Tha O Show is very excited to bring you, tha O-sters, Tha O Show’s “Hall O Fame”. We have decided it is time to bring some legitimacy and authenticity to the virtual space used to honour the all time greats in the history of this business. For the article detailing the Hall O Fame Criteria, please click here. Tha list of inductees are below.
Feel free to comment here with your nominations for future inductees.
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6 comments: on "Tha Hall O Fame"
I might have only been watching wrestling for like 5 years (I have 14 *sigh*) but I know for sure that The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin deserve to be in here sooner or later. They always entertained and showed a good time. The Rock had promos that BLEW MY MIND! Steve Austin (to me) was a huge crowd pleaser and he is my favourite wrestler of all time. You may not listen to my thought too much since I am so young and I have not been watching so long, but still think about it, I am sure that at one point or another you really loved these guys.
I am 28 and have been watching since my late brother got me into it when I was 3 years old. The one person that made an impact on me first growing up wasnt Hogan, it wasnt Savage, hell, it wasnt even Warrior. The man who got me hooked on wrestling was Kevin Von Eric.
The way he carried himself. The way he wrestled. He was just so different than all the screaming loons and jacked up freaks I was seeing on other programs. The Iron Claw was the first move I learned as a child (blessed with big hands). Eventually I did get caught up in the glitz and glammer of WWF and WCW programming, but I'll always know that I at least had a fresh start. Kevin (which also happens to be the name of my late brother) was what a wrestler should look like, act like, and behave like. Though he has suffered so much tragedy in his life, he still maintains that cool ass aura of self confidence and respect for a business that fed his parents, his family, and his own children. To me Kevin Von Eric IS wrestling. He belongs in any Hall O Fame.
I nominate Eiji Ezaki, better known to wrestling fans as Hayabusa.
Here's a Japanese worker who started out by going to Mexico to pay his dues and hone his craft.
Hayabusa was one of the most style versatile wrestlers the business has ever known.
On tours of AJPW, Hayabusa proved he can work the strike and submission style the Puro fans demanded of wrestlers in that company. The stiff forearms and triangle choke submissions stand out most in my mind during his tag team matches with Jinsei Shinzaki during the Champion Carnivals. In AJPW it's hard as hell NOT to get booed out of the arena if you're A.) a masked wrestler or B.) a high flying "flippy dippy". Hayabusa did made a positive impact with the AJPW fans which is says worlds for his work rate and in ring ability given the high standards of the tough AJPW fanbase.
And rest assured Hayabusa could flippy dippy with the best of them. On tours of Michinoku Pro Hayabusa showed his high flying ability was on par if not better than that of The Great Sasuke. The M-Pro matches that stand out most in my mind are the ones Hayabusa had against another great in-ring worker in TAKA Michinoku. TAKA is an awesome heel, why the Fed buried him.. (Vince you racist bastard...) Psychology is great in the TAKA Hayabusa matches. The sumbissions and selling thereof are great, TAKA and his cocky-heel "I'm better than you" attitude really gets over. But for the M-Pro fans it's about the high flying, and Hayabusa never disappointed. Speaking of High Flying and TAKA, Hayabusa buries TAKA under 6 or 7 folding chairs and hits an Asai Moonsault from the apron to chair-buried TAKA on the floor. Ahhh memories :)
Most would say Hayabusa was defined by FMW. I'd like to reverse that and say FMW was defined by Hayabusa. From the pioneer hardcore days of Atsushi Onita to the Sports Entertainment oriented Fuyuki years, one constant remained... Hayabusa was always at the top of the card headlining. Hayabusa's career ending injury is ultimately what led FMW to shut its doors. FMW literally lived and dies by Hayabusa. From the exploding barb wire, taking SICK bumps from The Gladiator (Mike Awesome), surviving the butchering of that no talent hack Mr. Pogo, to the feud with Mr. Gannosuke. When you saw FWM one of two names will immediately come to mind: Onita and Hayabusa.
And the guy had a TON of spectacular moves in his arsenal. Shooting Star Press, Phoenix Splash, 450 Spash, Triangle Choke, martial arts kicks, German Suplexes, Dragon Suplexes, Tiger Bombs, The Falcon Arrow, Emerald Fusion, Hurricanranas, Cradle Brainbuster, and more Topes and Sentons than names exist for.
A career ended much to early by a freak in-ring accident. A Man who literally gave up partial body functionality for the sport. A worker who both exemplified and defined what a wrestling superstar is.
I really do second the nomination of Eiji Ezaki.
I would like to third the Nomination for the legendary Hayabusa. When i first started watching wrestling a friend showed me some of his matches and the things he could made me do the literal "O"
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