To survive in the wrestling industry it is imperative that a grappler is able to change with the times. Perhaps no one encompassed this quality more then Van Hammer, who was able to evolve as the music industry evolved and turned the ongoing trends into even more popularity.
Starting out as a humble young star who had an axe to grind, and an axe to play, Van Hammer took WCW by storm as he botched his way to below average matches across the loop. Of course he was not long for WCW initially but he made an impact and because of that his next stint met with extreme anticipation.
The glam rock Van Hammer emulated before was gone as this time around he was in a punk phase, going as far as joining Raven in his flock. Embracing the spirit of Nirvana, Van Hammer was extremely overrated during this phase of his career. As opposed to the simple songs Nirvana was only capable of playing, Van Hammer was just capable of very basic matches. Still, it furthered his advancement and made him stronger in the future.
In 2000 he ditched his terrible Nirvana phase and picked up on the Nu Metal trend as he joined M.I.A. He became Private Stash but soon realized it made him the lowest member of the group so he renamed himself Major Stash instead. He ruined the thinly veiled pot reference but it was okay; he was no low man on the totem pole damnit.
After WCW ended Van Hammer became a wrestler without a gig. He soon gave up on his wrestling career but still carves a niche in the community as a philanthropist and playwright. It is because of his contributions to the ring and to the arts that Van Hammer is #40 on our list.
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