In 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment inducted the late Original Sheik into its Hall of Fame. An influential wrestler who is recognized as one of the godfathers of hardcore wrestling, the celebrated performer (real name: Ed Farhat) more than earned the induction. This, despite the fact that he had only wrestled a handful of matches for Vincent J. McMahon in the late 1960s. Those matches, mostly contested against Bruno Sammartino, and including a Death match, introduced The Sheik to the northeast and exposed him to a new audience unfamiliar with his exploits. Unfortunately, his crazy brawling style prevented him from enjoying a sustained run in the promotion. He would continue to enjoy success in Detroit, his home city, and Los Angeles, where he battled the great Freddie Blassie in many a hardcore bloodbath. His legacy would forever live on in his nephew, Sabu, who would carry on the family tradition of violent brawls in arenas across the globe. He may have been too crazy for WWE but unlike others on this list who either became watered down shells of themselves, were forced to alter their style styles completely or had incomplete careers as a result of not competing for Vince McMahon's company, Sheik thrived. His influence on the industry will live forever and will be on display at WrestleMania 32 when Dean Ambrose battles Brock Lesnar in a match that he would undoubtedly be proud of.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
