He is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! Went to the WWF and another superstar was born. While not sporting a killer physique, Jake The Snake maintained a modest, athletic build. He was trained by the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of pro-wrestling's classic and greatest bad guys. Considered to be the Golden Era of professional wrestling, the 80s was full of numerous wrestling promotions. 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. DiBiase entered the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the late 1980s where he gained most of his fame as "The Allen Neal Jones best known by the ring name AJ Styles is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. Inoki has some of the most impressive fight stats in mat history. It's like Hulkamania, YOU CAN'T STOP IT, BROTHER! He was also known for his fiery Latin temper. As much a wrestler as a cultural ambassador, Mscaras starred in over 20 films. Mullet Critique: Riveting. Tommy Dreamer was born on February 14, 1971 in Yonkers, New York, USA as Thomas Laughlin. Dig it?! Perfect exemplified the widely reviled heel archetype throughout the decade. Our list is sortable by ring name, real name, date, age, and cause of death. Paul Orndorff became a WWE star during the promotion's rise in popularity, and feuded with wrestlings biggest star, Hulk Hogan. Madonna. He had a body that made men mad and made women swoon. 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. 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. Big Boss Man - Dead at 41. Wayne Ferris took a gimmick and rode it into success. This generation of wrestlers made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and for that we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Another wrestler who could have been better than he was. He has won nearly every belt in both WCW and WWE and is in the top ten of combined days as WWE champion. He had a great run in the WWF and became an even bigger star when he left and went to the NWA. 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. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Why WCW's Ring Was So Different From WWE's, Explained, 5 WWE Wrestlers Who Survived Bad Gimmicks (& 5 Who Had It Define Their Careers), 5 Best WWE Tag Team Champions Of The New Generation Era (& 5 Worst). Wrestling journalist In the book WCW: The Ultimate Guide, Dave Scherer described Hennig as "one of the best all-round competitors this business has ever produced.. Many former superstars are still a big part of WWE today and work for the company in some capacity. He starred as one of the leads in the fifth season of the popular television series Haven on Syfy. 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. Rhodes went to the WWF and was summarily used as a mid card wrestler. 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. And of course, the omnipresence of Hulk Hogans red and yellow logo will forever be etched into wrestling history. Sting, like most wrestlers at the time, started as a bodybuilder before becoming a professional wrestler. 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. Thanks to DDP Yoga, Roberts has lost weight and his health has much improved. In the early 80s, he was in the WWF and feuded with Pedro Morales, but his heart was in Portland and the Western region of the NWA. He was the best talker ever in wrestling and was a better mat wrestler than you think. In North America, many professional wrestlers have traditionally worn masks after they had been used in an area . It is during the 80s that some of the biggest names in professional wrestling would emerge. He was previously married to Stacy Carter, Paula Jean Carruth and Martha Kay Williams. Butcher is iconic, leading to the big men like Kamala and other wild men from "parts unknown.". It would be beyond cliche to call Andre larger than life but its an appropriate descriptor considering his largesse both in and out of the ring. Trained by the legendary Jose Lothario, Shawn Michaels wrestled in Kansas, where he met fellow wrestler, Marty Jannetty. Yet, through all the scandals, Hulk Hogan is still no stranger to the gym and stays in great shape for his age. In retrospect, its actually shocking that he only had one heavyweight title run during his stint in WWF. Eventually he became apart of the ring crew, helping set up for matches. He grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, from where he was billed throughout the bulk of his career. 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. He was also an NWA performer who won regional titles in Florida and other promotions. Big Bully Busick - Dead at 63. Although wrestling back then was strictly segregated by gender, Yokotas unquestioned skill level was often thought of as far surpassing that of her male counterparts. While you're at it, go ahead and vote for the top WWE wrestlers currently in the ring. Unfortunately, Roberts suffered from alcohol abuse during his career. 10 10. 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). Jarrett had his first major run in the WWF - winning the Intercontinental Title 6 times before joining WCW. Ranking The Greatest WWE Hall of Fame Inductees. He has been married to Akira Hokuto since Actor | Jannetty in particular was rocking a style that would break Billy Ray Cyrus' "achy breaky heart" on the spot. 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. They challenged the Horsemen, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, the Road Warriors and had a famous battle with the Rock & Roll Express. When he got to the WWF, he created a buzz with feuds against Big John Studd and Hulk Hogan. One of wrestlings breakout stars, Roddy Piper became a bonafide pop-cultural icon with numerous appearances on television sitcoms and cartoons. He is an actor, known for WrestleMania XIX (2003), Summerslam (2002) and WWE Unforgiven (2002). 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. The Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time. 17. Backlund was a crowd favorite and would prove that mat wrestling could still win in the end. He started out as Sting's tag team partner, went to Texas as the Dingo Warrior and then traveled to the WWF. Widely known as the inventor of the DDT, Jake Roberts often arrived to fights toting his signature reptilian friend. It was said he did not want Hogan to win because he did not have amateur credentials. His father Gory Guerrero became a star in the U.S., an icon in Texas and a legend in Mexico. Started in Memphis and feuded with Jerry Lawler, even losinga match where he had to wear a dress. Big Dick Dudley - Dead at 34. He won the WCW world title against Hulk Hogan but did not carry the title well. 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. Are you sure you want to delete your score and checked items on this list? Mattel's WWE Legends The Iron Sheik (2010) The Iron Sheik was an Iranian American professional wrestler who won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983. Boris Spremo/Toronto Star via Getty Images. The Russian Nightmare. Masahiro Chno was born on September 17, 1963 in Mitaka City, Tokyo, Japan. He had endured 36 throat operations as a child. He had a great following in Puerto Rico and feuded with Carlos Colon and Bruiser Brody. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom. He also starred as a guest character on the Syfy Began his career in Texas. A great booker and script writer. 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. He previously wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). 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. Slaughter and Greg Valentine were successful in the NWA. Michael Francis Foley was born on June 7th, 1965, in Long Island, New York. 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. He has been married to Rena Mero since May 6, 2006. Lost to Time: "Mr. He was an actor, known for Fully Loaded (1999), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! His secret? OOOOHHHHHHH YYEEEEEEEAAHHHHH!!! Despite his age, wrestling for decades and battles with substance and alcohol abuse, Sting retains much of his great look and physical health. He was previously married to Diana Hart. oakhurst wine crawl 2022. mercoled, Aprile 27, 2022 . WrestlerDeaths.com is the #1 Dead Wrestlers and WWE Deaths tribute site! The days of being called The Body seem to be long gone. Now, he works in the WWE as a road agent. His finisher looked great and looked devastating for its time. He helped launch the careers of Sting, Lex Luger, Rick Steamboat and Arn Anderson. Although perhaps better known these days for his bombastic and foul-mouthed twitter rampages, Iron Sheik was a key heel throughout the 80s. Sadly, he was killed after a match and is missed for his devilish persona and his flat-out brash behavior. I will stand by that. He battled alcoholism throughout his career and suffered through financial and marital problems. However, he was one of the greatest heels of all time. He is of Italian (father) and French-Canadian and English (mother) descent, and is the grandson of baseball player Tony Lupien. 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. Blood clots in his lungs hampered his in-ring career which has affected him later in life as well. The former AWA champion came to the WWF and was competitive. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. He has been married to Shawn Trebnick since January 9, 2008. And having Missy Hyatt at his side was not a bad idea, either. #29 of 448. Hogan may not be body slamming any giants anytime soon, he still seems to be drinking milk, saying his prayers and taking his vitamins. He is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! His mother, Beverly Jane (Harrison), remarried to Kenneth Williams, and he took his stepfather's surname. 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. WWE's Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century. Debuted in 1990 in Calgary after training in the Hart Family Dungeon. Hayes was the showman, Gordy the muscle and Roberts the sidekick. via lapresse.ca. As the Brian Pillman makes the list of a long line of tragic deaths in wrestling. And although his identity is now known worldwide, hes one of the few masked wrestlers to have never revealed his face to the public. 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. He too fit right into Vince McMahon's carnival of characters. Known for his slow movement outside the ring, he walked to the beat of his own drum. He is an actor, known for TNA iMPACT! Of course, this shaved, corpulent, and effeminate fighter in a nude diaper was a villain, but his bizarre characterizations made him quite unique in a sea of hyper-machismo. Went to WWE, where he was a star and later WCW, where he feuded with Sting. Known for his unexpected grace in the ring, Steamboat was also a proficient tag team wrestler alongside his partner Jay Youngblood. Breaking down the best wrestlers by federation, belt, decade, and more. He and Tully Blanchard formed a great tag team and is also known for his tag team partnering with Ole Anderson. "DDP" captivated Sound_department | He was the standard for all that was evil with Russia. He held the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice, plus he was a three-time World Tag Team Champion with two different partners. Jacqueline was ahead of her game with the women at that time. His vicious character climaxed in the . The Sheik's talents were more than just a Camel Clutch and hooked wrestling boots. Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. Joe character a no-brainer and instant classic. 3. He is the nephew of wrestler Rey Misterio. Slaughter. He wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute time limit draw on the Clash of the Champions. 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? Originally a "heel", he came into the WWE under the guidance of heel manager Capt. The most comprehensive and complete list of deceased wrestlers on the internet. He has been married to Pam since January 3, 2004. He was an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! Then, at 35, DDP decided to become an actual wrestler when announcing and managing wasnt working out. The flashy, charismatic and smooth talking Million Dollar Man didnt possess the hulking mass of many of the more popular superstars like Paul Orndorff or Ultimate Warrior, but Ted DiBiase was still in tremendous, athletic shape. Gilbert could play face or heel and was pretty good at either of them. And thanks to the rise of trends from ombre, dip dye and balayage the Desperately Seeking Susan crop is coming back around again. Back in the 80s, McMahon was primarily an annoucner and it was never acknowledged that he was in fact the owner of the company. Even today, McMahon absolutely crushes the weights at the gym and still looks superhuman at 71. Both flashy and furious, Mil Mscaras is considered one of Mexican wrestlings first international stars. There is a rumor going around that Merced Solis never had a bad match in the WWF. Michael "The Miz" Mizanin was born in Cleveland, OH on October 8th, 1980 to Barbara and George Mizanin. Though being the heel commentator, his hilarious one-liners on commentary have endeared him to the fans. She first won the NWA women's championship in 1956 and dominated the title, astoundingly, for almost 30 years. King Kong Bundy. Few have lived the kind of life Jesse Ventura has, serving as a navy seal, pro wrestler, actor, and even Governor. When he was in college, he played football. Rick Rude. The son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan, he is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).In NWA/WCW, he was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a one-time Booker T. Huffman Jr. better known by his ring name Booker T, is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter and color commentator. 21St Century the WCW World title against Hulk Hogan showman, Gordy the muscle and Roberts sidekick. Better mat wrestler than you think the gym and stays in great shape for his tag team champion two. 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