What makes a legend?

[Guest Craig]

Legends

 

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1034/315qu.jpg____http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4640/622hf.jpg

 

 

What exactly defines a legend? What exactly makes a wrestler a legend in the wrestling buisness? What is that one thing that they have accomplished to make them a legend?

 

I was having this conversation with one of my friends about who legends are, and we came up witht the obvious names, like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, and others, but then there where some that we weren't sure of. Names like Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Kane, Big Show, Kurt Angle and countless others. We couldn't decide exactly what makes you a legend or not. Is it main eventing and being a huge draw? Is it flat out wrestling skill? Mic skill? Longevity? We couldn't decide on the one factor that makes a legend.

 

So, I'm asking TWO.....What exactly is a legend?

Edited November 5, 2005 by Craig

[Guest da game]

a Legend has to be exciting to watch and he has to be a fan favorite

[Guest Dan]

For me the most important thing is being a unqiue entertainer that sets a wrestler apart from others. I don't think it really has to be how many championship someone has held, or how many great matches someone has won, or even how great a wrestler is. I think its about being great entertainer and being special, aka Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, its about being special, because they all standout from the crowd and they will never ever be another Hogan, Rhodes, Piper, Flair etc.

[Guest Dan]

a Legend has to be exciting to watch and he has to be a fan favorite

 

Personally I don't think a legend has to be a fan favourite, I mean look at Mr Perfect, Ric Flair, Rick Rude just to name a few who for the most of thier career were heels and are indeed true legends.

[Guest da game]

ric flair is a fanfavourite

[Guest SuperKick Kid]

What makes a legend, hmmmmmm.......

 

 

Well, Start out with, they have to have good and recognizable music. Like Real American for Hogan, and 2001 Space Odessey for Flair.

 

Second Some sort of tademark entrance, like Flair with the big robes or Hogan with ripping his shirt off.

 

Third, some kind of catch phrase- like WOOOOOOOOOOOOO, or Watcha gonna do brother?

 

Forth, Good mic skill, being able to get the crowd into it.

 

Fifth, Having been a big heel at one time.

 

Sixth, did something to raise the bar in wrestling.

 

Seventh, has a memorable finisher

 

Eighth, was in a wrestling moment that will never be forgotten.

[Ryan 188]

a Legend has to be exciting to watch and he has to be a fan favorite

 

no they dont have to be a fan favorite, Ted DiBiase is a legend and he wasnt a fan favorite, same withy Andre, he was a big heel around WM3, Jake Robers, Mr Perfect (my opinion people, my opinion) Bret Hart was a big heel in the mid 90's, you dont have to be a fan favorite to be a legend.

[wyndorf 389]

A sure fire way to be deemed a legend, is to die. Sad, but true.

[Guest Citizen Kane]

Giving something to the business, being proffessional.

I think a legend doesn't whine about jobbing, happy to put others over and futher their careers.

I guess by my criteria, Kane and Christian would be legends, never hear anything negative said about them backsatge and happy to put others over. The WWE treats Kane and did treat Christian badly, but they came out looking good even though they were given rubbish to work with.

Of course, working a crowd well and being entertaining make a legend aswell, but those are my criteria for being a legend.

[Ryan 188]

i know its stupid but you they have to have Entrance music thats going to make fans instantly stand on their feet and cheer their brains out or instantly Boo asoon as they hear it, i know its dumb but its true, Stone Cold (glass shatters) The Rock (If Ya Smelllllll) Hulk Hogan (his entrance music is about being a real american and since WWE is in America most of the time its going to make people mark) Bret Hart (the screeching guitar bit) just to name afew.

 

ye if u want to be a good legend like ric flair or hulk hogan or da undertaker

 

Text Talk is against the rules here buddy :xyx

Edited November 5, 2005 by Ryan

[Guest Danny Styles]

a legend needs a great gimmick that lasts for a long time.. needs to put on great matches and memorable moments...

[Ryan 188]

a legend needs a great gimmick that lasts for a long time.. needs to put on great matches and memorable moments...

 

exactly, Ric Flair has had his gimmick since the 70's same with Hogan, even though Jack Roberts, Mr Perfect, Bret Hart, Davey Boy didnt last for ages they were all great gimmicks.

[Ryan 188]

ok i agree with u mate

 

but still cut you text talk :)

[Guest da game]

ok im tryin it is hard for me

[Ryan 188]

ok im tryin it is hard for me

 

just read your post before you posted it and im sure you'll be fine mate :thumbsup

[Guest da game]

ok i will

[Murph 93]

What makes a legend is simply the fans. They cheer you or boo you a lot, which will make your gimmick, which will make your career.

 

It's that simple.

[Ryan 188]

ok enough of the Spam buddy...

 

kk lol

 

and your still using text talk :lol

 

...agree with Hitman, without the fans you have no one to cheer or boo you, there's no one there for the reaction, and it doesnt really matter what the company does it up to the fans to decide who they like and who they dont

[Guest Dan]

ric flair is a fanfavourite

 

Flair is a face now, but throughout the majority of his career, and some may say the best parts of his career (Horsemen, feud with Dusty, Sting, WWF ) Flair was was a heel, and was best as a heel. But it really doesn't matter if your a heel or a face, fans still embrace "Legends" regardless.

[Guest chaos kid]

to start with this is a great question from Big Craig which has actually made me think.

 

So back to the question what makes a legend?

The Dictionary definition is as follows a famous or remarkable person.

 

So way the people have so far wrote about being a fan favourite, or the entrance, or the entrance music, there catchphase, the finisher and good mic skills.

 

Good points but in my opinion, these points would not be applicable would the wrestlers from the 20's to 70's, people like Ed "strangler" Lewis, Lou Thesz, Pat O'Connor and Bruno Sammartino, these great men never entered the ring in flashy gear or entrance music, never had a catchphase, but what made these men great, and still know to today are there performance in the squared circle, these men are legends.

 

So the definition changes slighty from the 80's to present day, with the introduction of Wrestling on the television, with wrestling more accessible to the general public and more wrestlers getting known.

 

I believe that longevity, ring skills, ring presence and the X factor, I consider these very important. Now there have been a lots of wrestlers who have been around for years like for example Al Snow but is he a legend, simply no.

Alot of wrestlers are great in the ring but does not make them all legends does it. There were/are huge, dominating wrestlers does it make them all legends, no. And there is the X factor, the factor which is most important but hardest to describe, the person you watch and you think wow, the person who could sell tickets, the person who has "it" a rare commodity with wrestlers, a skill which can not be taught but in is within the person.

 

So in my opinion, who do I consider legends, well they are as follows: -

 

Lou Thesz

Bruno Sammartino

Dusty Rhodes

Terry Funk

Ric Flair

Roddy Piper

Hulk Hogan

Andre the Giant

Bret Hart

Shawn Michaels

HHH

[Guest Kanenite]

Personally, I think it is having that special connection with the fans. Not all people have it, it just takes the right time for the fans to see that they are capable of great matches and they are capable of holding the company steady. Examples like Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, HHH and The Undertaker are a few examples to look back on in the future. Just like now we look back on Hogan's, Flair's, Jake Roberts and Bret Hart's careers as legendary, we will soon be looking back on some of the current stars and saying, wow that person really is a legend.

[Guest Kanenite]

and your still using text talk :lol

I don't think KK is text talk, if 'K' is acceptable, then kk should be.

[Guest vortigern]

whats the difference between a legend and an all time great? cripes,thats another topic alltogether:lol like `Hitman` said its down to crowd reaction,nothing to do with playing face or your music.

i would class people like Gorilla Monsoon,Jake Roberts as WWE legends

 

and Hulk,Austin,Flair,Sammartino as WWE all time greats

 

id say the all time greats probably would be your major champions,your long time main eventers,the ones the crowd never forget

[Guest Gooneronastick]

Personally' date=' I think it is having that special connection with the fans. Not all people have it, it just takes the right time for the fans to see that they are capable of great matches and they are capable of holding the company steady. Examples like Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, HHH and The Undertaker are a few examples to look back on in the future. Just like now we look back on Hogan's, Flair's, Jake Roberts and Bret Hart's careers as legendary, we will soon be looking back on some of the current stars and saying, wow that person really is a legend.[/quote']

 

I think you hit the nail on the head there K4E. A true wrestling legend is someone who makes the fans care about them whether that be like or dislike. And there must be longevity involved. People cared about John Cena for a while but that won't make him a legend, people will need to care about him in 5 years from now and maybe he'll be listed amongst the legends.

[Guest Danny Styles]

people will need to care about him in 5 years from now and maybe he'll be listed amongst the legends.

 

five years?!?

 

try 15 minimum