4. The Gold Dust Trio
Aside from being one of the toughest human beings to enter the squared circle, Ed The Strangler Lewis is easily one of wrestlings greatest visionaries. Lewis was a dangerous shooter. His grip strength is something of legend and his headlock was damn near lethal. However, in the beginning of the 1900s, wrestling was dominated by World Heavyweight Champion Frank Gotch. The guy couldnt lose and held the title from 1908 until his retirement in 1913. As amazing of an accomplishment as that was, it didnt help the future of professional wrestling. Frankly, the matches were tough for live fans to enjoy; often lasting several hours with the wrestlers staying locked in holds for long stretches of time. After getting together with fellow wrestlers Billy Sandow and Toots Mondt, the three thought of a way to change things for the better. Known as The Gold Dust Trio, Lewis, Sandow, and Mondt created what is often referred to today as the worked style of professional wrestling predetermined outcomes within specific time limits. They theorized that more could be done within this concept than the Greco-Roman-centric style of old. With the matches being shorter in length, they were also able to book several bouts on one card, giving fans a variety of athletes without the monotony. While it was met with much apprehension from traditionalists, their brilliance evolved into what we see today (with Toots Mondt even being Vince McMahon Sr.s right hand man during the creation of the World Wide Wrestling Federation).