ANDRÉ THE GIANT
The ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ wowed audiences in the ’80s with its incredible size and strength – the result of a rare condition of growth hormone that eventually led to his premature demise at the tragically early age of 46. André was also known in every sense for his love of drinking, which allegedly included being able to knock back more than 100 beers in one sitting.
STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN
Austin was the biggest star of the WWE in the late 1990s during its most prosperous era ever, with his hell-raising, beer-swiggling, anti-authoritarian character resonating with fans in a way that no other wrestler has been able to recreate before or since. His forced resignation in 2003 – which had suffered years before due to a piledriver-induced broken neck – left a void in the business that no one has yet managed to fill.
THE UNDERTAKER
Brock Lesnar may have finally broken the legendary 21-match unbeaten streak of Taker at WrestleMania 30 but the Death Valley man remains one of the WWE’s most enduringly popular superstars, more than 25 years after his debut. His iconic undead persona (we’ll excuse the short-lived ‘American Badass’ phase) has seen him outlast countless contemporaries with deceptive athleticism and an array of classic finishing movements, along with his uncanny ability to survive being locked in burning caskets and buried alive. Truly one of a kinds.
HULK HOGAN
Hogan’s finger pointing, shirt pulling, leg dropping stunts, perhaps the most famous wrestler of all time, encouraged whole generations of Hulkamaniacs to say their prayers and eat their vitamins (prompting @Tubes Wasted to call him ‘the greatest athlete ever’). This all makes his disgraced exit from the WWE even more depressing last summer.
Hulk Hogan is the greatest athlete ever— Joe Harland (@Tubes_Wasted) January 26, 2015
BRET ‘THE HITMAN’ HART
Dubbed the ‘Excellence of Execution’ by legendary WWE commentator Gorilla Monsoon, Hart ‘s technological and athletic style was a total game-changer in its mid-’90s heyday, raising in-ring performance levels to previously unimaginable heights. And no matter what his wrestling skills are, any man who can pull off pink spandex deserves a big thumb in our opinion.
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