The mighty Hercules was a very solid, reliable midcard star for Vince McMahon's WWE throughout the second-half of the 1980s and into the early '90s. Looking like he was chiseled out of marble, the man named after the Greek god punished opposition with tremendous strength. His finishing maneuver, the Full Nelson, was at the center of the rivalry between he and Billy Jack Haynes that culminated in a match at the epic WrestleMania 3. Hercules rose to prominence as a villain but by 1989, he had turned babyface following Bobby Heenan's attempt to sell him to "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase as if her were some sort of slave. Despite his change in attitude and his acceptance by the WWE fans, Hercules remained true to his powerful ways, using stiff clotheslines and assorted slams to punish his opponent en route to many a victory. When he reverted back to his rule breaker ways, he formed a tag team with Paul Roma known as Power and Glory. Hercules was the muscle and pretty boy Roma was the glory. The duo was a very effective heel team and served the midcard of WWE very well for nearly two years. Sadly, Hercules (real name Ray Hernandez) passed away in his sleep in March of 2004. He was only 47.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
