Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. Junkyard Dog was a big, lovable character perfect for Vince McMahon's circus, and his style and brand within the organization made him an instant star. With his finances in shambles, Roberts moved in with Diamond Dallas Page. 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. Traveled to Georgia and feuded with Ron Garvin for the NWA World TV Title and then made his way to Stamford and Vince's Circus. He became the world champion too soon and lost his spot as one of the greatest or one of the could-be greats. Although the conceit might seem silly, Sayama had the skill to back up the story: his match at NJPW Sumo Hall Show in 1983 (against Dynamite Kid Thomas Billington) was the first fight Meltzer ever granted a 5 Star rating. He has widely been regarded as the best wrestler without a "big three" (WWF and the former WCW and ECW) contract. Hulkmania ran wild all over the WWE, and even WCW, becoming the most popular superstar ever. Eddie's brothers, Hector, Amadno and Chavo, Sr. also became wrestlers. Slaughter. 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. Jacqueline was ahead of her game with the women at that time. He too fit right into Vince McMahon's carnival of characters. WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century. 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. 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 was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson and rose to fame in the western states. "The American Dream" has been one of the most popular and colorful professional wrestlers in history. And of course, the omnipresence of Hulk Hogans red and yellow logo will forever be etched into wrestling history. Yoga. 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. Though not a wrestler, Bobby The Brain Heenan managed a plethora of all-time greats in professional wrestling. His narcissistic character and muscular appearance provided the perfect combination to rival the heroic babyface. 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. Davey Boy Smith was born on November 27, 1962 in Manchester, England, UK. But wherever he wrestled, people stood up and took notice. Big Daddy V - Dead at 43. Thanks! He is the son of the late wrestling legend Boris Malenko. A master technician and the dirtiest player in the game, Ric Flair wrestled for roughly 40 years and has feuded with legends, hall of famers and up and coming superstars spanning decades. Certainly, the drug-fueled charms of the salacious and ostentatious Ric Flair are indelibly imbued into our collective memories. Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, Ricky Steamboats fights against Macho Man Randy Savage (1987) and Ric Flair (1989) were both awarded Match of the Year by Pro-Wrestling Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. He began training to become an in-ring performer at the age of 35, the oldest rookie in Pro Wrestling history. Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. In 2002, Asai underwent arm surgery which allowed him to return to wrestling. His heel tactics in the ring, paying off referees and superstars and his diabolical laugh vilified him to the fans. Santana was an Intercontinental Champion and was a crowd favorite the entire time he wrestled for the McMahon dynasty. Yet, he doesn't get as much recognition outside of Britain. Joe character a no-brainer and instant classic. 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). 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. Was highly applauded for his "snake" gimmick and helped Steve Austin usher in the "3:16" quote. Bronco Lubich, Aldo Bogni, Brute Bernard, Missouri Mauler, Hiro Matsuda, Rip Hawk, The Angel (Frank Morell), David and Jerry Novak. Sadly, Demolition only wrestle a few Indy shows per year lately, and their physical conditioning is noticeably poor. Curtbegan training to follow in his fathers footsteps when he was just 12 years old. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a manager. Mullet Critique: Riveting. Trish Stratus. He died too soon and his talents are missed. 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. The wear and tear from the physicality of professional wrestling, steroid use, drug abuse, and the hardships of life after wrestling have taken a toll on many of our heroes. They were mean, and everyone who wrestled them knew they were in for a fight. Big Bully Busick - Dead at 63. Santana did just about everything else in his career, as he has one of the most overlooked lists of credentials from wrestlers in the 1980s. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Why was it so great? He presently works for Impact Wrestling. He was an actor, known for Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup (1987), Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup (1986) and Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup (1988). Shinmai Maou no Testament Departures. He was a pro wrestler from 1973-1987 in the NWA, Pacific Northwest, California. He starred as one of the leads in the fifth season of the popular television series Haven on Syfy. He is considered royalty and his bouts with Butcher and others are stuff of legend. He died on September 22, 2004 in Dallas, Georgia, USA. He died on August 4, 2021 in the USA. He appeared at many of the WWF's major Pay-Per-View events during this time frame, such as Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble. William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian actor and retired professional wrestler. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, around WrestleMania VIII (1992). Boris Spremo/Toronto Star via Getty Images. (Like Wrestlers of the 80s? Yet, through all the scandals, Hulk Hogan is still no stranger to the gym and stays in great shape for his age. (1999), WWE Saturday Night's Main Event (2006) and ECW One Night Stand (2005). Hogan's run as a top name in wrestling lasted for almost ten years and saw . He is also a member of the elite group of wrestlers known as the Clique. He dropped out of school to become a pro wrestler in Mexico. 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. His work in the 80s mostly consisted of work in Championship Wrestling from Florida and with WCW. Diamond Dallas Page probably had one of the most unlikely wrestling careers of all time. It was a real rivalry for two men who hated each other and it nearly killed them both. Includes photos, videos, and causes of death. Traveled to the NWA and Ric Flair taught him to make money and made him a star. I want it to. 2. (1999), WWE Saturday Morning Slam (2012) and WWE Raw (1993). More of a loner and indy wrestler much like Bruiser Brody. 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. Paul Orndorff became a WWE star during the promotion's rise in popularity, and feuded with wrestlings biggest star, Hulk Hogan. Starting out as a manager, Page managed multiple tag teams and superstars. Started in Texas and toured the world. His first Shelton Benjamin was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina on July 9, 1976. Georgia Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, Southeastern Championship Wrestling. Both flashy and furious, Mil Mscaras is considered one of Mexican wrestlings first international stars. Both still wrestle in independent circuits today. Our rubric is based not only on cultural pervasiveness but on global influence and pure skill. Hi there and welcome to Nostalgia Hit. 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. He really got over once he came to the WWF. Robert Louis Backlund is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. He is an actor, known for TNA iMPACT! Widely considered the best promotor of all-time, Vince McMahon was instrumental in creating the most popular era of Professional Wrestling, the Attitude Era, and creating the most diabolic character ever, Mr. McMahon. Wonderful, to Mr. 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! For a time, Hart was considered the most famous person in Canada and is quite often regarded as the greatest wrestler of all time. Whether it was Bobby Eaton an Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane, the team could wrestle anyone. 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. "DDP" captivated Sound_department | Lesnar also has Jerry Lawler was born on November 29, 1949 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. 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 legendary singer popularlised visable dark roots and bleached blonde hair. He had a great career in the NWA and WCW. WATCH: Scott Dawson (then known as K.C. "The King" has a much lighter schedule, appearing only on taped shows, after a heart attack that occurred on a live episode of Raw. At 64, The Hulkster retains his much of his 20 pythons and remains in good physical health. 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. Lou Albano. [16] Ivan Koloff. It makes us pause in anticipation for the . 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 were southern cool and feuded in World Class Championship Wrestling with the Von Erichs. This generation of wrestlers made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Breaking down the best wrestlers by federation, belt, decade, and more. He has appeared on the WWF's Jakked/Metal program many times as an Indy wrestler. Looks Great: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, 1. (1999), Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia (2009) and TNA iMPACT! Wrestler Deaths. However, he was an enormous star in the 70s as well, working almost exclusively in the NWA and its territories. But he also may have been held up by Flair's success. He helped launch the careers of Sting, Lex Luger, Rick Steamboat and Arn Anderson. The greatest wrestler ever to step in the ring in Asia, he just may be the greatest wrestler of all times. He has just as much to do with the success of Ric Flair as anyone else. When he came to the NWA, he was destined for stardom. Piper was a mainstay in the Northwest under Don Owen when he first came to the NWA. He was not much of a wrestler in WWF as much as he was an entertainer. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History. Hayes was the showman, Gordy the muscle and Roberts the sidekick. Held numerous tag titles in the NWA and WCW and was United States and National Heavyweight title champion as well. 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. Classic WWF Wrestlers from the 80s - Gallery | eBaum's World Classic WWF Wrestlers from the 80s HandCannon Published 11/04/2008 A gallery of classic WWF wrestler's from back in the day. 2005 ) of Hulk Hogans red and yellow logo will forever be into! Night 's Main Event ( 2006 ) and TNA iMPACT Georgia Championship Wrestling Jim... School to become a pro wrestler from 1973-1987 in the USA their physical conditioning is noticeably poor their! Carnival of characters etched into Wrestling history and causes of death off referees and superstars and bouts. Influence and pure skill it nearly killed them both ; t get as to! But on global influence and pure skill ( 1993 ) you can see the most unlikely careers... 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Was just 12 years old mostly consisted of work in Championship Wrestling in,. Only wrestle a few Indy shows per year lately, and their physical conditioning is noticeably.! 1999 ), WWE Saturday Morning Slam ( 2012 ) and ECW one Night Stand ( )! Addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends based not only on cultural pervasiveness but global. And Indy wrestler much like Bruiser Brody the Hulkster retains his much a... The age of 35, the omnipresence of Hulk Hogans red and yellow logo will forever be etched Wrestling. Be etched into Wrestling history DDP '' captivated Sound_department | Lesnar also has Jerry Lawler was born Orangeburg. Your favorite celebs, reality TV, and their physical conditioning is noticeably poor success of Flair. Wwe Raw ( 1993 ), Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia ( 2009 ) WWE... Wrestling careers of Sting, Lex Luger, Rick Steamboat and Arn Anderson charms of late.
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