He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 and his career is considered to be one of the greatest in wrestling history. Updated on December 6th, 2021 by Danny Djeljosevic: Of course, when limiting the number of influential wrestlers of the 1980s to only 10 two of which are a package deal as a tag team one leaves out a bunch of major figures whose influence is still being felt today. Moreover, renowned personalities and celebrities such as Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper would also begin to make cameos on WWF shows. This cannot be undone. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Yes we have a newsletter which all the cool kids subscribe to. He could say what he needed to say and make it interesting at the same time. SAYS SO!!! The '80s changed the face of pro wrestling forever, with a handful of wrestlers being particularly influential and among the best. Lou Albano by her side, was dethroned. Feb 28, 2023. Some of the more well-known promotions included Championship Wrestling from Florida and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in Charlotte, North Carolina, were affected. Strong Female Characters That Are Unforgettable! 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. RELATED: 10 Backstage Stories About Andre The Giant We Can't Believe. 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 He was a multiple-time World Tag Team Champion as well with partners like Hulk Hogan, Jim The Anvil Neidhart, and Ric Flair. 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. Pillman played football in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984 and in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders. Sign up for Peacock to watch. In 1982, Continental Productions, a subsidiary of Dallas independent station KXTX, began syndicating a one-hour show internationally from the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas, of former NWA affiliate World Class Championship Wrestling run by Fritz Von Erich. Because of these territories, the talent was not only well spread out but also wrestlers were highly talented. In the years that followed, Lawler would feud with Bret Hart and the entire Hart family. The Anderson name has continued in successors like C.W. The Richter-Lauper association was a very good one, as it was one of the signature pieces of what became the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection." Another lady who hit a grand slam in her first WWE at bat was Sherri Martel. Through the years, WWE has had its share of talented and amazing individuals that have performed and entertained the masses that comprise the WWE Universe. WWF held its most successful event, WrestleMania III, in March 1987. Santanas impressive 15-year career in the WWF saw him become one of the greatest Mexican wrestlers of all time. He All Japan Pro Wrestling 2002 Real World Tag League Gaora TV Special. That reign did not last long, though, as Richter (accompanied by Lauper) regained the title from Kai at the first WrestleMania on March 31, 1985. Japanese MVP - Kazuchika Okada. There were a few exceptions, one of which was "The Ugandan Giant" Kamala. DiBiase entered the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the late 1980s where he gained most of his fame as "The Scott Steiner has been a mainstay in professional wrestling for over 15 years. It only happens in wrestling. Of course, fast forward to 1991, and there was reconciliation with Savage at WrestleMania VII, and their eventual wedding at SummerSlam that year. WWE's greatest females of the 1980s are highlighted in this photo gallery, including Wendi Richter, Fabulous Moolah and Rockin' Robin. Like most rookies, the WWE placed the Ultimate Warrior in the C-Shows alongside another rookie Ted Dibiase. . The group was never to be the same especially with the emergence of the New World Order. filter list by All Voters rank it your way 1 Hulk Hogan 4,872 votes Hulk Hogan's Most Ridiculous Opponents #833 of 1,316 The Best Athletes Of All Time #34 of 180 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 Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York.. Eddie's brothers, Hector, Amadno and Chavo, Sr. also became wrestlers. So when you chronicle the decade of the '80s, the argument can certainly be made that the females that participated both in and out of WWE rings carved their niche accordingly, and were the harbingers of things to come going forward. The duo would embark on one of the longest reigns, going 173 days undefeated. Syndicated series featuring the stars of the World Wrestling Federation. He competed for Stampede Wrestling, for the Canadian National Wrestling Alliance (no connection to the National Wrestling Alliance) and West Michael Francis Foley was born on June 7th, 1965, in Long Island, New York. [3] Later, McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to rival promoter Jim Crockett, Jr. for $1 million. The centerpiece of the faction was none other than Ric Flair, while Arn Anderson served as the enforcer of the group. 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. While Championship Wrestling was generally taped in Poughkeepsie, New York, Saturday Night's Main Event was taped in front of packed arenas around the country. In addition to these, the American Wrestling Association [] Miss Elizabeth left the WWF in April 1992, and divorced Randy Savage that August. The show featured the babyface Von Erich brothers David, Kerry, and Kevin against heels from the stable of Gary Hart, who culminated nearly two decades of his career in Texas by booking the feud between the Freebirds and the Von Erichs in 1982, and then Skandor Akbar's Devastation, Inc. stable in 1983. Rood broke into the business after a stint as a Larry Pfohl was born on June 2, 1958 in Buffalo, New York, USA. RELATED: 5 Things From WWE's Golden Era That Have Aged Well (& 5 That Haven't). It's a hard question, it's an extremely diverse decade in wrestling history, so, who's in your top ten? Prior to becoming the superstar that he later came to be, Andre the Giant was nothing other than a regular wrestler with a unique build.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'sportlister_com-leader-2','ezslot_4',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-leader-2-0'); Unlike most giant wrestlers, Andre the Giant was athletically gifted and thus could perfectly execute moves such as the dropkicks and many others. In no particular order here is the list of WWE Tag Teams from the 1980s that helped shape the WWE or back in those days WWF landscape. The event saw one of the last WWF appearances of Andr the Giant (as a member of the Colossal Connection), who had become barely mobile in the ring due to real life health issues, and his parting with long-time manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. 20. It is really hard to believe that nobody remembers this match today, but it happened and it was great at the time. He starred as one of the leads in the fifth season of the popular television series Haven on Syfy. It made him a star, but it also made him a legend. Moreover, these shows mainly took place in school gyms and other similar venues. After years of financial turmoil and the constant changing of bookers, WCW would resume competition with McMahon's WWF when former AWA commentator Eric Bischoff was appointed as the promotion's Executive Vice President. This made many wrestling fans hell-bent to see Roddy Piper defeated by some of the biggest babyfaces at the time. Get ready for the ultimate WWF wrestlers from the 80s and WWF wrestlers from the 90s list! In-your-face and behind-the-ring machinations provided hours of entertainment for people of all ages. He was previously married to Debra Ann Miceli and Missy Hyatt. TBS became a cable television superstation based on broadcasting Georgia Championship Wrestling with both Mr. Wrestling II and Tommy Rich being the top headliners in the territory. Gagne's failure to keep his fortunate position is a significant factor in the history of professional wrestling. Owen was one of the best wrestlers in the business and his major accomplishments include being the 1994 King of the Ring, former Keiji Mut was born on December 23, 1962 in Yamanashi, Japan. Best Box Office . Multiple NWA territories were very successful in the 1970s and continued that success in the early 1980s. Their ring name is on the left, and their real name is on the right. Through the years, WWE has had its share of talented and amazing individuals that have performed and entertained the masses that comprise the WWE Universe. Whether it was Bobby Eaton an Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane, the team could wrestle anyone. His character was unlike anything else seen at the time. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. McMahon decided to channel all of his funds into the show and although the show had a 50/50 chance, the show proved to be a success. [6] The idea was formed by WWF manager Lou Albano, who met singer Cyndi Lauper on a trip to Puerto Rico. The "Category B Awards" saw winners determined by first place votes. In the same year, Ricky Steamboat received a contract from WWE chair Vince McMahon. A well-built giant, Hogan's charisma, mic skills, and technical skills saw him transcend into a household name. 2017-2022 In The 1980s. All these classic feuds played a crucial role in making Roddy Piper one of the biggest draws in the WWF at the time. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for WWF - The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80's (DVD, 2005, 3-Disc Set) at the best online prices at eBay! Catherine Bach AKA Daisy Duke What She Looks Laurence Fishburne in Apocalypse Now at Age 14. 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. A Net Inceptions project. He was trained by the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of pro-wrestling's classic and greatest bad guys. During his reign as the WWF champion, Macho Man possessed an impressive drawing power that was quite like that of Hulk Hogan. Having honed her craft in various wrestling organizations in the early-to-mid-80s, Martel entered WWE on July 24, 1987. Professional wrestling, now synonymous with the WWF, began to throw more grandiose matches. However, it did not take long before Andre the Giant lacked any serious opponents to face. The Ultimate Warriors otherworldly promos, entrance routine, and dominant display made him a household name in professional wrestling. Moreover, it is also during this era that pop culture began to have a huge influence on professional wrestling. So, here they are. Free shipping for many products! Between those Paul "Triple H" Levesque is WWE's Executive Vice President, President of Talent, Global Talent Strategy & Development. However, Hogan lingered on in the WWF for the next three years, winning the title another three times. During the 1980s and 1990s, professional wrestling reached new heights in popularity. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'sportlister_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_12',122,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); McMahon first suggested a name change as well as the abandonment of various moves like the dropkick, which according to him made Andre the Giant appear rather small. 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. The 1980s were a time of great change for pro wrestling. Julie loves the 80s and wears some of the fashions from that time. A well-built giant, Hogans charisma, mic skills, and technical skills saw him transcend into a household name. Technically speaking, many people considered him the glue or the heartbeat of the group. Jarrett had his first major run in the WWF - winning the Intercontinental Title 6 times before joining WCW. 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. He was a great wrestler and a great attraction for the promotion, but he was also something special. Whatever Happened To Stone Cold Steve Austin. This eventually struck a friendship between Savage and Hogan. It achieved the largest recorded attendance for a live indoor sporting event in North America with a claimed figure of 93,173 attendees. He is the nephew of wrestler Rey Misterio. He grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, from where he was billed throughout the bulk of his career. Despite all this success though, Hogan never really left his mark on the sport like some people would have you believe. Mid-South Wrestlings Ted DiBiase signed with WWE in 1987, where he was given a gimmick that would make him an icon of The Golden Era: The Million Dollar Man, an absurdly rich heel who used his money to demean fans and wrestlers alike. [3] Due to low ratings and viewer protests, TBS began airing wrestling by Ole Anderson's promotion, as well as Bill Watts's Mid-South Wrestling, both of which garnered higher ratings than McMahon's WWF show. The concept, a one-night tournament, was a huge success and would become a regular event, titled King of the Ring. Director | It was not until 1988 when Hulk Hogan returned to the company that they finally had a top star who could stand up to Vince McMahon in any way, shape, or form. It is under Vince McMahons Jr. vision that the company would now begin to get nationwide and worldwide recognition. He has been the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018. 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. Martel entered WWE on July 24, 1987 nobody remembers this match today, but it happened and was...: 10 Backstage Stories About Andre the Giant we Ca n't believe power that was quite that! Of 93,173 attendees popular television series Haven on Syfy wrestling, now synonymous with the WWF saw become! 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