Wrestlers

André René Roussimoff was born in a small farming community in Grenoble, France to Boris and Marian Rouismoff. His parents and four siblings were all of normal size, but André suffered from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone. As the Giant grew up (very quickly, as he reached the height of 6' 3" by the age of 12) he began to often disagree with his parents. He left home at 14 and obtained a job with a furniture-moving firm and began to play rugby. At 17 he was seen training at a gym by several professional wrestlers. Impressed by his size, they taught him some basic wrestling skills and built a friendship with him. Later, when one of the wrestlers was injured, André stepped in for him. He would wrestle for nearly thirty more years. By his early 20s André had wrestled in Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, England, Scotland, and most of non-Communist Europe but had not found fame. In 1971 he came to North America under the name Jean Ferre and was mildly popular in Canada. Then he met a New York based booker by the name of Vincent J. McMahon (often incorrectly referred to as "Vince McMahon Sr") who renamed him "Andre the Giant," and billed him as 7' 4" (Andre was really closer to 7'). Soon Andre the Giant became a national sensation and was a much sought after wrestler. In addition he participated in television, movies, and commercials. With his wealth the Giant bought a ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina where he would live during his rare time off and after he retired from wrestling in 1990. He died while in France after attending his father's funeral. André was cremated and his ashes were spread across his ranch. He is survived by his one daughter.

Roddy Piper was born Roderick George Toombs on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was a pro wrestler from 1973-1987 in the NWA, Pacific Northwest, California. He was a longtime mainstay in the WWF, and was one of the biggest "bad guys" in the WWF during the early '80s, before becoming a fan favorite in the late '80s. He became infamous for his mouth as much as his skills in the ring. He hosted Pipers Pit, which saluted the bad guys of professional wrestling, the most famous of which involved him smashing Jimmy Superfly Snuka over the head with a coconut. He was wrestling's most popular villain because of his feud with Hulk Hogan that culminated at Wrestlemania I. He went into semi-retirement after Wrestlemania III, when he beat and shaved the late Adrian Adonis.

He continued to wrestle into the '90s, but spent much of his time doing color commentary for WWF TV. In January 1992, he won the WWF Intercontinental Title from "The Mountie", the only title he would ever hold in his storied WWF career. After losing the title three months later, he left the WWF, and only made the occasional appearance in the ring over the next few years. In 1995, he had a stint as the WWF's interim president. He later resurfaced in WCW during the late '90s to continue his feud with "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, until the company's demise in 2001.

Roddy Piper appeared in many action films. He died of a heart attack on July 31, 2015, in Hollywood, California.

Aurelian Smith Jr. better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. He is best known for his two stints in the World Wrestling Federation (later called WWE); the first between 1986 and 1992, and the second between 1996 and 1997. He wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1983, World Championship Wrestling in 1992, and the Mexico-based Asistencia Asesoría y Administración between 1993 and 1994 and again in 1997. He appeared in Extreme Championship Wrestling during the summer of 1997 and made appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2006 through 2008.

Throughout his career, Roberts was known for his intense and cerebral promos, dark charisma, extensive use of psychology in his matches, and innovative use of the DDT finishing move (which was later named the "coolest" maneuver of all time by WWE). He often brought snakes into the ring, most famously a python. He was one of the subjects of the 1999 documentary film Beyond the Mat. In 2012, he moved in with fellow wrestler Diamond Dallas Page to seek help in getting his life back on track following years of alcohol and drug addiction, a period covered in the 2015 documentary The Resurrection of Jake the Snake. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5, 2014, and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2020.

One of the most colorful wrestlers in and out of the ring, Randy "Macho Man" Savage became a larger-than-life pop icon along with other wrestling superstars, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka (aka "Superfly Jimmy Snuka"), Jesse Ventura and Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock").

When signed to the WWE (then known as the WWF), Savage immediately became a top heel (bad guy). He was managed by WWE Hall of Fame managers such as Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Classy Freddie Blassie (Freddie Blassie) and, of course his best known manager--the gorgeous Miss Elizabeth (Elizabeth Hulette). During his time in the WWE Savage went up against other WWE legends in the 1980s, such as Junkyard Dog (Sylvester Ritter), Merced Solis (aka Tito Santana), Bruno Sammartino and George 'The Animal' Steele. He also had a well-known feud going with WWE superstar Hulk Hogan.

While in the WWE Savage won the Heavywieght Title two times, the Intercontinental title once and was the 1989 King of the Ring. He then moved to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and signed a $6-million contract with them. He won the WCW Heavyweight Title four times,.

To fans, Savage is most notable for having an off- and on-screen relationship with Miss Elizabeth. Their relationship became the most famous love story in WWE history. However, their relationship started to go downhill, and it began to show in his professional life. Soon they split up. After having left the WCW, Savage went to TNA (Total Non-Stop Action) Wrestling.

Randy Savage died of cardiovascular disease on May 20, 2011, in Seminole, FL.

Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s.

Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977, but gained worldwide recognition after signing for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1983. There, his persona as a heroic all-American helped usher in the 1980s professional wrestling boom, where he headlined eight of the first nine editions of WWF's flagship annual event, WrestleMania. During his initial run, he won the WWF Championship five times, with his first reign being the second-longest in the championship's history. He is the first wrestler to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches, winning in 1990 and 1991. His match with Andre the Giant on WWF The Main Event on February 5, 1988, still holds American television viewership records for wrestling with a 15.2 Nielsen rating and 33 million viewers.

In 1993, Hogan departed the WWF to sign for rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times, and holds the record for the longest reign. In 1996, he underwent a career renaissance upon adopting the villainous persona of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, leading the popular New World Order (nWo) stable. As a result, he became a major figure during the "Monday Night Wars", another boom of mainstream professional wrestling. He headlined WCW's annual flagship event Starrcade three times, including the most profitable WCW pay-per-view ever, Starrcade 1997.

Hogan returned to the WWF in 2002 following its acquisition of WCW the prior year, winning the Undisputed WWF Championship for a record equaling (for the year) sixth time before departing in 2003. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005, and inducted a second time in 2020 as a member of the nWo.

Hogan also performed for the American Wrestling Association (AWA), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) - where he won the original IWGP Heavyweight Championship - and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - now known as Impact Wrestling).

During and after wrestling, Hogan had an extensive acting career, beginning with his 1982 cameo role in Rocky III. He has starred in several films (including No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny) and three television shows (Hogan Knows Best, Thunder in Paradise, and China, IL), as well as in Right Guard commercials and the video game, Hulk Hogan's Main Event. He was the frontman for The Wrestling Boot Band, whose sole record, Hulk Rules, reached No. 12 on the Billboard Top Kid Audio chart in 1995.

Leon Allen White (May 14, 1955 - June 18, 2018), better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and professional football player. Throughout his career, he performed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), and Pro Wrestling Noah (NOAH) during the 1990s and 2000s. Widely regarded as one of the greatest super-heavyweight professional wrestlers of all time, he was a 13-time world champion.

Among other accolades in WCW and Japan, he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times each, the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship twice, the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship once, and won the battle royal main event of the 1993 Battlebowl pay-per-view (PPV). He headlined multiple PPV events for the WWF and WCW. Vader was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 2022, Vader was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). During his run from the 1980s-90s, Warrior became known for high high energy when running down to the ring with his music hits, shaking the ropes during his entrance, his signature move, the Gorilla Press Drop and the Big Splash, which seems that Warrior would be one the only non-heavyset built wrestler to use it.

Before reaching high status to become a main eventer in the WWE, Warrior became popular when he became a two-time Intercontinental Champion by defeating the Honky Tonk Man (Wayne Farris) (within 32 seconds at the first ever Summerslam in 1988) and Ravishing Rick Rude.

Warrior is now deceased.

One of the most recognizable grapplers of the 1980s, Sgt. Slaughter became huge in National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), American Wrestling Association (AWA), and the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). While never actually serving as a United States Marine, Remus adopted the character Sgt. Slaughter and became a professional wrestler. During his run in the WWF, Sgt. Slaughter became a contender to Bob Backlund's WWF Championship and also faced Italian wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino in Sammartino's last match at Madison Square Garden. Sgt. Slaughter was also a NWA United States Champion, as well as NWA Tag Team Champion with Don Kernodle. When Sgt. Slaughter's career exploded, he became one of the most beloved and popular superstars in the WWF during the 1980s, along with Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Snuka.

Besides becoming a household name in wrestling, the Sarge also made his name as a popular culture icon for letting the G.I. Joe using him as a toy. In 1991, he then won his first and only WWF Championship from the Ultimate Warrior at the year's Royal Rumble. After his retirement from being a full-time competitor, Sgt. Slaughter then became a commissioner, later a well respected road agent.

Sgt. Slaughter was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.

The son of a professional wrestler, Ted DiBiase had started his pro wrestling career as a fan favorite, but soon "changed sides" and became a heel throughout the rest of his career. DiBiase entered the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the late 1980s where he gained most of his fame as "The Million Dollar Man." He employed a valet "Virgil" (formerly "Soul Train Jones, " and was an instrumental story line when Hulk Hogan's long WWF championship reign ended. DiBiase stayed in the WWF for more nearly 10 years, ending up as a manager for (soon to be star) "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. DiBiase left the WWF when Austin (then known as "The Ring Master") lost a match, and went to the WWF's rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as an "advisor" to Hogan's new NWO (New World Order) gang.

Joseph Michael Laurinaitis, better known by his ring name Road Warrior Animal (or simply Animal), was an American professional wrestler. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom. He headlined multiple pay-per-view events for the WWF and WCW, competing for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at 2001's Sin. Animal was inducted with Hawk and their manager Paul Ellering into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

Michael Hegstrand (January 26, 1957 - October 19, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as The Road Warriors (The Legion of Doom in WWF), with Road Warrior Animal. Outside of The Road Warriors, Hawk was a sporadic challenger for world heavyweight championships on pay-per-view from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. He headlined the inaugural 1993 edition of ECW's premier annual event, November to Remember.

Semi-retired New Zealander professional wrestler known for his work as a member of the tag team the Sheepherders in Mid-South Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida and other promotions and as the Bushwhackers in WWE. Debuted in his native New Zealand in 1964 and formed the team with Butch Miller in 1965. They would compete and win gold all over the world, including for Stampede Wrestling, WWC (World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico), All Japan Pro Wrestling, Continental Wrestling Association (Memphis), numerous NWA territories, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and others. After years of working as violent foreign heels with one bloody brawl after another, they arrived in WWE in late 1988 as the Bushwhackers, working face for the first time in their careers. They would compete for WWE into 1996 before going to the independents, eventually splitting in 2001, with Miller retiring that same year. Among their in-ring achievements, they are 2x Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions, 3X NWA PNW (Pacific Northwest) Tag Team Champions, 1x NWA Florida Tag Team Champions, 2x WWC World Tag Team Champions, 2x UWF World Tag Team Champions and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.

Iranian professional wrestler best known for his work in the 1980s for WWE (then the WWF) as the Iron Sheik. Trained under Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson and debuted under his own name in 1973 for the American Wrestling Association. Changed to Ali Vaziri while working for NWA Big Time Wrestling (the precursor to World Class Championship Wrestling) in Dallas and for NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Wrestled for the AWA, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Georgia Championship Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling (Alberta, Canada), St. Louis, and All Japan Pro Wrestling before returning to the AWA with his new persona of the Iron Sheik. He took the gimmick, based off of Edward Farhat's gimmick the Sheik, to NWA Pacific Northwest Wrestling (Portland, Oregon), the WWWF (where he was billed as Hussein Arab), Maple Leaf Wrestling (Toronto) and other promotions. He won his first title when he and Bull Ramos defeated Jerry Oates and Jesse Ventura for the NWA PNW Tag Team Titles on April 18, 1978 and held them for 53 days, losing to Dutch Savage and Jimmy Snuka. Teamed with Bobby Bass to win the vacant NWA Vancouver Canadian Tag Team Titles on July 24, 1978, holding them for 77 days before losing them to Mike Sharpe and Salvatore Bellomo. As Great Hussein Arab, he held the NWA Canadian (Toronto) Heavyweight Title twice. Held the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title for 174 days in 1980. Held the NWA National (Georgia) Television Title for 50 days. Defeated Bob Backlund for the WWE World Heavyweight Title on December 26, 1983 and lost it to Hulk Hogan on January 23, 1984, launching the modern era. Teamed with Nikolai Volkoff to defeat the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda) for the WWE World Tag Team Titles at the first "WrestleMania" on March 31, 1985. Made his surprise return to WWE in 1991 as "Col. Mustafa," having been switched from an Iranian to an Iraqi and was teamed with his longtime nemesis Sgt. Slaughter, who had turned heel and announced his support for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior defeated the Triangle of Terror (Slaughter, Mustafa and General Adnan) in the main event of "SummerSlam 91." The gimmick ran its course and he left in 1992. Returned as the Iron Sheik in late 1996 as the co-manager with Backlund of the Sultan (Solofa Fatu Jr.). The gimmick didn't really get over and Sheik left in 1997. He returned for the Gimmick Battle Royal at "WrestleMania X-7" in 2001, which he won due to being the only wrestler in the match who could not safely take the bump over the top rope to the floor. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2008.

Bret Hart is one of Canada's most successful wrestlers. He is also recognized as one of the worlds best wrestlers ever. Hart comes from the legendary Hart Family of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He owns a junior hockey team named after him and has his own column in the Calgary Sun. Bret has held the WWF World Title (5), Intercontinental Title (2), co-held the Tag Team Title (2), the US Heavyweight Title (2) and was the 1993 King of the Ring. He and his brothers and sister hold dual citizenships in both Canada (where he was born) and the US (where his mother was born).

Ed Leslie started his wrestling career in the late-1970s under various identities such as "Dizzy" Ed Boulder, most of the time playing the brother of Terry Bollea (now known as Hollywood/Hulk Hogan). His most famous persona was Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake in the WWF from 1984-1993. He Co-Held the WWF Tag-Team Titles with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine in 1986. His career began to sky-rocket in 1990 when tragedy struck: his mother had just died, his wife had left him, so he tried to keep his mind off of his troubles and went out for a walk on the beach in Tampa, Florida. As he was walking, an out-of-control parasailor hit him full force in the face with his knees, knocking him into the water and nearly drowning him, he was rescued, but the bones in his face were shattered and his face was literally "Caving In", he went under Emergency Surgery at Tampa's Shriner's Hospital and went under over 9 hours of successful reconstructive surgery. Metal plates and screws were used to reconstruct the shape of his face. He stayed ou of the ring for over 2 1/2 Years and returned to action for 2 matches, one of which was with Hulk Hogan as they took on the WWF Tag-Team Champions Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Mike "I.R.S." Rotundo. He wasn't the same, he left the WWF and followed Hogan to WCW in 1994 under various guises such as "The Butcher", "Zodiac" (in which his face was painted), "The Booty Man", and most recently spoting a beard and a more toned physique as "The Disciple". None of those gimmicks will ever reach the height that Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake reached. He joined The Ultimate Warrior's O.W.N. in late-'98, but that didn't take off. He is now a jobber in WCW, and still wrestles as Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake in regional promotions (the name can't be used in WCW since it is TradeMarked by TitanSports aka WWF).

He was one of the world's tallest men to ever live. He played professional basketball as a center in his country at Gimnasia La Plata (won 2nd level championship) and Sport Club. He also played for the National Team from 1985 to 1988. Drafted by NBA's Atlanta Hawks in 1988, he had to quit after a knee injury that didn't allowed him to run properly. Hired by Ted Turner (Hawks' owner) to be part of WCW, started wrestling as "El Gigante" (The Giant), which was his nickname while playing basketball. He became famous as a wrestler, which led him to appear in several series and movies. Then, he also wrestled in Vince McMahon's WWF organization, where he was known as Giant Gonzales, and in Japan. Retired in 1998 due to a back injury, he returned to his birth town. Suffering from serious diabetes and giantism, he was assistant coach at Argentine basketball team Belgrano San Nicolás in 2000. He was honored in 2001 LNB (Argentine Basketball League) All-Star Game for being the first Argentine basketball player to reach NBA. In later years, he was confined to a wheelchair. On September 22, 2010, he died from complications from diabetes in his hometown of San Martin, Argentina. He was 44. Though he never had the long career of Andre the Giant or The Big Show, Gonzales is fondly remembered by wrestling fans of the early 1990s.

Scott Charles Bigelow was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most of his bald head, Bigelow was hailed by Ryan Murphy (a writer for Bigelow's former employer WWE) as "the most natural, agile and physically remarkable big man of the past quarter century", while former co-worker Bret Hart described him as "possibly the best working big man in the business."

Bigelow is best known for his appearances with promotions New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1987 and 2001. Over the course of his career, he held championships including the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, the ECW World Television Championship, the IWGP Tag Team Championship, the WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, and the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Bigelow headlined seven pay-per-views: the first Survivor Series in 1987, Beach Brawl in 1991, King of the Ring in 1993 and 1995, WrestleMania XI in 1995, and the 1997 and 1998 editions of ECW's premier annual event, November to Remember.

George 'The Animal' Steele ( his professional wrestling name) was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA as William James Myers. He was a wrestling superstar in the WWF. He had a public image of a wild type of creature that chewed on the turn buckles and sported a green tongue. In the 1990s he became an actor, known for Blowfish (1997) and Used Cars (1997). George was perhaps best known for playing the monstrous Tor Johnson in Ed Wood (1994). He was married to Patricia Randolph. He died on February 16, 2017 in Florida.

"High Chief" Peter Maivia, originally from Samoa, wrestled for several years in Asia and the United States. He gained his greatest fame as a fan favorite in the WWF (now WWE), taking on such heels as "Superstar" Billy Graham, Ken Patera, and Ivan Koloff. Maivia though later turned into a heel himself (at the behest of manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie) towards the end of his career. Soon after, he was diagnosed with cancer and retired from active wrestling, but was busy as a wrestling promoter in Hawaii. He died of cancer in 1982, but his legacy lives on as his grandson Dwayne Johnson, has made his name as arguably the biggest star from professional wrestling ever to successfully crossover into a sustainable Hollywood acting career.

The man who would eventually become known as Yokozuna was born in San Francisco on October 22, 1966. He came from a wrestling family, as his uncles were Afa Anoai and Sika Anoai. He was trained by his uncles and Sam Fatu as a teenager and wrestled in Alabama and the USWA under the name Kokina Anoai. He already weighed 400 pounds.

In Japan, he would work in main events against Big Van Vader (Leon White), and there he met a contingent of sumo wrestlers, which led to the gimmick which would get him the most over, the character Yokozuna, or sumo grand champion. Vince McMahon brought him into the WWF and gave him a monster push in 1992. He wasn't even knocked off his feet for months, until finally Jim Duggan finally pulled it off, and he still won the match. He later won the Royal Rumble (1993), which allowed him to challenge for the WWF Title at WrestleMania IX (1993) against Bret Hart. Anoai won the match and the title, but immediately lost it at the same event to Hulk Hogan. Anoai won the title back at the King of the Ring (1993) and kept it for over 10 months, an incredible amount of time for a 'heel' wrestler. He lost it back to Hart at WrestleMania X (1994).

His weight was becoming a huge issue, and multiple attempts to get Anoai to lose it were failures. The WWF kept him off TV for awhile, then brought him back in as a tag team partner for Owen Hart, with whom he won the Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania XI (1995). His weight gain continued, and at his final appearance in the WWF, during the _Survivor Series (1996) (V)_, he weighed almost 800 pounds. This would make him the heaviest pro wrestler in history, but he was never officially weighed.

He wrestled in the main event of the Heroes of Wrestling pay per view in 1999 and went on a European tour in October 2000. It was during this tour that he died of a heart attack in his hotel room in Liverpool, England. He was only 34.

Born in the South Pacific island which shares his first name, Tonga Uliuli Fifita was entrenched in athletic competition from an early age. He attended Tonga College, an all-boys school, where the top sport was rugby. After a troupe of Japanese sumo wrestlers visited the island kingdom in an attempt to drum up local interest in the sport, Fifita was selected at age 14 to join a contingent of Tongan wrestlers for further sumo training in Japan. (Fellow Tongan sumo wrestler Sione Vailahi aka 'The Barbarian' would later follow the same career path.) However, with the generous amounts of money Fifita saw professional wrestlers making in Japan, he decided to change careers, turning pro at 18. After touring various circuits throughout Japan and Canada, he debuted in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 as 'King Tonga'. He immediately made an impact as a fan favorite when he bodyslammed Big John Studd on an episode of WWF Superstars (1986).

He remained with the company for the next six years, turning heel as 'Haku' after aligning himself with manager Bobby Heenan. In 1987, he formed 'The Islanders' tag team with the 'Tonga Kid' Sam Fatu. He was crowned 'King' of the WWF in 1988, and teamed with Andre the Giant to defeat Demolition for the WWF tag team championships in 1989. He later turned up in World Championship Wrestling, appearing on WCW Monday Nitro (1995) & WCW Thunder (1998) with an even meaner streak as 'Meng' - master of the Tongan death grip. By 2000, however, with mis-management and financial chaos running rampant in WCW, Tonga was let out of his contract, and hired back on a per-event basis. While celebrating a reign as WCW Hardcore champion, Tonga was contacted by the rival WWF within mere days of his title win at WCW Sin (2001), and was offered a contract. He returned to the WWF soon after, as the 29th entrant in the Royal Rumble (2001). That turned out to be a good business move for him, as WCW was soon shut down and sold off to the WWF. This time around he formed a temporary alliance with fellow Islander (& Tonga Kid's brother) Rikishi, feuding with the Undertaker & Kane on _"Raw Is War" (1997)_ & WWE Smackdown! (1999).

Though now mainly retired from in-ring competition, he continues to be involved in other commercial ventures such as Tri Women's Fitness, where WWE Superstars Torrie Wilson & Victoria are known to have got their start prior to their wrestling careers. He also now works as Detail Manager for Central Florida's David Maus Toyota. Tonga now lives in Poinciana, Florida with his wife Dorothy, sons Tevita, Alipate & Taula and daughter Vika.

Robert James Marella was born in Rochester, New York, USA . After being a WWF Champion and President, he became known for his work on WWE Raw (1993), WWF Challenge (1986) and WWF Prime-Time Wrestling (1985). He also hosted many Wrestlemanias with Jesse Ventura.He was married to Maureen Hess for 40 years. He passed away on October 6, 1999 in Mooresville, New Jersey, USA.

Ronald Simmons is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E) under both his real name and the ring names Faarooq Asaad (sometimes spelled Asad) and Faarooq (sometimes spelled Farooq).

Born on March 24, 1965. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, around WrestleMania VIII (1992). He has held the WWF World Title on four separate occasions, first at the Survivor Series (1991) (dubbed "Hulk Hogan's Gravest Challenge"), from then champion, Hulk Hogan. Hogan won the title back shortly thereafter, only to be stripped of the title due to the circumstances by which he won the match. Undertaker next won the title at WrestleMania 13 (1997) from Sycho Sid. Taker defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to win his third WWF Title at WWF Over the Edge (1999). His fourth and final WWE title reign was won at WWE Judgment Day (2002), coming full circle, by defeating Hulk Hogan once again.

Native Detroiter Kevin Nash is an actor and equal rights advocate who discovered his love of comedy as the class clown in elementary school and to this day, he can find humor in almost any situation. One day he could not find humor was April 4th, 1968 as that was the day his father died of a heart attack at work at 36 years of age. After spending the day at the funeral home he came home seeking solace in the back bedroom of their 800 sq. foot home watching his portable TV. Suddenly on screen came the report of Martin Luther King's assassination. This brought to mind sitting on his father's knee as they watched MLK's "I have a dream" speech. This touched a nerve since the only time he'd ever seen his father cry was the day JFK was shot. Kevin's father, a lifelong democrat instilled core values in his son which later in life lead to Nash's advocacy of human rights, whether it be race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

After 3 years playing Division 1 college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers a physical altercation with the head coach Don DeVoe (Kevin pie-faced him after DeVoe grabbed Nash by his jersey), led to a parting of the ways. He was then inspired to join the Army after watching Bill Murray's Stripes and went on to not only have top-secret clearance but also represent the US Armed Forces in the paint. Upon honorable discharge from the Army, Nash played European basketball where a career-ending catastrophic knee injury concluded his basketball career and would hinder his ensuing professional athletic career from day one. His love of being an athlete led him down another path to infamy, namely, professional wrestling. He is one of only eight human beings on the planet to bear the elite distinction of being TWICE inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, after a career garnering 6 world title belts and 21 championships in total. Of course, none of that would have been possible without the brains, talent, and personality that put him on the Mt. Olympus of the sports entertainment universe in the first place.

While his athletic route to fame using not only his wit and Detroit coolness but also his considerable 6'10" size and physical prowess to his advantage is what he may be best known for, Nash's skill as a primarily comedic actor is what gives him the most personal satisfaction. Proudest of his portrayal as Officer Englehart in The Longest Yard (2005), the role was originally scripted for a single line, "Who drank all the damn Gatorade?!" but when both Adam Sandler and director Peter Segal saw how thoroughly and artfully Nash embraced the part, Englehart became a much, much bigger part of the film due to Nash's ability to ad-lib scenes. Kevin's take on this masculine prison guard turned estrogen-laden cheerleader, is perhaps his most memorable character to date.

Part Native American and part Neanderthal, Kevin Nash is one-of-a-kind.