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**Greenlawler** · 08-13-2012, 01:21 PM

All the Lawler bashing (which I think is ridiculous) on the boards has led to this question...

Who are some wrestlers (aside from Lawler) who ruined their own legacy after their career had pretty much ended? Maybe they have hung on too long? Needed another paycheck? Whatever...

1. Hacksaw Duggan, well I guess the arguement could be made that the WWF killed his legacy by "tooning" him up just like the Sheepherders, Koko Ware, and plenty of other stars. Every time he appears it is just sad. Hacksaw in the old Mid-South/Louisianna area...that guy was good.

2. Roddy Piper , so he has not completely "ruined" his legacy and some of his returns have not been horrible. But starting with his "Piper's Pit" with Morton Downey Jr. I just don't think people should give Piper a live mic anymore. When he stepped away after his fued with Adrian Adonis, Piper was on fire and his mic skills were second to none. He could have left us with that legacy. But instead he has year after year returned and they keep letting him go without a script...the results have not been good. He gets free reign based on about a ten year stretch of classic interviews. That time has passed.

3. Sgt. Slaughter...This one hurts, the Sarge is one of my all time favorites. However they keep rolling him out there in his 60's to compete. Unlike Lawler, and Steamboat who can still put together a decent match...Sarge "does not still got it". They have also put Sarge in so many horrible gimmicks and situations that they have ruined the benifit of any sort of pop they get when his music hits.

Anymore come to mind?

dxbender · 08-13-2012, 01:25 PM

Just cause they return alot, doesn't mean their legacy is ruined.

If anything, returning alot has made someone like Piper, more popular.

theidealstranger · 08-13-2012, 01:28 PM

RIC FLAIR

With every single match he wrestled post 2000 with the exception of his retirement match with HBK, he is ruining/ruined his legacy.

Hogan, though not much of a legacy as such, is ruining it still.

Probably the only guy in combat sport to ever care about legacy was Rocky Marciano who stopped at 49-0 when he felt he was no longer able to put in 100%.

the modern myth · 08-13-2012, 01:54 PM

Hulk Hogan

It looked like Hulk's career should've ended in 1992, but after a couple of years in the doldrums (crappy hollywood movies, a bizarre 1993 WWF run and an awkward first year in WCW) he resurrected and reinvented himself brilliantly. I think, though, that he should've retired at the end of the nWo angle, perhaps with an epic face turn and huge victory over them. Everything he has done since has pissed on the Hulkamania Legacy; his subsequent WWF runs have been diminishing returns, the bloated Hulkamania tour is more of a carnival sideshow than wrestling act, his TV show exposed his entire family as a vapid bunch of c u n t s, and his TNA stuff has been laughable. The guy took the greatest career in wrestling and slowly sniffed it up his nose. The guy is a joke, now.

Scott Hall

Another nWo member: if Scott Hall had kept his shit together and dealt with his demons, rather than letting them fester, he could still be working and would be on his way to a Hall of Fame Career. These days he's a wreck, but if he was physically well enough (and more reliable) he could be playing a Kevin Nash type role (although better, obviously) and, due to his beloved Razor Ramon gimmick as well as his nWo candidacy, would make him a bona fide legend.

dave 1981 · 08-13-2012, 02:12 PM

Ric Flair is the standout person who came to my mind when i saw this thread as outside of WrestleMania 24 and his "retirement" match with Shawn Michaels everything he has done outside of Evolution has tarnished his legacy. Don't get me wrong i enjoyed Flair/Triple H back in 2005 but even that was simply Triple H pushing to work with his boyhood idol and did nothing for Ric Flair other than help Triple H out.

As soon as Ric Flair began managing/mentoring Triple H back in late 2002 i believe he should have remained in that role up until 2007 when WWE began his retirement storyline because Ric Flair as a manager/mentor is valuable and adds a lot to an up and coming heel who is being pushed towards the main event. An example would be Ric Flair being a manager/mentor to Dolph Ziggler as that combination almost instantly makes Dolph Ziggler a believable main event star and i don't think any other wrestler in the world could have added to Triple H as the standout heel he was outside of Ric Flair.

Hulk Hogan was tarnishing his legacy up until Bound For Glory finished as he was taking up the majority of tv time on Impact every week and being the main focus as well as wrestling. I'd even argue that Hulk Hogan has tarnished his legacy ever since WrestleMania 18 had finished as his 2002 run was horrible and his 2003 run even worse although Shawn Michaels worked his ass off to make their feud good and the match passable but Hogan/Orton was horrible.

the modern myth · 08-13-2012, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave 1981

As soon as Ric Flair began managing/mentoring Triple H back in late 2002 i believe he should have remained in that role up until 2007 when WWE began his retirement storyline because Ric Flair as a manager/mentor is valuable and adds a lot to an up and coming heel who is being pushed towards the main event. An example would be Ric Flair being a manager/mentor to Dolph Ziggler as that combination almost instantly makes Dolph Ziggler a believable main event star and i don't think any other wrestler in the world could have added to Triple H as the standout heel he was outside of Ric Flair.

Ric Flair was great in that role. It would be great to see him mentoring people again. Do you think that he could perform in that role now, or has his career gone too far down the pan? If he aligned himself with Dolph, it would be amazing.

Joey C · 08-13-2012, 03:18 PM

Benoit, he totally fudged the bucket.

**A$AP** · 08-13-2012, 03:20 PM

Ric Flair comes to mind.

The Benoit tragedy goes a little deeper than his legacy. We're talking about someone who suffered brain damage to the point of dementia and killed his family. That's bigger than wrestling and legacies.

abidwet · 08-13-2012, 03:33 PM

Benoit, The Child Murderer. Thats his legacy now, a child murderer. Fuck him! Rot in hell bitch.

What a disgrace to the professional wrestling industry.

dave 1981 · 08-13-2012, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the modern myth

Ric Flair was great in that role. It would be great to see him mentoring people again. Do you think that he could perform in that role now, or has his career gone too far down the pan? If he aligned himself with Dolph, it would be amazing.

I personally think Ric Flair could redeem himself as a manager/mentor as it would only really see him used in a physical role sparingly but because of the star power he still carries he would add a lot to a young heel on the way towards the main event. I could easily see any of Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler or Cody Rhodes being instantly elevated by having Ric Flair alongside them as he would bring them credibility, star power, believability and someone who knows how to draw genuine heat from the crowd as a heel.