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In recent years, the WWE Hall of Fame has come to encapsulate not just the company's own performers, but ones from other organizations as well. The sports entertainment giant has attempted to make it about professional wrestling in general, and it's not just the Superstars they created.
One of the companies now owned by WWE is their longtime rival, WCW. Purchased in the spring of 2001, World Championship Wrestling provided Vince McMahon and Co. with plenty of fresh talent. Names like Booker T and Diamond Dallas Page are now Hall of Famers due mostly to their accomplishments prior to arriving at Titan Towers.
However, there are still plenty of names from Ted Turner's old company that should be considered for enshrinement. Here are five names associated with WCW that should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
#5 - The Patriot
The late Del Wilkes made his red, white and blue character one of the most popular in all of wrestling during the mid-90's. Originating from the old Global Wrestling Federation, he found his greatest title success with WCW.
The Patriot captured the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice with Buff Bagwell as his partner. The team, known as Stars and Stripes, were popular babyfaces.
Later, The Patriot would famously become a part of the famous US vs. Canada feud in the late 90's, where he would face off against Bret Hart for the WWE World Title. In a strange twist, he was a hero when the two wrestled in America, but was considered a villain by the Canadian fans.
Between his WCW success and a decent run at the perfect time in WWE, The Patriot is certainly Hall of Fame worthy.
#4 - Ultimo Dragon
At one point, Ultimo Dragon was the most decorated junior heavyweight in the world. The Japanese star became popular with WCW fans due to his excellence in the ring and the mystery of his character. He didn't speak, allowing manager Sonny Oono to do most of the filibustering on his behalf.
Ultimo did his talking in the ring with an array of maneuvers like the Asai Moonsault and the Dragon Sleeper. He mixed mat skills with martial arts, and certainly took to the air whenever needed.
Dragon is a former two-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion who also grabbed the World Television Title twice. He has held several regional and global cruiserweight championships and is a former J-Crown winner. He spent about two years with WWE, but never grabbed any gold while he was there.
#3 - Tony Schiavone was the voice of WCW, but also worked for WWE as well
The voice of WCW is one of the greatest professional wrestling announcers of all time. There's absolutely no debating that. For a couple of generations, Schiavone was the soundtrack for sports entertainment in the South.
Schiavone spent a year with WWE in the early 90's, only to eventually return to WCW. He remained with the promotion all the way to the bitter end - when it was purchased by Vince McMahon in April 2001.
Schiavone stayed away from the professional wrestling industry for several years after making a couple of appearances for TNA in the early 2000's. He would eventually re-emerge with Major League Wrestling and then, eventually, with AEW. He remains with the promotion today, not just as an on-air talent but a backstage executive for Tony Khan as well.
Of all the great announcers left who haven't been made a part of the WWE Hall of Fame, Tony Schiavone is the most deserving of the honor.
#2 - Nikita Koloff
The Russian Nightmare is a former United States and World Television Champion and is remembered as one of the most famous grapplers of the 1980's. Koloff burst onto the scene in the mid-80's and dominated Jim Crockett Promotions. His feud with Magnum TA was the stuff of legend, and his subsequent face turn was explosive.
After stepping away from the ring to care for his wife, Mandy, he returned to the squared circle. He joined WCW in 1991. Once a huge fan favorite, he came back as a heel and feuded with the likes of Sting and Lex Luger. He would eventually leave the wrestling industry to pursue a life as part of the ministry. Today, he appears at churches and other events to tell the story of his personal journey and to spread God's message.
The member of The Super Powers was one of the faces of the wrestling world in the late 80's. His incredible star power justifies his induction.
#1 - Ted Turner
This one will likely never happen, but it should.
Ted Turner is singlehandedly responsible for professional wrestling being broadcast nationally on cable television. When he started his fledgling TV empire, it was "rasslin" and Atlanta Braves baseball that carried Turner to success. He never forgot that, and he stayed loyal to both throughout the years. Eventually, he owned both the baseball team AND the wrestling promotion.
Purchasing Jim Crockett promotions in late 1988, he re-named it World Championship Wrestling. Turner bankrolled the promotion for all the years when it lost money (which was most of its existence).
Vince McMahon would never put Turner in the Hall of Fame, and Ted himself likely wouldn't be able to attend due to health reasons. But someone like Eric Bischoff could receive the award on his behalf.
It just seems fitting that Turner and his contributions to sports entertainment should be recognized. If the folks at WWE look deep enough and put away any pettiness from the past, they will see that Ted Turner is just as much a part of wrestling history as anyone. He should be in any Hall of Fame that's out there... including in WWE.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
