Owen definitely belongs. I don't know what ya'll are thinking but Owen was a Hall of Fame talent and isn't a pity "Kurt Cobain" entry, like Pillman will be, he was the fucking goods. In wrestling a Hall isn't reserved just for the Flairs, Hogans, and Sammartinos, and no the KoKos and Rocky Johnsons don't belong either, but Owen was certainly a special talent. C'mon, someone who really, really knows their shit, name me three better heels in the E from 94-97. You can't because there were only two, Goldust and Mankind. Austin was only an effective heel for the six months he feuded with Hart, then he turned face. Owen was a HEAT MACHINE once he started his heel run in 94.
Accomplishments? KOTR in 94, thrice tag champ and an IC champ and runner up in the European title tourney. And most importantly he was a TWO TIME SLAMMY AWARD WINNER!! And he was going to be a second time IC champ but died. And here is what separates Owen from all the poor bastards that died young from substance abuse: he died doing something for the business he loved. He didn't want to do the drop, but he did. He did it because he loved the business and always did what was asked of him because he was such a fucking pro. His whole family left him alone in the E, people say the E would have sued him for breach of contract, but WCW was going to pay for Anvils and Davey's possible legal troubles, they certainly would have done the same for Owen. Owen stuck it out, and was a fucking pro. Owen was a genuine dude and that just doesn't happen in wrestling.
And he had fucking awesome matches. Bret's best matches that wasn't the Austin-WM13 match was against Owen, the WM 10 match and the SummerSlam cage match, which in itself was revolutionary and changed the way cage matched were approached by younger talents like Benoit, Angle, Edge and the lot. Plus I've seen his matches in Japan with Liger, some of his Stampede shit and honestly I can say Owen was a better worker to me than Bret. Go catch Liger-Owen from 89, that match was ten years ahead of its time. Go catch HBK-Owen from Raw in 97, shortly after the Screwjob, and that match was fast and fuckin furious, more entertaining than any match HBK had with Bret, Iron man included.
Owen was a fucking heat machine, a bad ass work horse, had a nice string of accomplishments and was as genuine as they come. How can anyone deny that he isn't HoF worthy? And I want some substance to those outlandish objections.
