There have been many wrestlers who have stepped up with the hope that they would change the face of professional wrestling and failed. These are the few that succeeded and made a major impact.
#5 – Triple H
Triple H’s impact as a promoter has yet to be truly felt but make no mistake about it, the next decade is when he will make his mark. Triple H is currently an on air authority character but his work backstage will help shape the future. The current WWE product may be underwhelming but many people have (and rightfully so) had high praise for NXT. NXT is Triple H’s pet project and it’s clear that he has an eye for talent. If Triple H’s recent signings (Sami Zayn, Devitt, KENTA, just to name a few) are any indication, the WWE is in good hands and he has a vision that will make the WWE better as a whole.
#4 – Gabe Sopolsky
Have you enjoyed watching wrestlers such as Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins dominate the current professional wrestling landscape? Yeah, you can thank Gabe Sopolsky for that. Gabe created Ring of Honor which is a company that brought the art of professional wrestling to the forefront of “sports entertainment” and WWE took notice. Look no further than any current documentary on the WWE Network to find high praise for this man. He recognized the fact that fans wanted more wrestling in their “sports entertainment” and he is the reason why the current style of “sports entertainment” in WWE is looking a lot more like “professional wrestling.”
#3 – Eric Bischoff
Armed with Ted Turner’s bank account, Eric Bischoff set out to make wrestling a more reality based product and he succeeded. WWE had no choice but to answer the call when Eric turned WCW into a household name. He is the one that brought you angles like the NWO and Goldberg’s streak. Eric Bischoff is one of the most recognizable names in professional wrestling and there’s a good reason for that. The fact that WCW Nitro beat WWE Monday Night Raw in the ratings war for 84 weeks in a row speaks for itself.
#2 – Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman’s ECW single handedly revolutionized professional wrestling. WWE never would have gotten the kick in the ass it needed to start The Attitude Era had it not been for Eric Bischoff leading the charge with WCW Nitro, but WWE never would have beaten Nitro had they not taken inspiration from Paul Heyman’s ECW. Heyman created a brand that was completely unique unto itself that wasn’t afraid to break the mold and it changed things forever.
Heyman proved with ECW that he is a genius when it comes to professional wrestling and both WWE and WCW owe so much of the success that was the Monday Night Wars to this man right here.
#1 – Vince McMahon
Without Vince McMahon, there would be no current landscape of professional wrestling. Vince is without question the reason why professional wrestling is as successful as it is today. When Vince was put in charge of the WWF, wrestling was a national phenomenon and it was his vision that turned it into a global phenomenon. The accomplishment of WrestleMania alone would be enough to cement this man’s legacy forever but the fact that WWE has been the measuring stick as to what professional wrestling should be for several decades speaks for itself.
Bill Watts, anyone?
Crocketts??+dusty Rhodes’s booking