20 WWE Hall of Famers Who Younger Fans Need to See on Video

For many younger fans, their knowledge of professional wrestling only extends back a few years.

To them, John Cena and Randy Orton are pro wrestling. 

Of course, the business is more than just Five Knuckle Shuffles and RKOs, and it wouldn't hurt today's generation of fans to take a look back at the guys who set the table for today's WWE stars.

If you're going to do that, however, you want to do it the right way. You want to watch and examine the guys—and gals—who left their mark on pro wrestling for the right reasons.

Here are 20 WWE Hall of Famers that the younger WWE fans should go back and watch on video.

20. "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes

You wanna talk about someone who's done it all? Look no further than Dusty Rhodes.

He wrestled, he managed and he announced. And he did it all with a ton of charisma.

Though never the most athletically gifted superstar, it was Rhodes' ability to relate to the fans that set him apart from the average wrestler. He could work as an easy-to-hate heel or lovable baby face, but no matter what, the fans were into his matches.

If you want to see why Cody Rhodes and Goldust are so good at what they do, then take a look at where they came from.   

19. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka

Before Evan Bourne was hitting the Shooting Star Press or Justin Gabriel was impressing us with the 450 splash, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was wowing the crowd with his Superfly Splash.

Though the move may not seem like much by today's standards, Snuka is widely regarded as one of the best high-flyers of all time, and it was his top-rope maneuvers that set the mold for today's stars.

Moves like Eddie Guerrero's Frog Splash and the Usos' splash can be traced back to Snuka and his fondness for taking to the air. 

18. The Fabulous Moolah

Women's wrestling wasn't always about looks and model-type Divas like Kelly Kelly.

Once upon a time, there was actually an emphasis put on female wrestlers and their ability to showcase their talent in meaningful matches.

The most well-known female wrestler in history is probably The Fabulous Moolah, whose career spanned from the 1940s all the way to the 2000s. Though the stuff she did later in her career was more for comedy than anything else, Fabulous Moolah set the bar for what today's Divas should aspire to be.

Trust me, there are plenty of reasons why WWE.com put her at No. 2 on its list of the company's "Most Impactful Women."

17. Pedro Morales

Not many people know who Pedro Morales is, but his place in WWE history is undeniable.

He was the first wrestler to ever win the WWF Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the WWF World Tag Team Championship, and he held the WWF title for nearly three years from 1971-1973.

Especially during his reign as WWF Champion, Morales was known for his endurance and in-ring psychology, once wrestling Bruno Sammartino in a 75-minute match.

Morale's incredible stamina and Puerto Rican heritage made him a popular baby face and one of pro wrestling's first true international stars.

16. Hulk Hogan

I don't think I've ever met a professional wrestling fan who doesn't know who Hulk Hogan is, but I'm also not sure they understand why he became synonymous with the business.

It wasn't Hogan's technical skills or in-ring ability that made him the biggest star in the world. It was has charisma and his showmanship, which are nearly unrivaled in the history of pro wrestling.

Without Hogan, pro wrestling wouldn't be as popular as it is today, and all the theatrics, drama and even the acting wouldn't be as big a part of the business as they currently are.

In many ways, Hogan set the standard for wrestlers to become bona fide superstars as opposed to simply grapplers who were trying to win a match.

Younger fans should watch some classic Hogan footage to see how his mannerisms and "Hulking up" are reflected in today's WWE. 

15. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

One of the most charismatic wrestlers and best mic workers the business has ever seen, Rowdy "Roddy" Piper blurred the line between heel and baby face.

He was one of those guys who was hated so much that the fans couldn't help but appreciate how good he was and cheer for him as a result.

Though a fine in-ring performer as well, Piper was perhaps best known for his "Piper's Pit" talk show segment, which essentially laid the foundation for similar segments we've seen recently in the WWE, such as Edge's "The Cutting Edge" or Chris Jericho's "The Highlight Reel."

Aside from Piper's influence on wrestling talk shows, he will always be remembered as one of the very best wrestlers never to have held the WWF Championship. 

14. "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig

If you want to become a professional wrestler, then a good person to study would be Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig.

Though maybe not quite on the same level as someone like Bret Hart or Kurt Angle, Hennig was damn near as good as those guys as far as technical skills are concerned.

There are very few men who've ever laced up a pair of boots that can straight up out-wrestle Hennig, and though he never won a World title, he always performed at a main event level.

Take out your notebook, kids. Hennig can teach you a lot.

13. Gorilla Monsoon

By most standards, today's commentary in the WWE is flat-out awful.

But Gorilla Monsoon was one of the best announcers the company has ever seen.

Though he has a long and storied history as a wrestler, I've got Monsoon here because of what he did at the announce table—the energy, the emotion, the comedy and the knowledge that he brought to it.

Whereas most announcers today have a hard time finding their voice and style, Monsoon was as versatile as they come. He found that rare balance between treating wrestling like a sport and an entertainment show.

12. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

You can't mention Gorilla Monsoon without talking about his former announcing partner, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

One of the best heels in the history of professional wrestling, Heenan did it from both the announce table and as a manager. He was just one of those guys who could make you hate him (and the wrestler he was managing) in a matter of seconds.

No manager has ever been able to generate the heat that "The Brain" could get from the crowd, and that all stemmed from his mannerisms, his facial expressions and his abilities as a talker.

Heenan was a true total package of a heel.

11. Killer Kowalski

Killer Kowalski has had about as big of an impact on professional wrestling as anybody.

His technical skills allowed him to open a wrestling school once his days in the ring were over, and his list of trainees reads like a who's who of professional wrestling. 

Among the notables names who trained with Kowalski are Triple H, Chyna, Kofi Kingston, Perry Saturn, Chris Nowinski, A-Train, Kenny Dykstra, Kazarian and Big John Studd.

Though people often overlook his in-ring career because of his success as a trainer, actually getting in the ring and competing is how Kowalski was able to develop his skills in order to teach them to others.

Kowalski is definitely worth watching, especially if you want to see how his style affected those of the men and women he trained.

10. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

For anyone who doubts Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat's skills, just watch this video and try to wrap your mind around the fact that he was 56 years old when he wrestled that match.

Yeah, that's ridiculous.

Steamboat is absolutely one of the top 10 pure wrestlers of all time, someone who put on a whopping three five-star matches and two "Match of the Year" bouts in 1987 and 1989, respectively.

He may not get quite the hype of someone like Shawn Michaels, but he was about as good as it gets during his career that spanned four decades.

9. Eddie Guerrero

While his in-ring skills and charisma are undeniable, Eddie Guerrero will be remembered largely because of the three words he made famous: Lie, Cheat, Steal.

For anyone wanting to learn how to perform like a great heel, then look no further than "Latino Heat."

He was one of the most crafty and revolutionary performers the business has ever seen, and his "do anything to win" mentality—combined with his great technical ability—made him one of the funnest WWE stars to watch.

It's a shame that Guerrero passed away at such a young age in 2005, because today's fans might still be watching him take his amazing heel tactics to a whole new level.

8. Jim Ross

For my money, Jim Ross is the greatest announcer in WWE history.

You can hear the passion and excitement in his voice, and rather than feeling like you're listening to some broadcast journalist talk about a sport he cares nothing about, you feel like you're hearing a fan live out his dream during every match he calls.

Good ol' J.R. could make an average match seem good, a good match seem great and a great match seem extraordinary, all because of one thing: his voice.

I honestly feel bad for today's generation of WWE fans who have to sit through Michael Cole's annoying crap when we were spoiled for more than a decade with Ross' greatness.

7. Harley Race

Harley Race is one of the biggest names the business has ever seen.

As an in-ring competitor, he won three PWI "Match of the Year" awards (1973, 1979 and 1983) and two "Wrestler of the Year" awards (1979 and 1983), which helped him become one of only six men to be inducted into the WWE, WCW, Pro Wrestling and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Halls of Fame.

As a trainer, he's been just as good.

Race trained Ted DiBiase, Michael McGillicutty, Chris Masters, Trevor Murdoch, Ace Steel and Rick Steiner, among others.

It might be worth an hour of your time to watch some old footage of Race and see how his success in the ring has allowed others to achieve success as well.

6. "Superstar" Billy Graham

Without "Superstar" Bill Graham, some of the biggest names in professional wrestling never would have been.

His bodybuilder type physique, his look and his larger-than-life persona were direct influences on all-time greats, like Triple H and Hulk Hogan, who based their own characters and looks off of those of Graham.

Though not remembered as one of the best pure wrestlers ever, Graham is widely recognized for his contributions to the entertainment aspects of the business and his incredible charisma.

Watch a Graham promo or the way he acts in the ring, and you'll see why the guy left a lasting impression on those who came after him.

5. "Classy" Freddie Blassie

When you think of professional wrestling's greatest heels, names like Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan probably come to mind.

But the one that often doesn't, yet definitely should, is "Classy" Freddie Blassie.

In many ways, Blassie is the best heel the wrestling business has ever seen, someone who was phenomenal at getting under the skin of fans and generating Vickie Guerrero-level heat like it was nothing.

No one before or since Blassie has portrayed a heel in such a downright hateable manner, and frankly, I'm not sure anyone ever will. 

4. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

Much like The Rock, today's younger fans probably know who "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is.

Yet, chances are that they are almost completely unaware of his impact on professional wrestling and how he was the face of arguably the business's greatest period, the Attitude Era.

Stone Cold moved merchandise that John Cena couldn't even dream of, he crossed boundaries that others wouldn't dare cross and he is arguably the most creative and charismatic wrestler ever to set foot in a WWE ring.

He could wrestle, he could work the mic and you can bet your bottom dollar that he'd generate a reaction like no other star the company has seen since then.

And that's the bottom line...

3. Ric Flair

If you don't think "Hulk Hogan" when you hear the words professional wrestling, then you probably think "Ric Flair."

"The Nature Boy" has been around the business since 1972, and one could argue that he is the most complete wrestler to ever lace up a pair of boots.

Flair revolutionized the way heels perform in the ring, yet it didn't take much effort for him to become a lovable baby face as well. At the same time, he somehow didn't let his over-the-top, flashy persona take away from his skills in the ring.

In fact, they added to it.

Flair has won five PWI "Match of the Year" awards, its "Match of the Decade" award (2000-2009), three "Feud of the Year" awards and six "Wrestler of the Year" awards.

Yep, there haven't been many better than "The Nature Boy."

2. Bret "The Hitman" Hart

When today's fans see Bret Hart on WWE TV, I don't think they realize why he's so special.

He didn't have the charisma of a Steve Austin or a Ric Flair, but he had the technical wrestling ability that is probably unmatched in professional wrestling history.

Just like Flair, Hart had a career that was filled with great accomplishments: two PWI "Feud of the Year" awards, three "Match of the Year" awards, two five-star matches and two years atop the magazine's list of the top singles wrestler in the world.

Hart liked to say that he was "The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be"...and he's probably right.

1. Shawn Michaels

Unlike most of the other stars on this list, today's younger fans got to see the tail end of Shawn Michaels' career.

In that short span, they witnessed two of his best matches ever—against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 and 26—but they missed out on the majority of what was arguably the greatest career in wrestling history.

There was truly no one like HBK, who would show raw emotion and genuineness in his promos and then follow them up with matches that blew the roof off the building.

Michaels was a phenomenal seller, a great story teller and the No. 1 in-ring competitor the WWE has ever seen.

If you want to pattern your pro wrestling career after anyone, it would definitely be that of Shawn Michaels.