5 wrestlers that were legitimately tough both in and out of the ring

Wrestling often takes a receives deal of flack and many questions about its legitimacy. However, whether it is Mick Foley falling through the ceiling of a Hell in a Cell and having a tooth pushed through his lip into his nose or Kurt Angle winning an Olympic medal with a broken freakin' neck, these men and women have gone above and beyond the call of duty to show how tough they truly are.

Those listed below are those that have shown true strength and tenacity, either because they have suffered injuries and overcome them or caused such fear in their opposition that they would rather not go into the ring rather than run the risk up upsetting them during a match. Who are these men and women that have overcome injury or sustained injuries and near-death situations in order to be considered one of the toughest wrestlers in and out of the ring? Well, here are five wrestlers that were legitimately tough in and outside the ring.

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#5 Harley Race

Race has battled the odds his entire career after sustaining a nearly fatal car accident.

Many know of Race's time as the NWA champion, and when he was ‘The King' in WWE. What isn't as well-known about him, though, is his legitimate toughness, a toughness that was in fact so legitimate that Andre the Giant feared him. Race subjected his body to drinking and smoking for hours on end, only to compete in sixty-minute matches against the likes of RicFlair.

In 1961, Race and his wife Vivian were in a car accident only five weeks after their wedding, and she sadly passed away. Their car collided with a tractor trailer, and Race was told he'd never wrestle again as his arms and legs were so badly damaged that doctors didn't believe he would sufficiently recover. He not only proved them wrong but returned just a couple of years later and competed for another thirty years. The measure of a man's toughness isn't just who he could beat in a fight, but how he can overcome adversity and come out stronger afterward.

#4 Ravishing Rick Rude

Rude was never someone to mess with in or out of the ring.

While many knew Rude for being ‘ravishing' and brash in his persona and character, it was his legitimate toughness that stood out. He was considered one of the toughest men in the industry during his time. In fact, Hulk Hogan wouldn't wrestle him, as his grip was incredibly strong and nearly impossible to break. He was known to knock men out with a single slap to the face (not even a punch!)

In 1988, while Randy Savage was the champion, he asked the Dynamite Kid and Rude to watch his back while they were at a bar in NWA territory. Having those two with him on this evening meant there weren't any issues for the Macho Man. Rude's strength was further demonstrated when he finished in the top ten in the world arm wrestling championships in 1983. His feuds with Jake Roberts, the Ultimate Warrior, and Ricky Steamboat may be memorable, but so were the capabilities of the ravishing one outside the ring.

#3 Big Van Vader

Vader's toughness consisted of reinserting his eye back into its socket after it was poked out.

Anyone that watched WCW in the early 1990s was witness to an intense character whose intimidating presence was matched by his agility in the ring. However, Vader initially made a name for himself competing in Japan. At the beginning of the 1990s, Vader faced WWE Hall of Famer Stan ‘the lariat' Hansen for the IWGP Heavyweight championship while wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

At the beginning of the match up, Hansen wildly swung his cowbell and accidentally hit Vader in the face, unintentionally breaking his nose. During the same match, Hansen also poked Vader in the eye causing it to come out of its socket. In a testament to his true toughness, Vader pushed the eye back into the socket and continued on with the match. Vader continues to demonstrate his toughness, competing as recently as this past year at the age of 62!

#2 Akira Hokuto

Hokuto showed her toughness competing for nearly an entire match with a broken neck.

If you haven't heard of this woman, know that she is someone who still continues to show her toughness to this very day. Thirty years ago, while competing for All-Japan Wrestling, Hokuto engaged in a fight that would humble any man or woman. During a best two out of three falls tag team match, Hokuto had her neck broken when she took a tombstone piledriver from the second rope. Even more incredible to note is that this took place during the first fall. She continued to wrestle the second and third falls of the match up while trying to hold her head in place.

A few years later, she had her knee cut open when she failed to hit a plancha and landed on the barrier at ringside. She attempted to continue to wrestle with her knee heavily bandaged during the match up. After retiring in 2002, Hokuto was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she has continued to fight. Currently, it appears to be in remission.

#1 Haku

To this day, Meng is still considered among the most feared men in or out of the ring.

As the father of current Bullet Club members Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, one would certainly think Haku was a tough and intimidating character that could cause a great deal of damage to anyone he stepped into the ring with. However, what isn't known about the man who went under a few different aliases was that he would frequently scare the life out of people, based on stories that are told about him while on the road.

While he was an accomplished wrestler, it was what he did outside the ring that showcased his true strength and toughness. For example, thirty years ago, there was a backstage incident in WWE involving another wrestler, where he nearly ripped out the other man's eye after getting his fingers wedged into his eye socket. This occurred because he was being disrespected at the time. When wrestlers talk about him today, there are none who dispute his legitimate toughness.

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