WWE Hall of Fame: Class of 1995

This is one of those guys you’ve likely only heard of once in awhile, but he’s well worth looking into more.  Rocca was a BIG star back in the 50s and if I remember right, at times he was the #1 draw in wrestling at the time.  He was the guy that Buddy Rogers “beat” in a “tournament final” in Rio de Janeiro for the first WWF Title, obviously making him a big deal at the time.  Rocca was a high flier before there was such a thing as a high flier to be.  On top of all that:

That’s him beating up SUPERMAN.

In case you didn’t get it, Rocca belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Ernie Ladd

Ernie Ladd was a big power guy who was mainly a heel who worked in the WWWF in the 70s.  After watching some of his stuff, I can definitively, without a doubt or question, declare that Ladd was completely and utterly…..not bad.  That’s Ernie Ladd in a nutshell: he’s not bad.  Ladd was a heel who was built up for other faces to take down, kind of like Mark Henry before he went on his path of rage a year or two ago.  As for being in the Hall of Fame, no he doesn’t belong.

George Steele

Steele allegedly is in the Hall of Fame because Stephanie McMahon was a fan of his as a kid.  Other than that, I can’t think of a legitimate reason to put him in the Hall of Fame.  Steele was a crazy monster heel for awhile before becoming a face in 1984.  After that he was a goofy face for the rest of his career and did nothing of note.  There’s no reason for Steele to be in the Hall of Fame, but he’s certainly a fun character and I have nothing bad to say about him.  He’s just not in the elite class that is supposed to be in a Hall of Fame.

Ivan Putski

This is another name that just does not go with the term “Hall of Famer” when you think about it.  Putski was a Polish fan favorite and that’s about the extent of what he’s known for in wrestling.  He and Tito Santana held the tag titles in the late 70s and that’s about all he ever accomplished of note.  There isn’t much else to say here and in case you’re kind of thick, Putski is a no vote.

The Fabulous Moolah

This is one of those names that doesn’t need much of an explanation at all.  She’s the freaking Fabulous Moolah!  Of course she belongs in the Hall of Fame!  In case you’re a young whippersnapper, we’ll go with this: Moolah held the Women’s Title for over 26 years (technically).  If that doesn’t sum up why she’s in the Hall of Fame, nothing is going to.  This is an even bigger layup than Rocca, which is saying a lot.

The Grand Wizard

This is another one of those names that you don’t hear much about but you really should.  The Wizard was an incredibly hated heel manager who managed two world champions (Billy Graham and Stan Stasiak) as well as the first two IC Champions (Patterson and Patera) among many other big names.  He died in 1983 before the Golden Era hit, so there isn’t much video of him to go on.  Based on what I’ve seen and heard, Wizard was indeed an awesome manager and would rank right up there with Jimmy Hart and Bobby Heenan if he had been around to be seen with them.  Wizard should certainly be in, but again I’m not sure if he should have gone in this early.

Pedro Morales

This is another guy you might not have seen much of but I’ve always been a fan of the guy.  You constantly hear about people being a triple crown champion today, but Morales was the first man to ever accomplish that, and he would be the only man to do it for nearly 12 years.  Think about that.  The IC Title debuted in 1979 and until 1991, only Pedro Morales won all three titles.  He held the WWF and Intercontinental Titles for over a year each, which has only been matched by Randy Savage.  If you’re in that kind of company, you belong in the Hall of Fame.  Morales is an easy yes.

This was a stronger class on top but tomorrow we hit the class that stopped the Hall of Fame for nearly ten years.