World Championship Wrestling/Characters/Crockett

Lists the various wrestlers active during the Jim Crockett Promotions Era, from 1982 through 1988. Please limit associated tropes to that wrestler's time in the WCW.

Arn Anderson (Martin Anthony Lunde, 1984-1988, 1989-2001)

 * Alliterative Name
 * Badass
 * The Dragon: To Ric Flair
 * Heterosexual Life Partners: With Ric Flair
 * Large Ham
 * Red Baron: 'The Enforcer' and 'Double A'.
 * Power Stable: A key member of most every version of The Four Horsemen, as well as The Dangerous Alliance.
 * Unrelated Brothers: Not actually related to any of the other Anderson family members.

The Barbarian (Sione Vailahi, 1985-1988, 1992, 1995-2001)

 * Heel
 * Evil Foreigner
 * The Quiet One
 * Wild Tongan
 * The Worf Effect: Often on the receiving end of.

Barry Windham (Barry Clinton Windham, 1986–1989, 1990-1994, 1998-1999)

 * Badass Long Hair
 * The Big Guy: As a face.
 * The Brute: For The Four Horsemen.
 * Costume Copycat: As Sting so fellow Horseman member, Sid Vicious could win the World Title.
 * Nice Hat: Wore a cowboy hat during his time in the West Texas Rednecks.
 * Power Stable: A key member of most every version of The Four Horsemen.
 * Wrestling Family: Son of "Blackjack" Jack Mulligan and brother to Kendell Windaham.
 * Wrestling Doesn't Pay: A wrestling country music singer in the West Texas Rednecks.

Dick Slater (Richard Van Slater, 1983-1985, 1987-1996)

 * Badass Longcoat: While tag teaming with Bunkhouse Buck.
 * Deep South
 * Nice Hat: During his cowboy gimmick.
 * Red Baron: 'Dirty'.
 * Wrestling Doesn't Pay: As a wrestling cowboy during the '90s.

Dusty Rhodes (Virgil Riley Runnels Jr., 1982-1989, 1991-1998, 2001)

 * Affably Evil: In the nWo.
 * All-American Face
 * Arch Enemy: Ric Flair
 * Mighty Glacier
 * Red Baron: 'The American Dream'.
 * Verbal Tic: 'If you weeelll.'
 * Always made references to wrestlers going "to the paywindah!"
 * "Dey be clubberin', Tony!"
 * Working Class Hero

The Fabulous Freebirds - Michael Hayes (Michael Seitz, 1987-1994), Jimmy Garvin (James Williams, 1986-1992, 1994), Terry Gordy (Terry Ray Gordy, Sr., 1989-1992)

 * Alliterative Name
 * Breakup Breakout: Subverted, while the group often fought this trope, Hayes was the only member of the group to win a singles title.
 * Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune: "Badstreet U.S.A." written and sung by Michael Hayes.
 * Power Stable
 * Red Baron: 'Gorgeous' Jimmy 'Jam' Garvin, Michael 'P.S.' ('Purely Sexy') Hayes and Terry 'Bam Bam' Gordy.
 * Rule of Three: The whole principle behind the 'Freebird Rule'.
 * Wrestling Family: Jimmy Garvin's wife Patti was also his manager Precious. Terry Gordy's son, Ray also wrestled in the WWE

Harley Race (Harley Leland Race, 1983, 1990, 1991-1995)

 * Afro Asskicker / Badass Mustache: During the first Starrcade.
 * Awesome McCoolname: He gets extra points for that being his real name.
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Dirty Coward
 * Fighting Dirty
 * Red Baron: "Handsome"
 * Suplex Finisher: Fisherman's Suplex, to be specific

Krusher Khruschev / The Blacktop Bully / Stewart Pain (Barry Darsow, 1985-1987, 1994-1999)

 * Alliterative Name: Krusher Khruschev and Blacktop Bully.
 * Bald of Evil: Most of the time.
 * Fake Russian: As Krusher Khruschev
 * Husky Russkie: As Krusher Khruschev
 * I Have Many Names: He also went by his real name.
 * I Know Madden Kombat / Golf Clubbing: As Stewart Pain.
 * Real Life Writes the Plot: Because the golfer who Darsow based his golfer name off of died in a plane crash, he went by his real name.
 * Red Baron: 'Krusher', 'Mr. Hole in One' and 'Putting'.
 * Wrestling Doesn't Pay: As a wrestling trucker as the Blacktop Bully, then as a wrestling ex-pro golfer in Stewart Pain.

Lex Luger (Lawrence Wendell Pfohl, 1987-1992, 1995-2001)

 * All-American Face: His default Face persona.
 * The Fighting Narcissist: As a heel
 * Gorgeous George: As a heel
 * Heel Face Revolving Door
 * Pec Flex
 * Red Baron: 'The Total Package'. He dropped the 'Lex Luger' name entirely in around the turn of the millenium.
 * Sleeves Are for Wimps
 * That Man Is Dead: He said this about 'Lex Luger', when he was being pushed simply as 'The Total Package'.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: With Sting

Magnum T.A. (Terry Wayne Allen, 1984-1986)

 * Cut Short: Magnum T.A. was one of the most popular stars in the NWA until a car accident ended his career.
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: He named himself Magnum T.A. after his slight resemblance to actor Tom Selleck's television character, Thomas Magnum, P.I..
 * Red Baron: 'Magnum' and the 'American Heart Throb'
 * Reluctant Retiree
 * Suplex Finisher

Ole Anderson (Alan Robert Rogowski, 1982-1987, 1989-1993)

 * The Big Guy: For The Four Horsemen.
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Power Stable: A founding member of The Four Horsemen.
 * Unrelated Brothers: Not actually related to any of the other Anderson family members.
 * Wrestling Family: His son Brian.

Ric Flair (Richard Morgan Fliehr, 1982-1991, 1993-2001)

 * Asskicking Equals Authority / Authority Equals Asskicking: He was the President of WCW for a while, having won the job in a match.
 * Badass Grandpa: After his return to WCW in 1998, he was pretty much this for the next decade.
 * Big Bad: He was WCW's top heel throughout the '80s and early '90s.
 * Catch Phrase: "To be the man, you gotta beat the man!", "Stylin' and profilin', "limousine-ridin', jet-flyin', kiss-stealin', wheelin'-dealin' son of a gun!" and of course "Woo!"
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Dirty Old Man: Oh God the trauma memories.
 * Face Fault: It's known, in wrestling, as the 'Flair Flop', and with good reason.
 * Fighting Dirty: One of his many nicknames is 'The Dirtiest Player in the Game'.
 * Flung Clothing: Became a trademark in the final years of WCW, with Ric stripping of his jacket (and on a few occasions to his underwear), and then dropping elbows on it.
 * Hijacked by Ganon: He was revealed to be the Black Scorpion.
 * Author's Saving Throw: Was originally not meant to be the Black Scorpion, but was put into the role at the last minute after WCW ran out of ideas.
 * Hot Dad: "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it's still got the longest line!"
 * Large Ham
 * Man of Wealth and Taste
 * Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: Could have been his motto.
 * Popularity Power: WCW audiences proved how much this trope works via their sabotaging the main event of The Great American Bash 1991; the crowd chanted "We want Flair!" practically non-stop during the match, in protest of Flair being fired from WCW.
 * Power Stable: He led The Four Horsemen, arguably the Trope Codifier.
 * Red Baron: 'The Nature Boy'. Also 'Slick Ric', and 'The Dirtiest Player in the Game'.
 * Sharp-Dressed Man
 * Signature Move: The Knife-Edge Chop, always followed with "WOOOOOO", also the Groin Attack.

Rick Rude (Richard Erwin Rood, 1986-1987, 1991-1994, 1997-1998)

 * Alliterative Name: Both his wrestling and real names have RR initials. Even his Red Baron starts with the letter R.
 * Badass in a Nice Suit: In the nWo.
 * The Fighting Narcissist
 * Badass Mustache
 * Power Stable: He led The Dangerous Alliance.
 * Red Baron: "Ravishing"
 * Sharp-Dressed Man

Rick Steiner (Robert Rechsteiner, 1987-1992, 1996-2001)

 * Badass
 * Badass Beard
 * Cain and Abel: After they split as a team, he and Scott fought a lot.
 * Catch Phrase: "You want some? Come get some! Don't like me? Bite me!"
 * The Jannetty: Scott was, and is, a much bigger name. Strangely before the two split, they were "Rick Steiner and his less interesting brother". However, Scott reinvented himself as the Big Bad Booty Daddy, and Rick floundered in the midcard and then turned heel. As a heel he was a complete heat vacuum.
 * Leotard of Power
 * Lightning Bruiser: In his prime
 * Red Baron: 'The Dog Faced Gremlin'

Ricky Steamboat (Richard Henry Blood, 1983-1985, 1989, 1991-1994)

 * Arch Enemy: Ric Flair
 * Face: Possibly the most constant good guy ever.
 * Fan Nickname: Armdragon, cause well, see below.
 * Finishing Move: A Diving Crossbody or Superplex.
 * Hot Dad
 * I Have the High Ground
 * In the Blood: His son, Richie Steamboat, is also a great wrestler.
 * Lightning Bruiser
 * Nice Guy: His gimmick, basically Ricky is a squeaky clean family man good guy that never does anything bad.
 * Red Baron: 'The Dragon'
 * Signature Move: Armdrags.

The Road Warriors - Road Warrior Hawk (Michael James Hegstrand, 1986-1990, 1993, 1995, 1996), Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis, 1986-1990, 1993, 1996, 2001)

 * Badass Crew
 * Doomy Dooms of Doom
 * Facial Markings
 * Shoulders of Doom
 * Spikes of Doom
 * Wrestling Family: Animal's brother, John Laurinaitis, wrestled for WCW as part of the Dynamic Dudes with Shane Douglas.

The Rock 'n' Roll Express - Robert Gibson (Robert Gibson FKA Ruben Cain, 1985-1991, 1996-1997), Ricky Morton (Richard Wendell "Ricky" Morton 1985-1992, 1996-1997)

 * Badass Long Hair
 * Eighties Hair
 * Hair Metal: Their gimmick in a nutshell.
 * I Have the High Ground
 * Ricky Morton: Trope Namer.

Ron Garvin (Roger Barnes, 1985-1988)

 * Boring but Practical: His Finishing Move, the Knockout Punch.
 * Canada, Eh?
 * Creepy Crossdresser: As Miss Atlanta Lively
 * Red Baron: 'The Man With the Hands of Stone'
 * Unrelated Brothers: With Jimmy Garvin.

Sting (Steve Borden, 1987-2001)

 * Achilles in His Tent: He spent almost all of 1997 in the rafters.
 * All-American Face: In his original 'Surfer' persona.
 * Badass
 * Badass Longcoat: After his reinvention as 'Crow Sting'.
 * Batter Up: His Weapon of Choice.
 * Captain Ersatz: Of The Crow.
 * Catch Phrase: It's Showtime, Folks!
 * Dark Is Not Evil: In 1997, Sting started wearing a lot of black and replaced his colourful facepaint with black and white, yet her remaind a good guy.
 * Genre Blindness: To a truly epic degree. See below.
 * Genre Savvy: He got it right at least once. During a feud with Lex Luger, he had Elizabeth in his corner. She betrayed him and sprayed him in the face with mace - but he'd replaced the mace with silly string.
 * Good Is Dumb: He got turned on by a lot of partners, but never saw it coming. This led to fans nicknaming him "The Dumbest Man In Wrestling."
 * Won't Work On Me
 * An amusing meta-example was his Face Heel Turn. The fans completely no-sold it and continued to cheer him as loud as ever. They even booed other faces who consistently got good reactions when they faced him.
 * Retcon: During his ill-advised Face Heel Turn in 1999, a video running constantly on Nitro and Thunder suggested that the fake nWo Sting was a 'creation of the real Sting himself'. This idea had never been mentioned before, and hasn't been mentioned since.
 * The Voiceless: He was silent throughout most of '97.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: With Lex Luger.

Tully Blanchard (Tully Arthur Blanchard, 1984-1988)

 * Large Ham
 * Lightning Bruiser
 * Power Stable: A founding member of The Four Horsemen.
 * The Smart Guy: For The Four Horsemen.
 * Wrestling Family: Son of wrestling promoter and former American Wrestling Association star Joe Blanchard.

Wahoo McDaniel (Edward McDaniel, 1982-1986, 1993)

 * Badass Native: He was part Choctaw- Chickasaw Native American.
 * Boring but Practical: His Finishing Move, a chop to the skull.
 * Nice Headdress
 * Red Baron: 'Chief'
 * Whip It Good: Notable for taking part in several Indian Strap Matches.


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