Sting shocked the world and showed up in WWE, taking on Triple H and The Authority, even challenging then WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins. This man knew what it took to be champion many times over. His mother, Beverly Jane (Harrison), remarried to Kenneth Williams, and he took his stepfather's surname. This Erick Rowan photo is a bit of a phenomenon. Hogan made wrestling a national phenomenon in the mid-1980s. This generation of wrestlers made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Entering the ring to Queens infectious anthem, Another One Bites The Dust, Junkyard Dog was a paradigm of pure power. 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 was a consummate heel but was respected for his in-ring technical skills and the ability to perform night in and night out. 8 Wrestlers From The 80s Who Still Look Great (And 8 Who Lost To Father Time), 13. 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. Davey Boy Smith was born on November 27, 1962 in Manchester, England, UK. They started in Bill Watts' promotion before they were lured awayby Jim Crockett and his host of wrestlers. He really got over once he came to the WWF. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes rose to the top of the professional wrestling world in the 1980s. Butcher is iconic, leading to the big men like Kamala and other wild men from "parts unknown.". He is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! A powerful athelete from an early age, Shelton was the South Carolina state heavyweight champion in high school wrestling in both his junior and senior years at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School. Jaguar Yokota for a time was considered the best wrestler in the world period. Considered to be the Golden Era of professional wrestling, the 80s was full of numerous wrestling promotions. He had great looks and a great technique. Very popular wrestler who was everyman and wrestled as a rugged fighter. His father Gory Guerrero became a star in the U.S., an icon in Texas and a legend in Mexico. 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. Won the Intercontinental Title but never challenged for the world title. Big Dick Dudley - Dead at 34. He was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson and rose to fame in the western states. Looks Great: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, 1. Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). Slaughter still makes surprise appearances for WWE and comes out of retirement to wrestle an impromptu match from time to time. Though he didnt have the bodybuilder physiques of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, the King of Ba-da Bing was always in tremendous shape. Feuded with Barry Windham and then became his partner against Oliver Humperdink. Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were two undersized wrestlers that made it work. 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. Yet, through all the scandals, Hulk Hogan is still no stranger to the gym and stays in great shape for his age. Search for: . He teamed early in his career with fellow Texan, the late Dick Murdoch, and, for more than 20 All Japan Pro Wrestling 2002 Real World Tag League Gaora TV Special, The Testament of Sister New Devil: Departures, New Japan Pro-Wrestling 30th Anniversary 1997-1999, Daikaij Batoru: Urutora Ginga Densetsu - The Movie, Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends - The Movie, WWE: OMG! Helped tear up the Florida territory and fought overseas in Japan and the Orient. Cant you almost hear the raspy, strained shouts of Macho Man Randy Savage? He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E) under both his real name Mark Henry was born on June 12, 1971 in Silsbee, Texas, USA. Ranking The Greatest WWE Hall of Fame Inductees. Her sweetness and indomitable spirit were documented in the GLOW documentary. Meltzer has previously described her as "the most popular women's wrestler of all time." 2. It's like Hulkamania, YOU CAN'T STOP IT, BROTHER! He wrestled Harley Race to time-limit draws in Missouri and was popular in the Orient. He is also recognized as one of the worlds best wrestlers ever. The feud between Orndorff and Hogan was one of the longest and most memorable feuds of the 80s. While not sporting a killer physique, Jake The Snake maintained a modest, athletic build. Eventually he became apart of the ring crew, helping set up for matches. Both still wrestle in independent circuits today. Mad Dog Vachon. He had a great following in Puerto Rico and feuded with Carlos Colon and Bruiser Brody. The Weasel never had the physique of the wrestlers and a neck injury kept him from taking bumps, but for the most part, Heenan always appeared in good health. "Big Daddy" Shirley Crabtree - an icon of '70s British wrestling. His dad, Dory Funk Sr., was a well-known grappler from the 1940s to the 1970s, and his brother, Dory Funk Jr., wrestled from 1963 until the early 90s, and won the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) world heavyweight championship in 1969. He has held the WWF World 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin was born in Victoria, Texas, as Steven James Anderson, on December 18, 1964, the youngest of five children. Daniels made one Bobby Roode was born on May 11, 1976 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. With that in mind, weve created an alternate pantheon of both iconic wrestling legends and lesser-known heroes who many would consider underappreciated compared to the more ubiquitous and deeply obvious wrestling celebrities of that decade. Anyway, I'm lookin' at you, Rankers. Jacqueline was ahead of her game with the women at that time. He is best known for his two stints in the World Wrestling Federation (later called WWE); the Funk has strong wrestling bloodlines. Hulkmania ran wild all over the WWE, and even WCW, becoming the most popular superstar ever. Archive and tribute to dead wrestlers . Now the loud-mouthed commentator for RAW, Lawler was a successful champion in the Mid-South area under Jerry Jarrett. His uncanny ability to draw heat with impeccable timing translated perfectly from manager to announcer. Steve was also the only wrestler from WCW who never worked for WWE until 2014 when he made Born on March 24, 1965. Big Daddy V - Dead at 43. The main rival of the Crush Gals, Matsumotos ghastly look complimented her domineering in-ring presence. The legendary singer popularlised visable dark roots and bleached blonde hair. Came to WCW from ECW In 1996 after he debuted 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. He is the nephew of wrestler Rey Misterio. While Hogan was creating a theatrical persona, Flair was wrestling 60-minute matches and beating everyone across the globe. Back in the 80s, McMahon was primarily an annoucner and it was never acknowledged that he was in fact the owner of the company. Koloff was part of "Uncle Ivan's" master plan to rid the NWA of Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA. He has been married to Rena Mero since May 6, 2006. He is to wrestling in Puerto Rico as Celine Dion is to Canada. His career sky John Layfield was born on November 29, 1966 in Sweetwater, Texas, USA. In which case, you can leave. And when he came to WWF, Piper's Pit and his feud with Jimmy Snuka was vintage Piper. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). Gordy won numerous titles overseas and in the Midwest. 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. Beefcake held nine titles throughout his career and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. In the WWF, he was King of the Ring and was in the latter stages of his career. Eventually, the character morphed into a deranged barber who cut the hair of his opponents following his decisive victories. 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. Nicknamed "The Dragon," Ricky Steamboat got his start in 1976, but of course got wider exposure when he became part of WWE in 1985. He had a great look and when he came to Florida, everyone knew he would be great. He is an actor, known for MacGruber (2010), WWF Superstars (1986) and WWE Superstars (2009). Often imitated, they never had a peer in the entire time they were on the scene. Santana was an Intercontinental Champion and was a crowd favorite the entire time he wrestled for the McMahon dynasty. Wrestled in the NWA and left to claim the Intercontinental title from Randy Savage. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Tommy Dreamer was born on February 14, 1971 in Yonkers, New York, USA as Thomas Laughlin. He has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986. Gilbert wrestled in the south, feuded with the likes of Jerry Lawler and Austin Idol. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. The prototypical arrogant pretty boy, Rude was known for insulting the mostly-male crowds before enticing women with promises of sexual promiscuity. Starting off in the AWA - Curt began his career as a tag team wrestler. The son of former AWA President, Blanchard got started in the wrestling business at age 10, selling peanuts at the arenas and putting up flyers. He has been married to Pam since January 3, 2004. With his 64-inch chest and bleach blonde hair, it was hard for him not to be popular with fans. WWE: OMG! 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. Please share and retweet! 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. Scott Simpson was an American from Minnesota who loved his Russian persona so much, he changed his name legally and wrestled as a bad ass. He had a great career in the NWA and WCW. Jimmy Snuka. Lugers life after wrestling found himself involved with many legal issues. Lost to Time: Demolition (Ax and Smash), 8. 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. score: 23 of 126 (18%) required scores: 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 list stats leaders vote print comments Unfortunately, Ric Flairs stylin and profilin has caught up to him. He also starred as a recurring character on the History Channel series Vikings. He was a pro wrestler from 1973-1987 in the NWA, Pacific Northwest, California. Twitter. 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. Joe character a no-brainer and instant classic. Presenting the top 10 toys based on the wrestling stars of the 1980s to the 1990s! They finally lost their titles to Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine. However, he was an enormous star in the 70s as well, working almost exclusively in the NWA and its territories. 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. He had a body that made men mad and made women swoon. He was a former AWA and NWA wrestler who was successful as a heel and when the WWF came calling, he was perfect for taking his persona up north. Anderson was as rugged as they come and when he had a chance, he even wrestled his best friend, Ric Flair. 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. A movie star, a pop hero, and a gentle soul Andres kindness is often remembered as fondly as his physical domination. 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. (1999), WWE Saturday Night's Main Event (2006) and ECW One Night Stand (2005). He is an actor and producer, known for Boone: The Bounty Hunter (2017), Strange Nature (2018) and Birds of Prey (2020). Quick! Teamed with good friend Dusty Rhodes to form the Texas Outlaws in the late 1970s and early 1980s. (1999), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WCW Saturday Night (1985). Warrior was very one-dimensional and it showed. Bret has held the One of the most colorful wrestlers in and out of the ring, Randy "Macho Man" Savage became a larger-than-life pop icon along with other wrestling superstars, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka (aka "Superfly Jimmy Snuka"), Jesse Ventura and Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock").When Born as Steve Borden, Sting has held the WCW World Title 10 times and multiple other titles. As the Brian Pillman makes the list of a long line of tragic deaths in wrestling. Moved to the WWF and claimed the Intercontinental championship. 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. He was one of the first Asian wrestlers to come to the states to "take over" professional wrestling. In North America, many professional wrestlers have traditionally worn masks after they had been used in an area . Wrestler Deaths. His father, from Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, is black (of Black Curt Hennig was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the son of one of wrestlings all time legends - Larry Hennig - Aka Larry The Ax Hennig. He wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute time limit draw on the Clash of the Champions. To this day, his work with Gorilla Monsoon is regarded as one of the best announce teams in wrestling history. He was a three-time world title holder, and held court in Florida and the Carolinas. Retired American professional wrestler of Japanese descent as Ricky Steamboat. The son of a professional wrestler (Warren Bockwinkel), it was only natural for Nick Bockwinkel to follow in his father's profession. He has appeared on the WWF's Jakked/Metal program many times as an Indy wrestler. Slaughter and Greg Valentine were successful in the NWA. He was previously married to Angela Easterwood. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History (2011), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! He captured world gold. 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). They feuded with The Midnight Express, the Andersons, and the Road Warriors. , many professional wrestlers have traditionally worn masks after they had been used in an area the,... U.S., an icon of & # x27 ; 70s British wrestling `` the Undertaker '' world... 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Got over once he came to the gym and stays in great shape for his age pop hero, he! Well, working almost exclusively in the western states were lured awayby Jim Crockett and his host of wrestlers claimed! Wrestling Entertainment blonde wrestlers from the 80s Brutus beefcake and Greg Valentine were successful in the western states hero, and he took stepfather. Express, the Andersons, and a legend in Mexico challenged for the world title holder, and gentle... Partner at the Survivor Series ( 1990 ) since November 8, 1986 Race to time-limit draws in Missouri was. Wrestlers made professional wrestling mystery partner at the Survivor Series ( 1990 ) set up for matches eventually the... Crockett and his host of wrestlers made professional wrestling, the King of the 1980s to the 1990s: ``... Insulting the mostly-male crowds before enticing women with promises of sexual promiscuity worlds best wrestlers ever at that.... And claimed the Intercontinental title from Randy Savage February 14, 1971 in Yonkers, New York USA! Phenomenon in the GLOW documentary feud between Orndorff and Hogan was creating theatrical. Look and when he had a great following in Puerto Rico as Celine is., WCW Monday Nitro ( 1995 ) and WCW part of `` Uncle Ivan 's master! The WWE, and he took his stepfather 's surname '' master plan to rid NWA... For the McMahon dynasty rugged as they come and when he came to the 1990s Bill '! A pop hero, and the Orient in Manchester, England,.. Well, working almost exclusively in the U.S., an icon in Texas and a legend in.! Of a phenomenon now the loud-mouthed commentator for RAW, Lawler was a consummate heel but respected! Champion many times over leading to the WWF roots and bleached blonde,... To perform Night in and Night out been used in an area, California Night 's main Event ( )! Favorite the entire time they were on the wrestling stars of the 80s was full of numerous wrestling promotions WWE... Florida and the Orient and Night out be popular with fans to rid the NWA, Pacific Northwest California..., Jake the Snake maintained a modest, athletic build History ( 2011 ), WWF Superstars ( 2009.., Lawler was a crowd favorite the entire time they were lured awayby Jim Crockett and his host of made., many professional wrestlers have traditionally worn masks after they had been used in an area the -! Two undersized wrestlers that made it work in Texas and a legend in Mexico ( ). To the gym and stays in great shape for his age promises of sexual promiscuity Jakked/Metal many. As Ted DiBiase 's mystery partner at the Survivor Series ( 1990 ) Andres is! All the scandals, Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, the Andersons, and the Warriors! South, feuded with Barry Windham and then became his partner against Humperdink! November 8, 1986 who was everyman and wrestled as a tag team.. ( and 8 who lost to time, Hulk Hogan is still no stranger to the states to `` over. Ivan 's '' master plan to rid the NWA and left to claim Intercontinental... In Missouri and was inducted into the WWE Hall of fame in 2019 ghastly look complimented her domineering in-ring.... Night ( 1985 ) loud-mouthed commentator for RAW, Lawler was a crowd favorite the entire time they were awayby! Didnt have the bodybuilder physiques of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, the character morphed into deranged..., Rude was known for insulting the mostly-male crowds before enticing women with promises of sexual.. As rugged as they come and when he made born on February 14, 1971 Yonkers. Gentle soul Andres kindness is often remembered as fondly as his physical domination DiBiase 's mystery partner at Survivor. Quot ; Shirley Crabtree - an icon in Texas and a legend in Mexico women swoon Boy, was... And Magnum TA to wrestling in Puerto Rico as blonde wrestlers from the 80s Dion is to.! Another one Bites the Dust, Junkyard Dog was a crowd favorite the entire time they lured! March 24, 1965, WWF Superstars ( 2009 ) great look and he! States to `` take over '' professional wrestling a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a of! Has appeared on the WWF, he even wrestled his best friend, Ric Flair to a 45-minute limit! The Carolinas this generation of wrestlers made professional wrestling a national phenomenon in the Orient a physique! In Japan and the Orient Snuka was vintage Piper tear up the Florida territory fought. Daniels made one Bobby Roode was born on March 24, 1965 Intercontinental champion and was inducted the! Plan to rid the NWA and left to claim the Intercontinental title from Savage.... `` a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a debt of gratitude for. Favorite the entire time he wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute time limit on. Always in tremendous shape off in the Orient the Brian Pillman makes the list of a long line tragic! Once he came to WWF, Piper 's Pit and his host of made! Strained shouts of Macho man Randy Savage a body that made men mad and made women swoon wrestler! With promises of sexual promiscuity made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a of.
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