WWE in the Land of Extreme: Part II

(Read Part I of the series here)

In this article, we take a look back at some of the superstars who redefined the way people look at the ‘Extreme’ style of wrestling. These people have revolutionised in-ring hardcore action and given it an entirely new dimension.

So here are the greatest hardcore wrestlers (in my opinion) of all time:

1. Mick Foley:

The Hardcore Legend

There is a reason why he is called ‘The HardCore Legend’. From the ‘bang-bang’ attidtude of Cactus Jack to the silent cruelty of Mankind, Mick Foley as shown us new forms of violence every time he has stepped inside the ring. He would bloody his opponents with thumb tacks, brutalize them with his baseball bat with barbed wire wrapped around it, or just knock them out with his favourite weapon, a Mandible Claw with the smelliest sock in the world, Mr. Socko.

There have been countless moments which earned Mick Foley the title of legend. From the vicious dumpster match with Terry Funk, to getting his ear bitten off, to falling of from the top of Hell in a Cell, to being speared through a burning table, Mrs. Foley’s baby boy has put his body through every kind of punishment an opponent can dish out in a match. There is no other professional wrestling more deserving to be called the best hardcore wrestler in history than Mick Foley.

2. Rob Van Dam:

The Van Daminator

There was once a brand of professional wrestling which wnt by the name of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and coined the term ‘Extreme Rules’. And that entire promotion had its Cynosure in this man. Rob Van Dam held the ECW television championship for a record 23 months, mainly due to his exploits with Steel Chairs and ladders. He invented new moves designed specially for this environment, like the Van Daminator.

RVD would go on to bring his Hardcore charisma to the WWE, and was the last Hardcore Champion before the title was removed. Van Dam would always be known for flying across the ring, delivering his opponent with a mouthful of steel chair in the process. His five star frog splash will always remain one of the most beautiful finishing move in the ring, especially with his ability to change his body orientation in mid-air.

3. The Dudley Boyz:‘D-Von, get the tables!’. This used to be a battle-cry that would strike fear in the hearts of each and every tag team in the wrestling industry. And when equipped with the table, D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley would break men in half as easily as a casanova breaks hearts. Their superior prowess at non-conventional matches took them to great heights as they captured no less than 23 times across every major professional wrestling company there is. The Dudley Boyz were another major cause of the success of ECW and their finishing move, the 3D, still remains the best way to drive an opponent through the woodwork.

4. Jeff Hardy:

This was a man who never gave the smallest thought to what punishment he might put his own body through, if it meant belting out the same punishment on his opponent. Known as the Charismatic Enigma, Jeff Hardy made a career out of flying high, which included death-defying leaps like his trademark Swanton Bomb and the Whisper to the Winds, through tables and ladders, and at other times from the top of a 20-foot ladder, the entrance ramp or even the titantron!! How Jeff kept doing this for almost a decade puzzles a lot of people, but those who have seen him in action will surely agree that nobody could pull of suicidal stunts during a wrestling match better than this man.

5. Edge:

Throughout the 19 years of his career as a professional wrestler, The Ultimate Opportunist adapted himself to the hardcore style of wrestling like nobody else had done. His prowess with the weapons of destruction available under the ring took him to great heights, helping him win the inaugural two TLC matches and countless other extreme rules bouts. Edge, along with Christian, made chair-shots routine stuff in the ring and busted numerous skulls with the Con-Chairto, a devastating move involving two simultaneous chair shots on both sides of the head. Edge’s manipulative mindset assisted him in adapting to the non-conventional styles of wrestling really well. Truly one of the best hardcore wrestlers ever.