https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjnuVFmiDfM Here you will see The Destroyer facing off against Victor the Bear. This was actually common back in those days, with the bear usually wearing a muzzle or tranquilized in some fashion to avoid major injury to the human competitor. Due to the changing of the times and increased efforts on the parts of animal rights, you'll never see anything like this (or our next selection on this list) ever again.
3. A Bengal Tiger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX2xbEc9Ej4 If you needed any more proof that the legendary Stu Hart was a bad-ass, then take a moment to reflect on the fact that he wrestled a bengal tiger by the name of Sasha (on loan from Ringling Brothers whenever the circus came through Calgary)! Sasha was clawed and fanged, and although a tiger is not a docile animal, I know many wrestling enthusiasts who would bet money on Stu's victory. The story goes that the tiger actually managed to get Stu out of the ring at one point during the match!
2. An Invisible Opponent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVM-qFeLPdw It is one thing to face off against an inexperienced opponent. It is another to face off against an opponent that's non-existent! That's right, the next selection on this list comes to you courtesy of Japan once again as a wrestler takes on ... an invisible opponent! Above, you'll see a clip of the Japanese encounter and listen as the crowd eats up every moment of the match! It takes a skilled performer to carry a green worker, and it takes an even greater performer to carry a match with an opponent that's not even there and sell you on the idea that he is legitimately wrestling someone unseen rather than just going through the motions.
1. Blow-Up Doll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KZOYqsKrrE Still a better wrestler than Eva Marie. Leave it to the Japanese to make everything look like a million dollars. Kudos to the phenomenal wrestlers who were able to make it look like a blow-up doll was actually beating their carcass all over the ring! As evidenced by the video, the blow-up doll's Endless Infinity Destroyer is certainly a crowd-pleaser and a definite match-ender! Could we ever see something of this absurdity on mainstream wrestling television? Never. However, it is very surprising that we never saw a blow-up doll in a match during the dying days of WCW or even during the height of the WWF's Attitude Era. One does have to wonder though, if the blow-up doll loses air during the match, does that count as the blow-up doll getting blown up and/or becoming winded?
Tommy Bobby Watanabe is an aspiring American novelist, stage actor, playwright, former LGBT rights activist, and has three years of independent professional wrestling experience and has been a big fan since 1998. An avid horror movie buff and comic book aficionado, TBW is honored to be featured on WhatCulture with some of the Internet's most talented writers and looks to spread his own knowledge and wit to WhatCulture's loyal readers.