Best WCW Tattoos

One thing striking about WCW was the lack of guys with tattoos. The company tried to present itself as more “real” and “family friendly” in the early 1990s, so guys with a lot of ink didn’t quite fit. That shifted over the years and it’s notable how some guys had some frankly bad tattoos. Rick Rude may be one of the best heels ever, but that anchor tattoo looked pretty bad.

Yet some guys did stand out, especially as the 1990s came to a close. Some are more famous for the tattoos they’d add on after WCW folded, yet others stood out nicely with their great ink. It could be the patterns, the designs or just the sheer number. These rank as the coolest tattoos in WCW and showed the workers there could showcase ink as well as WWE guys could.

10 John Tenta’s Early Tattoo Was Great

Leave It To WCW To Ruin A Tattoo

• A former sumo wrestler in Japan
• It took 24 hours to change the tattoo
• Died in 2006

When John Tenta joined WCW in 1994, he had a promising start as Avalanche. That included boasting that awesome huge tiger on his left arm, a leftover from his days at LSU.

Leave it to WCW to ruin it when Tenta was turned into the Shark in 1995. WCW forced Tenta (at his own cost) to change the tattoo into an awful shark one and then dropped the whole thing. A shame he had to lose that awesome early look.

9 Rey Mysterio’s Early Ink Started His Run

Even The Early Rey Had Serious Ink

• 5-time Cruiserweight champion
• Wrestling Observer Best Flying Wrestler 1995-97, Most Outstanding Wrestler 1996
• Hates having footage of himself unmasked aired

Rey Mysterio had his share of highs and lows in WCW from Cruiserweight champion to being forced to unmask and act like a dork. As much as his mask, Rey is known for his fantastic tattoos, and even though he wasn’t as inked up in WCW, he had some good ones.

That included ancestral tattoos on his upper forearms, the left one with a wonderful style, and he’d add a couple more in his time. That included for his mask when he was forced to go without it. Thankfully, Rey was masked again when he joined WWE in 2002, and while he’s added far more in the years since, his WCW run started up Rey’s intriguing history of cool tattoos.

8 Johnny The Bull Had A Better Tattoo Than Given Credit For

His Tattoo Was More Notable Than His WCW Run

• Real name Johnny Stamboli
• Was part of the FBI in WWE
• Later became Rellik in TNA

Among the various guys bouncing around WCW in the later years, Johnny the Bull had runs as tag team and Hardcore champion, but nothing much more notable. He was more famous for a pretty embarrassing injury hitting a flying leg drop that put him on the shelf for a bit.

That said, Johnny had a pretty cool tattoo of a three-faced snake on his left shoulder. Sure, it didn’t quite fit his New York tough guy character, but it looked spiffy, as did his matching right arm tattoo. The guy was lost in the mix of WCW despite some decent ink, but at least his tattoos stood out more than his character did.

7 One Man Gang Got A Better WCW Run

His Tattoos Restored Cred To The Guy

• Real name George Grey
• Won the U.S. title in a post-Starrcade 1995 match
• Left WCW in early 1996

One of the better big guys of his era, the One Man Gang was hurt becoming Akeem in WWE. Joining WCW in 1995, he went back to his old persona of the hulking biker with the mohawk and this time added some cool tattoos to the bare parts of his scalp.

The left was a metallic skull, while the right was a unique “love heart” motif. That made OMG more notable, even a brief run as U.S. champion. He’d add more ink over the years, but putting on these tattoos restored much of the Gang’s tough cred with fans.

6 DDP’s Ink Worked For His Character

DDP Was A Laid Back Guy

• Started in WCW managing Vinnie Vegas and the Diamond Studd
• The fourth “Triple Crown” champion in WCW
• Also did commentary

As a guy who got into wrestling late, Diamond Dallas Page looked a bit older than he really was. That included a body showing years of “hanging and banging” at the beach, even if he turned into a terrific star. He boasted more ink than other WCW guys, with the highlight being the ones on his arms.

They were a mix of circus animals, cards, flames and more and rather than being a mess, they looked pretty stylish. As not many guys in WCW had ink then, it put DDP more on the map and led to his future stardom, with Page always playing to his own beat.

5 Hugh Morrus’s Tattoos Were The Best Part Of His WCW Run

His Ink Was Better Than His Characters

• Belonged to Dungeon of Doom, First Family and Misfits in Action
• First man to lose to Goldberg
• 2-time U.S. Champion

Hugh Morrus had some ups and downs in WCW, going from a good tough worker to more of a joke in the Misfits in Action. However, the guy’s attitude won fans over and was backed by some good tattoos. His left shoulder was dominated by what looked like a huge ball of snakes, leading to some sharp symbols.

Likewise, his right had some terrific “tribal” patterns inked up and down his arms and flexed nicely on his biceps. Whether the Laughing Man or Hugh G. Reaction, at least Morrus had the ink to be better than his various gimmicks in WCW.

4 Juventud Guerrera Showed Wild Stuff

His Tattoos Were Striking For Cruiserweights

• Joined WCW in 1996
• 3-time Cruiserweight champion and tag team champion with Chris Jericho
• Wrestling Observer Best Flying Wrestler 1998 &1999

Besides their masks, one thing that struck fans about the luchadors WCW brought in during the mid-1990s was more tattoos than the standard WCW guys of the time. Juventud Guerrera was a great example, a wild man in the ring and actually got wilder after losing his mask.

His left shoulder was dominated by what could look like an exploding rose, with his right mixing various tribal and unique markers together. Juventud added more ink as he went along, even as he got crazier, but the early tattoos were a great sight amid the WCW roster.

3 Perry Saturn’s Tattoos Were As Odd As Him

Saturn’s Ink Was Serious For The Time

• Joined WCW in 1997
• 2-time TV champ and 2-time WCW tag team champion
• Left with the Radicalz in 2000

Always the odd man out among the future Radicalz, Perry Saturn had come from ECW, so it was little surprise he played being the maverick with some serious ink. Okay, having his name tattooed on his mid-section was a bit much, but that was offset by great stuff like the hooded executioner on his right pec, the intricate arm ones, and the terrific one on his upper neck and shoulders that resembled a strange sunset.

Saturn would add more ink over the years (such as his infamously horrible face tattoo) yet looked pretty intimidating in the ring with more tattoos than a dozen guys in WCW at the time.

2 Bam Bam Bigelow Had An Iconic Tattoo

That Fire Head Was Fabulous

• Wrestling Observer 1986 Rookie of the Year
• Held the WCW tag titles with DDP and Kanyon under the “Freebird Rule”
• Passed away 2007 at 45

He had it before he joined WCW in 1999, but when it comes to the best tattoos in all of wrestling, Bam Bam Bigelow has to count. Shaving your head bald and having it tattooed with flames was a crazy idea, but it worked for Bigelow, as from day one in wrestling, he was a wild sight.

By 1999, he’d become respected as a tough worker and even if he was put in some stupid angles, that tattoo ensured fans paid attention to him. He got some title runs, yet Bam Bam’s biggest legacy in wrestling is a tattoo that ensured he’d be unforgettable.

1 Goldberg’s Tattoo Was As Iconic As Him

That Awesome Tattoo Fit Him Well

• Had tattoo upon debut
• WCW used it for Goldberg marketing
• Has kept it without extra ink to show its impact

It’s not the biggest, it’s not the most elaborate, but Goldberg’s tattoo was also one of WCW’s most iconic. The intricate pattern of waves mixed together may not have had a deeper meaning but somehow, on Goldberg, it worked well.

It set him apart as much as his monster attitude did as he crushed everyone in his path and WCW made the tattoo part of the marketing push for him. Like Goldberg himself, the tattoo didn’t need to be fancy, but it made a huge impact and helped Goldberg stand out from the start as a star in WCW.