#87: Bob Orton & Raven (tied)

Real Name (Orton): Robert Keith Orton

Other Aliases: "Cowboy" Bob Orton

Biggest Fan: John Rohner

Real Name (Raven): Scott Levy

Other Aliases: Scotty Flamingo, Johnny Polo

Biggest Fan: Joe Timmins

"Cowboy" Bob Orton began wrestling in 1972. At the time of the professional wrestling boom of the 1980s, he was perfectly positioned for national exposure as a top heel in the WWF. Orton was bodyguard to Rowdy Roddy Piper, which led to him being in the corner of Hot Rod and Paul Orndorff at the first WrestleMania, billed as "The Greatest Wrestling Event of All Time!" In fact, it was Orton's interference that resulted in Orndorff being knocked out and pinned by Hulk Hogan in the main event. Shortly thereafter, Orton and Hogan headlined the first ever Saturday Night's Main Event. Orton might have won the championship, if not for the interference of Piper, which got him disqualified. Orton continued to be a force for evil in the WWF during the mid-eighties before fading into relative obscurity for several years. And that might have been the end of Orton's story, if not for the tremendous success that his son has had in wrestling. Now, a younger generation knows all about "Cowboy" Bob Orton, thanks to his many appearances in the corner of his son, Randy, The Legend Killer.

Few people could have expected, watching WWF programming in 1993, that part-time television host and Quebecers' manager, Johnny Polo, would end up becoming a heavyweight champion. But that's just what Scott Levy became when he ditched his old surfer and preppy gimmicks and joined ECW sporting a new, brooding character that he based on Patrick Swayze in Point Break. But then, ECW did wonders with wrestlers that they plucked off of the scrap heap, so maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise after all. As Raven, Scott Levy captured the ECW title twice and, upon returning to the WWF, would hold the WWF's hardcore championship 26 times!

These two superstars are perfect examples of people being in the right place at the right time. When the WWF was expanding and needed a villain, Bob Orton was there. When ECW was about to catch fire and needed an extreme wrestler with legendary mic skills to become one of the faces of their promotion, Raven was there. And when our experts needed to make a list of the top superstars of wrestling? Of course, they had to be there.