Big and powerful, he was an instant favorite. However, with the popularity of the Legion of Doom, Demolitions popularity began to fade. Demolition is one of the most iconic tag teams in history, and their first title reign is the second longest in WWE history. Maybe a bad analogy, but Colon feuded with the best of them, including Abdullah the Butcher. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Came back to WCW and beat Flair for the heavyweight title. He died too soon and his talents are missed. He was a good looking guy from Hawaii who held the Intercontinental Title in WWF but never challenged for the WWF heavyweight title. As a fan for the past 35 years and a writer who covered it in South Carolina, I seen some great things. When he came to the NWA, he was destined for stardom. Warrior was very one-dimensional and it showed. A medical student at Minnesota University (his father was a doctor, his mother an actress), Flair dropped out college to train for the mat wars under legendary former AWA World champ Verne Gagne. It was a real rivalry for two men who hated each other and it nearly killed them both. American-born, Canadian-raised professional wrestler, rock singer, actor and author. While Slaughter was a bit on the stocky side, even in his prime, he looks much the same with high chin and trademark stash. He feuded with everyone and was the lead face while Ric Flair was the lead heel. Now at age 66, time hasnt been kind to Ventura. He won a Olympic Gold Medal in 1996 having notoriously won it with a broken neck. His finisher looked great and looked devastating for its time. Hogan made wrestling a national phenomenon in the mid-1980s. Over the years, his weight inflated and his health deteriorated drastically. Breaking down the best wrestlers by federation, belt, decade, and more. Owen was one of the best wrestlers in the business and his major accomplishments include being the 1994 King of the Ring, former Martin Anthony Lunde , better known by the ring name Arn Anderson, is an American professional wrestling road agent, author, and retired professional wrestler. (1999), WWE Saturday Night's Main Event (2006) and ECW One Night Stand (2005). Have had legal troubles and was Miss Elizabeth's boyfriend when she passed away of a drug overdose. He has been married to Jana Perry since April 24, 2005. 8. Alcohol and drug abuse started to pile up and turn Lugers life into a downward spiral. 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. His career sky John Layfield was born on November 29, 1966 in Sweetwater, Texas, USA. Some of these wrestlers have lost all of their superhuman size from time away from the gym, while others have aged poorly due to health issues. Koloff was part of "Uncle Ivan's" master plan to rid the NWA of Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA. And having Missy Hyatt at his side was not a bad idea, either. 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. Savage was WWF champion and then went to WCW to claim more world gold and fight and then join the NWO. Her garish fashion statements have since inspired a new generation of sartorial outsiders. Then, in 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. His father Johnny Valentine would be proud. Although she was often teaming with her mentor, Dump Matsumoto, she also held the All Japan Pro Wrestling womens title for three years starting in 1985 she was only 16 years old at the time. He is an actor, known for Stampede Wrestling (1957), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WCW Saturday Night (1985). Among the many virtues of The Rockers were their hairstyles, which were vibrant enough to be the envy of any hairspray-encrusted guitar hero of the '80s. Held numerous tag titles in the NWA and WCW and was United States and National Heavyweight title champion as well. He has never wrestled in the WWE, which still could happen. While other '80s wrestlers are known as much for their bombastic personalities as for their actual fighting ability, its the latter quality that continues to endear industry insiders to Hart. Lost to Time: Demolition (Ax and Smash), 8. "The Snake" was an NWA mid-card player for years in the Carolinas as Barry Windham's tag team partner and then traveled to Florida, became a member of Kevin Sullivan's cult and feuded with Windham, breaking his nose. Between those Owen Hart was one of twelve children from a legendary Canadian wrestling family. He started out as Sting's tag team partner, went to Texas as the Dingo Warrior and then traveled to the WWF. The Wrestlers: Land of a Thousand Dances. Throughout the years other superstars have vouched for the program, including Jake "The Snake," Scott Hall, and Chris Jericho. Yoga. He was previously married to Donna Joy Dundee. He had a great run in the WWF and became an even bigger star when he left and went to the NWA. He is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! He was also known for his fiery Latin temper. Lesnar also has Jerry Lawler was born on November 29, 1949 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Just try not to cry while watching it! She is mostly remembered for having her top removed in a tag match that also involved Sable, something that found it's way back online during her induction last year. "Big Daddy" Shirley Crabtree - an icon of '70s British wrestling. Davey Boy Smith was born on November 27, 1962 in Manchester, England, UK. Perfect exemplified the widely reviled heel archetype throughout the decade. The Million Dollar Man may not be in the shape he was when he lost to the Macho Man for the WWE title, but Ted DiBiase still looks great at 63. I'm staring you down right through the videoscope, completely ignoring whatever Mean Gene just asked me Who do you think is the top WWE wrestler of the 1980s? He wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute time limit draw on the Clash of the Champions. I want old school wrestling, but I will take what we have now. This generation of wrestlers made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Ricky Steamboat worked as an agent, a trainer and currently as an ambassador for the WWE. Flair had nothing but praise for Race upon his death in 2019: Without Harley Race, there was no Ric Flair. If you were born in the 1980s and a fan of wrestling then you probably grew up idolizing larger than life heroes, like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Lex Luger and Ultimate Warrior. Paul Orndorff became a WWE star during the promotion's rise in popularity, and feuded with wrestlings biggest star, Hulk Hogan. His secret? It was said he did not want Hogan to win because he did not have amateur credentials. His vicious character climaxed in the . Search for: . 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. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes rose to the top of the professional wrestling world in the 1980s. Widely known as the inventor of the DDT, Jake Roberts often arrived to fights toting his signature reptilian friend. He died on May 18, 2002 in Invermere, British Columbia, Canada. Four times they won the world title. While no longer flaunting his Million Dollar Championship belt, hes still on good terms with the WWE and makes special appearances from time to time. Big Bully Busick - Dead at 63. He was not much of a wrestler in WWF as much as he was an entertainer. Wrestled in the NWA and left to claim the Intercontinental title from Randy Savage. WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century. He is also remembered for wrestling Ric Flair to a time-limit draw when he was top dog in Minnesota. It was a time when the look was far more important than being able to work a match. Some will argue his Wrestlemania match with Savage is the greatest of all time. He was a consummate heel but was respected for his in-ring technical skills and the ability to perform night in and night out. Debuted in 1990 in Calgary after training in the Hart Family Dungeon. The 1980s was a time when professional wrestlers all sported the action hero, bodybuilder stature. Feuded with Austin Idol and Randy Savage. Rose was a fixture for years. Chris Pallies main evented with Hulk Hogan, and broke his ribs in a match in 1985, but there was nothing real distinguishing about him other than he was a character heel in the federation. They have one Scott Steiner has been a mainstay in professional wrestling for over 15 years. Mullet Critique: Riveting. Vampiro is known for A Wolf at the Door (2013), Trash (2014) and Crossing the Line (2012). When the WWE women's division was reactivated in 1993, Alundra Blayze was the lady to beat. Born and raised in Cameron, North Carolina, Hardy started his career as a youth performing in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation, which he started alongside his brother Matt Hardy. Before making his way to the WWE, Jerry Lawyer started wrestling for multiples different southern promotions, winning several titles along the way as a fan favorite. He always said he would raise his arm in his sleep if he heard someone count to two. He is known for his trademark style of hardcore wrestling, which he pioneered in his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 2000. The Genetic Jackhammer refuses to be laughed at for his appearance. Troy Allan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. And of course, the omnipresence of Hulk Hogans red and yellow logo will forever be etched into wrestling history. Its no surprise that The Crush Gals are often considered the greatest womens tag team of all time considering the duos perfectly honed and incredibly powerful movesets. However, other wrestlers, while not at their peak physical shape, still look to be in good health. The Sheik was an accomplished amateur before he went pro. What can you say about Andre that has not already been said? Rood broke into the business after a stint as a Paul "Triple H" Levesque is WWE's Executive Vice President, President of Talent, Global Talent Strategy & Development. Bret Hart Actor | WWF SmackDown! He is an actor and director, known for ROH: Final Battle 2003 (2003), WCW Thunder (1998) and All Japan Pro Wrestling 2002 Real World Tag League Gaora TV Special (2002). WWE: OMG! This man knew what it took to be champion many times over. Won the NWA world title after brother David idea in the Orient. I'm not a Cena "you can't see me zombie", so you won't see him high on my list. 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. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).After seven years working Roddy Piper was born Roderick George Toombs on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. 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. Sting, like most wrestlers at the time, started as a bodybuilder before becoming a professional wrestler. Went to the WWF and another superstar was born. They have three children. One day he could not find humor was April 4th, 1968 as that was the day his father died of a heart Scott Hall was born into a military family on October 20, 1958. From Andre, to Mr. Richard Morgan Fliehr isn't what you'd expect from a professional wrestler. He was previously married to Cindy Womack. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. One of the first great wrestlers to compete in "real" fights. Slaughter still makes surprise appearances for WWE and comes out of retirement to wrestle an impromptu match from time to time. [16] Ivan Koloff. Known for his unexpected grace in the ring, Steamboat was also a proficient tag team wrestler alongside his partner Jay Youngblood. WrestlerDeaths.com is the #1 Dead Wrestlers and WWE Deaths tribute site! He battled alcoholism throughout his career and suffered through financial and marital problems. He will always be known as the guy who helped set up Hulkamania. He was WWWF Champion before moving to the NWA. Roberts wrestles on the indy circuit, and drugs and demons have evaporated what skills he did have. Page has developed his own yoga fitness program calling it DDPYoga. 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. Eventually, the character morphed into a deranged barber who cut the hair of his opponents following his decisive victories. Sadly, he was killed after a match and is missed for his devilish persona and his flat-out brash behavior. He is an actor, known for Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends - The Movie (2009), Glory to the Filmmaker! Steve was also the only wrestler from WCW who never worked for WWE until 2014 when he made Born on March 24, 1965. Lost the WWF title to The Iron Sheik, leading to Hulk capturing it and winning. Slaughter is one of the few superstars that can easily transition from patriotic face, to traitor heel and back to face again. 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. Though being the heel commentator, his hilarious one-liners on commentary have endeared him to the fans. At one point turned heel. Orndorff was a professional wrestler from Florida who was a good mid-card performer before going to WWF and being a star. Long regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, Styles has headlined numerous pay-per-view events internationally.Styles debuted in 1998 and competed for various independent William Scott Goldberg , better commonly known as Goldberg, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former American football player. Michael Francis Foley was born on June 7th, 1965, in Long Island, New York. He had a brief role (unmasked) as himself in Ready 2 Rumble. Actually he was a mid-carder before coming to the NWA and struck gold. His parents and four siblings were all of normal size, but Andr suffered from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone. Mad Dog Vachon. You can view movies and shows in one place and filter by streaming provider, genre, release year, runtime, and rating (Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, and/or Metacritic). He turned face when Magnum TA was injured and nearly killed in a car crash. He is best known for his two stints in the World Wrestling Federation (later called WWE); the Funk has strong wrestling bloodlines. He has appeared on the WWF's Jakked/Metal program many times as an Indy wrestler. A big bully technician, he started out in the NWA as a tag team partner of Ric Flair and grew into a great singles competitor. He is considered royalty and his bouts with Butcher and others are stuff of legend. Outside of The Road Warriors, Hawk was a sporadic Joseph Michael Laurinaitis, better known by his ring name Road Warrior Animal (or simply Animal), was an American professional wrestler. Certainly, the drug-fueled charms of the salacious and ostentatious Ric Flair are indelibly imbued into our collective memories. He teamed with his brother Joe for years. Because it is worth talking about the greatest WWE Superstars of the 80s forever. The tag team was hugely popular in the '80s and had a longtime rivalry with the Hart Foundation. Perfect, Heenan became one of the, if not the, most hated managers of all time. Beefcake held nine titles throughout his career and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. This led to a buying of NWA by McMahon that led to the formation of WCW, which Hogan took over as their top guy. Jack Swauger is known for Dead Man (1995) and Tombstone (1993). Despite his age, wrestling for decades and battles with substance and alcohol abuse, Sting retains much of his great look and physical health. This Erick Rowan photo is a bit of a phenomenon. A movie star, a pop hero, and a gentle soul Andres kindness is often remembered as fondly as his physical domination. Unfortunately, concussions late in his career cut Harts career short. The son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan, he is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).In NWA/WCW, he was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a one-time Booker T. Huffman Jr. better known by his ring name Booker T, is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter and color commentator. Hulk Hogan was the biggest star in wrestling in the 1980s. Her matches with her aforementioned nemeses were attended by sold-out crowds in Japan and bolstered the reputation of Japanese womens wrestling worldwide. The knee from the top rope into the back of the skull was downright scary! But he was one of the few bigger men that could move well and also spent time in the NWA wrestling in Georgia. This will spark a debate. - Rick Rude (1981 - 1993) was an American professional wrestler who wrestled under various monikers such as Ravishing Ricky Rude and Ricky "The Dragon" Roode. Sting has toured the world and wrestled in the NWA, WCW and now TNA. Amassing 34 total championship wins in his career, Pipers legacy now lives on in Ronda Rousey, whom he gifted the Rowdy moniker. With towering height and their superhuman physique that rivaled that of normal men, one would think many of these iconic legends would retain their great physical shape still today. He has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986. 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. It was in Calgary where he met Owen Hart (who also died at a Jimmy Snuka is a classic example of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (formerly known as World Wrestling Federation (WWF)) bad guy who became a baby-face (a good guy) without trying. He has just as much to do with the success of Ric Flair as anyone else. Retired American professional wrestler best known for his work for ECW and WCW during the 1990s. He has been the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018. He led the way for Kendo Nagasaki and The Great Muta. He wrestled for his father's promotion throughout the 80's before hitting the big time in the early 90's. He began training to become an in-ring performer at the age of 35, the oldest rookie in Pro Wrestling history. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Meltzer has previously described her as the most popular womens wrestler of all time.. He graduated with honors from Normandy High School before attending Miami University of Ohio (where he was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity).While in college, he auditioned for The Real World Nuufolau Joel Seanoa is an American professional wrestler and color commentator, better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). His program has kept him in terrific shape at 61, improving his quality of life. Many former superstars are still a big part of WWE today and work for the company in some capacity. The wrestler who would eventually become known as Ravishing Rick Rude was born Richard Erwin Rood on December 7th, 1958. Big Dick Dudley - Dead at 34. Broke into wrestling in the Global Wrestling Federation, known then as The Lightning Kid. He Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known as The Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California. (Like Wrestlers of the 80s? They were also the only tag teams at the team to win titles in the NWA, AWA and WWW. Mark LoMonaco (born July 14, 1971) is an American professional wrestler best known for his career in such famous professional wrestling companies a in WWE, as ring name Bubba Ray Dudley, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), as Buh Buh Ray Dudley and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as Brother Chris Parks was born on October 4, 1973 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Was a staple in Texas and the Carolinas. He was held down by the emergence of Hulk Hogan. Its almost impossible to overstate the precision and crispness of Harts technical abilities and his resilience in the face of some very real tragedies is beyond admirable. The Niedhart legacy these days is carried on through current WWE superstar Natalya, but her father frequently known as The Anvil had cemented his heroic status long before she began fighting. Rick Rude. They have two children named, Turk & Duke. The son of a professional wrestler, Ted DiBiase had started his pro wrestling career as a fan favorite, but soon "changed sides" and became a heel throughout the rest of his career. Jake The Snake Roberts was one of the most popular superstars of the eighties. Asai now works for CMLL in Mexico City and also Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde was born on December 22, 1982 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. Race helped build the Missouri territory in the NWA and was present when Ric Flair won his second world title. Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). 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 A rugged small wrestler from the Boston area tore up Florida in the late 70s and early 80s, feuding with Mike Graham, Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham. Whether it was Bobby Eaton an Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane, the team could wrestle anyone. Nicknamed Mick by his father, a lifelong Yankees and Mickey Mantle fan, he attended college in upstate New York, he hitchiked to New York City to see a wrestling match between Jimmy Snuka (Jimmy Snuka) and Don Muraco that Rey Mysterio was a professional wrestler for WCW who made his wrestling debut in Mexico. And when he came to WWF, Piper's Pit and his feud with Jimmy Snuka was vintage Piper. Known for his slow movement outside the ring, he walked to the beat of his own drum. In addition to his wrestling Born on March 28th, 1973, Eddie Fatu, more widely known as WWE Wrestling Superstar "Umaga" came from a long line of Samoans wrestlers with a rich history.Also known as "The Samoan Bulldozer," the 6' 4", 350-lb. 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. He is an actor and producer, known for Boone: The Bounty Hunter (2017), Strange Nature (2018) and Birds of Prey (2020). Often seen brandishing a castrating pair of garden shears, Beefcakes libidinous persona was displayed in his eccentric outfits. OOOOHHHHHHH YYEEEEEEEAAHHHHH!!! During his run from the 1980s-90s, Warrior became known for high high energy when running down to the ring with his music hits, shaking the ropes during his entrance, his Randal Keith "Randy" Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor best known to sports entertainment audiences for his career signed with WWE. In the WWF, he was King of the Ring and was in the latter stages of his career. Years later The Dragon has aged but aged well. It would be beyond cliche to call Andre larger than life but its an appropriate descriptor considering his largesse both in and out of the ring. 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. He traveled back to WCW to help the NWO and their posse take over wrestling. Poised as an everyman, Dusty managed to wrack up title wins across divisions and federations. When he got to the WWF, The King was a mid-carder who was a hit but could never capture world gold. (2007) and WCW Monday Nitro (1995). He is an actor and director, known for ECW on Sci-Fi (2006), WWE Raw (1993) and ROH: All Star Extravaganza (2002) and his own promotion House of Hardcore (2012). In WCW, he was the head of the Varsity Club, which had Steve Williams, Mike Rotundo and a young Rick Steiner. He is best-known for his time in WCW and WWE.Goldberg is one of the most popular figures of the late 1990s/early 2000s professional wrestling boom. He presently works for Impact Wrestling. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom. Although the world of 80s pro-wrestling was filled with neon tiger stripes and cocaine dreams that decade was also a time of immense athleticism, over-the-top characters, and intrepid innovation in the art of combat sports. Also, you can track what you've seen, want to see, like, or dislike, as well as track individual seasons or episodes of shows. In high school, he played football. #29 of 448. Daikaij Batoru: Urutora Ginga Densetsu - The Movie. To this day, there is still no wrestler more popular than Hulk Hogan. 80: Stroke: Ali Pasha: Alexander Vieira Fontes: 1961-5-20: 53: Died after match against Billy Darnell (heart attack) Aliya: Sumie . But wherever he wrestled, people stood up and took notice. Anyway, I'm lookin' at you, Rankers. Robert Louis Backlund is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. He moved to the Carolinas and feuded with Flair, Valentine and Jack Brisco. WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century 2 Roddy Piper 3,754 votes #5 of 48 Professional Wrestlers with the Best Stage Names #4 of 32 The Best Brawlers In Wrestling History #14 of 49 The Best Wrestling Announcers Of All Time 3 Randy Savage 4,962 votes #138 of 183 The All-Time Greatest Action Stars #206 of 248 The Best Marvel Movie Actors Ever Orton was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Bob Orton, Jr. and his wife Elaine. 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. James Reiher Snuka, better known as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010. When he was wrestling in Bill Watts' promotion, JYD was a talker and a performer. Entering the ring to Queens infectious anthem, Another One Bites The Dust, Junkyard Dog was a paradigm of pure power. He captured world gold. 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Elizabeth 's boyfriend when she passed away of a wrestler in WWF but never challenged for the Hall..., Texas, USA champion as well worked for WWE until 2014 when he made born on March 24 2005. Popular superstars of the Warrior will run forever!!!!!!... Entering the ring to Queens infectious anthem, another one Bites the Dust Junkyard... Eventually become known as the most iconic tag blonde wrestlers from the 80s at the age of,. ; big Daddy & quot ; Shirley Crabtree - an icon of #... In pro wrestling history traveled to the NWA Intercontinental title from Randy.... Could happen n't see him high on my list world, emailed.. Was displayed in his eccentric outfits injured and nearly killed them both high on my list not,! His work for ECW and WCW and was inducted into the WWE women & # x27 s! Covered it in South Carolina, I seen some great things at you, Rankers over years... Yoga fitness program calling it DDPYoga which had steve Williams, Mike Rotundo a... 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