The Road Warriors, Animal and Hawk, are quite arguably the greatest tag team of all time. Also known during most of their time in the World Wrestling Federation as The Legion of Doom, these two physically dominating competitors made a career out of traveling the world and winning world tag team championships in every organization they ever competed in. Never in the history of professional wrestling has this been achieved, and it’s very unlikely that this record will ever be broken. In fact, this elite feat will most likely never come close to being duplicated. If you measure the success of professional wrestlers by the championships and titles that they held, then no one comes close to topping the Road Warriors in the art of tag team grappling.
Now, if you measure the success of professional wrestlers by the intensity of their matches, their ability to engage and excite the fans and elicit a reaction, the strength and power of their offense, their chiseled and massive physiques and personas, the quality of their interviews and promos, and their ability to tell a story in the squared circle… very few tag teams come close to Animal and Hawk.
Regardless of how you measure the worth of a professional wrestler or a tag team, the Road Warriors set themselves apart from the competition on so many levels and in so many ways. More than a legendary success story, the Legion of Doom were innovators in the industry. Their hard-hitting and intense in-ring style set a standard for singles wrestlers and tag teams alike, helping to exemplify the transition from the traditional style of what most wrestlers were able to do in the ring to a more individualized or character-based style. Beyond that, they helped popularize face paint as a mainstream differentiator in the industry, and utilize non-traditional entrance props like their infamous spiked shoulder pads. These little details that helped to personify the Road Warriors are what made me a huge fan of theirs when I was a little boy cheering for the coolest characters. But it’s the work ethic, innovative style, story-telling ability, and truly unmatchable success all combined with that nostalgia from my childhood that makes me thrilled to be a part of the crowd to cheer on and show sincere respect to one of the greatest tag teams of all time as they take their rightful place amongst other legends and immortals this weekend in the Hall of Fame!
Congratulations to the Road Warriors, Animal and Hawk, on being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Class of 2011!! OHHHHH… WHAT A RUSH!!!!
