10 Wrestlers Who Became Successful Bookers

10. Ole Anderson

Four Horseman thug Ole Anderson was one nasty customer in the ring. It was no act; as Georgia Championship Wrestling's head booker, he was just as much a piece of work.

Bobby Heenan described working for the ersatz Anderson as a complete ordeal - "a man with a size 10 foot in a size 9 shoe" - who had absolutely no compassion for anybody. His hard-hearted mentality caused many arguments behind the curtain, but nobody in the industry could argue with his record.

GCW thrived under Anderson's direction. He was the man personally responsible for giving muscle-bound rookies Michael Hegstrand and John Laurinaitis their big break in the business, decking them out in face paint and rechristening them 'The Road Warriors'. Booked in short, dominant squashes, they soon became stars lusted after by each of the territories. A host of others prospered with Ole at the helm, as the mid-south promotion grew into one of the most exciting outfits around.

After the calamitous 'Black Saturday' fiasco, Jim Crockett Promotions took over GCW, but still kept Anderson on as booker, such was his value to the company. For a time, the Horseman oversaw affairs at both JCP and his own breakaway GCW, even combining the pair for supershows.

Anderson kept his place in the company when JCP was eventually absorbed by Turner, and was once more the go-to-guy after Bill Watts was forcibly ousted from his booking duties. Ultimately, Anderson was collateral during Eric Bischoff's 1995 "house cleaning" - a change made out of personal animosity more than anything.