The Golden Era of the World Wrestling Federation was a brilliant time for the company, as it led to a huge rise in popularity for the business, with many great wrestlers stepping up and becoming iconic names. At that time it was all about larger-than-life characters who brought big personalities more than a focus on the in-ring work.
There were certainly many talented wrestlers as well that would fit into the current world of wrestling, but because the business has evolved so much there are some that unfortunately wouldn't fit in anymore. Because of that, they likely wouldn't get signed today by WWE, despite what they achieved in their careers.
The Repo Man is a great example of a character that was iconic at the time and was over the top, bringing in a lot of comedy. It was never one that was taken seriously, and while there is still room for fun in wrestling today, this gimmick would simply be too over the top.
If this character was to appear today, it would be laughed out of the building, as fans simply wouldn't buy into it at all. With that in mind, there is no way the Federation would sign Repo Man in the modern world of wrestling, as the gimmick couldn't connect.
Virgil was around regularly during this period, but he was at his best when working alongside WWE Hall of Famer "$1,000,000 Man" Ted DiBiase {the person who put him out there, because his act was so strong}. However, Virgil himself was a character that never excited the fans at that time, which is likely why he wouldn't be signed today.
While he had a good physique, that's no longer as a crucial factor in professional wrestling as it once was. When inside the ring, WCW's Vincent wasn't one of the best wrestlers either, which is an important factor in today's climate. Also, he started becoming known as a wrestler who'd be given a character name to shame somebody else {"Virgil", for "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, real given name Virgil... & "Vincent" for former WWE Head Honcho Vince McMahon}. Of course, that happened a lot in wrestling too, as Mike Rotunda could attest.
Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake was popular during the Golden Era, due to how big of a personality he had... and his association with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan... which served him well, from a backstage politics perspective. His character likely wouldn't be taken seriously nowadays, which would likely cause him problems. Although a number of modern wrestlers have certainly gone down the Beefcake road recently.
Plus, inside the ring is an area of concern for the WWE Hall of Famer as a performer, as he was never one of the most talented wrestlers at that time. He would struggle to make a mark in today's era, and the Barber would likely not be brought onto the roster in the first place.
WWE Hall of Famer Big John Studd was a dominant big man during his time in WWE, and wrestlers of that size {with that much power} are always wanted by the Federation. However, the classic big man in professional wrestling has adapted over the years, and now there's a need for them to be much more athletic.
Braun Strowman is the type of performer that WWE tries to sign nowadays for wrestlers of a certain size, and that is not a category that Studd would fit into, and that is ultimately why he might not be signed nowadays.
The Brooklyn Brawler is iconic in wrestling, but mainly for being somebody that used to put other people over regularly. The role of a "jobber" is something that does still exist, but with so much 50/50 booking nowadays they're far less common to see as specific characters. Certainly not from contracted performers.
Because of that, he's somebody that likely wouldn't be brought onto the roster right now, because there simply isn't a need for the role that he fulfilled during that time. On top of that, the specific character that was so focused on one area of the world is also very limited and likely wouldn't last.
The Bushwhackers might have put together a Hall Of Fame career during the Golden Era, but it's hard to imagine where they would fit in during the modern era. The former Sheepherders were an entertaining team, but that was through the comedy that they pushed a lot with their entrance and how they acted inside the ring.
That type of team doesn't exist on the main roster of WWE anymore, because even those that can make people laugh such as The Alpha Academy and The Street Profits can also deliver the highest quality of matches when the bell rings.
WWE Hall of Famer Big Boss Man was a talented wrestler and somebody who often gets overlooked when it comes to the era that he worked in. When it comes to his in-ring talent, Ray Traylor certainly has more than enough to work right now, and he would be capable of putting on some great matches.
However, it's the character itself that wouldn't fit in anymore, no matter how fondly people remember it. Characters based purely around jobs used to be commonplace, but things have moved on since that point, which is why this would feel a little too old school.
Hillbilly Jim is another character that was entertaining for a specific time, but isn't something that he was able to develop overall in a long period. The WWE Hall of Famer was fairly effective as a big man, but his matches weren't the most compelling for him to be brought on the roster today.
The character was successful at certain points in time, but it wasn't something that was capable of lasting in the long term. That is why the Federation wouldn't sign him today, as the character simply wasn't interesting enough to appeal to modern fans.
Although the most iconic wrestlers of all time, the Ultimate Warrior was involved in some great moments in his time... but it's hard to imagine his character charging to the ring on Monday Night Raw nowadays. That type of cartoonish gimmick wouldn't connect overall.
It was all about energy, which's always a good thing, but there was no further depth. Characters like that simply don't last anymore...and on top of that, the WWE Hall of Famer wasn't somebody who could put a main event level match on with this generation, which would be a problem. As well as his notoriety of being hard to deal with... and being just a smidge moonbrained.
Zeus was brought in from the movie world, which's something that does still happen to this day... arguably more than it ever has. However, the celebrities that join WWE now have decent-to-great in-ring abilities, such as Bad Bunny and Logan Paul... or they fully commit to the character, like Johnny Knoxville.
That is what the late Tom "Tiny" Lister lacked, and despite his impressive physique, he isn't somebody that fans would accept wrestling now. He'd be booed heavily once the bell rang, which is never ideal for celebrity involvement. They might get away with putting him up against Omos, but that would really be about it.
Credit: the Sportster