I’m feeling grateful that I’m even alive let alone thriving in my eyes. There have been some adjustments made into my life since I wrote the last blog that I want to address before I continue here. I feel like it’s important to know that 2023 has been one of the worst years of my life. Due to a lot of circumstances and my volatility, I’ve been hospitalized 3 times and been living a hard life a lot of times skewed by mania and depression. I also quit my job in a peer support setting because I felt too much pressure working in the field that I also live my diagnosis in. With me it’s a double edged sword because I wanted to progress further in the field but it was sucking the life out of me. All I could think about was mental health as a career and as a mode of recovery and I don’t want to be on that frame of thinking. Now with that out of the way I want to talk about wrestling a bit and it will be the main focus of this blog.

Here is my theoretical Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballot.

Historical:

Argentina Rocca and Miguel Perez

Sputnik Monroe

Von Erichs

Johnny Rougeau 

Jack and Jerry Brisco 

Modern US/Canada:

Roman Reigns

Young Bucks

Briscoes

Goldberg

Moxley

Japan:

CIMA

Shingo Takagi 

Tomohiro Ishii

Mexico: 

Abstain

Rest of the World:

Abstain

Non Wrestlers:

Jim Johnston

Ted Turner

Roy Welsh

Reggie Parks

Bobby Davis

I originally didn’t have Rocca and Perez on my ballot but after doing some surface level research, I was compelled to put them on my ballot and they would have been in the HOF in 1996 if Dave did tag teams if he did it the way it is done now. The case on Sputnik Monroe is whether integrating segregation away from Tennessee was for the good of society or for his own gain. Your choice, either way, I think his influence is undeniable. The Von Erichs, I don’t even have to say the name and you think of the Hall of Fame instantly. Johnny Rougeau, Joe Lanza has made an interesting and compelling argument for Rougeau’s drawing record on the Flagship Patreon audio based on a Pat Laprade F4W article. Jack and Jerry Brisco had that great Florida run and Jerry has an influence case with the amateur background on how WWE’s scouts. 

Roman Reigns is a very contentious pick for this thing. The case for him is based on whether you think the Bloodline is this drawing success. I think it’s pretty undeniable at this point that he’s been a success to that company. This Case Lowe article on Voices of Wrestling is the argument against it. The Young Bucks should waltz into this Hall of Fame. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Another Case Lowe article from 2019 petitioned them to be the greatest tag team of all time. I feel a lot of people don’t realize how many matches of quality they have had and they were instrumental in the creation of AEW. Plus they have 114 matches rated 8 or higher on cagematch and if you go to 7 or higher it’s 239. The Briscoes are the Young Bucks contemporaries and they have been 1B to the Young Bucks 1A. Jay also had a significant singles run. The Briscoes as an entity have 49 matches rated 8 or above on Cagematch and this includes Jay’s singles stuff. Goldberg is a draw candidate. It’s basically whether you think the WCW run is successful enough. I think Moxley is an interesting candidate based on his run in AEW. Ewan Cameron did an article on Voices of Wrestling saying he isn’t yet and I can agree with the sentiments in that article but I love Moxley and he’ll be strengthening his case. 

All 3 of my Japanese candidates are workrate candidates. CIMA has more of an influence as a candidate and whether you think lucharesu is a viable wrestling style. Shingo is just subjectively great, he has 103 matches rated 8 or above on cagematch. I think Shingo also has a drawing case with Dragon Gate and being a main eventer in NJPW. Ishii is one of the greatest workers I have ever seen and he has 141 matches rated 8 or above on cagematch so it’s subjective that Ishii is great. 

For my non wrestlers, influence was key in my cases. Jim Johnston is a name that jumps off the page immediately. Andrew Rich wrote for Voices of Wrestling on Johnston’s case and when you think about the themes he produced, he’s by far the most successful music producer in wrestling history. Ted Turner is a slam dunk candidate. Wrestling wouldn’t be where it is today without Ted Turner and that is a compliment. Arturo Galletti writes a very compelling case for Turner on Voices of Wrestling just stating how influential he is. His placement of wrestling in that prominent 6:05 spot on Saturdays is one of the most important time slots in wrestling history. Roy Welch’s candidacy basically holds on whether you think Tennessee before the purchase by the Jarretts. Bobby Davis influenced the two key managers of the day Heenan and Cornette. Those two guys said Bobby Davis influenced them and it’s getting ridiculous. Jesse Collings wrote what are we doing here? My Reggie Parks case is more, he created the belts that we loved and they sold like crazy. Basically this Tucson Weekly article basically sums up what he has done.

Yeah it’s an imaginary hall of fame but it’s our best way to realistically discuss people of wrestling history. I love the discussions the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame brings up and learning about new wrestlers.