Author: Any pro wrestling list is highly subjective. If you wracked your brain, you could probably come up with a hundred solo candidates throughout wrestling history more than worthy of WWE Hall of Fame induction.
(And, no, we’re not referring to their half-hearted "Legacy Wing," which has hastily and disrespectfully dumped in all-time greats like Bruiser Brody, Wahoo McDaniel, Lou Thesz, and Ray Stevens with little fanfare because Vince didn’t deem them worthy of airtime.)
Thus, I’ve chosen a ten wrestlers who campaigned heavily in the old WWWF and WWF territory, warranting all the bells and whistles for the main induction ceremony.
Legends Who Flew Under Vince McMahon’s Radar
The following ten individuals were clearly on Vince McMahon’s radar and should have been inducted as early as 1993 when the WWE Hall of Fame tradition began. Despite this, many have waited for over thirty years without the recognition they deserve.
Now, with Vince McMahon no longer in charge, there’s hope that some of these long-overlooked legends might finally receive their rightful place in the Hall of Fame. Sadly, many of them are no longer with us and will never have the chance to receive the honor in person.
Without further ado, these are our list of ten legends done wrong, in no particular order.
1. Angelo Mosca: A Canadian Heavyweight Legend
Canadian CFL football legend “King Kong” Angelo Mosca transitioned seamlessly into professional wrestling, headlining everywhere he went while garnering a basket full of regional titles along the way.
Main eventing throughout the territory against the WWWF/WWF Champion Bob Backlund and later a fierce feud with Pat Patterson, Mosca moved well for a super heavyweight and always gave the fans their money’s worth.
While a Canadian Football League Hall of Famer, he never got that WWE Hall of Fame nod but more than deserves it. Simply put, big men were rarely as good as "Big Nasty" Angelo Mosca.
Don’t miss: Angelo Mosca and Joe Kapp – Old Rivalries Die Hard.
2. Victor Rivera: Tag Team Glory, Hall of Fame Snub
Incredibly agile and acrobatic for his era, Victor Rivera was that rare face, both beloved and talented enough to headline Madison Square Garden as a tag team partner to Bruno Sammartino.
Equally popular in California, New York fans also got to see his exploits on Olympic Auditorium TV tapings seen on UHF Channel 41 in Spanish; he had a huge Hispanic fan base at the time comparable to Pedro Morales.
Always high on any WWWF card he appeared, Rivera was a tag champ with Dominic DeNucci but abruptly gave up the belt to leave for the IWA, which briefly challenged the WWWF before collapsing.
He later got a rushed and botched heel turn here as part of Freddie Blassie’s Army and his career never quite reached the same levels after.
Love Pro Wrestling Stories? Add us as a Preferred Source on Google so our stories always show up first for you. It only takes one click.
Add Us on Google3. Adrian Adonis: An Underrated In-Ring Technician
I attended Bob Backlund’s entire run leading up to and including his six-year championship reign, and I can attest that among the very best of his bouts were his series with a younger, fitter Adrian Adonis.
While never a beautiful body type, the 1982 version of Adonis was a tremendous technician, and he also was a big name anywhere and everywhere he went.
The Adonis/Murdoch and Adonis/Jesse Ventura tag teams also were tremendously successful.
While he’s best remembered for his over-the-top Adorable Adrian gimmick, as far as pure grappling, he was as great as virtually anyone. Backlund says just that in his autobiography.
Don’t miss: Adrian Adonis and Dan Spivey Near-Deadly Locker Room Brawl.
With hundreds of amazing Pro Wrestling Stories to dive into, where do you start? Get the inside scoop, join our exclusive community of wrestling fans! Receive 10 hand-picked stories curated just for YOU, exclusive weekly content, and an instant welcome gift when you sign up today!
4. King Kong Bundy: WrestleMania Main Eventer Missing
The WrestleMania 2 main-eventer versus Hulk Hogan, King Kong Bundy arguably has the greatest heel name in the history of the business.
His 5-count schtick was brilliant, and he was a fearsome force who also moved well for such an unbelievably massive man.
Also, one of the earlier wrestlers with crossover appeal appeared in movies, TV, and commercials and was one of the rare few who transcended wrestling.
Perusing the list of current WWE Hall of Famers, quite a few were never the level of star he was, nor did they draw the money he did on top.
It’s been reported there was behind-the-scenes heat between Bundy and Vince McMahon, and if so, it’s petty that somebody so deserving of the honor didn’t live to receive it.
Learn more: King Kong Bundy: Secret Tales on Wrestling’s Mischievous Giant.
5. Spiros Arion: The Heel Turn That Shocked the ’70s
Old school fans lovingly remember the shocking heel turn of Spiros Arion, making proud Italian Indian Chief Jay Strongbow eat his feathers and traumatizing us kiddies for the longest time. This led to three MSG sell-outs and countless battles with Bruno Sammartino throughout the horn.
Arion also became part of Fred Blassie’s foreign heel army with Waldo Von Erich and other immortals.
Arion returned a few years later to battle Backlund as well. Until Larry Zbysko a half-decade later, no heel turn meant that much, and few have since.
He was a great performer, either face or heel, and the fact that he isn’t in the hall is beyond me.
6. Waldo Von Erich: Bruno’s Fiercest, Forgotten Rival
While I would have guessed that Bruno Sammartino wrestled Killer Kowalski and George "The Animal" Steele more than any other opponent, fierce Waldo Von Erich was indeed his most frequent opponent.
Another agile heavyweight, Waldo could wrestle, brawl, and his heel “tyrannical” schtick not all that long after World War II ended got instant heat during that era. Hey, many of the dads in the audience had fought in "the big one," my father included. Yes, the stoned-face heel was always "over" and gave the fans their money’s worth.
Few things delighted us more than Bruno stomping him into oblivion on any given night, and we returned to see just that time and time again.
7. John Tolos: The Golden Greek Deserving Recognition
Those who know fully realize that the "Maniac" John Tolos, aka "The Golden Greek," was among the greatest heels ever to step foot in a ring. His classic feud with "The Hollywood Fashion Plate" Fred Blassie led to a massive closed-circuit pay-per-view match and super card in Los Angeles.
Hot off of Olympic Auditorium TV in New York City, Tolos headlined MSG versus our beloved Bruno and shocked us by calling "The Italian Strongman" a "spaghetti bender," and other ethnic slurs, which led to a match-up where he ultimately submitted to Bruno’s powerful backbreaker.
One of the greatest promo guys ever, Tolos, would talk you into a seat no matter who he was facing, and he also formed a great tag team with brother Chris.
How do you spell wrestling? "T-O-L-O-S!" he’d snarl. And he was ever so correct.
That the Olympic promoters erased their TV videotapes to reuse was incredibly short-sighted and downright cheap; thus, history hasn’t been kind to John Tolos as not a lot of him has survived for future generations to savor. There is even more reason to see him in the WWE Hall of Fame.
8. Don Leo Jonathan: The Giant Pioneer Overlooked
While many Undertaker fans have done a fawning "He should go into the Hall of Fame alone" mantra recently, Don Leo Jonathan was a fellow big man and super heavyweight who could probably have wrestled circles around him. But again, history hasn’t been all that kind to "The Mormon Giant."
DLJ’s career peaked well before the Hulkamania era and even the Internet and thus isn’t a familiar name to several generations of fans.
A perennial main-eventer and challenger to champions worldwide, including Bruno and Pedro Morales, he easily ranks on any “Top 10” wrestling big man list.
It’s an utter disgrace that he is not in the WWE Hall of Fame because Vince knows just how great he truly was.
9. Dynamite Kid: Wrestling’s Groundbreaking Underdog
Sitting in Madison Square Garden in the 1980s, we saw plenty of super heavyweights take on champ Bob Backlund. But none of us were prepared for "smaller guys" Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger Mask blowing the roof off "the mecca of professional wrestling."
We gasped at moves we had never seen before, and when their legendary contest was over, we could breathe once again.
Thomas Billington was a pioneer who took wrestling to a whole different level, and the British Bulldogs were also a great and beloved tag team. Besides, his in-ring exploits led to his being in a wheelchair later in life, so ultimately, few have sacrificed more.
Although some feel that his troubled legacy outside of the ring is to blame, The Dynamite Kid deserves to be front and center in the hall- as of yesterday.
10. Ken Patera: The Strongman Who Deserves His Place
The Olympic weightlifter turned pro wrestler should be on any “Top 10” or 20 all-time heel list and is numero uno on my list of injustices here.
A perennial challenger to all the world champions of his era, his title matches with Bruno, Backlund, and Pat Patterson for the Intercontinental belt are all-time classics.
Patera could do it all in the ring, from tests of strength to technical wrestling, and he wasn’t shy about engaging in bloody brawls either. At his peak, he was as great as anyone.
When I look back at my nearly fifty years of attending wrestling, I can, without hesitation, say that seeing Ken Patera live was among the greatest nights of my life.
A Final Call for WWE to Right Their Hall of Fame Wrongs
Hopefully, WWE will show the class someday to build not only a brick-and-mortar Hall of Fame building but also honor these ten giants who so rightfully deserve entry.
These ten legends not only dominated their eras but also helped build the foundation of the WWE we know today. It’s a disservice to their legacies—and the fans—that they haven’t been given the recognition they rightfully deserve.
While some may have passed without seeing their moment of honor, it’s never too late for WWE to right these wrongs. We can only hope that future inductions will show these giants of the ring the respect they have long earned.
These stories may also interest you:
- 21 Hall of Famers WWE Never Crowned Champions
- 12 Women Wrestlers the WWE Hall of Fame Did Wrong
- 7 WWE Hall of Fame Stories WWE Doesn’t Want You To Know!
Download PDF Version
Get the complete article as a formatted PDF for offline reading.
