Greatest Patriotic Wrestlers

[Shallow]

What about Bret Hart? It says Patriotic, not American Patriots.


I'm Canadian so the 97 Hart Foundation stuff was massively huge over here.

Check the anti-American wrestler thread. You might be happy....  

Not just for being anti-American, I think he was great at playing the patriot. As opposed to Nikolai or Iron Shiek who just played the villains.


Anyway, as for American Patriots not yet mentioned, how about Bob Backlund. The All-American Boy next door set to take over after the long Sanmartino era. Vince Jr then bought the company and had other plans, but Backlund was still a solid draw and a great wrestler. A shame he couldn't have been given a place somewhere in either promotion throughout the 80s. He was the last main eventer I can remember whose interviews came off exactly like what they sound like if the sport was real and they were viewed like any other athlete. You had a harder time thinking Wrestling was fake when Backlund was on the mic.

I thought of Bret Hart like that, but at the same time I wanted to be simple and not over think things. Maybe if this was my job, but I just figured it was easy to separate them like this.

As for Backlund, when making this list, I thought of him as American, but more of a face rather than someone who claimed to live the American Dream, or buried themselves in Red White and Blue. He was thought of, but just by pure gimmick, it he wasn't strong enough. Now as a credible wrestler, his in a class with Angle, Thesz, and Hart.

I liked his gimmick, because he didn't really have one. He was the All American Athlete with out having to drape it around his chest. When you watch an interview by Backlund I think it is the epitome of what an American really is. Guys like Hogan or Del Wilkes were cartoon characters to some extent. Backlund was real, and while that may not mean he should be at the top of the list, it might be enough to get a mention.

Of course you could apply everything I said about Backlund to Thesz and make a much stronger case.

[M Dogg™]

What about Bret Hart? It says Patriotic, not American Patriots.


I'm Canadian so the 97 Hart Foundation stuff was massively huge over here.

Check the anti-American wrestler thread. You might be happy....  

Not just for being anti-American, I think he was great at playing the patriot. As opposed to Nikolai or Iron Shiek who just played the villains.


Anyway, as for American Patriots not yet mentioned, how about Bob Backlund. The All-American Boy next door set to take over after the long Sanmartino era. Vince Jr then bought the company and had other plans, but Backlund was still a solid draw and a great wrestler. A shame he couldn't have been given a place somewhere in either promotion throughout the 80s. He was the last main eventer I can remember whose interviews came off exactly like what they sound like if the sport was real and they were viewed like any other athlete. You had a harder time thinking Wrestling was fake when Backlund was on the mic.

I thought of Bret Hart like that, but at the same time I wanted to be simple and not over think things. Maybe if this was my job, but I just figured it was easy to separate them like this.

As for Backlund, when making this list, I thought of him as American, but more of a face rather than someone who claimed to live the American Dream, or buried themselves in Red White and Blue. He was thought of, but just by pure gimmick, it he wasn't strong enough. Now as a credible wrestler, his in a class with Angle, Thesz, and Hart.

I liked his gimmick, because he didn't really have one. He was the All American Athlete with out having to drape it around his chest. When you watch an interview by Backlund I think it is the epitome of what an American really is. Guys like Hogan or Del Wilkes were cartoon characters to some extent. Backlund was real, and while that may not mean he should be at the top of the list, it might be enough to get a mention.

Of course you could apply everything I said about Backlund to Thesz and make a much stronger case.

True. I just think that there's a difference between being a patriotic hero, and an all around hero. Thesz and Backlund, had they done half a straight All American gimmick, then they jump way over Duggan and Slaughter, no question. But they were more match faces, who could really shoot and they played the hero. Nothing bad about that at all. Just not on gimmick American list, but over great list, and the ones that matter, they yeah. This list has Jim Duggan and Sgt. Slaughter, I wasn't exactly listing true Hall of Fame match technicians.

[Shallow]

Fair Enough.


What about Danny Hodge? Joined the US Navy, represented the US in the Olympics twice (5th and Silver Medal, would have been Gold if he got to compete in the US like Angle did), pro-boxer for a bit, and cover of Sports Illustrated.