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Today I will be exploring and looking at who I regard as the 10 biggest Icons in the History of the Wrestling business. I don’t have particular criteria for this, I am literally basing this off who I think are the biggest names in the industry’s history and people who drew the most money and eyeballs to Professional Wrestling. This is just my opinion and I am sticking to it, brother.
Andre The Giant
There’s a reason why Andre was the inaugural member of the WWE Hall of Fame. Andre was regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World, and was somebody that often travelled from territory to territory, country to country, and would always pop a number for the attendance of a particular promotions show. Andre was so famous that he ended up in the classic film, The Princess Bride, along with his infamous WrestleMania 3 Main Event with Hulk Hogan. Andre, even by those that Andre did not like, always regarded him in high esteem as a legendary figure in Professional Wrestling and Sports Entertainment. He’s gotta be everybodys first choice, right? Even you newer fans who think Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are what gymnastics I mean Pro Wrestling is supposed to be, you know Andre is a first ballot Icon, right?
Hulk Hogan
I can’t look past Andre without immediately thinking of Hulk Hogan. HulkaMania ran wild brother, from the early 80’s, through to 1995. He went from the biggest and most renowned babyface of all time, and the babyface of the 80s, and became the Heel of the 90’s when he joined the nWo and turned into Hollywood Hogan. Many thought the Hulker’s career was pretty much done for after he left WCW in 2000, but upon his return to WWE in 2002, and subsequent next run in the Red and Yellow, the Hulkster really solidified his legacy in professional wrestling with legendary WrestleMania moments with The Rock and Vince McMahon, as well as his WWE Championship win over Triple H in 2002. When he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, he received a standing ovation that literally would not end. There’s nothing “difficult” about this inclusion at all.
Rowdy Roddy Piper
If it weren’t for Roddy Piper, would there have been a Hulk Hogan? Would HulkaMania have run as wild as it did without the Rowdy Scotsman giving the Hulkster a reality check? WrestleMania 1 was make or break for the WWF, and it certainly wouldn’t have worked as well as it did without Roddy Piper being the ultimate thorn in Hogan’s side, along with Mr. T, Paul Orndorff, Bob Orton Jr. and Jimmy Snuka involved. Piper’s influence on future generations of pro wrestlers is undeniable, and his continued ability to create memorable moments like his WrestleMania battles with Adrian Adonis and Bret Hart, his Starrcade 1996 war with Hollywood Hogan, and his memorable Piper’s Pit segments with Morton Downey Jr, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and more. Roddy Piper certainly was an icon in Professional Wrestling, and certainly in MY top 10. Not in yours? That’s okay, you can write an article bro.
Macho Man Randy Savage
You’ll probably see that I will be very 80’s and 90’s heavy as it pertains to people I truly believe are ‘ICONS’ in Professional Wrestling, and Randy Savage is certainly an important figure in the history of the business. He was the first guy they made ‘The Guy’ after Hulk Hogan, and business stayed strong during the run with Hulk and Macho in the Mega Powers, with Miss Elizabeth at ringside. Their subsequent feud is extremely memorable, along with Randy’s epic feuds with Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, Ricky Steamboat, Ultimate Warrior, and his future exploits in WCW — especially his ‘star making’ feud with Diamond Dallas Page. Funnily enough when Hogan and Piper were arguing over who the true Icon in the Sport was, Randy Savage would write I-C-O-N on his fingers and produce the fist to the camera on TV to ensure people remembered to ‘Snap Into’ the thought and consideration that Randy was just as big of an Icon as Hulk and Roddy. Oooooooh Yeah.
‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair
I can’t possibly get through this list without name dropping Ric Flair. The first 4 Icons I mentioned became Icons in the WWF, so I really should start bringing up the biggest Icon from the NWA, Ric Flair. 16 Time World Heavyweight Champion, and a guy who had some of the most memorable feuds and moments in wrestling history with Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Eric Bischoff, his work with The Four Horsemen and Evolution, and his first retirement match against Shawn Michaels. Ric Flair was always the consummate Pro Wrestler, and one of the most memorable and iconic characters in Pro Wrestling History. A round of Kamikaze’s anybody?
‘Heart Break Kid’ Shawn Michaels
This is where I start to feel bad with this list being restricted to 10 people. This has literally forced me to have to look past the names of Bruno Sammartino, The Ultimate Warrior, Dusty Rhodes, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart and Sting. I must be strict though. Nobody has had more memorable WrestleMania matches and moments in my opinion than Shawn Michaels. There’s a reason why he’s called the Headliner, the Main Event, The Showstopper, and THE ICON. If ‘Mr. WrestleMania’ doesn’t hit this list then I would have completely discredited myself. When HBK was in the ring, cutting a promo, you KNEW that it was must see television, and his charisma oozed out of the screen like how Major Gunns oozed into my fantasies when I was 13. Weird comparison, I know.
‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
How can I not mention the guy that drew the most money in the shortest amount of time? If it weren’t for Austin’s neck issues, he would have been on top of the business a lot longer than he was, but there is no doubt whenever you ask any lapsed fan, or casual wrestling fan to name some wrestlers, they’ll say Hulk Hogan, The Rock and Stone Cold. He is a HUGE reason as to why Pro Wrestling hit the boom period that it did. It’s undeniable with his battles with Shawn Michaels and DX, Mr. McMahon, the Corporation, the Ministry of Darkness, Triple H, Kurt Angle, and so many more. The fact a mere few years ago he came out of retirement to whoop Kevin Owens at WrestleMania to create an everlasting final moment, was the perfect way to end the story of Stone Cold. Now how about a god damn beer?
The Rock
A Professional Wrestler that ended up the biggest Box Office attraction in Film. If Rock hadn’t done a few unlikeable things in the last few years I literally could have seen him have an actual real shot at becoming the President of the USA. He was that popular. The Rock’s stardom in Pro Wrestling really transcended the business, he became bigger than the business, and it was so obvious when his star was on the rise when he started doing films like The Mummy and The Scorpion King — before ultimately leaving wrestling to spread his wings as an action film star. His contributions to the biggest boom in Pro Wrestling history cannot be denied. A true Icon in the sport…. if you smell what I’m cooking.
The Undertaker
When you talk about Icons in Professional Wrestling, The Undertaker has to be right up there. Few performers have had a career as long, as consistent, and as captivating as his. From the eerie debut at Survivor Series 1990 to his streak at WrestleMania that became legendary, The Deadman commanded attention every time he stepped into the ring. His feuds with Kane, Mankind, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and even John Cena created some of the most unforgettable moments in wrestling history. He wasn’t just a character, he was an institution, a guy who could make you believe in the impossible and deliver incredible storytelling night after night. The Undertaker is the embodiment of longevity, dedication, and sheer spectacle, and his influence on the business is undeniable. You might not be happy about his exploits in retirement with his Podcast and potentially getting Mickie James replaced on LFG in favour of his wife Michelle McCool, but his resume in the ring speaks for itself.
John Cena
Love him or hate him, John Cena is one of the biggest Icons of all time. He became the face of WWE for over a decade, carrying the company through some of its most challenging times and into the well… unfortunate PG era. Cena’s work ethic, charisma, and ability to connect with audiences of all ages made him a superstar in the truest sense. From his early days with his rap persona to becoming the 17-time World Champion, Cena created countless memorable feuds and moments, including battles with Edge, Randy Orton, Batista, AJ Styles, and The Rock. He transcended wrestling much like The Rock by entering Hollywood and becoming a household name worldwide, but he never left the wrestling world behind, always coming back to put on a show for the fans. John Cena represents hard work, loyalty, and the modern definition of a wrestling Icon. Trust me, it kills me to put him here over Bret Hart.
These are in my opinion the 10 biggest Icons in Pro Wrestling History. Don’t like it? Well then I got two words for ya.
Now, to feel better about omitting certain people, here are some names I would like to mention that didn’t make this Top 10:
- Bruno Sammartino
- ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham
- The Ultimate Warrior
- Dusty Rhodes
- Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart
- The Road Warriors
- Goldberg
- Sting
- Triple H
- Mick Foley
- Kurt Angle
- Brock Lesnar
- Randy Orton
- CM Punk
- The Outsiders
- Roman Reigns
- Kane
- The Big Show
- Eddie Guerrero
- Diamond Dallas Page
- Lex Luger
- Batista
- Edge
- Rey Mysterio
- ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner
