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#4 Billy Sandow
Billy Sandow is not a name that many modern wrestling fans recognize, but he was crucial to the development of modern wrestling as we know it today.
When Sandow got his start, pro wrestling meant greco-roman or catch wrestling, and matches could go on for over an hour with little action as the two athletes sought an advantage. As audiences continued to dwindle, Sandow realized that something had to change.
Sandow, along with Ed Lewis and Toots Mondt, would change the wrestling ring to more closely resemble a boxing ring, and would modify wrestling from a pure athletic contest to more of a performance, with flashier holds and moves as well as larger than life personas for the talent.
He would also famously challenge pro boxing legend Patrick Dempsey to a bout, but the match never happened.
Why he deserves to be in the hall of fame: As one of the Gold Dust Trio, Sandow would help change pro wrestling into a scripted dramatic entertainment form, which dramatically increased the audience attendance and set the stage for modern pro wrestling.
