10. Lou Thesz - The Classic Era
Widely considered one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time, Lou Thesz heyday came in the late 1930s, 40s and early 50s. Having wrestled across the territories, Thesz boasts the honour of having held the NWA Championship for the most cumulative days in total. Across three reigns, he held the coveted title for over ten years (3,749 days to be exact), edging him ahead of the likes of Ric Flair and Harley Race. But it wasnt just his generation that Thesz definedultimately he defined a whole host of them. On top of his aforementioned championship honours, Thesz is credited with inventing a number of moves adopted by a range of future Hall of Famers. The majority of fans may know him for inventing the Thesz Pressa move adopted by the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and more recently Randy Ortonbut his list of innovations was in fact far longer than that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1-prUMGzps He is widely attributed with bringing us the Powerbomb, the STF and what would eventually become the known as the German Suplex, among other techniques. If you think of the kind of stars who still utilise these movesBatista, John Cena, Brock Lensarthen you start to get an idea of the size of the impact that Thesz has had upon the business. His NWA Championship record means that Thesz will always hold a place in the history books. But his numerous innovations will ensure that he continues to make a mark on pro wrestling, even today, and thus he not only defined the Classic Era but has helped others define generations of their own further down the line.