Widely known as the inventor of the DDT, Jake Roberts often arrived to fights toting his signature reptilian friend. He is an actor, known for TNA iMPACT! In WCW, he was the head of the Varsity Club, which had Steve Williams, Mike Rotundo and a young Rick Steiner. 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. 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. 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. Ric Flair said David Von Erich could have been champion and carried the NWA. I tried my hardest every day to live up to his standard in the ring, he said. Fought with Verne Gagne, Hulk Hogan and Billy Robinson. The 2015 WWE Hall of Famer Jacqueline was one of the most hard hitting WWE Women's Wrestlers of the '90s. Hes still capable of walking down the aisle and putting a maggot in his place. He has been married to Jana Perry since April 24, 2005. Madonna. A symbol of the spirit of Lucha Libre, Mil Mscaras is one of the few masked fighters ever inducted into WWEs notorious Hall of Fame. He and tag-team One of the great Hispanic wrestlers, Eddie Guerrero grew up part of the famous wrestling family: The Guerreros. They have one Ray Traylor was born on May 2, 1963 in Marietta, Georgia, USA. Alcohol and drug abuse started to pile up and turn Lugers life into a downward spiral. He has been married to Martina Carls since December 28, 1991. Jannetty in particular was rocking a style that would break Billy Ray Cyrus' "achy breaky heart" on the spot. He was a star in the Universal Wrestling Federation, wrestled in Georgia and feuded with both Brad Armstrong and Tommy Rich. He dropped out of school to become a pro wrestler in Mexico. The prototypical arrogant pretty boy, Rude was known for insulting the mostly-male crowds before enticing women with promises of sexual promiscuity. He is of Italian (father) and French-Canadian and English (mother) descent, and is the grandson of baseball player Tony Lupien. When he got to the WWF, he created a buzz with feuds against Big John Studd and Hulk Hogan. Richard Morgan Fliehr isn't what you'd expect from a professional wrestler. Now the loud-mouthed commentator for RAW, Lawler was a successful champion in the Mid-South area under Jerry Jarrett. But wherever he wrestled, people stood up and took notice. Have had legal troubles and was Miss Elizabeth's boyfriend when she passed away of a drug overdose. Troy Allan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. War Games, Starrcade, Bunkhouse Stampede. He came to Jim Crockett Promotions and lit up the area. He has been married to Shawn Trebnick since January 9, 2008. Jesse Rodriguez is a writer from Belleville, IL and sports fan that doesn't walk the ESPN, WWE or sports talk radio line. He presently works for Impact Wrestling. While Hogan was creating a theatrical persona, Flair was wrestling 60-minute matches and beating everyone across the globe. He was a good looking guy from Hawaii who held the Intercontinental Title in WWF but never challenged for the WWF heavyweight title. Barry Clinton Windham is an American retired professional wrestler. His contract expired in 2004 which he left on good terms. Jacqueline was ahead of her game with the women at that time. I want old school wrestling, but I will take what we have now. His insane, charismatic promos and trademark Woo are etched into professional wrestling forever. They have three children. They have one Scott Steiner has been a mainstay in professional wrestling for over 15 years. Hulkamania is the greatest concept ever created in wrestling. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. We look back at the biggest stars of . 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). The injury persisted and even caused muscle shrinkage, later in his career. With his pet snake, Damien, draped over his neck, Roberts sadistic charisma, in-ring talent, dark mic skills and use of one of the deadliest finishers of all time, the DDT, made Jake The Snake one of the all-time greats. He always said he would raise his arm in his sleep if he heard someone count to two. His IRL truculent personality and tendency towards bridge-burning made him an unlikely favorite in the industry and although he was likely portrayed as a villain (along with his partner Nikolai Volkoff) due to xenophobia within the USA, he certainly lived up to his dastardly, devil-may-care reputation out of the ring. Another wrestler who could have been better than he was. He will always be known as the guy who helped set up Hulkamania. The Genetic Jackhammer refuses to be laughed at for his appearance. Considering how jacked many of these superstars once were, their current appearance is shocking. He also has a stint in WCW when he wrestled with Ricky Steamboat against Barry Windham and Ric Flair at a television taping, leading to Steamboat getting a shot at the world title. Michael Francis Foley was born on June 7th, 1965, in Long Island, New York. Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. From years of taking bumps, suffering injuries and battling cancer, Paul Orndorff is definitely looking less wonderful and more like grandpa. It was said he did not want Hogan to win because he did not have amateur credentials. Amassing 34 total championship wins in his career, Pipers legacy now lives on in Ronda Rousey, whom he gifted the Rowdy moniker. They often provided an excellent foil to the overpowered Crush Gals throughout their influential run. "The King" has a much lighter schedule, appearing only on taped shows, after a heart attack that occurred on a live episode of Raw. Brother-in-law of former tag team partner Barry Windham. I'm not a Cena "you can't see me zombie", so you won't see him high on my list. He had the best mind to create anything he wanted. When he got to the WWF, that was a different story. Helped tear up the Florida territory and fought overseas in Japan and the Orient. 3,570 votes. Shinmai Maou no Testament Departures. Broke into wrestling in the Global Wrestling Federation, known then as The Lightning Kid. He fought as well in Memphis andwas in a tag teamwith Eddie Gilbert under the guidance of Jack Fargo. Steamboat, at 64, retains a lot of his in ring talent, showing the world, Hes still got it, during a 10-Man tag match on the April 6 episode of Raw during his feud his Chris Jericho back in 2009. His finisher looked great and looked devastating for its time. Admitted steroid use, losing millions of dollars from an ugly divorce, a leaked sex tape, suing Gawker, and public racist comments surfacing that have, at least for now, blacklisted Hogan from the WWE, have all tried to beatHulk into submission. Her garish fashion statements have since inspired a new generation of sartorial outsiders. Archive and tribute to dead wrestlers. He was previously married to Donna Joy Dundee. However, he was one of the greatest heels of all time. Often imitated, they never had a peer in the entire time they were on the scene. Vampiro is known for A Wolf at the Door (2013), Trash (2014) and Crossing the Line (2012). "The American Dream" has been one of the most popular and colorful professional wrestlers in history. Theres a reason why he was known as The Narcissist in WWE and The Total Package in WCW, Lex Luger without question, had the look. Whether playing the narcissistic heel or the Made in the U.S.A. action hero, Lex Lugers remarkable physical condition captivated the fans with his superhuman strength, being one of few superstars to body slam Yokozuna and The Giant. Paul Orndorff became a WWE star during the promotion's rise in popularity, and feuded with wrestlings biggest star, Hulk Hogan. All the personal troubles and wheelin and dealin" seem to have taken its toll on the "Nature Boy" who, at 68, looks almost unrecognizable compared to his pretty boy good looks of his youth. Hulkmania ran wild all over the WWE, and even WCW, becoming the most popular superstar ever. 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. #21 of 180. Her sweetness and indomitable spirit were documented in the GLOW documentary. Bertha Faye - Dead at 40. He was so white and pale and hairless, he was referred to as the Michelin Man. Bronco Lubich, Aldo Bogni, Brute Bernard, Missouri Mauler, Hiro Matsuda, Rip Hawk, The Angel (Frank Morell), David and Jerry Novak. Many of us never saw him wrestle, err, beat people up, err, bloody people to a pulp. 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. Was a staple in Texas and the Carolinas. Gilbert wrestled in the south, feuded with the likes of Jerry Lawler and Austin Idol. 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. 17. They were mean, and everyone who wrestled them knew they were in for a fight. More of a loner and indy wrestler much like Bruiser Brody. In 1998 he transitioned into professional wrestling where he sky rocked to success after joining the World Wrestling Federation. He also recently spent time hospitalized with organ failure and will have to have a pacemaker inserted through surgery. (1999). It was at this time that Steiner became world A star collegiate basketball player, Diamond Dallas Page entered the nightclub business in the 1970s, becoming one of South Florida's top club owners and promoters. Blood clots in his lungs hampered his in-ring career which has affected him later in life as well. Served as a booker for WCW before it closed its doors for good. Then, at 35, DDP decided to become an actual wrestler when announcing and managing wasnt working out. blonde wrestlers from the 80s. But Anderson was a rugged, proud wrestler who could make you submit with an arm bar or he could bear down on a joint until you screamed for mercy. 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. He moved to the Carolinas and feuded with Flair, Valentine and Jack Brisco. 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. 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. A movie star, a pop hero, and a gentle soul Andres kindness is often remembered as fondly as his physical domination. He spent his childhood in Robinsdale, Minnesota, and had an early childhood friendship with future pro wrestler Curt Hennig. 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. Koloff was part of "Uncle Ivan's" master plan to rid the NWA of Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA. Quick! Pillman played football in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984 and in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders. Bad hair, but a great wrestler. Even though their styles are quite different (Sheik being a wild hardcore-style brawler, known for throwing fire, cutting his opponent's forehead's up with foreign objects like a pencil, Keiji Mut was born on December 23, 1962 in Yamanashi, Japan. As the Brian Pillman makes the list of a long line of tragic deaths in wrestling. He has been married to Akira Hokuto since Actor | He also starred as a guest character on the Syfy Began his career in Texas. Credit: World Wrestling Entertainment. Which Historical Figure Would Win In An All-Night Drinking Competition. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History, TNA Wrestling: Phenomenal - The Best of AJ Styles. Moved to the WWF and claimed the Intercontinental championship. Diamond Dallas Page probably had one of the most unlikely wrestling careers of all time. Played by Satoru Sayama, who Bret Hart once called the Bruce Lee of professional wrestling, Tiger Mask I was both a real-life wrestling character and the star of a popular Japanese cartoon. Times have changed and its increasingly difficult to view grapplers like The Ultimate Warrior without thinking of his appalling and bigoted worldviews. He had a great career in the NWA and WCW. He is an actor, known for The Testament of Sister New Devil: Departures (2018), Briscoe Brothers - Sandy Fork Originals (2013) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling 30th Anniversary 1997-1999 (2002). This list details eight wrestling legends of the 80s that still remain in great shape and eight others who have jobbed out to Father Time. Big Daddy V - Dead at 43. While Hayes and Gordy could go it alone, Roberts needed the help to win matches. Perfect exemplified the widely reviled heel archetype throughout the decade. Wayne Ferris took a gimmick and rode it into success. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes rose to the top of the professional wrestling world in the 1980s. Mad Dog Vachon got his first feel for wrestling on the amateur level before making the switch over to professional and quickly becoming a new breed of heel - eventually being recognized as one of the greatest wrestling heels of all time. Meltzer has previously described her as the most popular womens wrestler of all time.. Beefcake held nine titles throughout his career and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. Paul is a member of the Xi Beta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Southern Actor | score: 23 of 126 (18%) required scores: 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 list stats leaders vote print comments Daniels made one Bobby Roode was born on May 11, 1976 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Throughout his career, he performed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). 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. He wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute time limit draw on the Clash of the Champions. He is the grandson of Bob Orton, Sr. and the Adam Copeland is an actor and an professional wrestler, who wrestles as Edge in the WWE. (1999), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WCW Saturday Night (1985). THE SPIRIT OF THE WARRIOR WILL RUN FOREVER!!! Hart comes from the legendary Hart Family of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 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. It's the greatest WWE Superstars of the '80s! Even worse, Flair lost his son, Reid, to an accidental overdose. 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. 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. Yoga. Because it is worth talking about the greatest WWE Superstars of the 80s forever. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). The Toughest Professional Fighters in History. He has just as much to do with the success of Ric Flair as anyone else. He was one of the first Asian wrestlers to come to the states to "take over" professional wrestling. However, he was an enormous star in the 70s as well, working almost exclusively in the NWA and its territories. He was the best talker ever in wrestling and was a better mat wrestler than you think. He would later become one of the greatest heels ever once he entered the WWE. Sting has toured the world and wrestled in the NWA, WCW and now TNA. He was held down by the emergence of Hulk Hogan. He is an actor, known for WWE: OMG! Dig it?! Certainly, the drug-fueled charms of the salacious and ostentatious Ric Flair are indelibly imbued into our collective memories. Gordy won numerous titles overseas and in the Midwest. (1999), Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia (2009) and TNA iMPACT! Gilbert could play face or heel and was pretty good at either of them. Wonderful, to Mr. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. Bret Hart is a name often brought up when discussing greatest wrestlers of all time. Curtbegan training to follow in his fathers footsteps when he was just 12 years old. Big Bully Busick - Dead at 63. 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. The 1980s was a time when professional wrestlers all sportedthe action hero, bodybuilder stature. Names like Bockwinkle and Martel and the Road Warriors were cool and hip. 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. With a combination of surgeries, treatments and falls that broke his shoulder, pelvis and hip (twice), The Brain's health has deteriorated tremendously over the years. Her appearance as a heart-hardened sensei in the 2000 documentary Gaea Girls showed how she viewed wrestling not as an art form or a sport but as a kind of sacred pursuit. The Gimmick started in the Mid-South region and kept right on going to the WWF universe. Big Dick Dudley - Dead at 34. He is signed to WWE, and is also the owner and founder of the independent promotion Reality of Wrestling (ROW) in Texas City, Texas. 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. Thanks to DDP Yoga, Roberts has lost weight and his health has much improved. Orton was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Bob Orton, Jr. and his wife Elaine. 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. 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. The Sheik's talents were more than just a Camel Clutch and hooked wrestling boots. In fact, he was so known to the British public that the Queen and former Prime Minister Margret Thatcher were said to be fans! He has been married to Pam since January 3, 2004. Unfortunately, Roberts suffered from alcohol abuse during his career. Unfortunately, Ric Flairs stylin and profilin has caught up to him. Santana was an Intercontinental Champion and was a crowd favorite the entire time he wrestled for the McMahon dynasty. Retired American professional wrestler best known for his work for ECW and WCW during the 1990s.

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