG, Baltimore, Philly, Washington, Pittsburgh, etc etc over and over and over for the entire run. Only lost the title to Ivan Koloff because he wanted time off, then had another multi year run when he decided to come back. Nobody - NOBODY - sustained his level of popularity and success for even half as long.

I think The Rock's run is a bit overrated. Let's be honest, while a star for sure, he coat tailed Austin and was always the clear #2. Plus his run was short. Being upstaged by master worker Hogan at WM hurts too.

Andre is really in the same boat as Undertaker. Outside of WM3 he was more of a gimmick guy and never a true top guy. He spent a lot of his time in other territories, too. Undertaker is just as iconic at this point.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Without the draw of Bruno keeping WWWF as a major territory under Vince Sr, Vince Jr can't take them national as easily as he did.

 

[FirstTimer]

Never heard of Bruno until this thread.

:shifty:

 

[manchild24]

were does Gorilla Monson fall under this

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Ethnic babyfaces ruled the 70's. Bruno had all of the wop's coming out, then Pedro Morales had his run and the Puerto Rican's filled MSG. Even guys like Ivan Putski and Sal Bellomo fit the profile. Tito Santana came a few years too late. He had a real nice decade long run, including #2 babyface behind Hogan around 1984, 1985, but he would have been huge 5 years earlier.

 

[EmpireWF]

Ethnic babyfaces ruled the 70's. Bruno had all of the wop's coming out, then Pedro Morales had his run and the Puerto Rican's filled MSG. Even guys like Ivan Putski and Sal Bellomo fit the profile. Tito Santana came a few years too late. He had a real nice decade long run, including #2 babyface behind Hogan around 1984, 1985, but he would have been huge 5 years earlier.

Remember on the Piper DVD, they had one extra where it must've been around 86 and MSG. Bruno and Piper w/ Orton are in the ring and Piper cuts one of his promo's and drops a line about the stupid wops. I nearly spit out my drink when I heard it, it was hilarious.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

were does Gorilla Monson fall under this

Part owner of Capitol Sports with Vince Sr, so-bad-he-was-good tv announcer during a romanticized era, and a monster heel in the 60's and 70's as the "Manchurian Giant" Gorilla Monsoon. Well respected backstage presence famous for telling guys when their egos got the best of them "if you're in this business for any reason besides making money, you're in the wrong business". Would perch himself behind the ring enterance on big shows and tell guys when to run in, a position now known as "the Gorilla position". Wore terrible sport coats. Snuck in lots of inside jokes on commentary, like "he went to the Terry Garvin school of self defense" when a wrestler would be mounted from behind. Garvin was a backstage agent/gay pedophile fired during the sex scandals of the 90's.

 

[s@ppisgod]

The lack of respect for Bruno is pretty surprising.

Held the WWF Title for seven years when it truly meant you were THE MAN, and sold out MSG, Baltimore, Philly, Washington, Pittsburgh, etc etc over and over and over for the entire run. Only lost the title to Ivan Koloff because he wanted time off, then had another multi year run when he decided to come back. Nobody - NOBODY - sustained his level of popularity and success for even half as long.

I think The Rock's run is a bit overrated. Let's be honest, while a star for sure, he coat tailed Austin and was always the clear #2. Plus his run was short. Being upstaged by master worker Hogan at WM hurts too.

Andre is really in the same boat as Undertaker. Outside of WM3 he was more of a gimmick guy and never a true top guy. He spent a lot of his time in other territories, too. Undertaker is just as iconic at this point.

The lack of respect for Rock is horrifying. He wasn't a coattailer to anybody. Austin was a huge hit to the beer drinking, camo wearing, low IQ wrasslin fans, sure. But Rock brought in many, many casual fans. He made wrestling look cool, which is damn near impossible to do. The man hosted SNL for christ's sake. His mainstream appeal was off the charts, even before he went into movies. He was much greater than Austin at that in my mind. Austin pulled some of WCW's fanbase in with him, which I still consider under the wrestling niche audience. Rock gained non-wrestling fans that haven't been back since. No real way to prove that, but I believe it to be true.
SAMSUNG-SGH-A887/A887UCIJ1 SHP/VPP/R5 NetFront/3.5 SMM-MMS/1.2.0 profile/MIDP-2.1 configuration/CLDC-1.1

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Ethnic babyfaces ruled the 70's. Bruno had all of the wop's coming out, then Pedro Morales had his run and the Puerto Rican's filled MSG. Even guys like Ivan Putski and Sal Bellomo fit the profile. Tito Santana came a few years too late. He had a real nice decade long run, including #2 babyface behind Hogan around 1984, 1985, but he would have been huge 5 years earlier.

Tito was running the B-show circuit for years though.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

The lack of respect for Rock is horrifying. He wasn't a coattailer to anybody. Austin was a huge hit to the beer drinking, camo wearing, low IQ wrasslin fans, sure. But Rock brought in many, many casual fans. He made wrestling look cool, which is damn near impossible to do. The man hosted SNL for christ's sake. His mainstream appeal was off the charts, even before he went into movies. He was much greater than Austin at that in my mind. Austin pulled some of WCW's fanbase in with him, which I still consider under the wrestling niche audience. Rock gained non-wrestling fans that haven't been back since. No real way to prove that, but I believe it to be true.
SAMSUNG-SGH-A887/A887UCIJ1 SHP/VPP/R5 NetFront/3.5 SMM-MMS/1.2.0 profile/MIDP-2.1 configuration/CLDC-1.1

This is very true...Rock brings in casual viewers or non-wrestling fans in like crazy.

Probably moreso than anyone listed in this thread.

 

[EmpireWF]

The lack of respect for Rock is horrifying. He wasn't a coattailer to anybody. Austin was a huge hit to the beer drinking, camo wearing, low IQ wrasslin fans, sure. But Rock brought in many, many casual fans. He made wrestling look cool, which is damn near impossible to do. The man hosted SNL for christ's sake. His mainstream appeal was off the charts, even before he went into movies. He was much greater than Austin at that in my mind. Austin pulled some of WCW's fanbase in with him, which I still consider under the wrestling niche audience. Rock gained non-wrestling fans that haven't been back since. No real way to prove that, but I believe it to be true.

No one was hotter than Austin circa 98-99. No one.

Rock and Austin will always be linked since they were each other's greatest rivals and all, but still...

 

[dave]

No one was hotter than Austin circa 98-99. No one.

Rock and Austin will always be linked since they were each other's greatest rivals and all, but still...

Hogan was hotter at the start of Hulkamania.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Hogan was hotter at the start of Hulkamania.

Hogan made Vince a millionaire.

Austin made Vince a billionaire.

HHH made Vince a millionaire again.

 

[s@ppisgod]

No one was hotter than Austin circa 98-99. No one.

Rock and Austin will always be linked since they were each other's greatest rivals and all, but still...

I won't argue that. He wasn't hotter, though he also didn't have the whole show written around him the way Austin did. But he brought in people who didn't usually watch Raw by the truckload.
SAMSUNG-SGH-A887/A887UCIJ1 SHP/VPP/R5 NetFront/3.5 SMM-MMS/1.2.0 profile/MIDP-2.1 configuration/CLDC-1.1

 

[BazookaJoe5]

If the definition is

How about this: they are constructing this monument, and want it represented by the four biggest icons in company history. Who are the four faces of the WWE?

Then it is Hogan, Austin, Rock, and Vince. To say the Rock is overrated...as a wrestler, maybe? But as an "icon"...no way.

When people think of wrestling, I'm pretty sure they aren't thinking of Bruno Sammartino or the Undertaker or Shawn Michaels or anyone like that...I'd say that Rock is actually going to be the first person who comes to mind, not Hogan or Austin or Vince. sappisgod said it better than I can. If the definition is the biggest icons in company history, no way The Rock gets left off. No way.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

If the definition is



Then it is Hogan, Austin, Rock, and Vince. To say the Rock is overrated...as a wrestler, maybe? But as an "icon"...no way.

When people think of wrestling, I'm pretty sure they aren't thinking of Bruno Sammartino or the Undertaker or Shawn Michaels or anyone like that...I'd say that Rock is actually going to be the first person who comes to mind, not Hogan or Austin or Vince. sappisgod said it better than I can. If the definition is the biggest icons in company history, no way The Rock gets left off. No way.

I think the Rock has to be under consideration for sure, but he was not a bigger star for the company than Bruno Sammartino.

I can see why a lot of people are including Vince, but i'd stick to wrestlers.

I still can't really decide on a fourth guy. Maybe it would be easier to just slap Vince into that slot.

 

[Leftwich]

I wanna bump this thread for no reason at all.