10 Wrestlers You Didn't Know Were HUGELY Influential

10. Taz

Taz evolved from bizarre early '90s cartoon character to zeitgeist-grabbing killer shooter throughout his and ECW's prime years, which intersected.

"Zeitgeist-grabbing" sells it all a bit short. Taz was savvy enough to draw inspiration from the nascent UFC league years before it broke big. He sensed immediately that the aesthetic and elements of the proto-MMA style would add a brand new dimension of credibility to his character. It was inspired, and would have worked brilliantly in and of itself, but it was especially great in contrast to the woefully outdated WWF. Really, in defining the promotion, Taz was one of the all-time great wrestling gimmicks.

Taz wasn't merely instrumental in defining and influencing pro wrestling in the '90s: through his pioneered tap-out finish, he completely transformed the very dramatic principles of the sport. Watching that hand hover inches over the mat, as the crowd bites on the idea of the babyface literally agonising between their health or a loss, can be traced back to Taz.

Something like the incredible finish to Shawn Michaels Vs. Kurt Angle at WWE WrestleMania 21 would not be possible, were it not for his innovation of the visual submission and what became the drawn-out tease of it.