10 Most Influential British Wrestlers Ever (According To An American)

WWE is doing record profits, but attendance and viewership are in the toilet. New Japan is gaining notoriety with every passing year, but has yet to make any really big international moves. And both promotions pale in comparison to the passion and buzz that have surrounded the UK wrestling scene over the last year or so.

Between Revolution Pro Wrestling, Progress, Fight Club Pro, Insane Championship Wrestling, WhatCulture Pro Wrestling, and other promotions, the UK feels like the place to be for wrestling fans. It's fresh, exciting, and new superstars are emerging on a damn-near weekly basis. Pete Dunne, Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr., Wolfgang, and Jimmy Havoc are just a few of the talents that have become household names in other countries in the last year.

But that doesn't mean British wrestling hasn't been influencing the business as a whole before now. WWE may not have had a British world champion -- at least yet -- but it's coming.

And although many Americans missed out on World of Sport during its most fruitful years, there's no denying that British wrestlers past and present have made their mark. So here is one American fan's take on influential British wrestlers. Let the debate begin.

Any list of the best, the most influential, and the legendary, when limited to ten entries, is going to leave out some names deemed essential by fans. So here are a few honorable mentions that merit a place in the discussion.

Kendo Nagasaki: Now, we're talking about the masked British wrestler here, not the man of the same name who plied his trade in Japan and America. Peter Thornley's masked samurai was a heel with supernatural powers who wasn't afraid to go to war with other heels like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks. When he was revealed to actually be of British descent, not Japanese, Kendo's illusion was shattered.

Rollerball Rocco: A major name from the World of Sport days, Mark "Rollerball" Rocco plied his trade across the world, even thriving in Japan as Black Tiger. All Star Wrestling in the 1980s would have been a far less exciting place without Rollerball Rocco.

Les Kellett: From the 1950s to the 1980s, there were few men in the ring tougher than Les Kellett. As widely respected for his hardness as he was appreciated for his comic timing, Kellett was a master of lulling opponents into a false sense of security before delivering the coup de grace and winning the match. He may never have earned the big paydays, but he left his mark all the same.

Marty Jones: One of Rollerball Rocco's prime rivals in the 1970s, as well as one of Fit Finlay's perennial title challengers, Marty Jones was an icon on the British scene. He also made a name for himself in several huge tag team matches in New Japan with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Antonio Inoki, and Tatsumi Fujinami.