WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century. One of wrestlings breakout stars, Roddy Piper became a bonafide pop-cultural icon with numerous appearances on television sitcoms and cartoons. Wigan-born Davey Boy Smith started out on World of Sport at 15, known as Young David. 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 was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment under the ring name Mike Awesome and for Roy Wayne Farris, better known by the ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American retired professional wrestler. He has been the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018. His insane, charismatic promos and trademark Woo are etched into professional wrestling forever. Jaguar Yokota for a time was considered the best wrestler in the world period. It's like Hulkamania, YOU CAN'T STOP IT, BROTHER! Starting out as a manager, Page managed multiple tag teams and superstars. He is partially responsible for ushering in Hulkamania. Debuted in 1990 in Calgary after training in the Hart Family Dungeon. He defeated Hulkamania. 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. Frank Goodish was a wild man who was a lone wolf. Barry Clinton Windham is an American retired professional wrestler. I know Hulk Hogan brought everything mainstream and led the Rock & Wrestling connection to everyone's attention and Wrestlemania set the world on fire. With their incredible power, over the top attire and KISS-like face paint, Ax and Smash were a force to be reckoned with. Beefcake held nine titles throughout his career and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. He has been married to Martina Carls since December 28, 1991. He is an actor, known for Stampede Wrestling (1957), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WCW Saturday Night (1985). This man knew what it took to be champion many times over. In high school, he played football. While no longer flaunting his Million Dollar Championship belt, hes still on good terms with the WWE and makes special appearances from time to time. He joined the Horsemen and teamed with Arn Anderson to form a powerful tag team. He has been married to Jana Perry since April 24, 2005. Robert Louis Backlund is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. The prototypical arrogant pretty boy, Rude was known for insulting the mostly-male crowds before enticing women with promises of sexual promiscuity. Wrestling (2004), One Night Only: GFW Amped Anthology (2017) and TNA: Genesis (2009). The Hart Foundation Members: Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart WWE Debut: 1985 Manager: Jimmy Hart Tag Team Titles Won: Two (1987, 1990) Finishing Move: Hart Attack (Running Clothesline) Her matches with her aforementioned nemeses were attended by sold-out crowds in Japan and bolstered the reputation of Japanese womens wrestling worldwide. score: 23 of 126 (18%) required scores: 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 list stats leaders vote print comments 9 Tully Blanchard - Slingshot Suplex As one of the original Four Horsemen, Tully Blanchard will be always be associated with greatness. But the thing about nostalgia is that it tends to whitewash some of the darker parts of history in favor of a rose-tinted rearview. 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. Some will argue his Wrestlemania match with Savage is the greatest of all time. Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). The knee from the top rope into the back of the skull was downright scary! He died too soon and his talents are missed. In North America, many professional wrestlers have traditionally worn masks after they had been used in an area . To this day, there is still no wrestler more popular than Hulk Hogan. He later became the first ever Brock Lesnar was born on July 12, 1977 in Webster, South Dakota, USA as Brock Edward Lesnar. Vote for your favorite now or I'll find you and put you in the camel clutch! He was a star in the Universal Wrestling Federation, wrestled in Georgia and feuded with both Brad Armstrong and Tommy Rich. When the WWE women's division was reactivated in 1993, Alundra Blayze was the lady to beat. Japan's Antonio Inoki is a "living" legend in Asia. 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. Tell us what you think about this feature. Truly one of the old-school bears of the business. Tommy Dreamer was born on February 14, 1971 in Yonkers, New York, USA as Thomas Laughlin. In 2002, Asai underwent arm surgery which allowed him to return to wrestling. Now the loud-mouthed commentator for RAW, Lawler was a successful champion in the Mid-South area under Jerry Jarrett. Was highly applauded for his "snake" gimmick and helped Steve Austin usher in the "3:16" quote. Though being the heel commentator, his hilarious one-liners on commentary have endeared him to the fans. He graduated with honors from Normandy High School before attending Miami University of Ohio (where he was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity).While in college, he auditioned for The Real World Nuufolau Joel Seanoa is an American professional wrestler and color commentator, better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The "Golden Era" of wrestling. Butcher is iconic, leading to the big men like Kamala and other wild men from "parts unknown.". But wherever he wrestled, people stood up and took notice. He was mainly used as a jobber - a wrestler who rarely wins and is King Kong Bundy was riding a win streak of 300 consecutive victories when he challenged Terry "Hulk" Hogan to the World Wrestling Federation World's Heavyweight Championship. Which Historical Figure Would Win In An All-Night Drinking Competition. Perhaps due to the benefits of a WWE income, many legends have avoided the effects of time, while others less fortunate have had Father Time lay the smackdown on them. 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 is also a member of the elite group of wrestlers known as the Clique. He may have been one of the first small-style wrestlers to get over in the 1980s. 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. Big Bully Busick - Dead at 63. Warrior was very one-dimensional and it showed. Jimmy Snuka. 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. Hogan made wrestling a national phenomenon in the mid-1980s. I want it to. Search for: . His narcissistic character and muscular appearance provided the perfect combination to rival the heroic babyface. Despite his goofy yellow polka dots, theres something sort of poetic about Dusty The American Dream Rhodes rise to fame. #29 of 448. IT DOESN'T DIE! Ax and Smash reunite outside of the WWE, but legal battles have soured their relationship with WWE. Unfortunately, Ric Flairs stylin and profilin has caught up to him. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He was a good looking guy from Hawaii who held the Intercontinental Title in WWF but never challenged for the WWF heavyweight title. Moved to the WWF and claimed the Intercontinental championship. Trish Stratus. I will stand by that. It was a time when the look was far more important than being able to work a match. And thanks to the rise of trends from ombre, dip dye and balayage the Desperately Seeking Susan crop is coming back around again. Many former superstars are still a big part of WWE today and work for the company in some capacity. He dropped out of school to become a pro wrestler in Mexico. 8. Though not a wrestler, Bobby The Brain Heenan managed a plethora of all-time greats in professional wrestling. Georgia Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, Southeastern Championship Wrestling. Now at age 66, time hasnt been kind to Ventura. WWE: OMG! Wrestling (2004), TNA Wrestling: Phenomenal - The Best of AJ Styles (2004) and 1PW: First Anniversary (2007). One of the few men to have been inducted into five separate wrestling Hall of Fames, Harley Race is studied to this day as a technical master so much so that he was often announced as the "The Greatest Wrestler on God's Green Earth." Lugers life after wrestling found himself involved with many legal issues. He was previously married to Donna Joy Dundee. With all do respect to Robert Aitken, my writing colleague, there are better wrestlers in the 1980s that came out of other organizations besides the WWF. The leader of the Hart Foundation, as of now, is cancer free but the toll of treatments and stroke has left him looking more like time's marked man than a Hitman himself. They were also the only tag teams at the team to win titles in the NWA, AWA and WWW. Wonderful suffered a serious arm injury from weightlifting and left it untreated. After his time in the navy, Ventura started lifting weights and soon entered the world of pro wrestling becoming known as Jesse The Body Ventura. Wrestling (2004) and ECW: Hardcore Revolution (2000). Slaughter and Greg Valentine were successful in the NWA. He moved to the Carolinas and feuded with Flair, Valentine and Jack Brisco. At only 59, Luger looks more like a frail old man than the Total Package.. WWE's greatest females of the 1980s are highlighted in this photo gallery, including Wendi Richter, Fabulous Moolah and Rockin' Robin. Learn more at. Nicknamed Mick by his father, a lifelong Yankees and Mickey Mantle fan, he attended college in upstate New York, he hitchiked to New York City to see a wrestling match between Jimmy Snuka (Jimmy Snuka) and Don Muraco that Rey Mysterio was a professional wrestler for WCW who made his wrestling debut in Mexico. He is a three-time World Heavyweight Champion Scott Charles Bigelow was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. This led to a buying of NWA by McMahon that led to the formation of WCW, which Hogan took over as their top guy. 80: Stroke: Ali Pasha: Alexander Vieira Fontes: 1961-5-20: 53: Died after match against Billy Darnell (heart attack) Aliya: Sumie . He starred as one of the leads in the fifth season of the popular television series Haven on Syfy. The history of womens wrestling may have taken an entirely different direction had Wendi not been bamboozled by Vince McMahon and The Fabulous Moolah during the infamous Rock N Wrestling connection moment. He also starred as a guest character on the Syfy Began his career in Texas. 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. Jeffrey Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler and musician. Bret Hart Actor | WWF SmackDown! He had a great run in the WWF and became an even bigger star when he left and went to the NWA. Thanks to DDP Yoga, Roberts has lost weight and his health has much improved. Shinmai Maou no Testament Departures. He is John Felix Anthony Cena was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts to Carol Cena and John Joseph Cena. Its almost impossible to overstate the precision and crispness of Harts technical abilities and his resilience in the face of some very real tragedies is beyond admirable. Was a staple in Texas and the Carolinas. This generation of wrestlers made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Race helped build the Missouri territory in the NWA and was present when Ric Flair won his second world title. They often provided an excellent foil to the overpowered Crush Gals throughout their influential run. Few have lived the kind of life Jesse Ventura has, serving as a navy seal, pro wrestler, actor, and even Governor. He was previously married to Diana Hart. He was the standard for all that was evil with Russia. Her sweetness and indomitable spirit were documented in the GLOW documentary. 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. He is an actor and director, known for ECW on Sci-Fi (2006), WWE Raw (1993) and ROH: All Star Extravaganza (2002) and his own promotion House of Hardcore (2012). Came back to the NWA and beat The Great Muta for the title. For a time, Hart was considered the most famous person in Canada and is quite often regarded as the greatest wrestler of all time. Though he has mostly recovered from his stroke, in 2016 Bret Hart was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Unfortunately, Roberts suffered from alcohol abuse during his career. (1999), WWE Saturday Night's Main Event (2006) and ECW One Night Stand (2005). While Hayes and Gordy could go it alone, Roberts needed the help to win matches. The Sheik was an accomplished amateur before he went pro. Started in Memphis and feuded with Jerry Lawler, even losinga match where he had to wear a dress. Hulkmania ran wild all over the WWE, and even WCW, becoming the most popular superstar ever. The feud between Orndorff and Hogan was one of the longest and most memorable feuds of the 80s. His reputation for playing mind games with his opponents never superseded his actual in-ring acumen. The Wrestlers: Land of a Thousand Dances. Erick Rowan with Hair. Whatever you do, leave the hairbrush at home - the more disheveled the better. The '80s. His vicious character climaxed in the . Among the many virtues of The Rockers were their hairstyles, which were vibrant enough to be the envy of any hairspray-encrusted guitar hero of the '80s. Probably because of these WWE (then WWF) Superstars. He was also known for his fiery Latin temper. War Games, Starrcade, Bunkhouse Stampede. There were few wrestlers who were as good technically as Morales. He won the WCW world title against Hulk Hogan but did not carry the title well. And in doing so, he proved he could not draw like Hogan and eventually lost the strap. He is also remembered for wrestling Ric Flair to a time-limit draw when he was top dog in Minnesota. One of the voices of professional wrestling in the 1980s and 90s, Gorilla Monsoon was one of the biggest stars to ever sit behind the announce table. 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. Bockwinkel wrestled for several years in various regions, but gained his greatest fame in the now-defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). Page has developed his own yoga fitness program calling it DDPYoga. 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. A rugged small wrestler from the Boston area tore up Florida in the late 70s and early 80s, feuding with Mike Graham, Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham. (1999). Never one to hold titles, he caused a commotion as the leader of a cult in Florida featuring Jake Roberts and Mark Lewin (Purple Haze). And that's probably why this list exists. He also recently spent time hospitalized with organ failure and will have to have a pacemaker inserted through surgery. Ricky Steamboat worked as an agent, a trainer and currently as an ambassador for the WWE. He had great looks and a great technique. A car accident nearly killed him and the dream he would be the hero everyone wanted to be champion. He was previously married to Cindy Womack. Both flashy and furious, Mil Mscaras is considered one of Mexican wrestlings first international stars. 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. He feuded with Roddy Piper in the famous "Dog Collar" match which almost destroyed Piper. (1999), WWE Saturday Morning Slam (2012) and WWE Raw (1993). He was so white and pale and hairless, he was referred to as the Michelin Man. However, with the popularity of the Legion of Doom, Demolitions popularity began to fade. But he was one of the few bigger men that could move well and also spent time in the NWA wrestling in Georgia. He was best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as The Road Warriors (The Legion of Doom in WWF), with Road Warrior Animal. At 450 pounds, with a big bald head, no visible neck, and an evil glare in his eyes, he was Hulk Hogan's first "giant" opponent, and the footage of him injuring Hogan's ribs in 1986 is still etched into many an aging Hulkamaniac's brain. 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. Bret Hart WWE.com While other '80s wrestlers are known as much for their bombastic personalities as for their actual fighting ability, it's the latter quality that continues to endear industry insiders to Hart. Backlund was a crowd favorite and would prove that mat wrestling could still win in the end. Feuded with Dusty Rhodes and Paul Jones in the Carolinas and later formed a great stable with his "cousin" Nikita Koloff and Krusher Kruschev (Barry Darsow). 17. Introducing acrobatic aerial attacks to Japanese audiences, Mscaras is considered an innovator of high-risk antics like the ever-popular tope suicida. He is also recognized as one of the worlds best wrestlers ever. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. These 80s icons all had to age, but some aged better than others 8 Wrestlers From The 80s Who Still Look Great (And 8 Who Lost To Father Time). Moolah then signed with WWE during the '80s Rock'n'Wrestling era and famously feued with Wendi Richter and singer Cyndi Lauper. He also won the World Class Heavyweight Title and feuded with The Freebirds with his brothers and then with Jerry Lawler before taking his act to the WWF as the Texas Tornado. Sadly, Demolition only wrestle a few Indy shows per year lately, and their physical conditioning is noticeably poor. He died on August 4, 2021 in the USA. Flair had nothing but praise for Race upon his death in 2019: Without Harley Race, there was no Ric Flair. Slaughter. He was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson and rose to fame in the western states. But he also may have been held up by Flair's success. Big John Studd 4 of 20 This guy was big, and not. They have two children. He was not much of a wrestler in WWF as much as he was an entertainer. Whether it was Bobby Eaton an Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane, the team could wrestle anyone. He also starred as a recurring character on the History Channel series Vikings. He wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute time limit draw on the Clash of the Champions. Follow Jesse on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JessePRodriguez to get his latest articles. As a member of the notorious Crush Gals tag team, Lioness Asuka helped to propel womens wrestling to global popularity. 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. One cant think of a larger than life wrestler without thinking of Lex Luger. Big Dick Dudley - Dead at 34. Trained by Dusty Rhodes, The Peoples Champ became one of the most popular wrestlers ever, equipped with the deadliest finisher of all time, the Diamond Cutter. He even bought the WWF world title and caused a stir when Andre The Giant turned heel. Booker has John Hennigan was born on October 3, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He trained under Verne Gagne, and first made his name in the old Mid-Atlantic territory in the Carolinas. Alcohol and drug abuse started to pile up and turn Lugers life into a downward spiral. (1999), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WCW Saturday Night (1985). Wrestled in the UWF and WCW and then went to the WWF and flourished. They're the cream of the crop! 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 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. From Andre, to Mr. A medical student at Minnesota University (his father was a doctor, his mother an actress), Flair dropped out college to train for the mat wars under legendary former AWA World champ Verne Gagne. Muraco was a big guy back in the day and feuded with Tito Santana in the early 1980s at the beginning of the height of Hulkamania. 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. He has been married to Pam since January 3, 2004. However, he was one of the greatest heels of all time. While Ventura remains busy with non-wrestling projects, his long, stringy, gray hair makes him look more like a crazy hermit than a former pro wrestler turned governor. 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). He made his professional Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. His father Gory Guerrero became a star in the U.S., an icon in Texas and a legend in Mexico. Between those Owen Hart was one of twelve children from a legendary Canadian wrestling family. At his age of 68, he still resembles his iconic character and, despite the rough life of pro wrestling, his boot camp training appears to have kept him in good shape. They were southern cool and feuded in World Class Championship Wrestling with the Von Erichs. He was an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! When he was in college, he played football. He has been married to Rena Mero since May 6, 2006. He has been married to Kira Hennigan since June 1, 2018. His Aurelian Smith Jr. better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. Blood clots in his lungs hampered his in-ring career which has affected him later in life as well. Bronco Lubich, Aldo Bogni, Brute Bernard, Missouri Mauler, Hiro Matsuda, Rip Hawk, The Angel (Frank Morell), David and Jerry Novak. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a manager. Von Erich was tall, strong and could hold his own in the ring with anyone. The former AWA champion came to the WWF and was competitive. Meltzer has previously described her as the most popular womens wrestler of all time.. Started in Texas and toured the world. 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.
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