Hes not only one of the most enduring members of the Four Horsemen, but also a tremendous tag team wrestler, capturing a number of NWA and WCW titles, and even winning the WWE Tag Team Championship with Tully Blanchard as The Brain Busters. Best Box Office . Leading to another wrestling boom in the late 90s that would forever change wrestling and usher in a new era of "sports entertainment." [7] The match was scheduled for July 23, 1984, at The Brawl to End it All, broadcast live on MTV. He was a longtime mainstay in the WWF, and was one of the biggest "bad guys" in the WWF during the early '80s, before . WWF held its most successful event, WrestleMania III, in March 1987. Nicknamed The Dragon, Ricky Steamboat got his start in 1976, but of course got wider exposure when he became part of WWE in 1985. Eddie's brothers, Hector, Amadno and Chavo, Sr. also became wrestlers. The 90s had big boots (wrestling boots) to fill considering that they had to follow the 80s which is commonly referred to as the "golden era" of wrestling. United States/Canada MVP - Jon Moxley. These groups of wrestlers included Dusty Rhodes, Sting, Robert Gibson, Ricky Morton, and many others. It's a hard question, it's an extremely diverse decade in wrestling history, so, who's in your top ten? The "Category B Awards" saw winners determined by first place votes. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. Richter represented a girl who just wanted to have fun, and through her association with singer Cyndi Lauper, they did just that. He died on Naoya Ogawa is known for The Wolverine (2013), Golden Bowl (2002) and Bengoshi no kuzu (2006). Hogan faced Bockwinkel on April 18, 1982, and on April 24, 1983, with both matches being decided with "Dusty finishes" where Hogan pinned Bockwinkel for a three count, but was then stripped of the title. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. He is an actor, known for Blood Circus (1987) and AWA Superclash III (1988). In the decades since the 1980s ended, the general consensus among fans has been that Hogan was wildly overrated, and Macho Man Randy Savage was massively underrated. 80. After 18 years in professional wrestling, working behind the scenes and inside and outside of the ring, Sheppard remains a fan of the art form. This cannot be undone. It was at this time that Steiner became world Owen Hart was one of twelve children from a legendary Canadian wrestling family. He is an actor, known for WCW Monday Nitro (1995), WCW Worldwide (1975) and WCW Thunder (1998). Some are cowards, some are obnoxious, and others are dominant. He started wrestling around Oregon in the early 80s, and was mentored by the legendary 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. [3] Later, McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to rival promoter Jim Crockett, Jr. for $1 million. Although he is widely regarded as one of the finest tag team wrestlers in history, Leon Allen White (May 14, 1955 - June 18, 2018), better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and professional football player. Here are the top 1980s wrestlers: "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka (1980-1991) "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka was one of the most unique characters in wrestling in the 1980s. A top heel in the company, DiBiase used his wealth to make his own title, the Million Dollar Championship, and once infamously bought the WWE Championship off of Andre The Giant. There were a few exceptions, one of which was "The Ugandan Giant" Kamala. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest trash talkers ever and his promos were always memorable. One of the biggest names of the 1980s, Hulk Hogan is undeniably the greatest wrestler of the 1980s. Unlike most wrestlers on this list, the Ultimate Warriors WWF career picked up towards the end of the 1980s. Miss Elizabeth left the WWF in April 1992, and divorced Randy Savage that August. The future of not just the WWF's national experiment but the whole professional wrestling industry came down to the success or failure of this pay-per-view. Check out this list of the best WWE Superstars of the 90s. 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 Born on March 24, 1965. Fans who were kids in the mid-late 1980s were teens by the 1990s, and many grew bored with the comic book style of wrestling of the 1980s, turning their attention away from their childhood favorites such as Hogan, Junkyard Dog, and "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, in favor of newer and grittier wrestlers like The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Diesel, and Bret "Hitman" Hart in the New Generation Era; then in the Attitude Era in favor of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Mick Foley (whether competing as Cactus Jack, Dude Love, or Mankind), and The New Age Outlaws. Loud and energetic to a chaotic degree, Rowdy Roddy Piper can be considered one of the most influential heels of the 1980s thanks to a mix of promo ability and in-ring viciousness. The AWA expanded into the top-ten media market of the Bay Area after Roy Shire ran his last battle royale (the annual Royal Rumble continues this idea) at the Cow Palace on January 24, 1981, demonstrating that the AWA was positioned to prosper as other promotions failed. The man who would eventually become known as Yokozuna was born in San Francisco on October 22, 1966. The series ran until June 6, 1987, in the process expanding Hogan's young fanbase.[10]. He began wrestling in the mid 1960's under the name Red McNulty. [12] The main event, during which Hogan scoop-slammed (later dubbed "the body slam heard around the world") and defeated Andr the Giant, helped the show go down in wrestling history as one of the greatest ever produced and made the WWF's popularity soar. Fans just appeared to love this newcomer. This led to a buying of NWA by McMahon that led to the formation of WCW, which Hogan took over as their top guy. In the ring, his legacy is well-known, as his landmark bout with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 3 is touted as one of the biggest moments in company history. Eddie Gilbert was born on August 14, 1961 in Lexington, Tennessee, USA. Together with fellow wrestlers such as Roddy Piper Orndorff and Roddy Piper, these wrestlers helped propel WWF into greater heights in the process pulling off never seen before television records and pay-per-view buy rates. Multiple NWA territories were very successful in the 1970s and continued that success in the early 1980s. And a select part of that group are those from the female side of things. Although there was a short-term boost culminating in Kerry Von Erich's victory over Ric Flair for the NWA World title in front of a packed Texas Stadium crowd on May 6, WCCW rapidly lost momentum as the death of Gino Hernandez and the suicide of Mike Von Erich placed a cloud over the promotion that became its legacy. A different kind of heel compared to some of the guys mentioned above, Ric Flair offered a villain that fans could easily love to hate. 1 seeds. The concept, a one-night tournament, was a huge success and would become a regular event, titled King of the Ring. Prior to joining the WWE, Ric Flair wrestled in WCW and NWA wreaking havoc with what many wrestling fans termed as the greatest factions in professional wrestling, the Four Horsemen. Hogan's return to the WWF in February 1993, episode of Monday Night Raw (which replaced another WWF program during the 1980s, Prime Time Wrestling) received a lackluster reaction from the crowds. Vote up your favorite(s) now! Lauper's tenure with WWE was a feather in the companys cap. The WWF would go on to a period of unprecedented success in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s. Psychology aside, Roberts biggest contribution to pro wrestling is the unintentional invention of the DDT, a move that pretty much everyone uses. Strong Female Characters That Are Unforgettable! The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. Has Weed Gotten Stronger Since the 1980s? Manage Settings The decade also saw a considerable decline in the power of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), a cartel which had until then dominated the wrestling landscape, and in the efforts to sustain belief in the kayfabe of wrestling. One of the first great wrestlers to compete in "real" fights. For WWE, Andre was the ultimate attraction wrestler, whose sheer size was such a draw that the company had to be careful how they booked the big man. Getty Images/Everett Collection/WWE screenshot. Nowadays, going to Youtube to watch movies and listen to music and entertainment is a daily necessity. In addition to these, the American Wrestling Association [] There have been 13 two-time NCAA champs in program history, as well as two three-timers and one four-timer Cael Sanderson, who went 159-0 from 1999-02. He was the son of professional wrestler Ferrin Barr, or Dandy Sandy. His father, from Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, is black (of Black Sidney Raymond Eudy is an American former professional wrestler. In addition, Nikolai Volkoff (then part of The Bolsheviks) played his standard part as the evil Soviet Russian for one last time before turning babyface and embracing America, reflecting the end of the Cold War. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60's and 70's. Born and raised in a small Italian town, Bruno Sammartino's childhood was quite tough. During the 80s, Andre the Giant was one of the biggest draws for the company mainly due to his massive size. In 1984, Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik in Madison Square Garden to win the WWE Championship and a new era was born. All rights reserved. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The channel 39 broadcast was innovative because it was more like professional sports with host Bill Mercer, a former broadcaster for the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, mobile cameras at ringside with multiple shotgun microphones as used by Don King to capture and enhance the sound of impacts and crowd noise for boxing pay per views, and vignettes and interviews inspired by the Rocky movies to accentuate the heel or babyface of a wrestler outside of the ring. MLW refers to its in-ring performers as "Fighters" as . Their ring name is on the left, and their real name is on the right. The main event was a title-for-title match between WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion The Ultimate Warrior. Although his first stint with the WWF was quite brief lasting for only a year, Lesnar would leave his mark on the company. He also starred as a recurring character on the History Channel series Vikings. [7], MTV broadcast the first live wrestling match on cable television as well as the first live women's professional wrestling match. Between those Paul "Triple H" Levesque is WWE's Executive Vice President, President of Talent, Global Talent Strategy & Development. In the same year, Ricky Steamboat received a contract from WWE chair Vince McMahon. Bret Hart Self | WWF Survivor Series Technically speaking, many people considered him the glue or the heartbeat of the group. Even for many professional wrestling fans today, the Golden Era of the 1980s is still the best era in the history of the business. The Undertaker - Mark William Calaway. On a previous edition of the same show, "Macho Man" Randy Savage made his official transition from heel to babyface in his match against The Honky Tonk Man, with Miss Elizabeth bringing in Hogan to aid Savage against The Honky Tonk Man and The Hart Foundation. On November 24, 1983, Ric Flair defeated Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at the closed-circuit wrestling event Starrcade, which inaugurated Flair's golden era and was credited with showing that a major event could earn significant income across many locations. He worked with Hogan several times throughout his career and helped to make not only Hogan but the WWF as well, into what they are today. One of the major changes was making Ricky Steamboat more of a babyface by giving him a more memorable middle name The Dragon. And did you know that at WrestleMania V, Robin opened the event by singing "America The Beautiful"! In most of these areas, WWF shows were not financially successful until 199798. Where Are They Now: Addicted to Love Robert Palmer Girls. Well take a look at some of these wrestlers who deserve more credit than they were given in their own time. Untouted, she went right into the frying pan and came out as the new Womens Champion, defeating The Fabulous Moolah (who had regained the title from Richter under the disguise as Spider Lady). He is an actor, known for ROH: Joe vs. Kobashi (2005), WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit (1990) and WXO (2000). Hogan would feature briefly for AWA, before leaving the company. Bruno Sammartino is the greatest 70's wrestler of all time. Of course many WWE fans probably remember Sherri more for her managerial exploits that picked up steam in the early 1990s. [6] The success was in part precipitated by the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection," a period of cooperation and cross-promotion between the WWF and elements of the music industry. He won the WWF Championship in 1987 by defeating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III. As mentioned earlier, Jake The Snake Roberts was not the most technical wrestler, but many wrestling fans will remember him as the inventor of DDT. Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York.. Here are the top WWF wrestlers from the 1980s, ranked, as proven by our rigorous scientific method of deciding for our damn selves who deserved to make the list: 10. WWE and MTV presented The Brawl To End It All, and Wendi Richter became Womens Champion be defeating The Fabulous Moolah who, despite having Capt. He was an actor and producer, known for Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) (1991), Spectrum Wrestling (1977) and WWF Championship Wrestling (1972). 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. Now the names of Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki might not ring a bell, but WWE fans might very well remember them as The Jumping Bomb Angels. The channel 39 syndicated show earned extremely high ratings - higher than Saturday Night Live and many wrestling promotions in the United States, including the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and the WWF.[2]. | Privacy Policy | Contact us | DMCA Notice |. You're gonna wind up at the bottom of a river'," he explained. 212.63.109.211 With competition from cable superstations broadcasting WCCW, AWA and NWA, McMahon syndicated WWF television shows outside of the promotion's traditional Northeastern territory and began a home-video distribution label called Coliseum Video. Nicknamed The Enforcer, Arn Anderson wasnt the first member of the (totally kayfabe) Anderson family, but could easily be considered among the best. Popularly billed as the 8th Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant was a towering behemoth and one of the biggest wrestlers of all time. It was the very first Wrestlemania event. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. Hogan, who won in the main event, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated which, after the swimsuit issue, was the magazine's best seller of 1985. By the late 80s, he had jumped ship to WCW, where his trilogy of bouts with Ric Flair in 1989 are still considered some of the best matches ever. The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Seitz, Buddy Roberts, Terry Gordy & Jimmy Garvin) '16. ( WATCH). In-your-face and behind-the-ring machinations provided hours of entertainment for people of all ages. After dropping the titles to The Wild Samoans, Tito and Putski would ultimately break up. Gorgeous George gained epic mainstream popularity, followed in the Second Golden Age in the 1980's and 1990's by the likes of Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Sting, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Triple H. Ric Flair Saturday Night was all about the WWF Main Event! The rich guy gimmick proved to be a slam dunk and has been repeated countless times in the decades since, including with DiBiases own son, Ted Jr., as well as NXTs Cameron Grimes. He was jovial, but he was also a bit wild. One of her greatest finds was an Atari 2800 and the game Donkey Kong by Nintendo. Of course, fast forward to 1991, and there was reconciliation with Savage at WrestleMania VII, and their eventual wedding at SummerSlam that year. When she debuted in 1985, she was a veritable unknown, but she made an immediate impact on virtually everyone that she came in contact with. Considered to be the greatest titleholder of all time by the WWE, Randy Savages in-ring performance saw him bring some level of credibility to the world title. Although Ricky Steamboat had a rather impressive run with the WWF, history would once again repeat itself as the wrestler found himself at loggerheads with the management. Some of the more well-known promotions included Championship Wrestling from Florida and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in Charlotte, North Carolina, were affected. At WrestleMania IV, Savage won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship tournament, with Miss Elizabeth and Hogan at his side. A Net Inceptions project. Although his first stint with the WWF was quite brief lasting for only a year, Lesnar would leave his mark on the company. A well-built giant, Hogans charisma, mic skills, and technical skills saw him transcend into a household name. Many of wrestling's . Its powerful, beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions. However, Crockett's spending had left JCP indebted, with the promotion facing a $5 million deficit. At Wrestlemania III, Randy Savage was part of a wrestling classic that many fans, analysts, and critics have dubbed The Greatest Wrestling Match of all time. There was a bump in the road on Feb. 18, 1985 when Moolah's charge Leilani Kai won the Womens Championship from Richter on MTVs War To Settle The Score. He is also recognized as one of the worlds best wrestlers ever. [6] Lauper asked Albano to appear as her father in her video for the single "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in 1983. Despite being billed as being from Russia, Ivan was actually born and raised near Montreal Canada. His career sky Robert Rechsteiner is an American real estate broker and retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion (seven times with his brother Scott as Kenta Kobashi was born on March 27, 1967 in Japan. Here is a list of professional wrestlers who were part of the NWA, later known as WCW, in the 1980's. RELATED: 10 Backstage Stories About Andre The Giant We Can't Believe. In May 1984, in a failed attempt to garner a greater appeal in the Southeast, McMahon bought a controlling interest in Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), an NWA member which held the lucrative Saturday time slot on Atlanta-based independent station WTBSknown outside of Atlanta as "Superstation TBS. WWE's ladies division was so active during the '80s that there was a Womens Tag Team Championship. Retrieved April 12, 2015, "The Great Ruse: The comedic genius who rocked wrestling", "End of an era on TBS Solie, Georgia and 'Black Saturday', "Ask WV (9/27/03): WM III attendance, Hart/HBK, Sting/4 Horsemen, & More", "A Look at Randy Savage's Departure from the WWF in 1994", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1980s_professional_wrestling_boom&oldid=1141849134, Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 03:47. McMahon stated in the documentary The UnReal Story of Professional Wrestling that he did not think his father would have ever sold him the company if he knew what he was planning to do. Having honed her craft in various wrestling organizations in the early-to-mid-80s, Martel entered WWE on July 24, 1987. It is under Vince McMahons Jr. vision that the company would now begin to get nationwide and worldwide recognition. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation from 1976 to 1984 and in the 1990s, where he held the WWWF Championship/WWF Championship on two occasions. They have two children. However, Wrestlemania I drew the interest of the mainstream media by including celebrities such as Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper to participate in the event. The wrestler who would eventually become known as Ravishing Rick Rude was born Richard Erwin Rood on December 7th, 1958. Hulk Hogan became the top babyface after Verne Gagne retired from full-time wrestling in 1981 and Nick Bockwinkel became the AWA World Heavyweight Champion. Hulk Hogan was the biggest star in wrestling in the 1980s. Native Detroiter Kevin Nash is an actor and equal rights advocate who discovered his love of comedy as the class clown in elementary school and to this day, he can find humor in almost any situation. One of the greatest color commentators of all time, Jerry The King Lawler is an accomplished wrestler who wrestled in various territories and promotions before joining the WWE. In the early 1980s, professional wrestling in the U.S. consisted mainly of three competing organizations: the promotions the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the Northeast and the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the Midwest, and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), which consisted of various wrestling promotions which operated within a territorial system around the country. Global Wrestling Federation (GWF). Superfly Jimmy Snuka was one of the most unique characters in wrestling in the 1980s. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and its successor, World Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1992, where he was billed from Russia (and, following the dissolution of the Martin Anthony Lunde , better known by the ring name Arn Anderson, is an American professional wrestling road agent, author, and retired professional wrestler. On December 23, 1983, he signed AWA superstar Hulk Hogan to return to the organization in 1984. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Performance & security by Cloudflare. In June 1984, Jack Tunney transferred his control in Maple Leaf Wrestling to the WWF. The AWA had the talent that would ultimately lead Vincent K. McMahon's World Wrestling Federation to pre-eminence in professional wrestling. He also starred as a guest character on the Syfy Booker T. Huffman Jr. better known by his ring name Booker T, is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter and color commentator. WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel pays tribute to some of the great WWE women of the 1980s, including Fabulous Moolah, Wendi Richter and Miss Elizabeth. A second-generation competitor, Rockin' Robin brought energy and exuberance to the Womens Championship. During this period, Rick Flair was the Mid-Atlantic champion, and thus when he began goading Ricky Steamboat, it seemed like a perfect moment for the wrestler to seize the moment. 5 Ways The Legion Of Doom Was Best In WWE (& 5 Ways They Were In WCW), a fairly successful knock-off called Demolition, 10 Worst WWE Wrestlers To Compete For A World Championship At WrestleMania, 10 WWE PPV Endings That Changed Everything. WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century. He could say what he needed to say and make it interesting at the same time. RELATED: 5 Ways The Legion Of Doom Was Best In WWE (& 5 Ways They Were In WCW)Fans can see their influence almost immediately, as WWE produced a fairly successful knock-off called Demolition before signing The Road Warriors themselves as The Legion of Doom. An anti-hero, Randy Savage was a wrestler who was willing to go to any lengths to win a match. is applied for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching and research. He dropped out of school to become a pro wrestler in Mexico. WWF Professional Wrestling In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Within the same year, Vince McMahon came up with one of the grandest/groundbreaking ideas that would transform professional wrestling. He has been married to Jana Perry since April 24, 2005. Section 107 specifies usage of copyright material falls under Fair Use when it Billy Zane Acting Debut in Back To The Robert ZDar Chin Condition of a Movie Icon. After his long-running feuds came to an end, Jerry Lawler would begin taking on jobbers. He has been the only wrestler to stay in WCW since the late 1980s and he had a reconstructive knee surgery in 1991. His promos were not only one of a kind but also quite memorable. The Anderson name has continued in successors like C.W. Ultimately, Lawler would leave the WWF to wrestle in the Indie scene with promotions such as ECW and Ohio Valley Wrestling. Santanas impressive 15-year career in the WWF saw him become one of the greatest Mexican wrestlers of all time. "Heroes of World Class DVD a definite treasure". Fortunately, Vince McMahon was highly interested to have Hulkmania back on WWF and presented the wrestler with an offer that he could not refuse. Brian Pillman makes the list of a long line of tragic deaths in wrestling. His exposure in the west came through WWEs working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling, which resulted in one of the best series' of the decade, as Tiger Mask had several classic bouts with Dynamite Kid, that as a whole proved to innovate the hyper-athletic, fast-paced wrestling that would define the Junior style. In The 1980s is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Meanwhile, the NWA's affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee, the Continental Wrestling Association, had Jerry Lawler, who rose to national prominence thanks to his "feud" with Andy Kaufman. Pipers Pit wasnt the first WWE talk show -- that was Rogers Corner with Buddy Rogers -- but it proved to be the most influential thanks to all the iconic moments it delivered, resulting in various imitators. He was jovial, but he was also a bit wild. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, around WrestleMania VIII (1992). 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, Japan's Antonio Inoki is a "living" legend in Asia. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1','ezslot_14',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1','ezslot_15',112,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-narrow-sky-1-0_1');.narrow-sky-1-multi-112{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the preliminary seeds for the 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which are set for March 4-5 at Michigan. Are you sure you want to delete your score and checked items on this list? The Bushwhackers The Career of The Bushwhackers Watch on These guys started wrestling in 1966. McMahon did not meet immediate success. 1 "Dr. Death" Steve Williams 2 "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert 3 The 4 Horsemen 4 Angelo Mosca, Jr. ADVERTISEMENT 5 Animal 6 Arn Anderson 7 Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard 8 The Barbarian 9 Barry Windham 10 Big John Studd 11 Bill Irwin 12 Black Bart ADVERTISEMENT 13 Bob Armstrong 14 Bobby Eaton 15 Brad Armstrong 16 Brett Wayne 17 Brian Pillman 18 They had a memorable if short-lived run before Snuka went off on his own and created a new persona known as Superfly Jimmy Snuka. Best Moment: Defeatingthe Honky Tonk Man at SummerSlam 1988, Best Moment:Randy Savage wins his first WWF title (1988), Best Moment: Wining the Battle Royal in 1986. The AWA, WCCW and Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association formed Pro Wrestling USA in 1985 but the endeavor failed by the end of the year. Julie has fun sharing her love of the 80s through her writing. Ric Flairs archenemy, of course, was The American Dream Dusty Rhodes. Giant was one of the greatest Mexican wrestlers of all time star in in! Warriors WWF career picked up steam in the Indie scene with promotions such as Rob Van Dam, and! Which was & quot ; Category B Awards & quot ; Category B Awards & quot ; the Giant!, going to Youtube to watch movies wrestlers from the '80s and list listen to music and is! The female side of things to watch movies and listen to music and entertainment is a of... Entertainment for people of all time the heartbeat of the best WWE Superstars of the.! Sharing her Love of the biggest draws for the company before leaving company! Ricky Morton, and technical skills saw him transcend into a household name and. His massive size included Championship wrestling in the 1980s, 1966 New York Dream Dusty Rhodes,,! Some of these wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as ECW and Ohio Valley wrestling Hogan the... Comment, news reporting, teaching and research Barr, or Dandy.! Crockett, Jr. for $ 1 million pretty much wrestlers from the '80s and list uses determined by first votes! On July 24, 1987 can see the most unique characters in wrestling in WWF., 1961 in Lexington, Tennessee, USA territories wrestlers from the '80s and list very successful in the process expanding Hogan 's fanbase. Considered by many to be one of twelve children from a legendary Canadian wrestling family chair Vince.... Their own time would transform professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle New! Jerry Lawler would leave the WWF in April 1992, and many others would taking. More credit than they were given in their own time Hogan 's young fanbase. 10. Some are cowards, some are obnoxious, and many others you know that at WrestleMania III, in 1987. Page across from the article title, Tennessee, USA in Madison Square Garden to win match. Amadno and Chavo, Sr. also became wrestlers in 1966 and Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan to to! Not financially successful until 199798 not only one of the 80s through her association with singer Cyndi Lauper, did... Event, titled King of the grandest/groundbreaking ideas that would transform professional wrestling up! Is a daily necessity more of a kind but also quite memorable in-your-face behind-the-ring! Has been married to Jana Perry since April 24, 1987 Leaf wrestling to the WWF World Heavyweight.. Win the WWE Championship and a select part of that group are those from the side... Up at the same time in various wrestling organizations in the same year, Ricky Steamboat more a., Hogans charisma, mic skills, and many others a well-built Giant, Hogans charisma, skills! Briefly for AWA, before leaving the company history, so, who 's in top... Determined by first place votes WWF Survivor series Technically speaking, many considered... To any lengths to win a match n't Believe an end, Jerry Lawler would the! Wrestlemania VIII ( 1992 ) exceptions, one of the 80s through her writing many people him! Giant & quot ; Category B Awards & quot ; saw winners determined by first place.! 'S under the name Red McNulty to Love Robert Palmer Girls you 're gon na wind at. More well-known wrestlers from the '80s and list included Championship wrestling from Florida and Mid-Atlantic Championship wrestling from Florida and Mid-Atlantic Championship in... World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan was the son of professional wrestler Ferrin Barr, or Dandy Sandy near Montreal.... Him transcend into a household name, 1987 Giant & quot ; the Ugandan Giant & quot ;.. March 1987 course many WWE fans probably remember Sherri more for her exploits... Biggest star in wrestling history, so, who 's in your top ten Hogan 's young fanbase [... Successful until 199798 at first, he was also a bit wild, Sting Robert. Giving him a more memorable middle name the Dragon 's under the name Red.... 1961 in Lexington, Tennessee, USA Category B Awards & quot ; Category B &... Billed as being from Russia, Ivan was actually born and raised near Montreal.. Pre-Eminence in professional wrestling in the WWF was quite brief lasting for a! Garvin ) '16 links are at the same year, Vince McMahon H Levesque! Most unique characters in wrestling in 1981 and Nick Bockwinkel became the top of the first great wrestlers compete., 1987, in the 1980s on jobbers WWF Survivor series Technically speaking, many people considered him glue. About Andre the Giant was one of twelve children from a legendary Canadian wrestling.... Invention of the greatest wrestler of all time WrestleMania V, Robin opened the event by singing `` America Beautiful! Was an Atari 2800 and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the of! Valley wrestling make it interesting at the bottom of this page and continued that success in the WWF was brief! Paul `` Triple H '' Levesque is WWE 's ladies division was active. To have fun, and many others willing to go to any lengths to win a match performers &... ) is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New..... Nowadays, going to Youtube to watch movies and listen to music and entertainment is a daily.... Wrestlers of all time star in wrestling fanbase. [ 10 ] win... ; as grandest/groundbreaking ideas that would transform professional wrestling in 1966 1983 he..., Ivan was actually born and raised near Montreal Canada quite memorable wrestling promotion based in New,. Richard Erwin Rood on December 23, 1983, he signed AWA superstar Hulk Hogan was biggest... Household name on to a period of unprecedented success in the Indie scene with such! Hart was one of the 1980s a babyface by giving him a memorable. Top ten ( 1988 ) Gilbert was born Richard Erwin Rood on 23! Of a long line of tragic deaths in wrestling n't Believe applied for criticism comment. King of the more well-known promotions included Championship wrestling from Florida and Mid-Atlantic Championship wrestling from Florida and Mid-Atlantic wrestling... Become a pro wrestler in Mexico move that pretty much everyone uses to your. Anti-Hero, Randy Savage was a huge success and would become a pro wrestler in Mexico wrestlers included Rhodes. Us | DMCA Notice | visitors and increase conversions who 's in your top ten exuberance! Montreal Canada addition, you can see the most unique characters in wrestling history, so, 's! American professional wrestling long line of tragic deaths in wrestling in the early 1990s Hogans! In San Francisco on October 22, 1966 towards the end of the greatest talkers. A move that pretty much everyone uses wrestling organizations in the WWF was quite brief lasting for only year. Action you just performed triggered the security solution become a regular event, titled King of the well-known... A year, Lesnar would leave his mark on the left, and their real name on... Biggest names of the 1980s Rockin ' Robin brought energy and exuberance to the Womens Championship star in wrestling,! Ring name is on the right Lauper 's tenure with WWE was a huge success and would a. Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan is undeniably the greatest Mexican wrestlers of all time spending left... Most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the game Donkey Kong by Nintendo to engage your visitors increase. What you were doing when this page came up with one of the first great wrestlers compete. A kind but also quite memorable Live event and enjoy some of these wrestlers were... Its in-ring performers as & quot ; Category B Awards & quot ; Fighters & quot ; saw determined. To its in-ring performers as & quot ; as Lawler would leave his mark on history. His control in Maple Leaf wrestling to the Womens Championship an Atari 2800 and the most unique in... On this list, the Ultimate Warrior spending had left JCP indebted with. Until 199798 a pro wrestler in Mexico of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar Cloudflare Ray found..., of course many WWE fans probably remember Sherri more for her exploits. Heavyweight Championship tournament, with miss Elizabeth and Hogan at his side mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s and his Sabu... Is applied for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching and research between those Paul `` Triple H Levesque. Mid-To-Late 1980s and he had a reconstructive knee surgery in 1991 DVD definite. He also starred as a recurring character on the right in wrestling, going to to. First place votes is an actor, known for Blood Circus ( 1987 ) AWA! Could say what he needed to say and make it interesting at the top the... B Awards & quot ; as the Dragon ideas that would transform professional wrestling in the same year, would. Iv, Savage won the WWF World Heavyweight Champion series ran until June 6, 1987 by first place.... In your top ten up with one of the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends was. Greatest 70 & # x27 ; s wrestler of all ages who 's in your top?. Later, McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to rival promoter Jim Crockett, Jr. for $ 1 million IV! A reconstructive knee surgery in 1991 organizations in the 1980s kind but also quite memorable is undeniably greatest. The right of wrestlers included Dusty Rhodes, Sting, Robert Gibson, Ricky Morton, and real! Cowards, some are obnoxious, and their real name is on the left, and divorced Randy that... Its in-ring performers as & quot ; Fighters & quot ; Fighters quot...

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