Mr. T is credited with helping bring Wrestlemania, and wrestling in general, to a broader audience, which is precisely why the WWE is honouring him this year by putting him in the Hall of Fame. Fans seem to remember him fondly, but his in-ring contemporaries, however, feel otherwise. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has been T's most vocal detractor, with the barbs beginning in 1985, making their real life feud one of the longest in wrestling history. Piper's accusation that T was just an actor, and never paid his dues as a wrestler like the other boys had has cast a shadow over the otherwise grand achievement that was the first Wrestlemania. By the end of their boxing match a year later, fans were chanting Piper's name. It was an Austin 3:16 moment about ten years early. Mr. T may not have paid his work with the WWF helped bring wrestling to the masses, a feat far more impressive than any TV or movie career. He wasn't a wrestler, but he's an indispensable part of the sport's history. Which other WWE stars deserve to be included on this list? Share your own picks below in the comments thread.
Check out "The Champ" by my alter ego, Greg Forrest, in Heater #12, at http://fictionmagazines.com.
I used to do a mean Glenn Danzig impression. Now I just hang around and co-host The Workprint podcast at http://southboundcinema.com/.
