I always knew there was a strong overlap between horror fans and wrestling fans, and boy did you guys prove me right a few weeks ago when I did the Top 10 Scariest Pro Wrestlers! It probably got more responses than any other Tuesday Top 10 I've ever done, and there were so many great further suggestions of deserving individuals I simply didn't have room for. So, given its popularity, I figured, why not revisit it? And so, I give you yet another top 10 of some of the most terrifying competitors to ever pull on a pair of tights!
10. George "The Animal" Steele
Don't be fooled by the lovable brute he became after falling in love with Miss Elizabeth in the 1980s. During the 1960s and '70s, The Animal was one of the WWWF's most monstrous villains, terrifying fans and opponents alike.
9. The Great Kabuki
A Japanese competitor who made a name for himself in the States as well, particularly in the Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling. Known for his nightmarish face paint and penchant for spewing green slime in his adversaries' faces.
8. Stan Hansen
The epitome of the loud, intimidating, barroom brawler-style wrestler. He shut up fans in the New York area (not easy to do) when he broke WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino's neck during a match at Madison Square Garden.
7. Mortis
WCW never quite knew what to do with this Chris Kanyon, but you have to admit, this was a pretty creepy damn gimmick they gave him. He also got saddled feuding with the uber-lame Mortal Kombat wannabe Glacier, but it doesn't matter--he was still scary as hell.
6. The Missing Link
Another World Class legend, who also tore a swath of terror through the NWA as well, Link was a bizarre cross between a caveman and an alien. You never quite knew what he was going to do, but you could be sure it involved inflicting uncalled-for amounts of pain.
5. Sid
Call him Sycho Sid, call him Sid Vicious, call him Sid Justice (OK, don't call him that). It didn't matter, he remained a superhuman, living, breathing monster--a madman who crushed his opponents with the dreaded powerbomb, and nearly exploded every time he gave an interview.
4. Bull Nakano
In hindsight, this '80s and '90s Japanese women's wrestler looked like something out of a J-horror flick. She even spent a little time mixing it up here in the States in the WWF, where she made the rest of the lady rasslers look like sad little girls.
3. Ox Baker
The master of the dreaded heart punch, a move as sadistic as it sounds, Ox was a massive, demonic looking individual who seemed to truly enjoy the punishment he dished out to others. Best of all, all these decades later, the old guy still has the same horrifying look!
2. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
He could chill your blood with just the sound of his voice. He was icy, calculating, and dead serious. And then there was the DDT, a finishing move designed to take your head off. And did I mention he draped a giant boa constrictor on his opponents after beating them?
1. Bruiser Brody
The man. The myth. The monster. Massive Frank Goodish became a legend around the world, creating a mindless, animalistic persona that froze fans in their seats. The creepiness factor of Brody is only enhanced by the tragic fact that he was murdered in the locker room by a fellow wrestler jealous of his formidable drawing power. A bizarre, enigmatic figure in the history of pro wrestling.