The fraternity of professional wrestling is made up of some of the most interesting characters. At times, there is a blurred line between character and reality.
In the 1970s and early 1980s when wrestlers protected the business and Kayfabe still formed a shroud of secrecy on everything that happened backstage, both men and women became the characters they portrayed. It wasn’t odd to see Ox Baker scaring the daylights out of fans outside the arenas or Sgt. Slaughter wearing his military fatigues in local venues.
Oh, how times have changed.
Ric Flair once said in his book, “To Be the Man”, champions would sleep with their title belts – proving once again how important a championship was to their legacy. The mainstream of this business was one hellacious party – with everyone on promotional rosters hoping to get an invitation to stay a while.
Today, with the advent of the internet and the belief in transparency, those walls have come down, making it difficult for us old-timers to accept some of the ways of the squared circle. Seeing John Cena and Triple H in an airport having a laugh or two is commonplace. There are some who still try to protect the business – believing there is still a place for the rituals of yesterday while trying to survive in this “quick-to-get-away” business,
The Undertaker is still one of the few performers who remains in character every single moment he is in an arena. Alberto Del Rio is another. Now, the lines aren’t blurred, those two are the exception to the norm. Here is a look at five wrestlers who blurred those lines over their careers and even live the persona today.
#1 Bob Backlund
The former WWF World Champion isn’t the prim and proper technical superstar he once was. Now, he is a bit off kilter and potentially a certifiable nut job. Backlund holds the record for the second longest WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign, behind Bruno Sammartino's first. He was loved and revered as one of the best technical wrestlers of his era, but his heel turn and now his cagy, harsh personality is a definite flip from how he used to perform in the ring.
Backlund’s ties to politics and the current political climate is the reason for his “Making Darren Young Great Again” program, which may take a nosedive once the Presidential election is over.
#2 Raven
Scott Levy started out as a scrawny kid in Memphis, taking on the likes of Jerry Lawler and hoping to go on dates with Missy Hyatt. As the years in the business passed, he transformed into Scotty Flamingo and then into the dark creation we all know as Raven.
The unorthodox style and the cryptic messages made him a hit in the 1990s-2000s grunge-scene and his ability in the ring, made him a champion in WCW, ECW and TNA.
With piercings, body art and plenty of permed locks, Levy made a career of putting his body on the line. But once he left the arena, he still remained in character.
#3 Ric Flair
Angelo Mosca Sr. once said if Ric Flair lived to be thirty, he was overstaying his welcome in this world. Flair was the consummate wrestler of the 1980s and 1990s and still lives the lifestyle of the rock star.
The Stylin', profilin', limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, wheelin' n' dealin' son of a gun is still making it happen on Raw, although his part has been reduced.
Flair said he was “Ric Flair” long before he got in the business, and his antics over five decades is plenty of proof he has never been anything else in his life. If there was ever a person made for this business, it was the 16-time world champion. The fact his daughter Charlotte shows off some of the same characteristics as her old man weekly on television proves the apple does not fall far from the tree.
#4 Nikita Koloff
Scott Simpson got in the wrestling business much like many others by being discovered in Minnesota. He shaved his head, changed his look and speech and became the “Russian Nightmare” in the NWA and WCW. Koloff, who was “brought” to America by his “uncle” Ivan Koloff, became the lead foreign heel in the promotion until Magnum TA almost lost his life in a car accident.
Koloff, known for his power, his raspy voice and his run as Dusty Rhodes’ tag team partner, liked his “look” so much in the business, he changed his name legally. He now uses his celebrity status to preach the gospel and is an inspirational speaker.
#5 Vince McMahon
There is Vince McMahon the business owner and entrepreneur, and there is Mr. McMahon, the devious wrestling owner who lives a different life inside the confines of a wrestling ring. At many times, they are one and the same.
McMahon built an empire of sports entertainment where he was at times the central figure head, getting in the ring with the men and women he hired to make him rich. If there was anyone in this business with an ego that is personified in and out of character it is McMahon, who has changed this business from the inside out and continues to make it his own personal playground.
