10 Wrestlers From The 1980s Still Not In WWE's Hall Of Fame
3. Tiger Mask
The original Tiger Mask Satoru Sayama was an innovator whose explosive combination of ariel maneuvers and mixed martial arts was way ahead of its time in the early 1980s. Sayama’s influence can be seen over multiple generations and in wrestling superstars such as Jushin Liger, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, and Daniel Bryan.
Sayama’s feud with Dynamite Kid is legendary and included the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s 1982 Match of the Year. He also made the Tiger Mask gimmick so popular that it continued on with different wrestlers under the mask. Mitsuharu Misawa, Koji Kanemoto, and Kota Ibushi were among those who were Tiger Mask over the years. Also, Mark Rocco and Eddie Guerrero were among those who were, Black Tiger, the villainous arch-rival of Tiger Mask.
Sayama is a two-time WWE Junior Heavyweight Champion, a two-time NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion, and a member of the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Despite being Tiger Mask for only a few years from 1981 to 1983, his impact on professional wrestling can still be seen today. The original Tiger Mask’s omission from the WWE Hall of Fame is a glaring one.