WWE: 5 Wrestlers Who Deserve the Hall of Fame

The WWE Hall of Fame's Class of 2012 is absolutely loaded, and each wrestling legend entering this year certainly deserves to.

But just because they belong there doesn't mean that there aren't just as many deserving wrestlers who are still on the outside looking in.

There is a boatload of former stars who have contributed to professional wrestling in a major way and should be welcomed into the WWE's elite class of legends.

The list of Hall of Fame-worthy candidates is incredibly lengthy, and some of those should-be inductees will probably never make it there, whether it be because of personal issues with someone in the WWE or because the timing just never seems right.

But today, we're going to take a look at five wrestlers (not necessarily the top five) who should enter the Hall of Fame in the near future.

5. Jake "The Snake" Roberts

Although we may never know for sure, it seems like the one major thing preventing Jake "The Snake" Roberts from being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame is his battle with his personal demons.

But it's a real shame that his issues outside of the ring may prevent the WWE from recognizing his accomplishments in it. 

Although Roberts never won a major singles title in the WWE, a look at his list of accomplishments shows that he indeed won several major titles throughout his career and, of course, he was a staple of the WWF from the mid-1980s until the early 1990s.

He was known for having arguably the best in-ring psychology in the business as well as his unique gimmick, and he's often credited with inventing the DDT.

"The Snake" does not have the Royal Rumble victories or the World title reigns that some of the greats of the business do, but his contributions to pro wrestling cannot be measured in numbers.

Go to YouTube, look up what Roberts did throughout his career and you'll know that he made an everlasting impact on pro wrestling.

4. "Ravishing" Rick Rude

After this little stunt he pulled in 1997, I'd venture to guess that Rick Rude probably won't make it to the WWE Hall of Fame. Ever.

But if we can ignore the fact that Rude trashed the WWF on WCW TV (hard to do, I know), then we should recognize that he is one of the greatest heels this business has ever seen.

We often liked to talk about a wrestler being the "total package," and that's what Rude was. He had the chiseled physique, in-ring skills, mic skills, charisma and gimmick that distinguished him from the rest of the pack.

Rude played one of the best antagonists in pro wrestling during his time with the three major promotions (WCW, WWF and ECW) throughout the 1980s and 90s, where he won the Intercontinental Championship and had a total of four World title reigns.

He was also a member of one of the greatest stables ever, D-Generation X, and was ranked the No. 57 singles wrestler of the "PWI Years" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2003.

If (issues with WWE aside) Rude doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame, then I don't know who does.

3. Lou Thesz

Although Lou Thesz has never actually competed in a WWE ring, we've seen guys who made their marks on pro wrestling elsewhere get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the past.

And Thesz is as deserving as any.

He racked up a whopping 18 World championships throughout his career (even Triple H and Ric Flair would be jealous), and he held the NWA title for an astounding 10 years, which—shocker—is a record.

Although Thesz had an impressive resume in the ring, he is probably best known for being a wrestling inventor of sorts. He is credited with the creation of a number of moves and submissions, such as the Thesz press, power bomb, German suplex and the STF (John Cena's current submission finisher), among a slew of others.

His impact on pro wrestling didn't stop there, however.

Thesz also trained future wrestling stars, worked as a promoter and manager and even served as a referee for huge matches, such as the NWA Heavyweight Championship bout between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes in September 1981.

Not many wresting fans from today's generation know who Thesz is, but one thing's for sure: without him, pro wrestling would never have been the same. 

2. Mick Foley

Mick Foley competed as recently as the 2012 Royal Rumble, but if that was his last match ever, then it's time to induct him into the Hall of Fame.

"The Hardcore Legend" worked for WCW and ECW in the early-to-mid 1990s, but it wasn't until he made it to the WWF in 1996 that he truly made his mark on the business.

Known for his multiple personalities (Dude Love, Cactus Jack and Mankind), Foley became one of the biggest stars of arguably the best period in wrestling history, the Attitude Era, earning a reputation as one of the biggest risk-takers wrestling has ever seen.

Foley etched his name in wrestling history with his epic Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker in 1998, but the rest of his career shouldn't be overshadowed.

He was an eight-time World Tag Team Champion, one-time Hardcore Champion and three-time WWF Champion, making him one of the more decorated stars the WWE has ever seen.

Call him a "spot monkey" or "glorified stunt man" if you want. I call him a deserving future Hall of Famer. 

1. "Macho Man" Randy Savage

I know, I know—you're probably sick and tired of hearing that Randy Savage deserves be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

But "Macho Man" should not only be inducted into the elite class of legends ASAP. He should have been in it 10 years ago.

Arguably the most complete wrestler ever to set foot in a WWE ring, Savage was known for cutting those epic, maniacal promos, doing an amazing job of working the crowd and last but not least, for how unbelievably good he was in-between those ropes.

He had few, if any, weaknesses, and as one of the most popular wrestlers ever, he managed to win four WCW World Heavyweight titles, three WWF Championships, one Intercontinental title and the King of the Ring tournament.

Savage has the resume, and he certainly passed the eye test. What's unclear—although there are rumors out there—is exactly what's preventing him from going into the Hall.

Perhaps one day, Savage's issues with WWE will be thrown aside for a much-deserved Hall of Fame nod.

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions on Formspring.