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#2 Sam Muchnik
Modern wrestling fans probably don't know who Sam Muchnik is, but his contributions to the sport cannot be discounted.
Muchnik cut his teeth as a wrestling promoter under the tutelage of Tom Packs, the top wrestling promoter of the 1930s and 1940s. However, when Packs short shifted Sam Muchnik on his fair share of the gate for a 14,000 dollar show--that's a quarter of a million adjusted for inflation--Muchnik broke out on his own.
Through grit and determination, he managed to book shows in the St. Louis area despite heavy resistance from Packs, who had myriad political connections. Muchnik would go on to co-found the National Wrestling Alliance and served as its president for two stints.
Why he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame: Muchnik may never have performed in the ring, but he helped grow sports entertainment to doing major arena shows, a debt which cannot be re-payed.
