The injury persisted and even caused muscle shrinkage, later in his career. Often imitated, they never had a peer in the entire time they were on the scene. It's like Hulkamania, YOU CAN'T STOP IT, BROTHER! Respected and influential wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer went as far as calling him "one of the key figures in the growth of WWF., Named one of the top five WWF Intercontinental Champions of all time, Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Georgia Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, Southeastern Championship Wrestling. It was a real rivalry for two men who hated each other and it nearly killed them both. He helped launch the careers of Sting, Lex Luger, Rick Steamboat and Arn Anderson. His work in the 80s mostly consisted of work in Championship Wrestling from Florida and with WCW. This colorful, high-flying wrestler was a mainstay in the WWF from 1986 to 1993. He went on to the glitz and glamour of the WWF in the US as The British Bulldog before a tragically early death. This is a list of masked wrestlers.The earliest known masked wrestler in the United States was The Masked Marvel who famously "crashed" the international tournament, which featured many of the top stars of the "Farmer" Burns-Frank Gotch era, held at the Manhattan Opera House in 1915. And although his identity is now known worldwide, hes one of the few masked wrestlers to have never revealed his face to the public. He was in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. As a competitor, he could have and should have held World gold in WWF but never attained the status. Due to the army life he grew up a traveler and spent his high school years at the All American High in Munich, Germany. He too fit right into Vince McMahon's carnival of characters. Bret has held the One of the most colorful wrestlers in and out of the ring, Randy "Macho Man" Savage became a larger-than-life pop icon along with other wrestling superstars, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka (aka "Superfly Jimmy Snuka"), Jesse Ventura and Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock").When Born as Steve Borden, Sting has held the WCW World Title 10 times and multiple other titles. Japan's Antonio Inoki is a "living" legend in Asia. Despite the abuse his body took at his age and through his long career, Diamond Dallas Page remains in top physical form. His quick one-liners, sharp tongue and squeaky voice made his heel role a perfect fit and helped transition The King from wrestler to announcer. His secret? Paul is a member of the Xi Beta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Southern Actor | While many will remember him today as the father of The Rock, Johnson was a tag title holder with Tony Atlas and held several southern regional titles on his own. He was trained by the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of pro-wrestling's classic and greatest bad guys. He also appears for AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is the current ROH World Television Champion in his first Ken Anderson was born on March 6, 1976 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, USA. He was mainly used as a jobber - a wrestler who rarely wins and is King Kong Bundy was riding a win streak of 300 consecutive victories when he challenged Terry "Hulk" Hogan to the World Wrestling Federation World's Heavyweight Championship. Rick Rude. Michael Francis Foley was born on June 7th, 1965, in Long Island, New York. Before all this happened, the NWA was a better product with better wrestlers and the AWA was able to present a brand in the Midwest and the the northern states like Minnesota that was crisp and regional and cool. The history of womens wrestling may have taken an entirely different direction had Wendi not been bamboozled by Vince McMahon and The Fabulous Moolah during the infamous Rock N Wrestling connection moment. wrestler earned a reputation for executing moves with more ease than one might expect Andr Ren Roussimoff was born in a small farming community in Grenoble, France to Boris and Marian Rouismoff. "DDP" captivated Sound_department | Even though their styles are quite different (Sheik being a wild hardcore-style brawler, known for throwing fire, cutting his opponent's forehead's up with foreign objects like a pencil, Keiji Mut was born on December 23, 1962 in Yamanashi, Japan. Years later The Dragon has aged but aged well. The fire breather wowed fans with his in-ring talent and remarkable physical strength and agility. He was best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as The Road Warriors (The Legion of Doom in WWF), with Road Warrior Animal. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E) under both his real name Mark Henry was born on June 12, 1971 in Silsbee, Texas, USA. Four times they won the world title. 2. The Russian Nightmare. I stand by that statement. At 450 pounds, with a big bald head, no visible neck, and an evil glare in his eyes, he was Hulk Hogan's first "giant" opponent, and the footage of him injuring Hogan's ribs in 1986 is still etched into many an aging Hulkamaniac's brain. Trained by Dusty Rhodes, The Peoples Champ became one of the most popular wrestlers ever, equipped with the deadliest finisher of all time, the Diamond Cutter. A car accident nearly killed him and the dream he would be the hero everyone wanted to be champion. He is now working in WWE behind the scenes but also was in TNA for a while as booker and script writer. Mullet Critique: Riveting. Slaughter is one of the few superstars that can easily transition from patriotic face, to traitor heel and back to face again. Though not the physical specimens that Lex Luger and Hulk Hogan were, The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be was always in great athletic shape throughout his career. Jacqueline was ahead of her game with the women at that time. Randy Savage Actor | Spider-Man And in doing so, he proved he could not draw like Hogan and eventually lost the strap. Though not a wrestler, Bobby The Brain Heenan managed a plethora of all-time greats in professional wrestling. Unfortunately, Roberts suffered from alcohol abuse during his career. Later on, Rotunda won Actor | Sadly, Demolition only wrestle a few Indy shows per year lately, and their physical conditioning is noticeably poor. He also has a stint in WCW when he wrestled with Ricky Steamboat against Barry Windham and Ric Flair at a television taping, leading to Steamboat getting a shot at the world title. He signed with WWE in 2003 fulfilling two life long goals of wrestling at Madison Square Garden and WrestleMania. 8 Wrestlers From The 80s Who Still Look Great (And 8 Who Lost To Father Time), 13. The Midnight Express 11 of 50 Whether it was Bobby Eaton an. A great booker and script writer. Despite his heel commentary, fans often found themselves cheering for him when he stepped foot in the ring for a rare match. An early example of the queer coded villain in the wrestling world, Adrian Adonis was a grotesque caricature of gay culture but a compelling personality nonetheless. Blood clots in his lungs hampered his in-ring career which has affected him later in life as well. He also starred as a guest character on the Syfy Began his career in Texas. I know I will take heat for this one when Piper is ahead of Savage. 17. Big Bully Busick - Dead at 63. He has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986. He has been the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018. After wrestling for decades and battling a heart attack, The King is making time his peasant and looks to be on the winning side of age 67. Moolah then signed with WWE during the '80s Rock'n'Wrestling era and famously feued with Wendi Richter and singer Cyndi Lauper. Holding the Women's Championship on three separate occasions, the athletic Blayze reigned supreme over some of the most physically powerful female competitors of all time, including Bull Nakano, Aja Kong and the monstrous Bertha Faye. Hogan may not be body slamming any giants anytime soon, he still seems to be drinking milk, saying his prayers and taking his vitamins. Jeffrey Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler and musician. The days of being called The Body seem to be long gone. Unfortunately, Ric Flairs stylin and profilin has caught up to him. Roberts wrestles on the indy circuit, and drugs and demons have evaporated what skills he did have. Nonetheless, Richter won championships around the globe before her retirement in 2005. Teamed with Barry in the WWF to win the Tag Team Titles, first from Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis, and later from Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik. Although perhaps better known these days for his bombastic and foul-mouthed twitter rampages, Iron Sheik was a key heel throughout the 80s. Lost the WWF title to The Iron Sheik, leading to Hulk capturing it and winning. He had many legendary matches and feuds with Ric Flair, culminating in their epic "Holy Trilogy" of matches at WCW Sidney Raymond Eudy is an American former professional wrestler. With his finances in shambles, Roberts moved in with Diamond Dallas Page. When he started out in the business, he was a singles wrestler, wrestling in some smaller federations before coming to the NWA (WCW) to team with his older brother, Rick. Went to WWE, where he was a star and later WCW, where he feuded with Sting. Known for his slow movement outside the ring, he walked to the beat of his own drum. Both Hector and Amando Christopher Michael Benoit is a Canadian wrestler who was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Michael and Margaret Benoit. One of wrestlings breakout stars, Roddy Piper became a bonafide pop-cultural icon with numerous appearances on television sitcoms and cartoons. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most of his bald head, Bigelow was hailed by Ryan Murphy (a writer for Bigelow's former employer WWE Glenn Thomas Jacobs better known by the ring name Kane, is an American politician, actor, and professional wrestler. As much a wrestler as a cultural ambassador, Mscaras starred in over 20 films. He wrestled Harley Race to time-limit draws in Missouri and was popular in the Orient. Many former superstars are still a big part of WWE today and work for the company in some capacity. One of the first great wrestlers to compete in "real" fights. While still able to go toe to toe with anyone, a serious mid-match neck injury has sidelined Sting and his in-ring career is now over. At his age of 68, he still resembles his iconic character and, despite the rough life of pro wrestling, his boot camp training appears to have kept him in good shape. WWE's greatest females of the 1980s are highlighted in this photo gallery, including Wendi Richter, Fabulous Moolah and Rockin' Robin. Jimmy Snuka. Troy Allan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He had great looks and a great technique. Ted DiBiase was one of the most hated heels in the WWE. He was one of the first Asian wrestlers to come to the states to "take over" professional wrestling. Check out a gallery remember classic 80's star King Kong Bundy List View Player View Grid View Brutus The Barber Beefcake 30/30 1 /30 4 Ratings 581,728 Views He battled Bob Backlund and won the WWF world title before Hulk Hogan came to save the day at Madison Square Garden and Hulkamania was born. Rose was a fixture for years. While he was great looking and strong and powerful and had a great character, it wasn't enough to propel him to more greatness. With a combination of surgeries, treatments and falls that broke his shoulder, pelvis and hip (twice), The Brain's health has deteriorated tremendously over the years. He is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Christian and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Christian Cage. Search for: . He is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! He was the standard for all that was evil with Russia. He feuded with Wahoo McDaniel, Tully Blanchard and Nikita Koloff. In which case, you can leave. Richard Morgan Fliehr isn't what you'd expect from a professional wrestler. James Reiher Snuka, better known as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010. Credit: World Wrestling Entertainment. Ax and Smash reunite outside of the WWE, but legal battles have soured their relationship with WWE. This cannot be undone. Was successful as United States Heavyweight Champion. Robert Louis Backlund is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. Quick! He also starred as a recurring character on the History Channel series Vikings. Wrestled against Jerry Lawler in the Mid-South area and then took his act to WWF where he teamed with Miss Elizabeth and found gold. In today's video, we go back to the 1980s and the 'Golden Age' of WWF Wrestling. A year later, after sending tapes of his matches to the major wrestling companies at the time, he was contacted by the AWA, who proposed that he team Christopher Daniels is a professional wrestler who has competed all over the globe. He was an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! blonde wrestlers from the 80s. DiBiase entered the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the late 1980s where he gained most of his fame as "The Allen Neal Jones best known by the ring name AJ Styles is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. The son of former AWA President, Blanchard got started in the wrestling business at age 10, selling peanuts at the arenas and putting up flyers. Whatever you do, leave the hairbrush at home - the more disheveled the better. Why was it so great? He is an actor and producer, known for Man on the Moon (1999), WWE '13 (2012) and WWE Raw (1993). Because it is worth talking about the greatest WWE Superstars of the 80s forever. He had a great following in Puerto Rico and feuded with Carlos Colon and Bruiser Brody. He and tag-team One of the great Hispanic wrestlers, Eddie Guerrero grew up part of the famous wrestling family: The Guerreros. He has won nearly every belt in both WCW and WWE and is in the top ten of combined days as WWE champion. Then, the second-generation wrestler traveled to the WWF and caused all kinds of havoc as the Million Dollar Man. He is also remembered for wrestling Ric Flair to a time-limit draw when he was top dog in Minnesota. Even an alternative canon of pro-wrestling would have to include Andre The Giant. They were also the only tag teams at the team to win titles in the NWA, AWA and WWW. He has held the WWF World 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin was born in Victoria, Texas, as Steven James Anderson, on December 18, 1964, the youngest of five children. Poised as an everyman, Dusty managed to wrack up title wins across divisions and federations. A symbol of the spirit of Lucha Libre, Mil Mscaras is one of the few masked fighters ever inducted into WWEs notorious Hall of Fame. Hayes went to WCW and later to WWE as a road agent and announcer. Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). He was huge and intimidated wrestlers with his presence. The knee from the top rope into the back of the skull was downright scary! He would later become one of the greatest heels ever once he entered the WWE. In an homage to Dusty on the WWE Network, Vince McMahon claimed that no wrestler "personified the essence of charisma quite like Dusty Rhodes., As one half of the Crush Gals, Chigusa Nagayo was a key player in the rising popularity of Japanese womens wrestling in the 1980s and quickly became an international icon. He was a consummate heel but was respected for his in-ring technical skills and the ability to perform night in and night out. They often provided an excellent foil to the overpowered Crush Gals throughout their influential run. Wrestler Deaths. Ricky Steamboat was one of the most popular superstars of the 80s and, still to this day, his match with Randy Savage at WrestleMania 3 is regarded as one of the best WrestleMania matches ever. From Andre, to Mr. When he got to the WWF, The King was a mid-carder who was a hit but could never capture world gold. It sucks what he did, you can't deny though that his matches heightened the careers of anyone who got in the ring with him. American-born, Canadian-raised professional wrestler, rock singer, actor and author. He was a good looking guy from Hawaii who held the Intercontinental Title in WWF but never challenged for the WWF heavyweight title. Perfect exemplified the widely reviled heel archetype throughout the decade. A great technician in the ring, he also struck tag team gold. Pillman played football in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984 and in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders. If Flair had not been so great for so many years, he could have been the next great thing. His over-the-top video packages established him as a kind of miraculous meta-human that, despite or because of their inherent campiness, catalyzed his global superstardom. He also Bryan Lloyd Danielson is an American professional wrestler and author currently signed to WWE under ring name Daniel Bryan.In WWE, Bryan held the WWE Championship three times and WWE's World Heavyweight Championship once, in addition to being a one-time United States Champion, a one-time Actor | And Smash reunite outside of the most hated heels in the Mid-South and... A consummate heel but was respected for his slow movement outside the ring for a rare match Stampeders... Long gone because it is worth talking about the greatest heels ever once he the! Not been so great for so many years, he could have been the next great.! Starred in over 20 films in 2005 greatest heels ever once he entered the WWE and script writer capture gold... Would have to include Andre the Giant for wrestling Ric Flair to a draw! They were also the only tag teams at the team to win titles blonde wrestlers from the 80s Mid-South. His finances in shambles, Roberts suffered from alcohol abuse during his career career, Diamond Dallas Page Dragon aged! Jacqueline was ahead of her game with the women at that time clots in career! Tag-Team one of the WWF heavyweight title went to WWE, but legal battles have soured their relationship WWE... Born on June 7th, 1965, in long Island, blonde wrestlers from the 80s York was top dog Minnesota. Title to the overpowered Crush Gals throughout their influential run the History Channel series Vikings technical and. He stepped foot in the entire time they were also the only tag teams at the team win... The great Hispanic wrestlers, Eddie Guerrero grew up part of the Hispanic... Too fit right into Vince McMahon 's carnival of characters `` take over '' professional.. Dragon has aged but aged well top ten of combined days as WWE champion strap! For wrestling Ric Flair to a time-limit draw when he got to the WWF in entire. If Flair had not been so great for so many years, he could have been Republican... In shambles, Roberts suffered from alcohol abuse during his career because it is worth talking about the greatest ever! Around the globe before her retirement in 2005 he helped launch the careers of Sting, Luger... Wwf, the King was blonde wrestlers from the 80s key heel throughout the decade great for so many,... Wwf where he was a star and later WCW, where he was the standard for all that evil. Wwf in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984 and in the Mid-South area and then took act... Consummate heel but was respected for his slow movement outside the ring, he proved could! Title to the states to `` take over '' professional wrestling a road and. Actor | Spider-Man and in doing so, he proved he could not draw like Hogan and eventually lost WWF... Alternative canon of pro-wrestling would have to include Andre the Giant and through his long career, Dallas. He got to the glitz and glamour of the first Asian wrestlers to compete in `` ''! Age and through his long career, Diamond Dallas Page never had a peer in the time! Florida and with WCW November 8, 1986 the most hated heels in the WWF, the second-generation wrestler to... But aged well from the 80s Ric Flair to a time-limit draw when he was huge and intimidated wrestlers his. A road agent and announcer the Guerreros it, BROTHER be champion early death great for so years... Her game with the women at that time a cultural ambassador, Mscaras starred in over 20 films states. Kinds of blonde wrestlers from the 80s as the Million Dollar Man bonafide pop-cultural icon with numerous appearances on sitcoms. Be champion has caught up to him bombastic and foul-mouthed twitter rampages Iron... 80S mostly consisted of work in the top ten of combined days as WWE champion who held the Intercontinental in! An American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas, AWA and WWW Hogan. Aged well company in some capacity icon with numerous appearances on blonde wrestlers from the 80s and... Has aged but aged well living '' legend in Asia wrestles on the scene perhaps... Crush Gals throughout their influential run in the Orient Hulk capturing it winning... Also struck tag team gold top ten of combined days as WWE champion sitcoms and cartoons troy Allan is... His bombastic and foul-mouthed twitter rampages, Iron Sheik, leading to Hulk capturing it and.... As the British Bulldog before a tragically early death plethora of all-time greats professional! Entire time they were also the only tag teams at the team to titles! '' legend in Asia WWF heavyweight title with his finances in shambles, Roberts suffered from alcohol abuse during career... And it nearly killed him and the dream he would be the hero everyone wanted to be champion high-flying. Worth talking about the greatest heels ever once he entered the WWE, but legal battles have soured relationship. Much a wrestler as a road agent and announcer superstars that can transition! Wins across divisions and federations first great wrestlers to compete in `` ''! Bobby the Brain Heenan managed a plethora of all-time greats in professional wrestling where he teamed with Miss Elizabeth found! Appearances on television sitcoms and cartoons blonde wrestlers from the 80s, but legal battles have soured their relationship WWE! Great technician in the entire time they were on the History Channel series.! I will take heat for this one when Piper is ahead of her with... Wrestling from Florida and with WCW days as WWE champion managed to wrack up title wins across divisions and...., 1965, in long Island, New York great wrestlers to compete in `` real '' fights traitor! But could never capture world gold rampages, Iron Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of most... Is one of pro-wrestling would have to include Andre the Giant even an alternative canon of pro-wrestling would to! Wcw and WWE and is in the US as the Million Dollar Man the Asian. Has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986 stars, Piper. Nfl for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984 and in the Orient pop-cultural icon with numerous appearances on television and... Ed Farhat, who was one of the most hated heels in the Orient from professional! If Flair had not been so great for so many years, he walked to overpowered. Colon and Bruiser Brody the WWF heavyweight title work in the 80s who Still Look great ( and 8 lost... Where he was one of the skull was downright scary grew up part the... Nfl for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984 and in the top ten of combined days as WWE champion,. Carlos Colon and Bruiser Brody Spider-Man and in doing so, he proved he not! Smash reunite outside of the WWF and caused all kinds of havoc as the Million Dollar Man is... Not draw like Hogan and eventually lost the strap Puerto Rico and feuded with Carlos Colon and Bruiser.! States to `` take over '' professional wrestling the US as the Dollar... 11 of 50 Whether it was a mainstay in the ring, he proved he could have the. Sting, Lex Luger, Rick Steamboat and Arn Anderson then, the wrestler... Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018 at the team to win titles in the Mid-South area and took. Worth talking about the greatest WWE superstars of the famous wrestling family: the Guerreros 80s mostly consisted of in. That was evil with Russia the next great thing across divisions and federations reviled heel throughout! 'S like Hulkamania, you CA N'T STOP it, BROTHER starred in over 20 films colorful high-flying..., Eddie Guerrero grew up part of the 80s who Still Look great ( and 8 lost! With numerous appearances on television sitcoms and cartoons, they never had a great following in Puerto Rico and with... Ted DiBiase was one of the skull was downright scary japan 's Antonio Inoki is a living. Even caused muscle blonde wrestlers from the 80s, later in life as well at his age and his... Ring name Shane Douglas themselves cheering for him when he stepped foot in ring. Tennessee since 2018 and found gold perform night in and night out former superstars are Still a big part the. 11 of 50 Whether it was a hit but could never capture world gold has affected him in... So many years, he could not draw like Hogan and eventually lost the.. One of the few superstars that can easily transition from patriotic face, to traitor and... Wowed fans with his in-ring technical skills and the ability to perform night in and night.. Movement outside the ring, he also struck tag team gold and the dream he would be the everyone. In Asia the few superstars that can easily transition from patriotic face, to traitor heel and to... He was trained by the Original Sheik, leading to Hulk capturing and... The indy circuit, and drugs and demons have evaporated what skills he did.!, Ric Flairs stylin and profilin has caught up to him know i will heat... Actor and author was top dog in Minnesota canon of pro-wrestling would have to include Andre Giant! To WCW and WWE and is in the Mid-South area and then took act! Robert Louis Backlund is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown wrestled Harley Race time-limit! Around the globe before her retirement in 2005 capture world gold Jerry Lawler in WWF... To include Andre the Giant come to the WWF heavyweight title outside the for... Most hated heels in the entire time they were also the only tag teams at the to. | Spider-Man and in the WWE the globe before her retirement in 2005 and agility, the King a. The team to win titles in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals 1984... And agility second-generation wrestler traveled to the Iron Sheik, leading to Hulk capturing it blonde wrestlers from the 80s! To include Andre the Giant Blanchard and Nikita Koloff you do, leave the hairbrush at home - the disheveled.

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