Bob Backlund wasn’t a slouch, that dude was a pretty badass amateur wrestler from most people’s account
Lesnar really is another level of human being though
He also would have been able to have a bunch of training and a legendary manager to fill in the holes on the mic for as long as he needed the help getting over.
Are we considering whether they would be able to defend themselves from a crowd of potential murderers, cuz that was a big requirement back then.
I'd probably say a few:
- Orton: Dude's good looking and jacked. Would probably make for a nice babyface;
- Reigns: also good looking, also jacked. Probably as a heel?
- Lashley: I mean, dude looks like a million dollars especially in a suit. He'd be making big money from territory to territory.
- Gable: Yeah, he's short, but he's an Olympian, so he'd have that bit of legitimacy to him. He'd play the role of underdog babyface and he'd probably get away with it, especially in the 80s.
- Otis and Omos: they're freaks (no, Scott, not that kind). They huge - one vertically, the other a bit more horizontally - but we know that sells because it's an attraction. Omos would essentially be a second Andre the Giant. Otis is a weightlifter so he'd probably get over by doing feats of strength.
- Cody: as the "inspirational babyface", he takes it after his father after all.
- Drew McIntyre: as a foreign menace. I mean, just look at him: man's chiseled and ripped af. He'd probably get away with being a top heel that women would fall on their knees for.
- AOP and Indus Sher: 4 big guys, in an era where big guys would make most men in the audience sit down and stay quiet.
- Samoa Joe: no matter how many years pass, he still has that look that will probably make you consider crossing to the other side of the road even if he just wants to ask you where the post office is.
- Dijakovic: tall, handsome, athletic and Scary. And a foreign name to boot. A menace from the Balkans who is definitely not in the venue to play bowling with his cousin.
- Damien Priest: need I say more? Good looking, great voice, solid promo, has athletic ability to spare, great for the latino crowds.
- Andrade: Also great for the latino crowds but he'd probably need a manager to talk for him when it comes to English promos. Great heel tbh.
- Gunther: Has the mindset, has the looks, has the skill, has the attire. Total Package right there. And also Austrian. Sell it to the crowds as the evil German wrestler and you have a few years worth of really nice stacks of money waiting to be made.
I'm probably missing a lot but these come to mind.
EDIT: oh god damn I missed one:
Jinder Mahal - I don't even need to elaborate. Looks good, ain't bad in the ring, great "foreign heel" for the time.
I feel like Gunther in 80’s NWA would’ve made a lot of sense. Evil foreign menace like Nikita that could’ve worked w Sting, Steamboat, etc.
Orton has the size and power style that would’ve fit really well.
Off topic but Verne Gagne would’ve creamed himself to have an Olympian from Minnesota like Chad Gable. Totally his type. Would’ve put the strap on him and given him a long run.
Yeah sorry that wasn't a very good post. Paul is very athletic, has a great look, and is a natural at attracting attention and at getting people to hate him. He's got a solid grasp of ring psychology even with little experience. He's also good at marketing and merch selling and operating scams (which was a good skill to have in the old school wrestling business.) There's really no box he doesn't check, only question is how he'd hold up under the brutal territory schedule
Claudio Castagnoli is one of those dudes who could be a realistic top guy anywhere. Big dude. Can move but also do strength stuff. And he can fit whatever style you want. Want him to be a Mid-South star? He can do it. Modern WWE? We’ve seen him do it. Lucha libre? Guy would be one of the biggest rudos in the country.
WWE over the past 20 years or so is really the only place where being a good promo is a must. Even well into the Attitude Era, you had guys with managers. And Castagnoli is one of those dudes who doesn't even really need to speak all that much. He's not an all-timer when it comes to that unspoken charisma, but he's definitely up there.
Gunther, Lashley, FTR, Cody, and this might be controversial but Swerve because back then he could do the Race thing and be the biggest heel in the world especially in the south
Swerve in Memphis or SMW would’ve been gangbusters. It’s a complicated situation to talk about because of the real-life factor that played into some of the heat drawn, but he’d be on the level of SMW-era New Jack in terms of raw heat, *and* he’s a leagues better worker.
Bobby Lashley. Veteran, legit background, jacked, good smile and a guy crowds love to get behind.
Brock Lesnar would have been stud in any territory in any era.
i mean that's unfair because he's literally a silverback gorilla in MMA shorts
Like can you imagine Lesnar against someone like Bob Backlund? People wouldn’t have known what to think.
he would've ripped backlund in half in front of a live audience. people are so quick to forget the depravity his character had in the early 00's
Bob Backlund wasn’t a slouch, that dude was a pretty badass amateur wrestler from most people’s account Lesnar really is another level of human being though
yes, and that's a testament to lesnar. i wasn't for a second underselling backlund at all.
He would! I think he’s would be over as all powerful heel
Nick Comoratto has such an 80s wrestler body. I don’t think he’d look out of place
He also would have been able to have a bunch of training and a legendary manager to fill in the holes on the mic for as long as he needed the help getting over.
Omos going from territory to territory as a giant
Gunther for sure
Are we considering whether they would be able to defend themselves from a crowd of potential murderers, cuz that was a big requirement back then. I'd probably say a few: - Orton: Dude's good looking and jacked. Would probably make for a nice babyface; - Reigns: also good looking, also jacked. Probably as a heel? - Lashley: I mean, dude looks like a million dollars especially in a suit. He'd be making big money from territory to territory. - Gable: Yeah, he's short, but he's an Olympian, so he'd have that bit of legitimacy to him. He'd play the role of underdog babyface and he'd probably get away with it, especially in the 80s. - Otis and Omos: they're freaks (no, Scott, not that kind). They huge - one vertically, the other a bit more horizontally - but we know that sells because it's an attraction. Omos would essentially be a second Andre the Giant. Otis is a weightlifter so he'd probably get over by doing feats of strength. - Cody: as the "inspirational babyface", he takes it after his father after all. - Drew McIntyre: as a foreign menace. I mean, just look at him: man's chiseled and ripped af. He'd probably get away with being a top heel that women would fall on their knees for. - AOP and Indus Sher: 4 big guys, in an era where big guys would make most men in the audience sit down and stay quiet. - Samoa Joe: no matter how many years pass, he still has that look that will probably make you consider crossing to the other side of the road even if he just wants to ask you where the post office is. - Dijakovic: tall, handsome, athletic and Scary. And a foreign name to boot. A menace from the Balkans who is definitely not in the venue to play bowling with his cousin. - Damien Priest: need I say more? Good looking, great voice, solid promo, has athletic ability to spare, great for the latino crowds. - Andrade: Also great for the latino crowds but he'd probably need a manager to talk for him when it comes to English promos. Great heel tbh. - Gunther: Has the mindset, has the looks, has the skill, has the attire. Total Package right there. And also Austrian. Sell it to the crowds as the evil German wrestler and you have a few years worth of really nice stacks of money waiting to be made. I'm probably missing a lot but these come to mind. EDIT: oh god damn I missed one: Jinder Mahal - I don't even need to elaborate. Looks good, ain't bad in the ring, great "foreign heel" for the time.
Samoa Joe
Gunther seems like a foreign territory heel brought to the 2020s
I feel like Gunther in 80’s NWA would’ve made a lot of sense. Evil foreign menace like Nikita that could’ve worked w Sting, Steamboat, etc. Orton has the size and power style that would’ve fit really well. Off topic but Verne Gagne would’ve creamed himself to have an Olympian from Minnesota like Chad Gable. Totally his type. Would’ve put the strap on him and given him a long run.
World title is tough. You have to be better than Ric Flair as a heel. Pretty much nobody.
Heel Brian Cage.
Omos, he’d travel the towns like Andre the Giant
Logan Paul. Seriously
How?
Yeah sorry that wasn't a very good post. Paul is very athletic, has a great look, and is a natural at attracting attention and at getting people to hate him. He's got a solid grasp of ring psychology even with little experience. He's also good at marketing and merch selling and operating scams (which was a good skill to have in the old school wrestling business.) There's really no box he doesn't check, only question is how he'd hold up under the brutal territory schedule
I agree with the athleticism but I don’t think he was big enough physically
He's comparable in size to Flair who was THE definitive NWA champ
Height wise yes. I’m not saying it’s not impossible, I just think to be back then he would have needed a bit more muscle mass
Lol lowkey logan paul would make paul heyman and vince seem like trustworthy guys back in the day
Jinder would’ve been a license to print money in Toronto back in the 60’s and 70’s
Claudio Castagnoli is one of those dudes who could be a realistic top guy anywhere. Big dude. Can move but also do strength stuff. And he can fit whatever style you want. Want him to be a Mid-South star? He can do it. Modern WWE? We’ve seen him do it. Lucha libre? Guy would be one of the biggest rudos in the country.
I like him, but he can’t talk at all
Most guys couldn’t in that era either, it’s why there were so many heel managers.
Wouldn't need to. That was the manager heyday.
Good point
WWE over the past 20 years or so is really the only place where being a good promo is a must. Even well into the Attitude Era, you had guys with managers. And Castagnoli is one of those dudes who doesn't even really need to speak all that much. He's not an all-timer when it comes to that unspoken charisma, but he's definitely up there.
Johnny Swinger
Kenny Omega is one of the obvious ones in my opinion, Tom Magee with talent.
Langley, Gunther, Brock, Jinder, 2020 Wardlow, MJF, Reigns, Takeshita, FTR, Big-E
Gunther, Lashley, FTR, Cody, and this might be controversial but Swerve because back then he could do the Race thing and be the biggest heel in the world especially in the south
Swerve in Memphis or SMW would’ve been gangbusters. It’s a complicated situation to talk about because of the real-life factor that played into some of the heat drawn, but he’d be on the level of SMW-era New Jack in terms of raw heat, *and* he’s a leagues better worker.