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Top 5 WWE Hall Of Famers You Didn’t Know Are Still Wrestling Today - Part 2
5 GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE: When you’ve won over 40 championships throughout your career, there really isn’t any reason to keep wrestling. Especially when you’re 66-years-old. Apparently, nobody has given that memo to Greg “The Hammer” Valentine.
From Wisconsin, to New York, to West Virginia, the former Intercontinental Champion can still be seen all over the American independent scene, sometimes even reuniting with his former Rhythm and Blues teammate, The *** Tonk Man.
The Hammer doesn’t seem to be taking it too easy on his body either. It was only a little over two years ago that he wrestled in a Dog Collar match for Championship International Wrestling in Jackson, Michigan. His body might not be what it once was, but boy does he still have some of the most luxurious hair in the business.
4 KOKO B WARE: Ware’s name always comes up when people talk about some of the most underserved wrestlers in the WWE Hall of Fame. Chyna’s not in the Hall of Fame? The British Bulldog’s not in the Hall of Fame? Ware’s former High Energy partner Owen Hart isn’t in the Hall of Fame? But Koko B.
Ware has been in for almost a decade?! Doesn’t quite make sense. But, hey, good for the Bird Man. I’m sure the Hal of Fame ring has been able to up his appearance fee and put some extra bird food in Frankie’s mouth.
Not only does he still dust off the checkered parachute pants a few times a year, but he has become a staple of the convention circuit, seemingly appearing at every single one across the country in recent memory.
3 RIKISHI: It makes sense that a wrestler who spent the bulk (pun intended) of his time rubbing his butt in other dudes’ faces is able to continue wrestling to this day. When Rikishi changed up his wrestling style and went from being hard-hitting Samoan brawler to a comedy act, he definitely added a few years to his career.
The 2015 Hall of Fame inductee can usually be seen as part of the Samoan Dynasty with VIP, his cousin Black Pearl, his son Sefa Fatu where they are mainstays of the California-based Knokx Pro Entertainment promotion, where Rikishi is also a trainer. The company boasts having the “first ever live interactive wrestling show,” allowing fans to choose what moves are performed.
2 “HACKSAW” JIM DUGGAN: Hoooooo! It makes sense that one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time would still be putting on matches. Like just about every entry on this list, Hacksaw is resigned to working the independent circuit.
After a few latter-day runs in 2005 and 2011, his last WWE match came in 2013 when he defeated fellow patriot Jack Swagger on an edition of Old School Raw. Out of all of the entries on this last, Duggan has the most recent matches under his belt, already competing in two bouts in January of 2018.
The first ever Royal Rumble winner is also on a bit of a hot streak as it doesn’t look like he’s lost a match since October of 2016. Somebody book this guy against Asuka ASAP.
1 MIL MASCARAS: The last surviving member of Mexico’s “Big Three” of lucha libre, the other two being the legendary El Santo and Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras has carved out one of the most incredible careers in wrestling history.
Not only is the man of a thousand masks one of Mexico’s most popular luchadors, but he also starred in 20 feature films. In fact, the character of Mil Mascaras was initially created to be an action movie star.
His in-ring career was just as successful, as he went on to win gold all over the world. In recent years, Mascaras has been splitting his time between his home country of Mexico and Japan. In Japan, he can be usually seen teaming up with other wrestlers who refuse to retire like Riki Choshu, Keji Mutoh, and Tatsumi Fujinami (more on him later).