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Early in his wrestling career James Janos picked the stage name Jesse The Body Ventura and adopted a surly persona known for saying Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat. This was an appropriate motto for one of the villains fans most loved to hate. 15 Best Must-See British Comedies Ever. 10 Completely Horrible Booking Decisions, 10 Oldest Wrestlers To Ever Compete In WWE History (& Their Ages), 10 Bizarre Wrestling Rules Fans Had No Idea Existed, 10 Biggest Booking Errors Of Seth Rollins' Wrestling Career, 10 Things Ric Flair Never Accomplished In Wrestling. For example, automobile accident is not a technical cause of death. List of masked wrestlers - Wikipedia Stars such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Triple H, Sable, Sunny . Slaughter was a pivotal member of the WWF, both on-screen and behind the scenes. A look back at the heyday of British Wrestling in the 70s and 80s Gary Will, Greg Oliver and Slam! Its obvious when some fell to tragedies while others were marred by personal stuff or just some bad breaks. Julie has fun sharing her love of the 80s through her writing. The Top 20 WWE Superstars of the 80s He retired from wrestling in 2015 and continues his career as an actor as well as remaining a successful entrepreneur. He was soon a top heel in WWE, becoming the second-ever Intercontinental champion and bouncing between WWE and the AWA with several titles under his belt. Hes the wrestler who used extensive psychology lines to psyche out his opponents. The show was created by George "Crybaby" Cannon after the close of Eddie Einhorn's . He was one of the top stars of the 1980s and deserves a lot more credit than he ever received for his work. He's mostly retired today but should be remembered better as the Iceman set fans ablaze in his prime. He was a favorite in the ring and a one-time winner of the WWF championship in addition to multiple other matches and tag team events. The Junkyard dog made his first pro appearance in the ring in 1977 and used the names: Stagger Lee; Leroy Rochester, Big Daddy Ritter and Junkyard Dog. Images, videos and other multimedia published on inthe1980s.com qualifies as Fair Use under U.S. copyright law. Roddy Piper made his debut in the pro wrestling ring in 1969 going by the ring names: Rowdy Roddy Piper; Piper Machine and The Masked Canadian. Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri is a Persian American better known to wrestling fans as the Iron Sheik. Perfect because as a wrestler, there was a period of time when he just couldnt be beat. Andre The Giant is one of the most unique wrestlers in the history of that business. The 25 Best Wrestlers of The 1980's, Ranked He earned distinction by becoming the first winner of the 1998 Royal Rumble match. What was it about this time period that made fans try to jump into the ring to help their favorite wrestlers? Pacific Northwest Wrestling - Wikipedia He was trained by Frank Valois. Unfortunately for him he was destined to lose the belt just four weeks later to the up and coming Hulk Hogan. Julie loves the 80s and wears some of the fashions from that time. But superstars didnt necessarily need a belt to be hugely popular with the fans. With his fantastic drive and arrogant manner, Hernandez was hot as 1986 began with a feud with former partner Chris Adams. The Iron Sheik became a pro wrestler in 1972 and used the ring names: Colonel Mustafa; The Iron Sheik; Great Hossein and Ali Vasari. There still appears to be no consensus among writers on what should amount to science fiction. James Hellwig was an aspiring bodybuilder before becoming a professional wrestler and he transferred his stage presence on the posing platform into the ring. He also went by Executioner; Destroyer; Mr. He was a frequent guest on Howard Sterns radio show and was known for his candid opinions of the wrestling scene. [2] In The 1980s is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. The 1980s was packed with a variety of stars thanks to the scores of territories around, not only the popular WWE. The larger than life personas and antics had some ups and downs adjusting to somewhat the more subdued sensibilities of 1990s. Ed Leslie joined the WWF full time in 1984 under the stage name Brutus Beefcake. The piano, Read More The 10 Most Expensive Grand Pianos Money Can BuyContinue, Every year, animated films are becoming more and more popular with audiences. Despite all this success though, Hogan never really left his mark on the sport like some people would have you believe. He carried the wild man image further and limited his responses in interviews to grunts and growls. The field of science fiction is very diverse. Even non-wrestling fans in Memphis know all about Lawler's exploits. Its still an exciting sport, but there was something very special about the veteran stars of the 80s that established professional wrestling as an American favorite that worked the fans into an absolute frenzy. Diamond Dallas Page wrestled for two decades for various associations including the WWF. He won his share of titles and retired in 1993. The WWE was then known as the World Wrestling Federation, and this decade helped form the business model of. These diseases do not technically or directly cause death, but are often the major contributing factor to whatever ailment does end up causing death. Adams stuck to the indies in the later 1980s but became famous for training a young Steve Austin into a future star. They spent the '90s bouncing between the indies and Japan and a very brief stint in WWE. He was trained by Fritz Von Erich. They have, however, appreciated that any material that employs the use, Read More The 10 Best Selling Science-Fiction Books of All-TimeContinue, The long-running HBO series Game of Thrones came to an end in early 2019. The WWF decided to capitalize on Hogans popularity by making him a good guy known as Hulk Hogan. Even non-wrestling fans in Memphis know all about Lawlers exploits. That said, due to the massive size and scope of this list, there is inevitably going to be some errors and duplicates if you spot something thats off, please drop me an email. The 1980s featured a wrestling boom rivaled only by the Attitude era of the late '90s. Born Richard Morgan Fliehr in 1949, he is often regarded as the best professional wrestler of the 198os and perhaps of all time. Which makes Bam Bam Bigelow one of several men to work for WWE, WCW, and ECW and only win titles for the South Philly Promotion. Jimmy passed away just 12 days after the ruling on January 15, 2017 at the age of 73 of Terminal Neurological Illness. At 65 and 310 pounds Tom Tiny Lister Jr. is one of the bigger wrestlers in WWF history. He was involved in professional wrestling for a 32-year career until his retirement in 2005. He was a part of the National Wrestling Alliance in the early 80s. "They produced three of the brightest stars in 1980s wrestling: Kerry Von Erich, who was an extremely muscular wrestler in the mold of the ultimate warrior. The film makes have become so diverse that they surpass the success of live-action films and animation has been around for a very, Read More The 20 Highest Grossing Animated Films of All-TimeContinue, When you think of Steve Harvey, it is difficult not to laugh, as he has spent decades entertaining America as a comedian in one capacity or the other. He introduced a signature move that gave him the nickname the Superfly in the ring. Garvin also did a stint in WWE in 1989 as a wrestler, announcer and even a ref. The Pacific Northwest was considered one of the main pro wrestling territories from the 1960s to the 1980s. Viziers character was an effective villain with the Iranian hostage crisis fresh in Americans minds. Bob was born in November of 1950 in Kansas City, Kansas as Robert Keith Orton Jr. Orton was known as a real heel in the ring and was a personality that fans loved to hate, but he rose to tremendous heights of popularity. He was one of the biggest personalities that the WWF had to offer during the 1980s. He also had a stint in WWE, including a WrestleMania 3 battle with Hercules. He wrestled for the WWF/WWE from 1982 to 1994 winning multiple titles and thrilling fans until he was forced to retire in 1994 due to injuries that he sustained in the ring. He earned the nickname Mr. Greg Valentine was another pro wrestler who made big waves during the 80s. The Ultimate warrior was known for his dramatic entrances that seemed exhausting in themselves, but he still had plenty of energy when battling his opponents in the ring. He made his mark in various territories before joining WWE with Roddy Piper as his manager. Slaughter served in the Marine Corps as a drill instructor. His Dog Collar match with Greg Valentine at Starrcade '83 is an all-time classic of violence, but in WWE, his character work hit new levels. Magnum was the U.S. champion and clearly a guy set to win the NWA World title. Several legends throughout the eighties didnt even need a title to get over. Steamboat retired from wrestling in the summer of 2010 after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame earlier in 2009. Hacksaw Jim Duggan was an indelible part of the late eighties and early nineties WWE. He was trained by Stu Hart, Tony Condello, Leo Garibaldi and Gene LeBell. Related: 10 Most Important WWE Matches Of The 1980s. Canadians are known for being mild, but Roderick Toombs made an impressive career out of being an out of control villain in the WWF. For all his singles success, Ricky Steamboat has said the best part of his career was teaming up with Jay Youngblood. He became national news in 1982 when he slapped Andy Kaufman on The Late Show With David Letterman. His career spanned 40 years that included matches as recently as 2012. This wrestler knew how to rile the crowds and make them all boo. He came back in 1998and participated in World Championship Wrestling. Brian BlairBad News BrownBam Bam BigelowBarry Windham / The WidowmakerBig John StuddBilly GrahamBilly Jack HaynesBlackjack MulliganBob BacklundBob OrtonBobby DuncumBret HartBruno SammartinoBrutus BeefcakeBuddy RoseButchButch ReedBuzz SawyerCousin JuniorCpl. Along with his colorful wrestling career, Falkinburg pursued several endeavors outside the ring including as a fitness instructor and a motivational speaker. About this list Andr the Giant Andre the Giant is one of the most memorable of the pro wrestlers from the 80s because of his tremendous size. In the 1980s, plenty of wrestlers got over without winning major championships. In the Mid-South Territory, Sylvester Ritter, aka The Junkyard Dog was practically a god. Wrestling Superstars Game | Board Game | BoardGameGeek It wasnt until 1985 when he signed a contract with the WWF that he became known as The Dragon. He truly was a giant among men, reaching a height of 7 feet 4 inches and weighing 520 pounds, He suffered from a medical condition called Gigantism that caused an excess of growth hormone to surge through his body, leading to serious health complications and a somewhat abnormal appearance. Starting his wrestling career in 1973, Savage lived through it all up until his death in 2011 of cardiovascular disease. Related: 10 Things In Wrestling That Made Fans Believe It Was Real. Flair's comments perfectly describe the wrestling attitude of the 1980s, as the sport went from a regional entertainment event to a cultural phenomenon, and there's little doubt that the wrestlers enjoyed going along with the ride. Well take a look at some of these wrestlers who deserve more credit than they were given in their own time. He was the first World Class World champion and later a run with the UWF. It left us with memories of an addictive show that kept us in suspense as it came to a final climactic, Read More The History of and Story Behind the Game of Thrones LogoContinue, Steven Spielberg ranks as one of the most iconic and respected directors in the history of American cinema. The big guy was a perennial mid-carder for his entire career. Fans loved him and he was a great talker. Memphis, Tennessee is The City Of Kings - B.B. Love lists with a passion and enjoy the history of the business as well as football and baseball. Finishing up in the indies, the "Hands of Stone" seems to be ignored today while being a top worker for JCP. After taking some time off from the WWF in the late 1980s he returned in 1990 for a second run and was known simply as The Dragon. These ten superstars are prime examples of that. 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 withi. He officially retired in 1998, but came back for a final match in 2008 in Spain. Related: Billy Jack Haynes & 9 Other Forgotten '80s WWE Wrestlers Who Competed At WrestleMania. He was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. Sgt. Slaughter Doesn't Understand Not Being Invited To The Undertaker's Yet for all their amazing tag team matches the Fantastics' rep today isn't so fantastic. Ive also summarized the data from this page and compiled it onto a separate data page. He died at the too-young age of 33 in 1995 as that hard-living lifestyle kept Hot Stuff from truly succeeding in the big leagues. Top 20 Wrestlers Of The 1980s He took that stardom with him to the WWE. In the 1980s, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting some tag team of two handsome young men with high-flying moves. Valentine has had an amazing four-decade career in wrestling and hes held over forty championship titles. Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed. Has Weed Gotten Stronger Since the 1980s? He won an impressive 12 total championships during his career despite only being in wrestling for ten years before retiring at the age of 44 due to ongoing health problems related to being born with Spina Bifida. The 1980s was packed with a variety of stars thanks to the scores of territories around, not only the popular WWE. Jimmy Superfly Snuka was born James Smith on Fiji in 1943. Championship Wrestling from Florida - Wikipedia While some information in this list was double-checked using various wrestling websites, blogs and other unofficial sources, most of the data was sourced from reputable publications including obituaries, archived newspapers, the Cauliflower Alley Club, Dave Meltzers Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Greg Olivers fantastic Slam! Brutus Beefcake Greg Valentine Curt Hennig Randy Savage WWE via YouTube Who is the tough '80s wrestler shown here? Madness The Big Geno; The Spider, and in his earlier days, Randy Poffo. He earned the distinction of winning the WWF Championship in 1983, ending the reign of Bob Backlund, but he would surrender the belt to Hulk Hogan just a month later. 12 Of The Pettiest Acts Of Retribution In Sports. In 1998 he announced his retirement from wrestling on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. The 1982 Wrestling All Stars Series A and B sets are the benchmark for all modern wrestling card sets. With most superstars being louder than loud in their promos, Jake The Snake Roberts took Teddy Roosevelts advice - speak softly and carry a big stick. He switched out the stick for Damien and became one of the biggest stars of the eighties or any other era. From there, Mark Calaway became one of the biggest stars in wrestling history . Pro Wrestling: The Top 20 Wrestlers of the 1980s With his tough looks and hard fist, it was little wonder Ronnie Garvin was nicknamed "Rugged." Besides his handsome looks, he was a great worker, tops on the mic, and amazingly popular from Mid-South to the NWA. Ritter passed away in June of 1998, in Forest, Mississippi at the age of 45. In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. He could say what he needed to say and make it interesting at the same time. He wrestled a few times afterward, but was never able to regain his past glory. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers ever and is also considered one of the biggest draws in wrestling history as well. He wrestled for the WWF and also for other promotions in Japan, the US and other countries throughout the world. To this very day, his leap off the Steel Cage in MSG onto Don Muraco has become mythic folklore told by the future wrestlers who were in attendance that night - Bubba Ray Dudley, Tommy Dreamer, and Mick Foley. The WWE, known then as the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF, drew in record numbers of fans of all ages and from all walks of life. he appeared in The Predator and The Running Manwith Arnold Schwarzenegger. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Many became massive main event favorites and carers lasting for years. While he recovered from it, he never stepped foot in a wrestling ring again except for commentating. David Von Erich was 6-foot-6,. In 1981, he defeated Harley Race for the NWA World title in a one-week reign that was just because of promoter politics. He also earned the names Hit Man, The Best There Is, and The Excellence of Execution. He is the son of Stu Hart, a wrestling patriarch who also trained him for his career in the sport. He appeared as a wrestler in an episode of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, with Danny DeVito. The French pro wrestler was also an actor and we remember him from both his magnificent performances in the ring as well as his role in the film The Princess Bride. Andre went by other ring names including: Monster Roussimoff; Monster Eiffel Tower; Jean Ferre; Giant Machiine; Geant Ferre and earlier in his career, Andre Roussimoff. In the late 19th century, the famous Michigan wrestler Jack Carkeek made many famous bouts in England, and in the early 20c Estonian-born, London-based Georg Hackenschmidt was one of the first wrestlers to introduce showmanship to the sport, he also travelled to the USA where he beat American Heavyweight Champion Tom Jenkins. His long career spanned a 30-year period. Within a few years of his debut in World Class, he managed to supplant the Freebirds as the most hated man in Texas wrestling. He was two-time winner of the WWF Championship. He was trained by Hiro Matsuda. In the 80s, he was a villainous character in the ring as well as an all-American. He retired from the ring in 1994. Although he was born Richard Blood he went by Ricky Steamboat during his early wrestling career. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in April of 1954 as Roderick George Toombs. Related: 10 WWE Golden Era Wrestlers Who Are Only Remembered For One Storyline. Superfly Jimmy Snuka was one of the most unique characters in wrestling in the 1980s. His films have been among the biggest box office hits of all time. He had a brief run in WCW but otherwise drifted off and now just seems a huge "could have been" rather than a bigger star for wrestling. He remains one of the best big men ever in the sport. In 1975 Flair was one of several wrestlers who were passengers on a small plane that crashed. He was a face, but he was a face with an edge. Andre made his pro wrestling debut in 1963. Todays embodiment World Wrestling Entertainment pretty much embraces the idea that the sport is a form of reality based programming with a mix of scripted elements and real action. Because of his success and being a, Read More What Does Steve Harvey Do For Charity?Continue. WWE Power Rankings: Rating the Top 25 WWE Superstars of the 1980s Although Lister is blind in his right eye from birth, he was able to perform at a high level in the ring and on the gridiron where he played briefly for the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League. He held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice and held an impressive reign of 654 days as champion. Duggan was born James Edward Duggan Jr. in January of 1954 in Glens Falls, New York. If youre looking for only the most well known guys, weve put those onthis page here, along with bios, photos and videos. Its still astounding to imagine had Magnum avoided that accident and reached the top of the mountain in the NWA. Top 29 Best Wrestlers Of The 1970s - TheSportster His character was very over with fans, but he also had a great look about him as well which helped make him into a star even more than his promos did. He won the first ever Royal Rumble and became King by defeating Harley Race. 1980s professional wrestling boom Savage won multiple titles during his run including three WWF Championships, four WWF Intercontinental Championships, and three WCW Championships. With James J. Dillion as his manager, Landel seemed set for a run as NWA World champion. List of Former WWE programs | Pro Wrestling | Fandom The 1980s professional wrestling boom (more commonly referred to as the Golden Age) saw a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States and worldwide throughout the 1980s. These are guys who had every ingredient to be main events, from their in-ring talent to mic work and more, and could have been huge. He earned the nickname of Ravishing Rick Rude because he was considered a sexy personality by many female fans. Haynes left WWE in 1988 to travel back to Portland and later a brief stint in WCW. Roddy officially retired from the ring in 2014. He also appeared as a maniac wrestler on the television show Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As much as some people love his work, they dont give him enough credit for how important he was to WWEs early years and how important he remains even in todays product. Soft drinks or sodas have been popular carbonated drinks for about a hundred years now, and No matter who you are or what you like, dining out is always a fun experience. As one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world, McDonalds is bound to be talked Like many countries, America has a long, long history. Wrestling columns, as well as verifications from various respected wrestling historians in books and forums. Buddy Landel may have seemed a Flair copy from the blonde hair to the figure-four leglock finisher, but he was also a sharp and capable worker. Love lists with a passion and enjoy the history of the business as well as football and baseball. So for the first half of the decade, they did what they could with what they had at hand. Piper gained fame outside the ring after starring in the science fiction cult-classic They Livein 1988. Parsons excelled as a face before transforming into a heel who held pretty much every title in the promotion at one point. 10 Wrestlers Who Were Popular In The 1980s (But Are Hulk Hogan was the biggest star in wrestling in the 1980s. King, Elvis Presley, and of course, Jerry The King Lawler. Randy also served as commentator for the sport when he was no longer wrestling in the ring. Plus, Larry Zbyszko, Pat Patterson, and many more take to the ring for action! Hulk Hogan was born in Augusta, Georgia in August of 1953 as Terry Gene Bollea. He was trained by Verne Gagne and Larry Hennig. To search the list, start typing into the search box below, just above the table. Raymond himself has been a member of the WWE French commentary team for years. That included a run as U.S. tag team champion and then a brief, if controversial, reign as NWA World Champion in 1987. Beefcake was a villain who was a frequent antagonist of the up and coming Terry Hogan, later Hulk Hogan. His legacy will always be that of being one of the most unique characters in wrestling history as well as being one of the most influential stars of all period. He initially used the alias George Steele to hide his identity because he was still a high school teacher and coach when he began his professional wrestling career in the 1950s. The full 2023 zerocool Stranger . 1982 Wrestling All Stars Series A and B Trading Cards Many were able to capitalize to become huge stars for either WWF or WCW and many are remembered well today. He was the best performer, not just in the ring but on the mic, with charisma brothers Kerry and Kevin couldnt match. Hes still known as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, winning 30 championships and holding six World Championships during his time with the WCW and WWF. If youve ever been to a movie theatre, an amusement park, or even a large event No matter where youre from, youve probably met a Costco fanatic at some point. He was the first-ever guy to do this and he did it against one of the biggest names in wrestling history. Next: The Texas Tornado & 9 More Of The Best Nicknames From WWE's Golden Era. he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1996 and his two sons also became wrestlers. Next: 10 Oldest Wrestlers To Ever Compete In WWE History (& Their Ages), 10 WWE Backstage Stories From The 1980s That We Cant Believe, 5 Ways The WWE Has Drastically Changed Since The 1980s (& 5 Ways Theyre Exactly The Same), 10 Most Important WWE Matches Of The 1980s, Who Booked This Crap?