4 Greatest second-generation WWE Superstars in history
It is a long-standing tradition in WWE and professional wrestling where children of legendary superstars often follow in their parent's footsteps.
Dustin and Cody have successfully carried on 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes' legacy by keeping the family name alive. Charlotte has also made Ric Flair proud. These are just a couple of examples of wrestling royalty staying alive and well in today's modern era.
Many second and third-generation WWE Superstars have ensured their family legacy lives on. Now take a look at the best-of-the-best, the cream of the crop. Here are the greatest second-generation WWE Superstars of all time.
#4 WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero
It's still hard to believe that Eddie Guerrero is gone. At only 38 years young, Eddie passed away in 2005. He left a legacy as one of the greatest to ever grace a ring.
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle once revealed that The Latino Heat was one of his favorite opponents of all time. It's also worth noting that Ric Flair also made a similar claim.
Ric Flair's book where he talks about how great Eddie Guerrero is and how stupid Brutus Beefacke is. https://t.co/emyir2rs5X
Eddie's father, Gory, was an accomplished wrestler in his own right. He was the patriarch of the legendary Guerrero wrestling family.
Some of the more notable names in the Guerrero family include, Chavo, Hector, and of course, Eddie, to name a few whom the WWE Universe still remembers.
.@reymysterio remembers the friends he made throughout his #WWE journey, namely Dean Malenko, Kurt Angle, Edge & Eddie Guerrero ♥️
#WWE #WWERaw https://t.co/R4VYjq3E42
Not only was Eddie easy to love, but he was also a tremendously sound technical performer. His most memorable rivalries included Chris Benoit, Ric Flair, and Dean Malenko, among others. Eddie was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
#3 Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig cut his teeth in the wrestling business in 1980. He began with AWA, where his legendary father, Larry "The Axe" Hennig, had so much success. Curt first appeared in a WWE (then WWF) ring in 1981.
However, he left within two years. Over the next several years, he would travel around, working for various promotions until finally landing back with WWE in 1988. This was when Mr. Perfect was born.
Mr. Perfect's gimmick was brilliant. He was easy to hate and seemingly impossible to defeat. Hennig was a gift to the professional wrestling world, and it is a better industry today because of his contributions.
One of Hennig's best friends, Hall of Fame baseball player Wade Boggs, once told a story about when he and Curt went on a hunting trip. Wade found himself entangled in a barbed-wire fence in the woods. Curt picked him up and carried him off to the hospital. The doctor reportedly told Boggs he was fortunate because had Curt not gotten him out of the situation as quickly as he did, Wade would have bled out and died. This story depicts Curt Hennig in real life, just as he was in the ring... perfect.
Sadly, Hennig was taken from this life way too soon. In February of 2003, he passed away at only 44 years old. Hennig's name lives on as one of his sons, Joe also spent time with WWE as Curtis Axel. He did his best and, at times, displayed characteristics that reminded fans of his late father.
#2 Macho Man Randy Savage
Throughout the years, there have been a plethora of wrestlers who have attempted to duplicate the Macho Man persona. But no matter how bad they try, there will never be one quite like Randy Savage.
Son of legendary wrestler Angelo Poffo, Savage signed with WWE in 1985, just when the company was on the verge of exploding into the mainstream world. Randy Savage was a huge part of why professional wrestling became such a global juggernaut.
One of the most iconic matches of that era took place at WrestleMania 3 when Savage wrestled against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship in one of the greatest matches of all time.
Like many others, Savage passed away too soon. We lost Randy in 2011, at only 58 years old. Macho Man Randy Savage was immortalized in the WWE Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 2015 by Hulk Hogan.
#1 Bret "The Hitman" Hart
He is widely regarded and revered as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and no one in history has been able to pull off pink attire quite like him. His name is Bret "The Hitman" Hart, and if you ask him, he is "the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be."
Bret Hart is a product of wrestling royalty, The Hart Family. His father was the legendary Stu Hart. The latter trained more legendary wrestlers in the Hart Family Dungeon than any coach in professional wrestling history. Some iconic names who received Hart's tutelage were: Abdullah The Butcher, Gorilla Monsoon, Chris Jericho, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and of course, Bret Hart.
Throughout the famed Golden Era of wrestling, Bret Hart was one of the most instrumental components. He personified greatness in and out of the squared circle, and his feuds with the likes of Shawn Michaels, The British Bulldog, and Vince McMahon were just a few of the many memorable rivalries that stood the test of time.
Bret Hart officially retired from in-ring competition in 2000. In 2009, he briefly returned and had some interesting storylines. He feuded with long-time rival Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 26, became RAW General Manager, and even won the United States Championship.
Hart's last WWE appearance came at SummerSlam 2019 when he wished Seth Rollins luck ahead of the latter's Universal Title match against Brock Lesnar. The Hitman remains active with numerous appearances at wrestling conventions and autograph signings around the world. Bret was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 as a singles wrestler and in 2019 as one-half of The Hart Foundation.