Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He lived up to his moniker and impressed with his physical appearance, proving to be a powerful opponent. 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. Broke into wrestling in the Global Wrestling Federation, known then as The Lightning Kid. Considering how jacked many of these superstars once were, their current appearance is shocking. Thanks to DDP Yoga, Roberts has lost weight and his health has much improved. Wigan-born Davey Boy Smith started out on World of Sport at 15, known as Young David. However, he was an enormous star in the 70s as well, working almost exclusively in the NWA and its territories. Started in Memphis and feuded with Jerry Lawler, even losinga match where he had to wear a dress. Tommy Dreamer was born on February 14, 1971 in Yonkers, New York, USA as Thomas Laughlin. 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). 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. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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 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. 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. He was not much of a wrestler in WWF as much as he was an entertainer. Some of these wrestlers have lost all of their superhuman size from time away from the gym, while others have aged poorly due to health issues. THE SPIRIT OF THE WARRIOR WILL RUN FOREVER!!! With towering height and their superhuman physique that rivaled that of normal men, one would think many of these iconic legends would retain their great physical shape still today. WATCH: Scott Dawson (then known as K.C. OOOOHHHHHHH YYEEEEEEEAAHHHHH!!! (1999), Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia (2009) and TNA iMPACT! He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. Budy's streak was snapped when Hogan defeated him in a wild brawl. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History (2011), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! Widely known as the inventor of the DDT, Jake Roberts often arrived to fights toting his signature reptilian friend. Then, at 35, DDP decided to become an actual wrestler when announcing and managing wasnt working out. He was the best conditioned wrestler in the states until Luger came along and held many regional titles in Texas, Missouri and Louisiana. Born and raised in Cameron, North Carolina, Hardy started his career as a youth performing in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation, which he started alongside his brother Matt Hardy. Trish Stratus. I know I will take heat for this one when Piper is ahead of Savage. Desperately Seeking Susan - 1985. They finally lost their titles to Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine. 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. Why are you here? He was an actor, known for Fully Loaded (1999), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! Bad hair, but a great wrestler. He has been married to Meredith Whitney since February 11, 2005. Very popular wrestler who was everyman and wrestled as a rugged fighter. 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. 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. With the sex appeal of a Chippendales performer, this Ravishing fighter was a WCW legend before career-ending injuries forced him to stop performing in 1997. 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." #21 of 180. Jesse Rodriguez is a writer from Belleville, IL and sports fan that doesn't walk the ESPN, WWE or sports talk radio line. Started out as Terry Allen in Florida before moving to Jim Crockett Promotions where Ric Flair said Allen would be the man to replace him as champion and take over the NWA. 8. Despite his heel commentary, fans often found themselves cheering for him when he stepped foot in the ring for a rare match. He feuded with Roddy Piper in the famous "Dog Collar" match which almost destroyed Piper. 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. In today's video, we go back to the 1980s and the 'Golden Age' of WWF Wrestling. Hi there and welcome to Nostalgia Hit. Hogan's run as a top name in wrestling lasted for almost ten years and saw . Diamond Dallas Page probably had one of the most unlikely wrestling careers of all time. He has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986. Monsoon weighed more than 400 lbs, but that didn't stop him pointing out the size of many other large wrestlers of his day. He was trained by the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of pro-wrestling's classic and greatest bad guys. Came back to WCW and beat Flair for the heavyweight title. 3. Hart comes from the legendary Hart Family of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He became the world champion too soon and lost his spot as one of the greatest or one of the could-be greats. He won the WCW world title against Hulk Hogan but did not carry the title well. Although in the year 2020 fans are more likely familiar with Machu Picchu, the GLOW character she inspired, Mountain Fiji was widely considered the heart and soul of the imminently campy Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling TV series that went on to garner a cult following. He presently works for Impact Wrestling. His mother, Beverly Jane (Harrison), remarried to Kenneth Williams, and he took his stepfather's surname. 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. The Brain is now unrecognizable and, sadly, left unable to speak. He went on to the glitz and glamour of the WWF in the US as The British Bulldog before a tragically early death. All comments are welcome. I stand by that statement. Lost the WWF title to The Iron Sheik, leading to Hulk capturing it and winning. Wrestling (2004). 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! Now, he works in the WWE as a road agent. The Genetic Jackhammer refuses to be laughed at for his appearance. The Gimmick started in the Mid-South region and kept right on going to the WWF universe. His gruff voice and protruding chin made his G.I. 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. Many former superstars are still a big part of WWE today and work for the company in some capacity. And of course, the omnipresence of Hulk Hogans red and yellow logo will forever be etched into wrestling history. Kensuke Sasaki was born on August 4, 1966 in Fukuoka, Japan. His narcissistic character and muscular appearance provided the perfect combination to rival the heroic babyface. He wrestled for his father's promotion throughout the 80's before hitting the big time in the early 90's. 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. Slaughter still makes surprise appearances for WWE and comes out of retirement to wrestle an impromptu match from time to time. War Games, Starrcade, Bunkhouse Stampede. He is best known for his first run with WWF, where he held the WWF Phillip Jack Brooks, better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestler, comic book writer and former mixed martial artist.Punk began his professional wrestling career on the American independent circuit, primarily with Ring of Honor (ROH) until 2005, when he signed with CM Punk, would be way higher than Cena but this is a continuation of a list I started awhile ago and I only remembered to add Punk in the end. Yoga. Maybe the greatest attraction in wrestling anywhere he wrestled. Retired American professional wrestler of Japanese descent as Ricky Steamboat. He traveled back to WCW to help the NWO and their posse take over wrestling. 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. The injury persisted and even caused muscle shrinkage, later in his career. The "Golden Era" of wrestling. He is an actor, known for Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends - The Movie (2009), Glory to the Filmmaker! score: 23 of 126 (18%) required scores: 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 list stats leaders vote print comments 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. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).After seven years working Roddy Piper was born Roderick George Toombs on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Lou Albano. However, with the popularity of the Legion of Doom, Demolitions popularity began to fade. Paul is a member of the Xi Beta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Southern Actor | 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. He was previously married to Stacy Carter, Paula Jean Carruth and Martha Kay Williams. The son of a professional wrestler (Warren Bockwinkel), it was only natural for Nick Bockwinkel to follow in his father's profession. Another wrestler who could have been better than he was. Throughout the years other superstars have vouched for the program, including Jake "The Snake," Scott Hall, and Chris Jericho. Went to the WWF and another superstar was born. Years later The Dragon has aged but aged well. They have one Ray Traylor was born on May 2, 1963 in Marietta, Georgia, USA. He has appeared on the WWF's Jakked/Metal program many times as an Indy wrestler. Wrestled in the UWF and WCW and then went to the WWF and flourished. The knee from the top rope into the back of the skull was downright scary! 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 late Fabulous Moolah is one of the most recognizable stars in female wrestling history. Yet, he doesn't get as much recognition outside of Britain. The greatest wrestler ever to step in the ring in Asia, he just may be the greatest wrestler of all times. Beefcake held nine titles throughout his career and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. Jannetty in particular was rocking a style that would break Billy Ray Cyrus' "achy breaky heart" on the spot. Despite the abuse his body took at his age and through his long career, Diamond Dallas Page remains in top physical form. "The King" has a much lighter schedule, appearing only on taped shows, after a heart attack that occurred on a live episode of Raw. Thanks! He was a tag team partner of Tommy Rich. His over-the-top video packages established him as a kind of miraculous meta-human that, despite or because of their inherent campiness, catalyzed his global superstardom. Known for his unexpected grace in the ring, Steamboat was also a proficient tag team wrestler alongside his partner Jay Youngblood. He is to wrestling in Puerto Rico as Celine Dion is to Canada. Strong Female Characters That Are Unforgettable! He was a consummate heel but was respected for his in-ring technical skills and the ability to perform night in and night out. 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 was the standard for all that was evil with Russia. Though he didnt have the bodybuilder physiques of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, the King of Ba-da Bing was always in tremendous shape. To this day, there is still no wrestler more popular than Hulk Hogan. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History, TNA Wrestling: Phenomenal - The Best of AJ Styles. His finisher looked great and looked devastating for its time. via lapresse.ca. The days of being called The Body seem to be long gone. He is known for his trademark style of hardcore wrestling, which he pioneered in his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 2000. A movie star, a pop hero, and a gentle soul Andres kindness is often remembered as fondly as his physical domination. While Slaughter was a bit on the stocky side, even in his prime, he looks much the same with high chin and trademark stash. And although his identity is now known worldwide, hes one of the few masked wrestlers to have never revealed his face to the public. Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were two undersized wrestlers that made it work. Paul Orndorff became a WWE star during the promotion's rise in popularity, and feuded with wrestlings biggest star, Hulk Hogan. They often provided an excellent foil to the overpowered Crush Gals throughout their influential run. 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. 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. The fire breather wowed fans with his in-ring talent and remarkable physical strength and agility. He was never a top-tier performer, but he barked and made dog sounds, much like his name would indicate, proving that even the best can be brought down a few rungs on the ladder. His injury led to Dusty Rhodes and Koloff becoming the Super Powers and Koloff's face change. 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