GAME CHANGERS | Wrestlers Ahead Of Their Time!

GAME CHANGERS | Wrestlers Ahead Of Their Time!
In every industry there are those people that push things forward; by having foresight to see where things are headed before anyone else. Take music for example, where David Bowie serves as a perfect example of this, just as Stanley Kubrick did the same for the world of film. And of course, the world of wrestling is no different, with there being several performers over the years that’ve broke new ground; way before anyone else ever thought to do so. But what are the biggest examples of this? Well, that exactly what we’re going to be looking at today. So, join us as we take a deep dive into Ahead of Their Time: Game Changing Wrestlers.
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[@1v1_Empire]

Brie Bella story

[@masontorres1852]

Erick Rowan Story

[@zemox2534]

​@@masontorres1852Erick Rowan story would be great. The man is criminally overlooked

[@masontorres1852]

@@zemox2534 exactly

[@RyanRumbles434]

"Best Transitional champions" if not done before or maybe "Never needed a title" or maybe "Forgotten Classics No one talks about" I was waiting for at least over a decade till people started noticing how brutal the 1999 Royal Rumble Rock vs Mankind match was. No one talked about it a lot in 1999 without social media how it is now.

[@pushon10]

Ken Shamrock is like the wrestling equivalent of Johan Cruyff. He may not have won the biggest prize in his respective sport, but he did something way more important: he completely changed the way it was played for years to come.

[@irfan7395]

Not sure how many here would know johan cruyff is but a great analogy

[@s4xtt]

and inspired tiki taka based on his total football that was used to beat his country in the world cup

[@violinfanatickamraz1403]

​@@irfan7395long time Dutch midfielder and striker. Notable for playing with Ajax and Barcelona.

[@BoereViking]

Bruh... You just blew my mind!! Comments like this is why the internet is there!

[@nishanthsurendran7721]

Never expected Johan Cruyff to be mentioned here. But yeah, it's a great comparison.

[@NealDeGayTyson]

I don’t think people realize how important Waylon Mercy was to wrestling. His vignettes were so calm but super eerie and although Dan Spivey was on his last legs when it came to wrestling he still used his character so much when working that aggressive slithery style. And cmon this man is the blueprint for Bray Wyatt. Would guarantee if this man was healthier he would have been a monster

[@danlc95]

And a great threat to The Undertaker back then. I had always wanted to see them in and angle, or a Nailz/Waylon feud.

[@Hoovie9596]

The burying of Zak Ryder was borderline criminal.

[@1990POE]

He should’ve been traded to smack down. Because that era only cared about cena punk Kane and part time legends

[@alwaysxnever]

​@@1990POE plus you could not get yourself over organically under Vince.

[@SeekingNewHeights777]

Him and dolph both shoulda been in the spotlight

[@gerardgarcia8501]

@@1990POE Ummm, the brand extension ended in 2011 during that time

[@Drunkzilla.]

Yep,not even a single title shot in a house show damm it.

[@danc3488]

Brian Pillman...the man who had everyone fooled 24/7. Legit...you never knew if he was being serious or staying in character. And that was what made him absolutely brilliant. RIP Brian. I can't imagine how things would be if that kind of character was around today.

[@vampirascoffin870]

Well hello mjf?

[@williamr8327]

Dean Ambrose kinda fits this also

[@debrabryan4121]

It's a shame he died so young.

[@debrabryan4121]

He died way too young.

[@0bvs101]

Gorgeous George did more than anyone for wrestling thanks to his time. He used television before anyone to create this persona, as he crossed his influence into boxing and music with the greatest acts it says it all.

[@MADSCIENTISTGONESANE6166]

I assume this where goldust, ric flair and triple h early character gimmick has it's foundations in

[@GHMYahooka]

this is why the stuff about la knight annoying me to no end. all wrestling has taken from the past and now he's getting crap for it

[@zemox2534]

What Dynamite Kid did outside the ring was disgusting and shameful, but I recognise his contributions to wrestling. He proved that smaller wrestlers can get over.

[@raymark2575]

Just like Chris Benoit.

[@herecomesdatrain]

​@@raymark2575the man who idolized dynamite kid

[@ck.standard]

Raven is GROSSLY UNDERRATED. He built his character and backstory in promos. Back then that was usually done by the color commentary team.

[@thegreenpianist7683]

True. Raven should have been way bigger than he ended up being.

[@acerimmer8338]

So well spoken and eloquent on the mic. Loved his promos.

[@jayb2705]

Raven and the Flock was great, it could have been so much better if they pushed it instead of constant NWO reworking and might have saved WCW.

[@LagunaShirogane]

I remember Raven in WCW. He stood out quite a bit. One of my favorites during the late 90s. Sting is my all time favorite wrestler but Raven, Tazz, and a few others I recognized on this list.

[@CABNoLimit]

What about me? What about Raven?

[@davidarrington4144]

Someone who probably won’t be mentioned: Shannon Moore. His Prince of Punk gimmick was very underrated and clearly misunderstood by Vince. He was a solid promo and also had a fun to watch and very safe move set

[@InkedupT-raw]

Bruh I'm glad u brought him up and gave him recognition HE DESERVES! The dude is HIGHLY UNDERRATED! he is one of my favorites! In wrestling especially his run in ink inc in tna!!!! And still going strong! 💯💯💯💯

[@ajtaylor8750]

I'm currently reading Liam O'Rourke's book "Crazy Like a Fox" about Brian Pillman, and so many people in that book talk about the sheer brilliance of his mind for the business.

[@beagles1518]

In fairness, Vince McMahon should be on this list,simply for making wrestling a global billion dollar industry & making the territories obsolete! Goldust to,for taking a chance with a gimmick that no other wrestler wanted at the time!

[@mackisbrocklesnar]

what did Goldust change?

[@TheMetalAllfather]

@@mackisbrocklesnar perceptions. There's been weird flamboyant characters in wrestling from the days of the 1st gimmicks, but Goldust was hyper sexualized, and over the top fucking WEIRD in a time during the attitude era when even the most outlandishly trashy Jerry Springer kinda shit seemed tame compared to him. Dustin made *everyone* uncomfortable as fuck.

[@stangrayliotta]

I remember Matt hardy with the vlogs back in the day. 2 cold scorpio had highflying offense that can hold up with guys today like Ricochet and Vikingo.VERY UNDERRATED.

[@stevegallo8483]

Waylon Mercy didn't really "flop" like you said. It was more Dan Spivey's body was breaking down at the time as he had problems getting around in the ring and retired due to injuries. Mercy would be better suited for a "what it" video rather than this one. Fun fact: Spivey voiced Mercy the buzzard in Bray Wyatt's firefly funhouse segments in 2019 as the buzzard puppet was based on Waylon Mercy.

[@Brando-Lee3725]

Dynamite was pound for pound one of the best in ring wrestlers ever . His style was revolutionary and his influence is still felt today . His matches with Tiger Mask blew me away back then . And not only do they hold up today , I think they still look better and more believable than most highflying matches today . Go watch a few if you don't believe me . I'm sure most people here already know .

[@Maurice895]

Rick Rude was ahead of his time and you know it sweathogs!

[@RyanRumbles434]

"Cut the music!"

[@TheMetalAllfather]

ALL I SEE IS A BUNCH OF FLABBY SLACKJAWED YOKELS STARING AT A *REAL MAN!*

[@mohammadibnsoria1044]

People seem to forget that Zack was the original bro, he had the potential to being a babyface really loved by the audience, even after they buried him for so long he got cheered loud when he won the IC at Wrestlemania

[@Seriously_Unserious]

I love the video overall, but have to issue a correction on why Dan Spivey's Wayland Mercy character didn't get over. It's not because it "failed to connect with the fans" as you make out, but because Dan Spivey suffered from a career ending injury that forced him to retire before it even had a chance to fail or succeed. So it's not so much that the Wayland Mercy character was ahead of it's time, as innovative as it was, but rather then Spivey just didn't have the chance to run with it long enough to see how it would have done. If, in another reality, Dan Spivey never did get that career ending injury (maybe it was an illness, but health cut his career short, mid Mercy character, that much I remember), Wayland Mercy would have been a hall of fame character and maybe still would have inspired Rotunda to the Bray Wyatt character anyways, but he may have had Wayland Mercy to help launch the character and Wyatt Family, perhaps with Mercy serving as a manager to the stable for the first few months to a year of it. Maybe the Wyatt character would not have been sabotaged twice. If we're riding the maybe train, maybe the Bray Wyatt character or one like it, could have gotten over in WWE or AEW had he not tragically died in his mid 30s. After that, there was nobody that really had the ability to pull off a character like this until the Bray Wyatt character was born. I'd say Wayland Mercy is a story more suited to a "what if" video then a "before it's time video"

[@davisbowe8668]

I was about to comment the same thing about Spivey's retirement.

[@nick_knows_stuff]

You should do a part 2 (or on innovators) with Piper's mic skills, Terry Funk's hardcore style, Andre the Giant's unstoppable giant style, Ken Patera's college/Olympic style, and even Mils Mascara' Lucha style. Either way, keep up the great work, I love your videos.

[@JesusSaves80]

Dynamite kid, Chris Benoit, Dan Severn , Blackman, haku,Owen , Bret Hart, Mr perfect, Rick rude,Pillman, marty jannety, al snow, bam bam, raven, sabus earthquake,, rvd, w. Mercy!!!! So many names

[@nicktaylor2657]

The problem with Waylon Mercy (Dan Spivey) was he was near the end of his career and really couldn't go in the ring anymore Bray Wyatt was proof the gimmick was solid and that was more than 20 years after Cape Fear Max Cady 🤔

[@niteporter]

God Bless Brian Pillman. Love and miss you Brian. Way ahead of his time. Breaks my heart what happened. Long Live Pillman. ☝️

[@gerardgarcia8501]

Seriously, Matt Cardona(Zack Ryder) made The Z! True Long Island Story Series because even though he’s a brash heel at the time in 2010, during 2011, he wants to show everyone that he’s more than just being brash, cocky and arrogant, he’s just a relatable fun dork who just likes having fun while wrestling at the same time, and he wants to show everyone his pov of wwe during 2011, and because of that, he organically became a face and won the us title, but Vince during the near end of 2011 and start of 2012 was like, nah, let’s punish him by making him be part of the cena vs kane feud and lose the us title, talk about petty levels from vince, at least Matt’s killing it in the indies nowadays

[@BenJohnson0531]

Waylon Mercy didn’t flop. Dan Spivey’s body was shot and he couldn’t work anymore

[@WalsallGooner]

Correct, Dan Spivey was banged up, it was after Kevin Nash was stiff with his jackknifes that he packed his bags and left

[@kadharefinley224]

Zack Ryder aka Matt Cardona got over off of social media. I always thought that was really cool

[@Brando-Lee3725]

Billy had it all !! The crazy muscular build , the unique look and great on the mic ! Nobody had all 3 at once back then hardly . While he wasn't Lou Thesz in the ring he still was good . The other attributes helped carry it .

[@shawnmichaels568]

Man, Zach Ryder gotta be one of the most talented wrestler who should've gotten way more than he's gotten in the WWE.

[@Sketchfan]

And right now? He’s been getting all thst on the Indy scene. He’s passed through aew and impact,gcw mlw,aiw,to say nothing of the amount of gold he’s won since,his heel run utilising his status as an ex wwe guy,etc

[@dwightyboy5324]

​@@Sketchfanhonestly I'd argue him getting released made him a better wrestler and entertainer. Had he never gotten released he'd probably just be doing the same thing as before, and he probably wouldn't be able to show what he's really capable of. I can honestly see him coming back at some point with how good he's been over the last 3 years.

[@zemox2534]

​@@dwightyboy5324No way. Wwe would just Bury him again. He is better off as the king of the indys

[@andyneilson3301]

Hes boring in my eyes. But that's just me

[@dwightyboy5324]

@@zemox2534 I'm not gonna say you're wrong, but you could also make an argument he could make a similar successful comeback similar to guys like Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, or Jinder Mahal. It's definitely a possibility they could just misuse him again though, can't be certain.

[@dn07rtc9]

Goldust started the attitude era

[@aydenharvey579]

No he didnt

[@mister54336.]

Brian Pillman did

[@DaRozeman]

Zack Ryder was one of those wrestlers that grew on me. I didn't like him all that much at first, but his attitude, work ethic and enthusiasm for the sport won me over. The WWE would have flopped in the "PG" era if not for him. They owe a huge amount of their success in the 2010's to him and what did they do? Future Endeavor'd.

[@shawnmichaels568]

Zach ryder was hands down one of the most talented wrestlers in the roster.

[@carloscjr23]

😂😂😂 Why people keep proping up that has been? Being a KZbin celebrity doesn't make you good at wrestling, just get it already

[@MrParker-ux2mh]

Waylon Mercy was my favorite character from that era

[@jamalvargas6146]

The Hurricane He Perfected The Comic Book Inspired gimmick like Sting before him and Alexa Bliss In the Modern Era the whole Green Lantern asthetic put him over and made him a well remember Wrestler In the Ruthless Aggression Era

[@RyanRumbles434]

I loved Waylon Mercy then. He just looked dark and cool. The gimmick had you asking questions. Great Video as usual.

[@garynalley4277]

I remember when Waylon Mercy debuted. I thought he was a great character. His vignettes were really well done.

[@philmole1209]

I was just talking about Medusa/Alaundra the other day. She looked like an athlete, and she had actual wrestling ability. The T &A era and divas era were a major step back.

[@princessarwen9194]

Zach Ryder deserved better. He was pretty over with the fans. I really enjoyed how fun he was.

[@taurusteelpan]

Quite fascinated with Gorgeous George's influence on people like Ali, James Brown, and Bob Dylan.

[@stingrey1571]

Bad news Allen/brown. Tell me if this sounds familiar. Allen coage wore black trunk and black boats. He had no friends and only foes. He attacked both faces and heels.

[@mw66683]

Billy Graham had some amazing promos.

[@arisketch9247]

Waylon Mercy/Dan Spivey had so much depth to his character - one of the most unforgettable character, all-time, for me. I love the character and Spivey nailed it - was a shame he was at a stage where wasn't able to wrestle anymore.

[@xPOOPx]

Zack Ryder into Matt Cardona is one of the greatest transformations we've seen in recent years

[@AnkleSnapper72]

Very well put together. Keen to watch more of your stuff now.

[@WRESTLEWITHANDY]

Appreciate it, hope you enjoy the vids ☝🏻👊🏻🤘🏻💪🏻

[@dylanbryant3547]

Timothy thatcher vs dan severn vs ken shamrock vs tazz dream match

[@dancase8002]

Surprised Sean O'Haire's 2003 gimmick wasn't included in this. I thought that was definitely ahead of it's time

[@TheMetalAllfather]

The Devil's Advocate!

[@pauliewalnuts829]

I'd make number 11 Sabu. He mixed high flying with the hardcore stuff. You didn't really see that before he came along.

[@garymaidman625]

Raven the one credited? How about someone like Jake the Snake Roberts? His character was layered as well and came before Raven.

[@Filmation77]

A special mention should go to Dave Meltzer cause he and sites like PW Torch actually elevated Pro Wrestling Journalism and created a cottage industry of Pro Wrestling sites and also online Pro wrestling channels such as What Culture Wrestling and Cultaholic

[@joncacosta23]

Wasn’t taz not given a push because other wrestlers said his suplexes were too dangerous? Vince agreed with this and he also felt that taz was too small for him so he wasn’t pushed at all

[@Sicko88]

Jushin Thunder Liger in WCW 🙃

[@darXcore]

Very well done celebration of the innovators and pioneers, much needed.

[@GMak220]

I always said Waylon Mercy did the bray Wyatt gimmick first

[@BoereViking]

Awesome video as always!? Here's an idea for you: The greatest hodge podge tag teams ever.

[@elleni-41]

Love ur channel Andy..u always have a variety of topics..👌👌💖💖

[@WRESTLEWITHANDY]

Appreciate tho r support, hope you enjoy the vid ☝🏻🤘🏻👊🏻

[@elleni-41]

@@WRESTLEWITHANDY ..ive been a wwf fan since 1995...i love videos like this.. great topic too, game changers..👏👏💪

[@tyreepowell8367]

​@@WRESTLEWITHANDYKeep Up The Good Work 👍

[@tyreepowell8367]

Thank You Wrestle With Andy

[@s4xtt]

woooo!!!The human suplex machine finally got his due, along with british bulldog, Iron Sheik and Tomohiro Ishii they are my wrestling mount rushmore

[@PYahWeh]

What I learned from this video: Colt Cabana & Zack Ryder inadvertently started AEW

[@marioaustin9312]

Eddie gilbert would've fit well in this video since he influenced paul Heyman and ECW

[@neilinthecut]

I'm a hardcore wrestling fan, I have been for years. Everytime I watch one of these videos hoping to learn something new..I find that it's stuff I already know. These videos are geared towards more casual wrestling fans. Hoping we can get some content for more knowledgeable fans, one day.

[@dylanbryant3547]

The original attitude era

[@umbra7860]

So Hulk ripped off Billy Graham just La Knight ripped off the Rock and Stone Cold.

[@aztecwrrior1997]

Was that sudden cut off at the end on purpose

[@Juankrazygringo]

16:59 would the mma style credit belong to the Japanese wrestler Atsushi Onita

[@ZebraEnt]

Failing to get over wasn't the problem for Waylon Mercy.....his knees were the problem. The character ended because of Spivey being too injured to continue.

[@Riz_]

This video deserves a special like for you saying "Lancashire native" Andy.

[@makey72]

Tremendous list with left field but totally on the mark entries.

[@seanworden]

If billy Graham was in his prime in the modern era. He would be pushed to the top.

[@stevengrvp]

Great video

[@geoffchurchill5492]

jthe Jumping Bomb Angels deserve some credit for introducing the Japanese style that would basically create the 90s cruiserweight style a decade early

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Boom Boom Colt Cabana

[@IHaveTheSchwartz]

Spivey is an all-timer on the legit tough guy list.

[@bigrocca9606]

Feel like RVD has to be in here. Influenced the next generation and helped change the style of wrestling

[@bannedfreespeech]

Spivy was just a mess physically by then

[@tommydeamon7657]

I thought Tazz was mainly stoped cause of some knock back nerve system spine issues more than creative or lack there of

[@ELyder]

IIRC Waylon Mecry didn't stuck bacause Spivey hurt his back and had to retire.

[@groovercrusader6651]

Cena stopped Zack's push, remember?

[@EddieEscobar82]

Waylon Mercy kinda looked like a Darker version of Stunning Steve Austin lol.

[@JeffreyMarksWorld]

Good to see Waylon Mercy getting some recognition. "You know what I mean?"

[@juliancornejo1402]

Taz was not ahead of his time he was perfectly placed in time but Vincent K McMahon didn’t want to push a guy that was under 6’

[@TheFlashman]

Tazz got buried in WWF because the established talent thought he worked too stiff and didn't want to put him over. Not because Vince didn't know what to do with him.

[@Spiderman-io38dk]

It was awesome when Zack Ryder won the ladder match at WrestleMania 32

[@endezeichengrimm]

Woo woo woo, you know it!

[@emigdiomayo6877]

WOO WOOO WOOO OH RADIO

[@vinnycochrane5139]

Your videos have an irritating tic of using “the (insert location) native” in just about every entry. It becomes hard to concentrate once you notice this because you’re just waiting for the next infuriating time it happens. Otherwise, excellent work.

[@HilltopZombieShop]

Kayfabe is more human than human

[@Joker.3116]

You also run a channel wresltelamia?

[@Verklompen]

Did someone say foresight, brother? I'd like to introduce you to my new company, WXF or XWF. We've got AJ Styles, we've got Roddy Piper, the Nasty Boys, and maybe, if we're lucky, Hulk Hogan brother! Sorry

[@George_Pig1]

Hello brother brother

[@WRESTLEWITHANDY]

👋

[@donaldsalkovick396]

Macho Man blurred the lines years before Brian Pillman shame on you for not knowing that

[@jayceegenocide4402]

They were LITERALLY all of their time.

[@ncnuggets]

Lets just keep it all the way 55th 100 all the way. Tazz was undersized. Thee end.

[@ScarysReviews]

Billy Gramham, the original Hogan. Hulk Hogan, the classic remake. Gorgeous George, the Liberace of wrestling, you could say he was an influence on Ric flair as far as the robe goes, and Rick rude. he was Macho Man's idol, so much so, his girlfriend was named Gorgeous George. Dynamite Kid, precursor to the 123 kid? Alundra Blaze/Medusa, og Beth Pheonix, Trish Stratus, Becky Lynch. Waylon Mercy, ORIGINAL RAVEN, BRAY WYATT, THE JACKAL. yet Jake the Snake pre dated Walon and the aforementioned. forgot Papa Shango, great personality, but poorly utilized, dumb Vince

[@MADSCIENTISTGONESANE6166]

Goldust and triple h early gimmick also may been inspired by it

[@mikewitt8491]

Madusa Micceli. Not Alundra Blayze. SMH...

[@Mr_Leo_DS]

I'd add Dustin Rhodes to that list

[@princessarwen9194]

Dustin Runnels was Runnels in the WWE & he is my favorite wrestler of all time. Dustin deserved better.

[@Lt_Chloe]

i love waylon mercy

[@christophermoody6840]

No mention of Terry Funk? The Brian Pillman thing... all i remember is the whole Benglas football thing the whole part you went into about blurring reality... didnt appeal to me. We Knew it wasnt real... it didnt matter... the performance is what mattered. Dudes actually wrestled at one point... now all i see is people throwing fake punches and fake staggering around... not one suplex or legit old school wrestling move... just all interpersonal drama and Jerry Spring type B.S.

[@erikaw7767]

tazz was not bringing MMA style in lol.. most of his moves had 0 to do with that lol...

[@silxix2599]

Zack Ryder has similarities to LA Knight. Reason many feel LA Knight may never be the star he's proven to be. If they let time flash by, and fans just being happy he's an IC champ, then by the time he wins a world title, he'll have a reign as long as Kofi Kingston and his legendary status will be no better. That's why LA Knight should be world champ within a year. If WWE waits two years it might be a little too late. And it'll be a short lived LA era.

[@Riot.92]

Missed Rey mysterio

[@TheKestevon]

You miss 2 Vinces.

[@corrosivecabal]

No Don Muraco OR The Genius?!

[@mister54336.]

Any moments "The genius" Lanny poffo did

[@PhilD22]

Imagine MJF during the attitude era.