10 WWE Legends Who STILL Aren't In The Hall Of Fame
3. Ivan Koloff
Ivan Koloff holds a record that it's almost impossible to beat: he ended the 2,803 day WWE Championship reign of Bruno Sammartino.
On January 18th, 1971 fans in Madison Square Garden were stunned into silence. After nearly eight years of Sammartino arriving, retaining, and leaving, Koloff had done the impossible and pinned him 1-2-3 to become the first ever Russian champion. In reality he was from Canada, but he stuck to the gimmick for his entire career; at the peak of the Cold War in the 1970s, it was a brave decision to give him the top strap.
Granted, he only held the belt for 21 days, but he was still the heel WWE tested its biggest stars against. He challenged Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Superstar Billy Graham, and Bob Backlund to help get them over. Did you notice they're all in the Hall Of Fame and he isn't? Come on WWE!
Away from WWE, "The Russian Bear" toured the United States with the National Wrestling Alliance, then ended his career in Eastern Championship Wrestling just as the E became extreme.
If he wasn't a witness in the concussion lawsuits against WWE a few years ago, he'd probably be wearing his Hall Of Fame ring as you read this.