5 reasons wrestling was better in the 1980s and 5 it was worse

Inevitably, one argument always comes up between wrestling fans new and old.

Was wrestling really better in the 1980s?

It is a question with no simple answer, and must be examined on multiple levels. Wrestling has changed, of course, but so has society, and world politics. And don't discount the effect of social media's influence on the sport.

In this slideshow we will be taking a look at aspects of 1980s wrestling and contrast them with the modern era. In order to present a balanced viewpoint, here are five reasons wrestling used to be better... and five reasons it used to be worse.

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Better: Longer Matches

Sting and Ric Flair wrestled to a 45 minute time limit draw on the first ever Clash of the Champions.

Today, even a main event wrestling match at the biggest show of the year isn't likely to go more than twenty minutes.

Perhaps catering to shortened attention spans, most promotions from the indies to the WWE will put on shorter matches, with the average match time being around ten minutes.

Back in the 1980s, it wasn't uncommon for a match to go up to an hour, or longer. Who can forget Sting coming up just a little short against Ric Flair at Clash of the Champions? Or Bob Backlund's numerous hour long contests which ended in time limit draws?

A longer match means more time for the wrestlers to tell a story, and allows that story to be more rich and varied.

Worse: Time limit draws were frustrating.

Superstar Billy Graham struggles to escape a chin lock.

Often in the 1980s, a championship match would end in a no contest when the time limit expired. While this was done for a lot of logical reasons, it still could frustrate fans who paid to see a decisive winner.

The time limit draws were meant to preserve the reputation of both men, and create excitement for possible re-matches. Also, many times the championship would be defended in a non-televised match.

While these are good reasons for a time limit draw, it still remains a fact that many fans felt cheated by this frequent trope of 1980s wrestling.

Better: Almost no botches.

Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes had one of the greatest rivalries of 1980s wrestling.

In the 1980s, talent--even enhancement talent--almost never got on television unless they were very, very skilled.

While there are exceptions to this (check out some of Nikita Koloff's early matches) for the most part the wrestlers you saw on television were the elites of the sport. This meant that there were very few botches that broke the illusion of a real contest.

Today, even consummate professionals at the highest levels still make botches, though to their credit they cover them up well for the most part. This is because many of the stars being pushed are still relatively new and/or green, and haven't learned all the nuances that the stars in the 1980s had to nail down to even appear on television.

Worse: Most of the stars on television were past their prime.

Randy Orton in his early days. Orton would likely have not made it to television so quickly in the 1980s.

From the Bushwhackers to Greg Valentine to the Nature Boy himself, the stars of the 1980s were usually aging past their prime by the time they made it onto television and/or title matches.

Even Hulk Hogan was once quoted as saying wrestlers under forty couldn't draw a dime. While the wrestlers were still capable of putting on great matches, they definitely moved a little slower than they had in their younger days.

Modern wrestling allows for youthful talent like the Dozer Dozovic and the Authors of Pain that would likely not have made it onto the main card at this point of their careers in the 80s.

Better: The announcers were more articulate and less bombastic

The late, great Gordon Solie, legendary commentator.

While we love hearing Cory Graves and his contemporaries get very excited during their announce gigs, there's just something special about the announce teams of the 1980s.

With kayfabe in full swing, it was often up to the announce team to portray the matches as real fights. They did so by acting more like traditional sports announce teams, rarely putting down the talent even when they broke the rules.

They also were much more dignified, and less likely to scream or jump out of their seats. This created the illusion of a real athletic contest rather than a sideshow.

Worse: Most of the matches on television were 'squashes.'

Beautiful Bobby Eaton faces off against an enhancement talent.

These days, fans expect competitive matches to be held every week, on every show.

In the 1980s, the vast majority of wrestling matches televised were 'squashes.' A squash match is when an established star faces an unknown or lower card wrestler and doesn't seem to struggle in the slightest as they pummel their foe to oblivion.

The reasoning behind this was simple; If fans could see competitive matches on television, they would be less motivated to buy tickets and see the wrestling live. While it is sound logic, the result was many matches having a ludicrously obvious outcome.

Better: Many wrestling Icons were active during the 1980s.

More talent than you can shake a stick at.

In many ways, the 1980s were truly a golden era of professional wrestling.

The list of fantastic stars from this era is almost endless; Bob Backlund, the Freebirds, Sting, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Eddie Gilbert, the Midnight Express, the Road Warriors, Bret Hart...far too many to list in an article that strives for brevity.

These days, the star power is clustered into a few performers.

Worse: Not being able to see your favorite stars live.

Kerry von Erich rarely left the Texas territories until he signed with WWE.

Before Vince McMahon transformed the industry, pro wrestling used to be highly regional. The promoters split up the US into territories and fiercely guarded them...and the stars that performed there.

Bitter rivalries made for tenuous trades of talent, and often left fans out in the cold. Not many people wanted to travel halfway across the country to see a wrestling match just because their favorite star was there.

Better: Tag Team wrestling was wildly popular and competitive.

Stan Lane of the Midnight Express has Ricky Morton of the Rock and Roll Express at a disadvantage.

Tag team wrestling in the modern era often seems like an afterthought.

In fact, ostensibly the best tag team in the WWE, the Bar, lost to what was essentially one man at Wrestlemania 34 (Braun Strownman's ten year old partner didn't make contact with the Bar, in case you didn't see the event.)

But in the 1980s, tag team wrestling was alive and well. In fact, many promotions had two tiers of tag championships because there were so many active teams of great talent and popularity. From the Midnight Express to the Road Warriors and the Fantastics, the 80s were the golden era of tag wrestling.

Worse: Poor production values

The Fantastics perform in front of less than fifty people at the old TBS studio.

With its dazzling lights and pyrotechnic displays, modern wrestling makes a point of giving fans a spectacle before a wrestler even enters the ring.

With high definition cameras and state of the art sound systems, watching wrestling is a treat for the senses. But in the 1980s, cheap sets, bad sound, and poor camera work were just things that wrestling fans had to endure in order to enjoy their favorite sport.

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Conclusion

Stone Cold, Ric Flair, and John Cena all represent different eras of wrestling.

When it comes to answering the question "was wrestling better in the 1980s?" there are no definitive answers.

The sport has changed a great deal, so much so that it's difficult to make comparisons. It is important to note that each era of wrestling has had its highs and lows, its drawbacks and boons.

Was wrestling better in the 1980s? The answer is yes and no!

Do you think wrestling was better in the 80s? Be sure to comment and let us know!