Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame 2015 – The Role of Historical Influence

Emphasised on Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballots are the notions of value to the industry, trend-setting, and positive historical significance. All of these criteria may lie within the broad domain of "influence", however, much like the majority of the non-drawing related Hall of Fame criteria, a great deal is left to the voter's interpretation. How did historical context affect the success of a performer's run? Did the legacy the candidate leave result in further creative, artistic, and monetary victories in the business? Did the candidate perhaps define a role, and if so, would it have come about or been drastically different without them? These are all natural …show more content…
This is perhaps the first question that should be asked, as the Sharpe Brothers may have very well simply filled the basic criteria for Rikidozan at the time, that is, tall Americans (the Sharpes were actually Canadian, but then again, Rikidozan was Korean) who could serve as decent working competition, given the still developing style of the time, against Rikidozan and Masahiko Kimura, amongst others. Japan was highly nationalistic during the post-war period, and clung to the story of one of their own battling the American invaders. This was a story reflected in many forms of Japanese media at the time. But, if questions of this sort are to be asked, then what of almost any major wrestling draw in history? I cannot think of a major star in the history of the business not succeeding, at least to some extent, due to the social climate of the time. Bruno Sammartino, even with his physical features and natural charisma benefited from the support of minority groups in New York. Rikidozan was born from the aforementioned want from the culture for a Japanese hero, the same culture that spawned the likes of comic book icon, Astroboy. Inoki and Baba followed from what was built from Rikidozan, and Rock and Austin were born from a collection of circumstance and the entertainment edge of the …show more content…
And, of course, if the Sharpes hadn't played the role they did, at the time that they did, it is doubtful that gaijin acts such as the Destroyer, Lou Thesz, Freddie Blassie, or even later stars such as Stan Hansen would have been as effective, had they appeared at all The Sharpes in matches opposite Rikidozan and Kimura, aided additionally in the formation of a TV culture in Japan, as large crowds gathered around public televisions, or the initial wave of household TVs to watch the