Best Wrestler Names From The 1970s
Best Wrestler Names From The 1970s
The 1970s were a different time for wrestling. It was the start of more "sports entertainment," even as guys were mostly stuck to being traditional workers. That included how many of them used their real names instead of some flashy moniker. There were exceptions, like The Sheik, and a lot of older workers such as the Crusher, Killer Kowalski and others.
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Yet some guys stood out nicely with some fun names. A few played on their birth names, while others were wilder inventions that rolled off the tongue, sounded tough and set them apart from the pack. There are a lot of options, but these rank as among the best wrestler names of the 1970s, and a reason many of them became legends.
Blackjack Mulligan Was A Perfect Cowboy Name
He Sounded Like He Came From The Old West
- Real name: Robert Deroy Windham
- PWI Inspirational Wrestler of the Year 1978
- WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2006
There were plenty of cowboy gimmicks in wrestling, especially in the 1960's and '70s. Few had a name sounding like it came from an old Western like Blackjack Mulligan. It sounds like just the sort of guy who'd mosey down the main street with six shooters after a bar brawl, and Mulligan looked the part wonderfully.
It led to success in WWE with runs as tag team champions, and his legacy is strong in his son Barry Windham and grandfather to Bo Dallas, Bray Wyatt. He was also a legit tough guy as he was stabbed by a fan but recovered. That alone elevated Blackjack to legendary status as a true cowboy worker.
Baron Von Raschke Stomped To Glory
The Claw Master Was An AWA Star
- Real name: James Donald Raschke
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2013
- 3-time NWA Tag Team Champion
James Raschke started out in the AWA as a referee before moving into being a wrestler. He adopted the character of a German known as Baron von Raschke, soon showcasing his excellent clawhold. That he was born in Omaha didn't matter much as he committed himself to the act totally.
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The Baron's stomping and persona made him popular as both face and a heel as well as his great promos ("And that is all the people need to know!"). He had runs in WWE and was the first NWA TV champion but more famous for his AWA run and the Baron remaining one of the coolest names of his time.
Superfly Jimmy Snuka Soared High
His Name Took Off With Him
- Real name: James Reiher Snuka
- WWE Hall of Fame Class of 1996
- Wrestling Observer Best Flying Wrestler 1981
A lot can be said about Jimmy Snuka's life and career. It can't be denied he landed on a name that made him an instant star. It was his real name and fit him better than early monikers like Jimmy Kealoha. The Superfly moniker was inspired by the 1970s movies of the time and also linked to his high-flying moves.
The name rolled off the tongue well, nice alliteration with fans cheering Snuka on even as a heel. While his legacy has been marred in controversy, the Superfly's name helped him fly high as a WWE legend.
Superstar Billy Graham Was Ahead Of His Time
He Set The Bar For WWE Superstars
- Real name: Eldridge Wayne Coleman Jr.
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler 1973
- WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2004
As a former bodybuilder, Eldrige Coleman stood out in wrestling in the late 1960s. He'd have arm wrestling and weightlifting competitions while taking on the name of Billy Graham, based on the famous televangelist of the time. The "Superstar" moniker fit him like a glove, especially when Graham unleashed his magnificent promos.
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Put it together with his posing and tie-dyed outfits and Graham was unlike anyone seen in wrestling before. It boosted him to WWE champion and one of the greatest stars ever with a personality copied by Hulk Hogan and countless others. That Superstar fit Graham better than anyone in wrestling.
Sweet Daddy Siki Was Too Cool
A Forgotten Pioneer Of The Business
- Real name: Reginald Siki
- Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2016
- International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2023
While he started in the 1960s, it was the '70s that Reginald Siki broke out in the business as Sweet Daddy Siki. He stood out with his outfits, the flashy coats, the bleached-blonde hair and sunglasses matched with fantastic promos ("I am the ladies' pet and the men's regret!") to be a star in Canada and abroad.
Siki was the first African-American to challenge for the NWA World title, holding numerous titles and a major player in Stampede Wrestling. The name lived up to his character as a sweet wrestler who could dominate any TV show and ahead of his time when it came to a flamboyant presentation.
Bruiser Brody Became A Hardcore Legend
No One Could Brawl Like Brody
- Real name: Frank Goodish
- PWI Editor's Award 1988 (shared with Adrian Adonis)
- WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019
While he had names like King Kong Brody, the Masked Marauder, and Red River Jack, Frank Goodish will always be Bruiser Brody to fans. One of the greatest brawlers the business has ever known, Brody was smart, showing himself as a special attraction to move from territory to territory to make some cash and then move on.
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Brody's name showed his toughness with his not only dispensing pain on opponents but taking his share of hits too. His bloody wars with guys like Abdullah the Butcher solidified his legacy along with his untimely death that turned Brody into a legend.
Chief Jay Strongbow Wasn't A Real Native American
You Could Excuse The Cool Name
- Real name: Luke Joseph Scarpa
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler 1973 and Most Inspirational 1979
- WWE Hall of Fame Class of 1994
Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way: The most famous Native American wrestler of all time was actually Italian. Luke Joseph Scarpa had been trained by Chief Don Eagle where he probably picked up on the act that would lead to his great success. When he joined WWE in 1970, he shifted to the Strongbow act.
Coming out with a huge headdress and moves like going "on the warpath," Strongbow was one of the most popular stars of the era with a name that played into this supposed heritage. A four-time tag team champion, Strongbow's act set the bar for every Native American star to follow, which was why fans could forgive him for taking on a culture most decidedly not his own.
Exotic Adrian Street Was The Original Outrageous Performer
He Was The Model For Goldust
- Real name: Adrian Street
- Wrestling Observer Best Gimmick 1986
- Died 2023
Long before Goldust there was Exotic Adrian Street. The fun thing is that it was his real name although he started out with monikers like Kid Tarzan. He realized his birth name was much better, adding the "exotic" part and then taking on a character that was shocking for the time with flamboyant outfits and presentation.
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It made him an icon, a new standard for sports entertainment, a hit in England and abroad. He had runs in the U.S. and influenced scores of others and showed how a real name can do a lot more for a wrestler than taking on a wilder one.
Tiger Jeet Singh Roared Well
His Name Added To His International Appeal
- Real name: Jagjeet Singh Hans
- Has an Ontario high school named after him
- Retired in 2012
It just rolls off the tongue so nicely. Jagjeet Singh Hans started in Canada, where Fred Atkins called him "Tiger" because of how ferocious he was. After making a name for himself in Canada, Singh took on the full name for tours of Japan, where he was quickly a mainline attraction.
Throughout the 1970s, Tiger Jeet was a great star in Japan, feuding with Antonio Inoki, among others, and helped pioneer future hardcore matches. He kept it up all the way into the 2010s as that name was a fantastic reason as the Tiger roared over Japan for years.
Andre The Giant Remains An Epic Name
He's Still The Greatest Giant
- Real name: Andr Ren Roussimoff
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler 1977
- WWE Hall of Fame Class of 1993
Sometimes the simplest names can be the best. After names like "Monster Roussimoff" and tours of France, Andre Roussimoff joined the then-WWWE in 1970 where Vince McMahon Sr. labeled him "Andre the Giant." It fit him perfectly as no one had seen a man of such huge size in a wrestling ring before.
It took no time for the "Eighth Wonder of the World" to be a superstar, smartly touring the world to be a special attraction. That name said it all, as just mentioning "Giant" brought up images of Andre. It says so much that over 30 years after his passing, Andre remains the one true Giant for wrestling fans to live up to that name.