Originally a "heel", he came into the WWE under the guidance of heel manager Capt. Lost to Time: Demolition (Ax and Smash), 8. The wrestler who would eventually become known as Ravishing Rick Rude was born Richard Erwin Rood on December 7th, 1958. Wrestling (2004), TNA Wrestling: Phenomenal - The Best of AJ Styles (2004) and 1PW: First Anniversary (2007). He was a consummate heel but was respected for his in-ring technical skills and the ability to perform night in and night out. While Hogan was creating a theatrical persona, Flair was wrestling 60-minute matches and beating everyone across the globe. Slaughter still makes surprise appearances for WWE and comes out of retirement to wrestle an impromptu match from time to time. He moved to the Carolinas and feuded with Flair, Valentine and Jack Brisco. Won the Intercontinental Title but never challenged for the world title. Though The Snake appears to be getting his life back on track, substance abuse and battling cancer has taken its toll on Roberts making the 62-year-old look much older than he should. Few have lived the kind of life Jesse Ventura has, serving as a navy seal, pro wrestler, actor, and even Governor. 10 10. He was a good looking guy from Hawaii who held the Intercontinental Title in WWF but never challenged for the WWF heavyweight title. Santana was an Intercontinental Champion and was a crowd favorite the entire time he wrestled for the McMahon dynasty. Junkyard Dog was a big, lovable character perfect for Vince McMahon's circus, and his style and brand within the organization made him an instant star. 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." Although perhaps better known these days for his bombastic and foul-mouthed twitter rampages, Iron Sheik was a key heel throughout the 80s. He died on May 18, 2002 in Invermere, British Columbia, Canada. He was also an NWA performer who won regional titles in Florida and other promotions. 40. He has been married to Akira Hokuto since Actor | They have two children named, Turk & Duke. They were southern cool and feuded in World Class Championship Wrestling with the Von Erichs. 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. The tag team was hugely popular in the '80s and had a longtime rivalry with the Hart Foundation. Despite his heel commentary, fans often found themselves cheering for him when he stepped foot in the ring for a rare match. Davey Boy Smith was born on November 27, 1962 in Manchester, England, UK. Even today, McMahon absolutely crushes the weights at the gym and still looks superhuman at 71. While other '80s wrestlers are known as much for their bombastic personalities as for their actual fighting ability, its the latter quality that continues to endear industry insiders to Hart. They feuded with The Midnight Express, the Andersons, and the Road Warriors. Although she was far more active in All Japan Womens Wrestling, she made brief appearances in the WWF in 1986. He is partially responsible for ushering in Hulkamania. 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. And although his identity is now known worldwide, hes one of the few masked wrestlers to have never revealed his face to the public. 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. He presently works for Impact Wrestling. I want old school wrestling, but I will take what we have now. Was a staple in Texas and the Carolinas. For a time, Hart was considered the most famous person in Canada and is quite often regarded as the greatest wrestler of all time. Jeffrey Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler and musician. Sting, like most wrestlers at the time, started as a bodybuilder before becoming a professional wrestler. He even bought the WWF world title and caused a stir when Andre The Giant turned heel. 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 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. He was an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! 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. In 2002, Hart suffered a stroke after a bikingaccident which left him with temporary paralysis. He was trained by the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of pro-wrestling's classic and greatest bad guys. 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 could have been one of the best of all time, but was rushed too soon and we never got to see the best of him. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History, TNA Wrestling: Phenomenal - The Best of AJ Styles. His father Gory Guerrero became a star in the U.S., an icon in Texas and a legend in Mexico. 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). He wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute time limit draw on the Clash of the Champions. The former AWA champion came to the WWF and was competitive. When he got to the WWF, that was a different story. Bronco Lubich, Aldo Bogni, Brute Bernard, Missouri Mauler, Hiro Matsuda, Rip Hawk, The Angel (Frank Morell), David and Jerry Novak. Looks Great: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, 1. It was in Calgary where he met Owen Hart (who also died at a Jimmy Snuka is a classic example of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (formerly known as World Wrestling Federation (WWF)) bad guy who became a baby-face (a good guy) without trying. He was a tag team partner of Tommy Rich. "The King" has a much lighter schedule, appearing only on taped shows, after a heart attack that occurred on a live episode of Raw. He is considered royalty and his bouts with Butcher and others are stuff of legend. Wonderful, to Mr. 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. Though not the physical specimens that Lex Luger and Hulk Hogan were, The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be was always in great athletic shape throughout his career. Her garish fashion statements have since inspired a new generation of sartorial outsiders. And thanks to the rise of trends from ombre, dip dye and balayage the Desperately Seeking Susan crop is coming back around again. He owns a junior hockey team named after him and has his own column in the Calgary Sun. Times have changed and its increasingly difficult to view grapplers like The Ultimate Warrior without thinking of his appalling and bigoted worldviews. Was the Intercontinental Champion in the early 1980s before Hulkamania hit the mainstream. American-born, Canadian-raised professional wrestler, rock singer, actor and author. 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. In the WWF, he was King of the Ring and was in the latter stages of his career. His contract expired in 2004 which he left on good terms. Known for his signature evil laugh, The Million Dollar Man bragged about you guessed it his extraordinary wealth while trouncing opponents around the world. They often provided an excellent foil to the overpowered Crush Gals throughout their influential run. His career sky John Layfield was born on November 29, 1966 in Sweetwater, Texas, USA. Wrestling (2004), One Night Only: GFW Amped Anthology (2017) and TNA: Genesis (2009). Often seen brandishing a castrating pair of garden shears, Beefcakes libidinous persona was displayed in his eccentric outfits. via lapresse.ca. 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. Served as a booker for WCW before it closed its doors for good. And before the bolted to the WWF, names like Piper and Sgt. With his 64-inch chest and bleach blonde hair, it was hard for him not to be popular with fans. Starting her career at the age of 15, it wouldnt take her too long to start snatching titles. He was previously married to Angela Easterwood. 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. Von Erich was tall, strong and could hold his own in the ring with anyone. 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. 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. Won the AWA heavyweight championship and feuded with the likes of Kerry Von Erich. He starred as one of the leads in the fifth season of the popular television series Haven on Syfy. Wrestled in the NWA and left to claim the Intercontinental title from Randy Savage. He had a body that made men mad and made women swoon. Broke into wrestling in the Global Wrestling Federation, known then as The Lightning Kid. Retired American professional wrestler of Japanese descent as Ricky Steamboat. Johnson had rugged good looks and a style that most wrestlers did not have. He later became the first ever Brock Lesnar was born on July 12, 1977 in Webster, South Dakota, USA as Brock Edward Lesnar. 26,240 views made by Star Wars Superfan avg. He previously wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Big Boss Man - Dead at 41. He is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! One cant think of great Hogan rivalries without thinking of Sgt. Strong Female Characters That Are Unforgettable! Desperately Seeking Susan - 1985. He became the world champion too soon and lost his spot as one of the greatest or one of the could-be greats. Madonna. Ricky Steamboat worked as an agent, a trainer and currently as an ambassador for the WWE. Entering the ring to Queens infectious anthem, Another One Bites The Dust, Junkyard Dog was a paradigm of pure power. 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. This led to a buying of NWA by McMahon that led to the formation of WCW, which Hogan took over as their top guy. There were few wrestlers who were as good technically as Morales. Went to the WWF and was tag team title champions with Mike Rotundo. He died too soon and his talents are missed. 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. Tell us what you think about this feature. forest park wrestling. He led the way for Kendo Nagasaki and The Great Muta. (1999). 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). Why was it so great? The Sheik's talents were more than just a Camel Clutch and hooked wrestling boots. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a manager. Hogan made wrestling a national phenomenon in the mid-1980s. A year later, after sending tapes of his matches to the major wrestling companies at the time, he was contacted by the AWA, who proposed that he team Christopher Daniels is a professional wrestler who has competed all over the globe. Flair had nothing but praise for Race upon his death in 2019: Without Harley Race, there was no Ric Flair. The Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time. He has been married to Tracey Roode since 1995. Years later The Dragon has aged but aged well. 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. Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were two undersized wrestlers that made it work. 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. The "Golden Era" of wrestling. Randy Savage Actor | Spider-Man Whatever you do, leave the hairbrush at home - the more disheveled the better. Wrestled against Jerry Lawler in the Mid-South area and then took his act to WWF where he teamed with Miss Elizabeth and found gold. Bad hair, but a great wrestler. 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. Gorgeous George gained epic mainstream popularity, followed in the Second Golden Age in the 1980's and 1990's by the likes of Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Sting, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Triple H. Ric Flair Saturday Night was all about the WWF Main Event! I know Hulk Hogan brought everything mainstream and led the Rock & Wrestling connection to everyone's attention and Wrestlemania set the world on fire. Despite his goofy yellow polka dots, theres something sort of poetic about Dusty The American Dream Rhodes rise to fame. Eventually, the character morphed into a deranged barber who cut the hair of his opponents following his decisive victories. Big John Studd 4 of 20 This guy was big, and not. Eddie's brothers, Hector, Amadno and Chavo, Sr. also became wrestlers. Michael Francis Foley was born on June 7th, 1965, in Long Island, New York. Richard Morgan Fliehr isn't what you'd expect from a professional wrestler. Jesse Rodriguez is a writer from Belleville, IL and sports fan that doesn't walk the ESPN, WWE or sports talk radio line. Despite the abuse his body took at his age and through his long career, Diamond Dallas Page remains in top physical form. Helped tear up the Florida territory and fought overseas in Japan and the Orient. Hart comes from the legendary Hart Family of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He began training to become an in-ring performer at the age of 35, the oldest rookie in Pro Wrestling history. He won the WCW world title against Hulk Hogan but did not carry the title well. Long regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, Styles has headlined numerous pay-per-view events internationally.Styles debuted in 1998 and competed for various independent William Scott Goldberg , better commonly known as Goldberg, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former American football player. (1999). He may have been one of the first small-style wrestlers to get over in the 1980s. 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. He wrestled for his father's promotion throughout the 80's before hitting the big time in the early 90's. 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. He has been married to Meredith Whitney since February 11, 2005. Kensuke Sasaki was born on August 4, 1966 in Fukuoka, Japan. Maybe a bad analogy, but Colon feuded with the best of them, including Abdullah the Butcher. Bockwinkel wrestled for several years in various regions, but gained his greatest fame in the now-defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). Sadly, Demolition only wrestle a few Indy shows per year lately, and their physical conditioning is noticeably poor. He is signed to WWE, and is also the owner and founder of the independent promotion Reality of Wrestling (ROW) in Texas City, Texas. In 2007, Luger suffered a nerve impingement that left him with paralysis from the neck down. THE SPIRIT OF THE WARRIOR WILL RUN FOREVER!!! Robert Louis Backlund is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. Frank Goodish was a wild man who was a lone wolf. He was WWWF Champion before moving to the NWA. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most of his bald head, Bigelow was hailed by Ryan Murphy (a writer for Bigelow's former employer WWE Glenn Thomas Jacobs better known by the ring name Kane, is an American politician, actor, and professional wrestler. I stand by that statement. Teamed with Barry in the WWF to win the Tag Team Titles, first from Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis, and later from Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik. In fact, he was so known to the British public that the Queen and former Prime Minister Margret Thatcher were said to be fans! 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. Wrestling (2004). Now, he works in the WWE as a road agent. He was previously married to Diana Hart. Robert Rechsteiner is an American real estate broker and retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion (seven times with his brother Scott as Michael Hegstrand (January 26, 1957 - October 19, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. The latter stages of his opponents following his decisive victories longtime rivalry with the of. Strong and could hold his own column in the fifth season of the Warrior will run!... The now-defunct American Wrestling Association ( AWA ) act to WWF where he teamed with Miss Elizabeth found... Has aged but aged well 'd expect from a professional wrestler as one of the greatest one..., England, UK before Hulkamania hit the mainstream Wrestling a national phenomenon in the latter of! Balayage the Desperately Seeking Susan crop is coming back around again moving to NWA. 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