In 2012, the WWE Network is supposed to begin. While no one knows what that really means for the future of pro-wrestling, but they are selling it as if they are re-inventing "sports entertainment." This video is a rebuttal to that. There is a pro-wrestling world outside of the WWE walls and hopefully there always will be. Remember to support quality pro-wrestling projects in 2012, whether they are producing shoot interviews, documentaries or books, many people are working to keep the legacy of pro-wrestling alive and free from the revisionist taint of WWE.
YouTube has been called the "final territory" by some as it has the capacity to keep the memories of territorial wrestling from around the world alive and available for the masses. This video is a tribute to that spirit of preservation of pro-wrestling's history through YouTube (and to a lesser extent other online mediums). The marks have become the promoters.
Please note that I chose to omit WWE Hall of Famers (except for one), not out of disrespect to them and their accomplishments, but to honor those that may never receive the public recognition from the WWE that they are due.
Talent Featured
(Approximately 100 People, all with Hall of Fame credentials or potential):
- Lou Thesz
- Don Leo Jonathan
- Strangler Lewis
- Dick Shikat
- Kenta Kobashi
- Kensuke Sasaki
- Atsushi Onita
- El Santo
- Tommy Rich
- Buzz Sawyer
- Shinya Hashimoto
- Nobuhiko Takada
- Sputnik Monroe
- Kyoko Inoue
- Manami Toyota
- Akira Hokuto
- Martin Karadigan
- El Momia
- King Kong Czaya
- Dara Singh
- Rafeal Halperin
- Fred Coates
- Konnan
- El Canek
- Dos Caras
- Ray Stevens
- Red Bastien
- Bad News Allen
- "(Mongolian) Stomper" Archie Gouldie
- Don Fargo
- Cowboy Bob Kelly
- Rip Tyler
- Shinjiro Otani
- Yoshihiro Tajiri
- Danny Hodge
- Whipper Watson
- Chief Chewaki
- Johnny Saint
- Dave "Fit" Finlay
- Akira Maeda
- Riki Choshu
- Masa Saito
- Rock-N-Roll Express
- Midnight Express
- Big Bubba Rogers
- Tommy Young
- Steven Wright
- Col. Brodey (Magnificent Maurice)
- Mick McMichael
- Jaguar Yokota
- Jackie Sato
- Ronnie Garvin
- Randy Savage
- Moondog Mayne
- Hank Renner
- Eduard Carpentier
- Skull Murphy
- Blue Demon
- Minoru Tanaka
- Yumi Fukawa
- Penny Banner
- June Byers
- Love Machine (Art Barr)
- Blue Panther
- Rikidozan
- The Destroyer
- Billy Jack Haynes
- King Kong Bundy
- Ole Anderson
- Kevin Sullivan
- Skandor Akbar
- Honky Tonk Man
- Bruno Sammartino
- Buck Robley
- Col. DeBeers (Ed Wiskowski)
- Gary Hart
- Dennis Condrey
- Bill Apter
- Jim Cornette
- Ivan Koloff
- Raven
- Ken Patera
- Missy Hyatt
- Paul Heyman
- David Schultz
- Bruiser Brody
- Hijo Del Santo
- Fuerza Guerrera
- Joe Stecher
- Earl Caddock
- Atlantis
- Iron Shiek
- Dick Murdoch
- Killer Karl Kox
- Kiyoshi Tamura
- Volk Han
- Carlos Colon
- Mark Lewin
- Curtis Iaukea