The WCW Hall of Fame: Twenty Years Later

The WWE Hall of Fame has become a yearly tradition for the "Revolutionary Force in Sports Entertainment," but it's far from the only honor bestowed upon wrestling's great performers. In addition to the WWE, the Cauliflower Alley Club hosts a yearly banquet to honor ring technicians, both past and present. In fact, there's even a physical Hall of Fame—complete with a brick-and-mortal museum—located in Amsterdam, New York! But we aren't here to talk about any of those modern=day institutions—we're here to talk about the WCW Hall of Fame.

The WCW Hall of Fame was introduced the same year that Andre the Giant was named the first inductee to the newly established WWE Hall of Fame. While the World Wrestling Federation kept their ceremony to a limited guest list of industry insiders, World Championship Wrestling included their Hall of Fame as part of their Slamboree pay-per-view extravaganza. The tradition lasted three years—from 1993 to 1995—during which time SEVENTEEN wrestling personalities were honored, including a handful of future WWE Hall of Famers. Let's take a moment to remember these superstars of yesteryear—"Twenty Years Later."

Lou Thesz – 1993 Inductee
Lou Thesz was the first man inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame, and with good reason! Lou Thesz is to the National Wrestling Alliance, what Bruno Sammartino is to the WWE. Lou's three title reigns lasted a combined 3,749 days, less than a year removed from Bruno's 4,040-day record. However, when you factor his 879-day run as National Wrestling Association Champion into the overall equation, Lou Thesz comes out as the longest reigning wrestling champion that ever lived.

Verne Gagne – 1993 Inductee
From the longest-reigning champion, to one of the most prolific names in the industry. The second man to earn the WCW Hall of Fame honor was the former world champion and owner of the American Wrestling Association, Verne Gagne. Verne was an extraordinary amateur wrestler that took to the professional ranks with relative ease, and helped attract a new audience to the sport via a new-fangled contraption called television. In addition to his in-ring prowess, Verne Gagne proved especially proficient in training the next generation of talent, including future world champions such as Ricky Steamboat, Bob Backlund, the Iron Sheik, and the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.

Mr. Wrestling II – 1993 Inductee
The lengths to which most old school wrestlers would go to protect the industry is absolutely astounding. You hear-tell tales of babyfaces and heels forced to stay in separate hotels, and even instances where promotors fired certain superstars for not picking fights in public! The times sure have changed, but masked men like John Francis Walker have not! Johnny Walker isn't just a high quality whisky, it's the name behind the mysterious guise known to millions as Mr. Wrestling II. During his 30+ year career, Mr. Wrestling captured numerous championship honors, and was inducted into the NWA Hall of Fame in 2012.

Eddie Graham – 1993 Inductee
Eddie Graham was man behind professional wrestling in Florida, and the final name announced for the WCW Hall of Fame Class of 1993. He was the only posthumous induction, as Eddie tragically took his own life 8-years earlier in 1985. Graham's influence over the wrestling industry went beyond the Florida territory, as he served as the President of the NWA for a short time between 1976 and 1978. Eddie was survived by his son Mike, who played a particularly poignant role in Eric Bischoff's new executive regime. Mike would accept the honor both in 1993, and again in 2008, when Eddie became part of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Harley Race – 1994 Inductee
Considered by many to the be the manliest man to ever hold the world title, Harley Race was the absolute epitome of what pro wrestling was all about in the 1970s. Modern wrestling fans might better recall Harley for his comical role as "King Harley Race" in the WWE, but historians know him as the 8-time NWA champion, whose combined reigns lasted an unprecedented 1,799-days. Before closing the door on his time with WCW, Harley made a new name for himself by managing world champions such as Lex Luger and Big Van Vader.

Ernie Ladd – 1994 Inductee
Ernie Ladd was a renowned 2-sport athlete, and believe it or not, wrestling wasn't one of the two. Ernie played football and basketball professionally, until he was swayed to stick with the former. When he finally entered the unpredictable world of professional wrestling, Ernie set new standards, by becoming a main event caliber heel —in the American South of the 1960s. No promotor would dare allow an African American to draw the sort of heat that Ernie did, but the "Big Cat" wasn't afraid, and went on to become the NWA American Heavyweight Champion. Ernie was added to the WCW Hall of Fame in 1993, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995, and he took his place as part of the NWA Hall of Fame in 2013.

The Crusher – 1994 Inductee
The Crusher was born in 1929 and entered the wrestling ring for the first time in 1949. His career spanned nearly 40-years, when he finally retired in 1988 at the age of 59. He's commonly associated as part of a tag team tandem with the equally imposing Dick the Bruiser, but the Crusher's legacy would also include three separate reigns as AWA World Heavyweight Champion. The Crusher was honored ten-years after his retirement when he and fellow AWA mainstay, Mad Dog Vachon, were invited to take part in a segment at Over the Edge 1998. The Crusher passed away in 2005, the same year he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in New York.

Dick the Bruiser – 1994 Inductee
The Crusher wasn't the only Midwestern menace to be featured as part of the Class of 1994, as his former tag team partner and friend Dick the Bruiser received the same honor that very year. While he didn't capture the AWA strap as frequently as his partner, the Bruiser would ultimately go on to become a one-time AWA World Champion when he defeated Mad Dog Vachon on November 12, 1966. Dick was the only posthumous inductee of 1994, after a freak weight lifting accident claimed his life on November 10, 1991.

Ole Anderson – 1994 Inductee
He might not have been on the best of terms with Eric Bischoff, but Ole Anderson was nonetheless inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994. Ole was of course the bridge between Gene and Arn—two of the more formidable members of the "Anderson Family"—and will forever be regarded as a founding member of the "Four Horseman." Ole debuted years before Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, or Tully Blanchard, and was thus the first of many "Transitional Horsemen," replaced by Lex Luger in 1987. Ole continues to breathe oxygen, but has maintained his distance from mainstream promotions such as the WWE, and was subsequently left out of the WWE Hall of Fame's induction of the �Horsemen.

Masked Assassin – 1994 Inductee
The final man to earn his spot as part of the WCW Hall of Fame Class of 1994 was yet another masked man—the heel to Johnny Walker's Mr. Wrestling II—the Masked Assassin. Jody Hamilton has gone by many names during his career—spanning 33-years from 1955 to 1988—but achieved his greatest success under a black and yellow hood. Hamilton was oftentimes regarded as a tag team competitor, working alongside

Wahoo McDaniel – 1995 Inductee
The final year for the WCW Hall of Fame was 1995 when—for the third consecutive year—the celebration was held at Slamboree. Wahoo McDaniel was an unpredictable wrestler who would hold the NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title a record six-times, tied only with the legendary Jack Brisco. Though Wahoo cut his touring schedule immensely since his heyday of the 1960s and �70s, he continued to work until officially retiring in 1996. His 35-year career would include innumerable stints in various promotions across the country, as well as a special attraction bout with Dick Murdoch at the very same Slamboree in which he was inducted.

Dusty Rhodes – 1995 Inductee
Dusty Rhodes was a three-time NWA world heavyweight champion, and bested some of the greatest wrestlers to ever live, so as to earn that honor. He was muti-time tag team champion with various superstars, most notably "Dirty" Dick Murdoch, and spent the better part of the late-�80s feuding with the Four Horsemen. After his regular rotation inside the ring, Dusty became an integral part of the WCW booking committee, and maintained his role within the company until the doors finally closed in 2001. Dusty's accolades transcend those of an average wrestler; he was the "2006 Head of Class" for the WWE's Hall of Fame, he was a driving creative force behind NXT, and is credited with inventing everything from War Games to the Great American Bash. RIP Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. October 11 ^th , 1945—June 11 ^th , 2015.

Antonio Inoki – 1995 Inductee
The only non-American on the entire list comes to us from the "Land of the Rising Sun." Antonio Inoki was a famed performer for both the NWA and WWWF, but is perhaps best regarded as the founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling. Inoki had the privilege of being trained by both Rikidozan—the most famous Korean wrestler of all time—and the "God of Wrestling," Karl Gotch. In addition to being a former IWGP and WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Inoki is a WWE Hall of Famer, and currently serves as a Japanese senator.

Angelo Poffo – 1995 Inductee
Angelo Poffo was of course the famed father of both Randy "Macho Man" Savage and the "Genius" Lanny Poffo, and was also the promotor of International Championship Wrestling in Kentucky. Poffo worked for neither WCW nor Jim Crockett Promotions. In fact, his only dealings with the National Wrestling Alliance were in the Detroit and Chicago territories, far and away from anything that Ted Turner might someday own. Angelo's greatest accomplishment was realized in 1945 when he set the world record for sit-ups; 6,033—six thousand plus one for every year of Jesus Christ's life.

Terry Funk – 1995 Inductee
Long before he was "middle aged and crazy," Terry Funk was among the most reputable wrestlers in the National Wrestling Alliance. In fact, he and his brother Dory are the only set of siblings to ever hold the NWA World Championship. His 1995 Hall of Fame induction came before the better majority of his "hardcore antics." In fact, around the time of Slamboree �95, Terry was enjoying the first of many "retirements," and could regularly be found doing commentary for World Championship Wrestling.

Big John Studd – 1995 Inductee
With every year would come an additional posthumous induction, and in 1995 it was Big John Studd—a mountain of a man who passed away just two months prior to the ceremony. Big John Studd was most commonly remembered for his time with the WWE, and was even featured opposite Andre the Giant at the very first Wrestlemania. But his accolades in the NWA are most certainly worth mentioning; he spent quite a few years working the NWA territories, during which time he held the tag team titles on a number of occasions. His partners included Ken Patera, Buddy Rose, Bill Eadie, Killer Kowalski, Roddy Piper, and even Ric Flair. John was inducted by his son, who also did the honors when Big John Studd was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.

Gordon Solie – 1995 Inductee
The final man inducted to the WCW Hall of Fame was the only non-wrestler to ever receive the honor. Gordon Solie was commonly regarded as the "Dean of Wrestling Announcers," and was therefore directly associated with the territory system. He began working in Florida, where he coined a number of regular wrestling expressions such as: "His face has become a crimson mask," and "That's all she wrote!" Gordon became the voice of the National Wrestling Alliance and worked to create some semblance of spontaneity during a completely preconceived sporting event. His serious edge and voracious vocabulary have influenced a number of modern-day wrestling broadcasters including Jim Ross, Matt Striker, and Mauro Ranallo.

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