With the premiere of the much-anticipated Iron Man storming theaters this weekend, WWE.com looks at Superstars who have gone the distance in forging their distinguished ring legacies. VOTE here for the Superstar you think deserves to be called the "Ultimate WWE Iron Man".
HBK, The Showstopper, Mr. WrestleMania. Add another moniker to Michaels' already impressive list: Marathon Man. Perhaps no battle better exemplifies Michaels' resilience than the first-ever 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match pitting him against Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII. Not only did Michaels--and Hart, for that matter--display amazing endurance, the two even took the match into overtime before HBK could prevail. The win earned him the WWE Title and a spot on WWE.com's list of Iron Men.
"I'm the best there is, the best there was, and the best there will ever be." - Bret Hart
Hart's words are hard to argue, especially since he was not only an accomplished technical wrestler but also possessed an enviable stamina. At the famous WrestleMania XII 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match against Shawn Michaels, Hart proved he could go the distance. And while he eventually lost in sudden death, the "Excellence of Execution" showed fans, and the WWE roster, his true mettle.
Arguably one of the most dominant tag teams in WWE history, Animal & Hawk found themselves pushed to the limit at 1989's Starrcade. Armed with memorable haircuts, distinctive face paint and spiked shoulder pads, The Road Warriors defeated the Steiner Brothers, Doom and The New Wild Samoans to secure their legacy and emerge victorious in the Iron Team Tournament. Also known as the Legion of Doom, the team suffered a devastating blow when Hawk passed away in 2003.
"The Dragon" helped cement his reputation as one of the Iron Men of sports-entertainment at WCW's 1992 Beach Blast. In Alabama's Mobile Civic Center, Steamboat defeated Rick Rude 4-3 in a 30-minute Iron Man Challenge. Steamboat also offered fans what's widely considered one of the most memorable matches in WWE history when he bested Randy "Macho Man" Savage at WrestleMania III for the Intercontinental Championship.
Learn more about Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat's WrestleMania III Match
Throughout his career, The Game has shown plenty of mettle to be considered an Iron Man, but it was Judgement Day 2000 that solidified his standing. Triple H faced off against The Rock in a 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match that saw Undertaker's return to the ring. After exhaustive combat between The Game and The Rock, The Deadman entered and proceeded to destroy any of Triple H's DX cohorts that got in the way. As a result, special guest referee Shawn Michaels disqualified The Rock, allowing Triple H to capture his fourth WWE Championship.
With 16 World Championships to his name and an illustrious career that has spanned more than three decades, the "Nature Boy" makes a strong case to be WWE's Ultimate Iron Man. Flair has proven himself by enduring Iron Man Matches against such worthy foes as Sting and Bret Hart. For many fans, it seemed as if the magic of Flair would never cease. But such wishful thinking came to an end at WrestleMania XXIV, when "Naitch" succumbed to his longtime friend, Shawn Michaels, in an emotional Career Threatening Match that left both men in tears.