After WCW’s closure, Booker T continued to thrive in WWE, where he won the World Heavyweight Championship once and became a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion. His memorable feuds and entertaining persona made him a fan favorite, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice: first as an individual competitor and later as part of Harlem Heat.

Knowing a thing or two about breaking through and building a career, Booker T spoke on his “Hall of Fame” podcast, where he revealed who he considers the best women’s wrestlers of all time, a list that includes WWE women’s wrestling royalty.

Booker T on the Best Women’s Wrestlers of All Time

Booker T stated, “It’s going to be Sherri Martel, Trish Stratus, Sable, and Lita.” The former wrestling star noted how women’s wrestling has changed over the years, but these female competitors have taken the division to new heights.

When looking at Booker T’s picks, one might consider Trish Stratus and Lita the complete package, as they had the looks and talent to carry matches. Sherri Martel is regarded by many as one of the best managers of all time, while Sable helped promote wrestling through her looks more than her in-ring abilities.

Booker T was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6, 2013, with his brother, Lash, doing the honors. Later, on April 6, 2019, they were both inducted again as part of the 2019 class, representing their tag team Harlem Heat. This achievement made Booker a two-time Hall of Famer.

Now in a tell all interview with Wrestling News, the IMPACT Wrestling referee is promoting his new book, Earl Hebner: The Official Story, the 74-year-old shed some light on some of Wrestling’s darkest and most iconic moments.

One of those moments was Vince McMahon’s reaction when ill-fated wrestler Owen Hart fell from the ceiling of the Hy-Vee Arena, previously known as Kemper Arena, at Over the Edge 1999, landing in the ring and later at the hospital dying from the fall.

Earl Hebner opens up on Owen Hart’s death

In the interview Hebner states, “(Vince McMahon) is sitting right where (Hart) was. When it all happened, he saw it and he never moved. He stayed right there. When they brought Owen through the gorilla, he was in that same chair. He might have stood up, I can’t remember, but he never made a way to get closer like everybody else was.”

One of the most highly criticized decisions McMahon ever took in his life was after it was confirmed that Hart had died, he forced his staff and performers to finish the show, later citing he didn’t want “incite a riot or panic”.

For Hebner the decision of McMahon’s actions were clear, “Anytime there’s a death in any sport, I think it should be stopped and cut off. There’s always tomorrow. You can always go back tomorrow. If you had a big thunderstorm or power outages, you wouldn’t have the show, right? Okay, so what’s the big deal? A man lost his life and you’re still gonna have the show? It’s horrible. It’s called money.”

In an interview for Newsmax the 64-year-old former pro wrestler made a damning claim that WWE executives for a long time put talent in “bad situations”, meaning forcing them to partake in sexual favors.

According to Paul Roma, his former tag team partner Jim Powers told Roma that a WWE executive made a pass at him and that he told WWE brass at the time. Roma also went on to explain that another former tag team partner quit the business altogether after a WWE executive at the time wanted a sexual favor in exchange for money.

Paul Roma on WWE executives’ sexual misconduct

Roma also indicated that WWE executives who made passes at wrestlers ranged from bookers, those in charge of actually putting a card together, agents, those assigned to make sure wrestlers are on time, and other executives were all offering drugs, money, and position in exchange for sexual favors.

Roma stated that WWE executives “put you in really, really bad situations, especially once you started making some money,” on “Banfield.” “You find out that your job’s on the line. Either do it or get fired, and I witnessed quite a few that walked away. Money wasn’t worth it to go that route.”

All of these details have begun to come to light after Vince McMahon’s allegations of sexual misconduct and using company funds to lavish the plaintiff Janel Grant with gifts after allegedly demeaning her via sexual acts ranging from threesomes to using her as a bargaining chip for contract negotiations with other talents.

A report from News 4 in Jacksonville has reported that a Chicago based law firm is seeking more victims to speak out about McMahon and the WWE’s practices.

On January 25, Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE, the young woman has alleged that McMahon and Laurinaitis used her sexually and “trafficked” her to other employees and talents in the WWE. Not only that but Grant has admitted that McMahon lavished her with gifts and medical treatment all on what could have been company funds.

Since the allegations, Laurinaitis has distanced himself from McMahon, claiming he too is a victim of his former boss and that “the truth will come out”. Two perspectives on the matter spoke recently about the pending trial and how McMahon is now under federal investigation.

Bruce Prichard remaining silent

Bruce Prichard is currently the Executive Director at WWE and has a relationship with McMahon that goes back a long time, on the “Something To Wrestle,” podcast, the man many are pointing too to find answers made his stance very clear.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss any legal matters of the company whatsoever. To that, there is nothing that I can say,” Prichard said, “You can ask until you’re blue in the face, and that’s going to be your answer. I’m not involved, I’m not being sued, I’m not being accused of anything. It’s a legal matter. Sometimes, it is as simple as –for those who believe– the explanation is needed. For those that don’t, no explanation will do. That’s kind of where we are.”

Bret Hart shows no mercy on McMahon

On the other hand, former WWE legend and a man who has a huge love/hate relationship with McMahon, Bret Hart spoke to Slate and condemned his former employer’s actions.

“I think, despite all of the issues I ever had with Vince, I know, deep down, I always respected him; but now, knowing what kind of a weirdo he became, I have absolutely zero respect for him,” Hart wrote in a text message. “I do not think I could ever shake his hand if he extended it. Too creepy.”

“I always had a respect for him,” Hart said. “Now it’s tainted. I’m embarrassed that I thought so highly of him.”

It took almost 10 years for Bret Hart and Vince McMahon to put the Montreal screw job and the tragic death of Bret’s brother Owen Hart to bed. McMahon and Hart began speaking again after Bret Hart’s stroke in 2002, which opened the door to a halfway decent working relationship sporadically over the years. Although “The Hitman” has always maintained his stance on the events prior to Montreal and his mixed feelings about McMahon.

Nonetheless Owen’s widow Martha Hart launched a wrongful death lawsuit against the WWE by the help of aviation lawyer Gary C. Robb; she included her children and Owen’s parents on the lawsuit, which was settled out of court for approximately $18 million on November 2, 2000.

None bigger than the recent charges brought against former WWE owner Vince McMahon and former WWE executive and according to many Vince’s right-hand man, John Laurinaitis. The ladder recently issued a statement where he accused McMahon of holding “Power, [and] control” over him and of making “dictatorial sexual demands with repercussions if not met.”

This all stems from a civil suit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, who according to her attorney was a sort of “prop” for McMahon and other WWE executives, talents, and even technicians, often used for sexual encounters where Grant was demeaned. Grant went on to state in the suit that she participated in a threesome with McMahon and Laurinaitis where McMahon on said occasion defecated on Grant’s head. The over 60-page suit has been made public and many former talents of the WWE did not hold back to voice their opinions about McMahon.

Former WWE talents talk about Vince McMahon

Speaking on “Kliq This” former WWE heavyweight champion Kevin Nash stated, “If these things were done to me by a 77-year-old man, I wouldn’t be looking for a payoff, I’d be looking for him to die in prison on criminal charges.”

Nash also made sure to iterate that “He’ll have his day in court and this thing will play out”, while also stating that McMahon looks like he has a pattern of behavior due to so many NDA’s he has had many women sign.

“If somebody is such a predator and so deadly, you lock that person up,” Nash finished.

Another talent that spoke out was Maria Kanellis who stated, “Many of us experienced or heard rumors of different levels of evil for years,” she said. “Some tried to speak up to build momentum to change the culture in WWE. Many times, we’ve been called bitter or crazy. Others have been paralyzed by fear.”

Former WWE wrestler Ashley Massaro’s lawyer stated that her former client’s WWE career was halted after rejecting Vince McMahon’s advances. Konstantine Kyros stated, “This doesn’t come as any surprise to followers of Vince or the WWE because the culture was toxic. So, the sexual exploitation was just part of the overall control. The wrestlers function in an in-group subculture, where they’re governed by a code of silence called kayfabe. And this basically prevents people from speaking out because they will lose their job, they will lose their livelihood.”

“In addition to these horrific allegations that she made, it’s important, I think, for your viewers to understand that the wrestlers have been exploited and injured for decades by McMahon. And she had very common orthopedic injuries. She had very serious injuries to her neck, where she had herniated discs. And this type of lack of any engagement with their health care, the health prices that wrestlers are in where they suffer these horrendous injuries and then they end up unfortunately, in some cases taking their own lives”, Kyros stated on the Banfield Podcast.

Ashley Massaro is reported as committing suicide on May 16, 2019 in Smithtown, New York.

The Wall Street Journal broke the story with very graphic details of Grant’s four years in the wrestling company. In a nutshell, everything imaginable happened to Grant according to the lawsuit she filed, from being forced to partake in horrendous and forced sex acts with McMahon, multiple men, and having pictures of her passed around WWE talent and executives.

When Grant’s employment was finally terminated at the WWE, she alleges that McMahon forced her to sign a non-disclosure agreement even stating that an executive offered to pay her $3 million for her silence. Grant admits she has only received a portion of the agreed upon fee and is one of the reasons she is taking the matter to court.

Who else knew about the abuse Janel Grant suffered

According to the Wall Street Journal and LA Times, besides Vince McMahon who offered Grant employment in exchange for sexual favors, the suit stated disgraced former WWE executive John Laurinaitis has been named as being one of the executives who McMahon would regularly force Grant into having sexual relations with.

One of the WWE superstars mentioned indirectly in the suit was Brock Lesnar, who was not mentioned by name, but according to the report people close to the matter knew in an attempt to resign the former UFC star, Grant was ordered to “create personalized sexual content for a WWE superstar that (McMahon) was trying to re-sign.”.

According to the WSJ article, aside from demeaning sexual acts which ranged to having forced threesomes, one time McMahon went as far as defecating on Grant’s head, Grant was also forced to have sex with Laurinaitis in hotels before the start of workdays.

The Wall Street Journal report also indicated that McMahon had sexual toys which he named after his former professional wrestlers.

On Friday when the allegations were made public Vince McMahon quickly resigned from his role as TKO executive chairman and from his position on the TKO board of directors.

These new allegations are yet another blow to the WWE and McMahon who has a horrid history of allegations and payoffs. In April 2022, the WWE board began investigating nondisclosure agreements related to misconduct claims by women in the company against Laurinaitis and Vince McMahon.

Gifts Vince McMahon gave Janel Grant

According to Marca, Vince McMahon gave Janel Grant many luxury gifts while he forced her to partake in lewd sex acts. McMahon gave or paid for Grant’s medical care, he provided her with event tickets, and luxury items.

Grant received funds for “surgery, upscale jewelry, designer clothing and accessories, and regular deliveries of flowers”. Later McMahon allegedly gave Grant a “luxury car, spa gift certificate, private chef-catered dinners, more jewelry, a substantial Bloomingdales gift card, and a unique food and tea set from Saudi Arabia”.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the chief content officer at World Wrestling Entertainment, stated that he does not want to be “bogged down into that” as he continues his work with the black-eyed wrestling company.

Levesque stated that WWE and himself will do “everything possible” to make sure employees are provided a safe working environment.

They can also glue a show together as many tag teams on their own became huge fan favorites and were prime time players in the mid cards. Here are 25 great tag teams in wrestling history.

Doom

Ron Simmons and Butch Reed were a force to be reckoned with in the NWA with brutal wars with many tag teams including a legendary street fight with Barry Windham and Arn Anderson.

Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray)

Harlem Heat was a tag team from WCW which consisted of two brothers, Booker and Lash Huffman (better known as Booker T and Stevie Ray). The team achieved major success in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where they won the WCW World Tag Team Championship ten times.

The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika)

One of the fiercest tag teams of the NWA and many organizations around the world. Afa and Sika would win 21 major tag team titles in their career.

The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa Saed)

An ultra-violent and brutal tag team that was one of the major teams of ECW. The team was known for their brutal use of weapons from trash cans, crutches, and staple guns. New Jack made things way too real at one point when he used a razor to cut open an under-aged wrestler in the forehead.

The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags)

Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags were a wild tag team defined by being anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling. The Nasty Boys won three WCW tag team titles but only reduced to just 1 title in WWE.

The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage)

A powerful team that was way over as the WWE’s best baby face talents had feuds with Andre the Giant and the Million Dollar Man. The Mega Powers were more interesting due to their story surrounding their breakup than winning titles. Backstage the Mega Powers was a sly way for Hulk Hogan to stay relevant as a top wrestler on the card as the Macho Man rarely defended his WWE title on PPV or any major television event.

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard

In the NWA there may have never been a more feared tag team than two of the members of the four horsemen. In WWE The Brain Busters were just a part of the Heenan Family.

Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton

As members of the Dangerous Alliance Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton created a HOF of tag team wrestling. Eaton the highflier mixed very well with Anderson’s brutal in ring work. It was short lived, but their work together was always impressive.

The Four Horsemen (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham)

The trifecta of teams featuring Arn Anderson is complete with three very distinguished partners. Ric Flair, Blanchard, and Windham would combine with Anderson on various occasions as the horsemen ruled the wrestling world in the 80’s and 90’s.

The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane)

The combination of Undertaker and Kane were able to achieve three tag team championships in the WWE. They would feud often with each other but were near unbeatable when working together.

The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq)

Known more for their gimmick as hired guns or protection for other wrestlers, The Bradshaw and Faarooq were in bar brawls, poker games, and just beer drinking during the attitude era and still managed three WWE tag team titles.

The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts)

The gang from Bad Street USA, The Freebirds were a hairband wrestling crew that challenged many of the NWA’s top tag teams in the 1980’s.

The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole and Gene Anderson)

In the 70’s the Anderson brothers were two tough SOB’s winning various tag team titles in Georgia Wrestling and Mid- Atlantic Wrestling. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew were named “Tag Team of the Year” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 1975 and 1977.

The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty)

The high flying, explosive tag team of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty had major battles with the Hart Foundation, Demolition, and the Brain Busters. The team would have a violent break up when Michaels put Jannetty through a window during an interview segment.

The Brisco Brothers (Jack and Jerry Brisco)

Legends of the ring Jack is considered one of the best amateur wrestlers of his era, while Jerry was also an accomplished athlete. The two would win various tag titles in multiple territories.

Demolition (Ax and Smash)

Demolition was a three-time WWF World Tag Team Champions, and hold the record for the most combined days as reigning champions with that championship.

The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner)

With a mix of amateur wrestling and MMA style ring work, the Steiner Brothers were presented as the future of tag team wrestling. Rick and Scott Steiner had tremendous moves in the ring and won multiple tag team titles in WCW and WWE.

The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid)

From Japan to the territories to WWE, The British Bulldogs were an energetic team with the power of Davey Boy Smith and the ring work abilities of the Dynamite Kid.

The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane)

One of the most complete tag teams in wrestling history, the silky, smooth, and elegant Midnight Express. Lane was the ring worker while Eaton the highflier, the team had feuds with the best of the tag teams in the 80’s and wrestled in various scaffold matches.

The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal)

WHAT A RUSH! The powerful Road Warriors fought the best and made short work of them. Maybe no team dominated the 1980’s like Hawk and Animal. The team had virtually no match in WCW and WWE.

The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)

Maybe the raunchiest tag team of the attitude era, the mouth of the Road Dogg and the wrestling abilities of Billy Gunn. Two of the main members of DX, the New Age Outlaws, were must see TV.

The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart)

Whether they were heels or baby faces the fans were drawn to the in-ring abilities of the Hitman and the fun and powerful nature of the anvil. WWE had a star attraction with Bret Hart, and it showed by his early work with the Hart Foundation.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)

Winners of the NWA tag team titles a total of nine times, together they had huge feuds with the horseman, the Midnight Express, and the Freebirds.

The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy)

Two highfliers with perfect ease to transition from technical to brutal matches during the attitude era. The Hardy Boyz had great looks, amazing matches, and were the best mid-card players anyone could ask for.

The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley)

The brothers from different mothers, Bubba Ray and D-Von made a name for themselves working in ECW. In WWE they made it mainstream, “D-Von get the tables” was a sure bet to get the crowd off its feet.

In the interview, Hogan began with the outlandish claim that he was instrumental in bringing famed musical executive and future American Idol judge Simon Cowell to America. While the WWE had worked with Cowell in a music album in the mid 1990’s, Cowell already had a well-established career in the United Kingdom.

Hogan claims that he, Mr.T, and Michael Jackson, were together at a wrestling event at Wembley Stadium with Make-A-Wish kids, of which no photograph exists, the stars saw the kids during the 80’s and 90’s and this led to an encounter with a dying child and a 12 track album with Jimmy Hart.

Hulk Hogan discrepancies in Make-A-Wish story

According to Hogan, a dying child was brought to a wrestling show at Wembley Stadium with his parents. According to Hogan the event was either in the 80’s or 90’s, he never pinpoints the exact date. Hogan went on to perform but saw that the child was not in the audience during his match. Hogan not only claimed that the dying boy had “body odor” but he passed away mid show.

Hogan, who claims he wrestled the main event went on to speak with his “then manager” Jimmy Hart and wrote 12 songs for the child who passed away, all in one night.

Because Hart had a contract with Select Records, they were able to get Simon Cowell to produce the album. According to Hogan the album, which was produced in 1995, was number one on Billboard for eight weeks when in fact it was the Child Billboard chart, and it was not number 1.

The proceeds of the album went to the kid’s family according to the 70-year-old and Hogan and Hart brought Cowell to produce a second wrestling album. Hogan’s story then fluctuates with celebrities and albums that were either produced in the 80’s or encounters in the 80’s of which Cowell had nothing to do with.

Fans point out Hulk Hogan lies

According to the social media and WWE pundits, there was never a show at Wembley Stadium in the 80’s, and the only show at the famed stadium was SummerSlam in 1992 where Hogan was not the main event, that was Bret Hart vs the British Bulldog, Hogan was not even at the event or in the WWE at the time.

Cowell never worked with Hulk Hogan but did work with the WWE in 1993 for the WrestleMania album. Hogan’s album with Jimmy Hart was in 1995 and when the pair were wrestling in WCW.

The following wrestlers have understood that role to perfection, while some attitude era “heels” may be missing, it is because the lines were much blurred back then, as many were anti- heroes, here are 25 of the greatest wrestling heels, that no matter what era you knew they were the bad guys!

Roman Reigns

The head of the table was forced down the throats of WWE fans in order to get Roman Reigns over, later when given a mouthpiece like Paul Heyman, Reigns blossomed into a major heel. In the modern era of wrestling there is no heel bigger and better than Roman Reigns.

Goldust

At the dawn of the attitude era Goldust was truly something different, “the Bizarre One” because of his spooky, mysterious, bashful presentation with sexual suggestiveness towards his rivals. Goldust earned his stripes with the mic.

Mr. Perfect

A second-generation wrestler with a great sense of technical and agile display, in WWE Curt Hennig was given the moniker Mr. Perfect. A worthy intercontinental champion and major foil to the top baby faces of the time.

Jake The Snake Roberts

When Jake was a heel, he was as slick and deadly as they get, a master of head games, Roberts had one of the deadliest finishes in the history of wrestling the DDT. Sadly, Roberts never won a major title either in WWE or WCW.

Randy Orton

Orton may have been the best heel of the PG era, he had brutal wars with the Undertaker, Mick Foley, and was a master of betrayals. Orton was as devilish as they came in and out of the ring.

Rick Rude

Rick Rude was agile, well built, but every ring savvy. Rude would war with Jake The Snake Roberts, Ultimate Warrior, and in WCW against Sting and Ricky Steamboat. Rude’s best stuff was as the leader of the Dangerous Alliance in WCW.

Sgt Slaughter

The Iraqi version of Sgt Slaughter was nothing more than a transitional champion, but boy did he have to earn it, when Sgt Slaughter pledged his allegiance to Iraq during the Gulf War, he was forced to wear bulletproof vests while wrestling and was above anyone else as the most hated wrestler in the business.

Ted DiBiase

Everyone has a price, and the Million Dollar Man always got his way, Ted DiBiase was a tough and sneaky heel in the WWE, and when he could not win the WWE title, he created his own belt the Million Dollar Belt.

Vader

The man who feared no man, and felt no pain, was an abomination to his opponents the agile, 450 pound Big Van Vader defeated the likes of Sting to win the WCW World title and feuded with Ric Flair, Cactus Jack, and Hulk Hogan.

Terry Funk

The wild man from Texas, Funk had a brutal war with Ric Flair in the late 80’s and had some barnburners with Dusty Rhodes as well. Eventually Funk would become the ultimate babyface of ECW, but in his prime he was a menace.

New Jack

Maybe the most violent representation of ECW, New Jack was a gang banger character straight from 90’s gangster rap. He made a name for himself hurting his opponents with any object he could find, evening hurting them “for real” as when he stabbed an underage teenager who posed as a wrestler called “Mass Transit”.

The Honky Tonk Man

A poor man’s Elvis impersonator who held the Intercontinental title for almost a year and a half, he had a quick tongue and just got the fans angry at him. Honky Tonk Man had it, that it factor to be a hated heel that no matter what, you wanted him to get his just deserves.

The Undertaker

The first version of the Undertaker was as deadly as they come, he felt no pain and laid to rest his opponents with brutal ease. Despite slow moving Taker was as deadly as a snake, the Undertaker would eventually defeat Hulk Hogan and win the WWE title, as the decades went on he became the law in the WWE locker room and living legend in the business.

‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage

Whether it was his Macho attitude or wars with Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, or Ricky Steamboat, The Macho Man was as intense and evil as they came when he was a heel. Savage would have his most legendary war with Hulk Hogan when the Mega Powers broke up.

The Iron Sheik

The pro-Iranian wrestler of the 1980’s would anger fans with his anti- Americanism, best known for his finishing move the Camel Clutch chin lock and being WWE champion briefly before dropping the title to non-other than Hulk Hogan.

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Piper was a foil for Hulk Hogan during the early rise of Hulkamania, he was a cheater, loudmouth, and went as far as saying some very politically incorrect things to Mr. T. Eventually Piper became so popular it was impossible to keep him as a heel, but during his heyday as a heel Piper was pure havoc.

Raven

It might not have been the big lights of WWE or WCW but in ECW, Raven was king, a grunge, lonely, troubled man who belittled his “friends” and attributed his horrible actions to a poor childhood. Raven was a master of psychology, and an excellent storyteller. Sadly, when he finally did make the leap, in WCW he was a watered down version of his ECW self and in WWE he was nothing more than a hardcore wrestler.

“Dr. D” David Schultz

David Schultz was Stone Cold Steve Austin but even more brash, Schultz was not shy in laying down some sick promos, boarding on racist and homophobic. Schultz famously slapped a 20/20 reporter John Stossel after he was called a fake, open hand slapping him… twice.

Harley Race

Race was an arrogant heel, winner of seven World titles and master of the piledriver and a tough tongue. Race, unlike Ric Flair, was even more brutal in his ways to retain his world title. Eventually Race would go on to feud with the man who would take his place, Ric Flair.

Andy Kaufman

While not a wrestler in the professional term of the word, Andy Kaufman was a legendary heel, his strange appearance on Memphis wrestling bad mouthing the people and presenting himself as the rich man from Hollywood was golden. Kaufman’s classic feud with Jerry Lawler would culminate in a famous on-air fight on a 1982 episode of Late Night with David Letterman. Kaufman played off his heel run as just an overconfident man thinking he was a professional wrestler, fighting women, when he really wasn’t.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin

When Steve Austin ditched the Ringmaster gimmick and went all out as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, he changed the game forever in WWE and wrestling. The beer drinking, dirty mouth, can of whoop ass, Austin 3:16 version of Austin was an instant hit among the attitude era fans. Austin had legendary wars with Bret Hart who basically made Austin in memorable matches.

Andre the Giant

As a heel Andre the Giant had no equal, a man almost nearly impossible to defeat. And he was, losing only to Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and Randy Savage during the heyday of the 1980’s. Andre went into WrestleMania III as a pure menace.

Hollywood Hogan

When Hulk Hogan turned heel he shocked the wrestling world, joining the newly formed NWO, in a strange way the heel version of Hogan was how many would later describe the man outside of the ring in shoot interviews, a liar, a wimp, an opportunist, and greedy. As shocking as it was seeing Hogan as a heel, his heel run was menacing because he was the leader of the NWO, but when he stands alone, Hogan’s heel run can be considered comical at times.

Ric Flair

The dirtiest player in the game, Ric Flair was dominant as a wrestling heel in the 1980’s and 1990’s, being a pure representation of the take it or leave it glamor of the 1980s. Flair feuded with some of the best babyfaces in the business, Dusty Rhodes, Sting, Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Bret Hart. Eternal leader of the four horsemen and the best heel of his 20-year run.

Vince McMahon

The boss, the brain behind the WWE. Vince McMahon became a character, a larger-than-life version of himself after the famed Montreal Screw job. His biggest feud was with Stone Cold Steve Austin, for the better part of 20 years Mr. McMahon was one of the biggest heels in the wrestling world.

The 25 wrestlers below left a huge mark in the wrestling industry, some became household names, others great talents of their time, here are 25 great professional wrestlers.

AJ Styles

Despite a small stature for a wrestler of 5 feet and 11 inches, AJ Styles was able to ascend due to his in-ring technique, and over the course of his career be considered one of the best in the business. Styles won titles in various organizations including TNA and WWE.

Terry Funk

The master of hardcore, Terry Funk had a storied career from his adventures in the NWA to his giving back in ECW. Funk single handedly had some of the greatest feuds in wrestling from his battles with Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, all the way to Raven. Funk did something few wrestlers like him do, he put people over and gave back rather than holding on.

Ultimate Warrior

No one was as electric as the Ultimate Warrior, a man with little ring experience or talent to hold a match together for more than 10 minutes. The Warrior was all about the look and the excitement rather than the end result. Nonetheless he won multiple titles in WWE and became one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time, beating Hulk Hogan clean. To his credit the Warrior got better as time went along, although he was very difficult to work with.

Roddy Piper

One of the first wrestlers to truly cross over, Roddy Piper was exceptional on the mic, a good worker despite being limited, and also very charismatic. So much so he would do various movies and television shows, all while wrestling for WWE and WCW in their heyday. Piper never really held any major national titles, but he was an electric wrestler.

Jake The Snake Roberts

A diabolical wrestler, very cunning, smooth talker, Roberts was able to get over by being slick and sinister. In an era where the wrestlers were big, Jake was average but lethal. Creator of one of the best finishing moves of all time, the DDT.

Harley Race

A historical career which began in 1960 and would lead him to become, at the time, the man to win the most wrestling world titles. Race had legendary feuds and worked various territories before the dawn of WWE and their national takeover. Race’s career speaks for itself: eight-time world champion, the first NWA United States Heavyweight Champion (now WWE United States Championship), one of six men to have been inducted into each of the WWE Hall of Fame, the NWA Hall of Fame, the WCW Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Ricky Steamboat

One of the first wrestlers to successfully blend martial arts and wrestling into his style. The Dragon was electric with his Bruce Lee look and family values kind of vibe. Steamboat had mega matches with Ric Flair and Randy Savage, stealing the show in WrestleMania 3.

Mick Foley

Hardcore at its best, Mick Foley truly put his body on the line in an era where at times we saw it all. Foley, through various personalities had pin fall count anywhere matches, he threw himself off a cage against the Undertaker, and was in so many wars we could write an entire article about it. As a wildly veteran he was given the honor to hold the WWE World Title, a tribute for his lasting sacrifices.

Kurt Angle

One of the best amateur wrestlers to do it Kurt Angle, not only was he able to make a credible splash with his style of amateur wrestling mixed with an MMA style but when he had to he could work a gimmick.

Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho’s early work truly showcased his agility and passion for the sport. He also had a great charisma in the ring, one of the best talkers in the history of the business. His ladder work isn’t as great but in the 1990’s we were all Jerichoholics.

Sting

Sting was the cartoon superhero character that was tailored for the kids of WCW. Sting would have great wars with the Great Muta, Lex Luger, and his eternal wars with the four horseman and Ric Flair. In the ladder part of his career and a complete image change, Sting was one of the main antagonists of the NWO and Hulk Hogan. Sting was a WCW heavyweight champion on many occasions and was a true company guy.

Macho Man Randy Savage

Randy Savage came from a wrestling background and worked his character all the way to his big break in the WWE. Savage was the best heel of the company in the 1980’s working magical matches with Hulk Hogan and Steamboat. Savage had a major run all the way to winning his second WWE title against Ric Flair. Then he was a second-rate player during the NWO era, the best of Savage was the 1980’s.

Eddie Guerrero

Eddie Guerrero brought some Latino Heat to the ring with his high-flying Mexican style, Guerrero was one of the best modern wrestlers in WWE history. From a cruiserweight in WCW to his star attraction and matches in WWE.

Bruno Sammartino

One of the great legends of the wrestling business, Bruno Sammartino held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (now known as the WWE Championship) for more than 11 years (4,040 days). For many years Sammartino was regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of all time.

Dusty Rhodes

The American dream was full of charisma, and held multiple world titles, with Dusty you got past the less than stellar physique but got into the story. A powerful storyteller, Dusty Rhodes helped launch the careers of many in the wrestling business.

The Undertaker

The phenom was and is a wrestling legend, The Undertaker has worked with every major player of his era and always had great matches. The best of Taker came with working with Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Mankind, and the Rock. A company man, Taker was around for the good, the great, and the bad in the WWE.

Edge

Given the chance by Paul Heyman on Smackdown, Edge jumped on to singles action with great matches and an out of nowhere push to stardom. Edge was a big star in the post Austin and Rock eras and was a huge void when he left the WWE.

John Cena

Charismatic and athletic, John Cena brought it all, at times too PG for an audience that was coming off of an R rated WWE world. As time has gone by Cena has proven to be one of the most entertaining wrestlers of all time.

Shawn Michaels

He could have been the greatest of all time had his demons not tarnished his career. Shawn Michaels was a showman, from his personality to his ring style. Athletic and quick he had classics with Bret Hart, The Undertaker, and Scott Hall. Sadly, his legacy was tarnished forever for his involvement in the Montreal screw job.

Andre the Giant

Andre the Giant made Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and the Ultimate Warrior. The big man was a legend of the ring and was the ultimate bad guy heel of the 1980s. No one did the wrestling business like Andre the Giant. One of the most imposing wrestlers of all time.

Stone Cold Steve Austin

The every man’s champion. Stone Cold Steve Austin was a beer drinking, havoc causing individual and had the greatest storyline in wrestling history. He feuded for almost 2 years with his boss, beating, kicking, and embarrassing him at every turn. Without question Steve Austin was the attitude era.

Ric Flair

The Nature Boy, there are two versions of Ric Flair, the great heel of the 1970’s – mid 1990’s. From six NWA/WCW titles to his winning the 1992 Royal Rumble to win his first of two WWE titles. A few titles later the latter part of Flair’s career was a mess, from being poorly used to seeing a 60-year-old man reduced to a bloody mess. Say what you want, the Flair of the 80’s was the most dominant wrestler of his era.

Bret Hart

Maybe the most believable champion in wrestling history, a man who came from a wrestling family and paid his dues to rise to the top. Hart was a sensational wrestler, talented storyteller in the ring, Hart could literally work with anyone. Sadly, his leaving WWE in 1997 did little to help the wrestling business, it deprived the WWE of a great talent and WCW had no clue what to do with him. Hart vs The Rock is the dream match we never got.

Hulk Hogan

The ultimate superhero wrestler the man who had kids lineup for a ticket, to buy merchandise, and eventually many new wrestlers would emerge after they saw Hogan. Limited but charismatic, Hogan took wrestling by storm and kept himself relevant all the way to the 2000s. Hogan has the greatest theme song in wrestling history.

The Rock

The total package, a great wrestler, a great spokesperson, but most of all total charisma. The Rock could entertain by doing 15 minutes on the mic, but then could wrestle the hell out of a match for 30 min. The Rock would go on to become a great actor and later entrepreneur of his own. The biggest success case of the industry.

Some interesting battles will take place in the end of the week between different colleges. The one that will start the day is a Pac-12 clash in Stanford vs Pennsylvania. But that will not be the only event of the day.

There are other appealing ones that will also take place in the day. The next event will have Arizona State vs Princeton staying in the conference. Although the last one will be a Big 10 match in Minnesota vs Michigan State.

College Wrestling: Date

Stanford vs Pennsylvania, Arizona State vs Princeton, and Minnesota vs Michigan State will clash today, January 15.

College Wrestling: Time by State in the US

Stanford vs Pennsylvania

ET: 3 PM
CT: 2 PM
MT: 1 PM
PT: 12 PM

Arizona State vs Princeton

ET: 4 PM
CT: 3 PM
MT: 2 PM
PT: 1 PM

Minnesota vs Michigan State

ET: 8 PM
CT: 7 PM
MT: 6 PM
PT: 5 PM

How to watch College Wrestling in the US

The full slate of College Wrestling will be available to watch or live stream on FuboTV (free trial) in the US. The Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Bay Area, and Pac-12 Arizona are the other channels.