Stan Hansen John Stanley " Stan " Hansen II ( August 29 , 1949 ) is an American former professional wrestler . Hansen is renowned for his stiff wrestling style , which he attributes to his poor eyesight . He is also known for his gimmick as a loud , violent cowboy who wanted to fight everybody , which he further emphasized by appearing in interviews with a cowboy hat , leather vest and bullrope while often chewing on tobacco . Considered to be among the most successful and popular gaijins in professional wrestling history , Hansen became more well known and revered in Japan than in his native United States . Despite this , Hansen still found championship success in both countries . On March 21 , 2016 , WWE announced that Hanson will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame class of 2016 . Professional wrestling career . Early career ( 1973 – 1976 ) . After playing college football as a part of the West Texas State Buffaloes , Hansen made his professional wrestling debut in 1973 . Initially taking up wrestling as a part - time job while trying out for the Detroit Wheels , Hansen began wrestling full - time when the team folded . In 1975 , Hansen first teamed with future partner Frank Goodish , who later adopted the ring name Bruiser Brody , while competing in Leroy McGuirk ' s Tri - State territory . World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation ( 1976 , 1980 - 1981 ) . In 1976 , Hansen made his debut for the World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) and only two months after he began competing for the company , he began feuding with the WWF Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino over the title . During a title match , Hansen broke Sammartino ' s neck while they were wrestling and it was from this incident that both Hansen and promoters claimed that Sammartino ' s injury came about from the enormous power of his lariat . However , a botched powerslam is what actually caused Sammartino ' s injury . After Sammartino recovered , Hansen faced him for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship once again , but was unsuccessful . He left the promotion soon after . He returned in 1980 , rekindling his feud with Sammartino and facing Pedro Morales and Andre the Giant on several occasions . He also developed a heated feud with then - WWF Champion Bob Backlund which culminated in a steel cage match at Madison Square Garden . American Wrestling Association ( 1985 – 1986 ) . Hansen competed in the American Wrestling Association ( AWA ) from 1985 to 1986 . He won the World Heavyweight Championship on December 29 , 1985 , from Rick Martel . On June 29 , 1986 , he no - showed a title defense against the number one contender Nick Bockwinkel due to disagreements with management , forcing the AWA to default the title to Bockwinkel . Rumors suggest that Hansen was actually in the building that evening and had been informed by AWA promoter Verne Gagne of the pending loss to Bockwinkel . Hansen allegedly called All Japan Pro Wrestling president Giant Baba to ask if losing the championship was acceptable , but Baba had already lined up challengers for Hansen and did not permit Hansen to drop the championship . At the time , Hansen was already in a feud with Verne ' s son Greg , in which Hansen was determined to hog - tie Greg and " make him squeal like a pig . " Eventually , Hansen was too much for Gagne , and on an episode of All - Star Wrestling , Hansen hog - tied Greg and proceeded to make him squeal in front of his fans , friends , and family . In the end , Hansen refused to drop the title to Bockwinkel and was stripped of the championship ; Bockwinkel was given one of the tag team belts , which was then billed as the AWA World Heavyweight Championship due to Hansen still possessing the true title belt . Hansen immediately returned to Japan and defended the AWA World Heavyweight Championship , despite being stripped of it . The AWA threatened legal action if Hansen continued to carry the belt and refer to himself as the organization ' s champion , so Hansen responded by running over the belt with his truck and mailing it back with the mud tracks still on it . This chain of events was reviewed in an interview with Hansen at an NWA Legends convention , in which he expressed regret over the way he handled the situation and ultimately complimented Gagne . New Japan Pro Wrestling ( 1980 – 1981 , 1990 ) . Hansen first came to New Japan Pro Wrestling ( NJPW ) in May 1980 doing one off shows where usually teamed and fought Bob Backlund . From November 21 to December 13 , 1980 , Hansen did a tour for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he competed in the first MSG league ( later renamed the G1 Tag League ) . He teamed with Hulk Hogan , but they failed to win . He returned that April to wrestle Antonio Inoki in an unsuccessful match . He returned for several more one off shows until leaving the promotion in early 1981 . Hansen returned at NJPW ' s Super Fight in Tokyo Dome event in 1990 , where he had a infamous interpromotional match against Vader . The match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship saw Big Van Vader ( representing New Japan , while Hansen represented All Japan ) get struck in the eye during the entrances by Hansen ' s Bullrope . Both men were known to use a stiff style of wrestling , resulting in a nasty exchange where each man threw legitimate punches . The match ended in a draw , and Hansen never returned to New Japan . All Japan Pro Wrestling ( 1981 – 1990 ) . In 1981 , Hansen abruptly left NJPW to join All Japan Pro Wrestling ( AJPW ) . While in AJPW , Hansen became the only man to pin Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba in championship singles matches . He continued wrestling from 1982 to 1999 in World ' s Strongest Tag Determination League . He wrestled primarily in tag matches , where he formed many teams with the likes of Bruiser Brody , Terry Gordy , Ted DiBiase , Genichiro Tenryu , Dan Spivey , Bobby Duncum , Jr . , and Big Van Vader . Hansen also engaged in a renowned brawl with André the Giant in Japan . In addition to championship matches , Hansen also competed in other high - profile matches . At the NJPW Super Fight in Tokyo Dome show on February 2 , 1990 , Hansen competed in another notable match as he represented AJPW against NJPW representative Big Van Vader . This particular match became renowned for its stiffness , as Hansen and Vader repeatedly exchanged blows until Hansen unintentionally poked Vader ' s right eye with his thumb , which caused the eye to pop out of its socket . After removing his mask , pushing the eye back into its socket and holding it in place with his eyelid , Vader continued wrestling Hansen until the match was rendered a no contest . As a result of the injury , Vader required a metal plate to be surgically placed under his eye . On April 13 , 1990 , the World Wrestling Federation and AJPW held a supershow called Wrestling Summit at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo , in which Hansen lost to Hulk Hogan in the main event . Hansen won his first Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship by defeating Terry Gordy on June 8 , 1990 , and wrestled a rematch in NJPW against Vader on June 12 . World Championship Wrestling ( 1990 - 91 ) . In late 1990 , Hansen began appearing in World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) , feuding with Lex Luger over the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship . On October 27 at Halloween Havoc , Hansen defeated Luger to win the title , ending Luger ' s record - setting reign at 523 days . On December 16 at Starrcade , Hansen re - lost the title to Luger in a bullrope match . During this period , Hansen continued working tours for All Japan , teaming with Dan Spivey to finish second in the World ' s Strongest Tag Determination League in November and December . Hansen wrestled another rematch with Vader at the WrestleWar pay - per - view in February 1991 . On April 18 , Hansen and Spivey won the AJPW World Tag Team Championship from Terry Gordy and Steve Williams , and teamed occasionally upon their return to WCW . In June , Hansen left WCW and returned full - time to All Japan after a disagreement over an idea to group him with The Desperados , a trio of bumbling cowboys looking for Hansen through a series of vignettes . His last WCW match occurred on June 23 in Atlanta . As a result of his departure , The Desperados ' angle was dropped and the trio was quickly dissolved . Return to AJPW ( 1991 – 2001 ) . Upon his return to AJPW , Hansen began a major feud with Mitsuharu Misawa , during which time they traded the Triple Crown Championship between one another . Following Giant Baba ' s death , Misawa became the new booker and quickly began de - emphasizing Hansen and other foreign talent , in favor of new native recruits such as Takao Omori and Yoshihiro Takayama . In 2000 , and formed Pro Wrestling Noah ( Noah ) , although Hansen chose to remain loyal to AJPW instead of joining the talent exodus . Despite remaining with AJPW , Hansen ' s ongoing lumbago at the time began to worsen , which ultimately lead him to wrestle his final singles match on October 21 , 2000 as part of a tournament for the vacant Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship . Hansen lost the semi - final match to old partner Genichiro Tenryu , who went on to win the tournament and the title . His last match altogether was a six - man bout on the 28th , in which he , Steve Williams and Wolf Hawkfield lost to Johnny Smith , Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Masanobu Fuchi . Hansen announced his retirement on January 28 , 2001 . Post - retirement . Soon after retiring , Hansen successfully underwent surgery on his back and knees , the latter of which were both replaced . After recovering , he became the commissioner of AJPW ' s Pacific Wrestling Federation championship governing body , which saw him appear during Triple Crown and World Tag Team Championship matches to issue proclamations of the matches . In July 2007 , Hansen voluntarily resigned from the position , with Hiroshi Hase replacing him . Personal life . In 1989 , Hansen had a small role in the World Wrestling Federation - produced movie " No Holds Barred " , which starred Hulk Hogan . Hansen has four children . He has an eldest son , John Stanley Hanson III and daughter , Elizabeth Paige Hanson , from his first marriage . he had two more children in his second marriage , Shaver ( born December 19 , 1987 ) , played baseball at Baylor University before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners as the second pick in the sixth round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft . His younger son , Samuel ( born February 21 , 1991 ) , is also a baseball player and played for the University of Texas at Arlington .