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In the 1980s, pro-wrestling was all about the character. It was all about creativity; expressed both in the ring and on the interview platforms. It seemed that every other week there was a new character that fans could relate to.
There was also a very clear line between heels and babyfaces. The difference between Hulk Hogan and King Kong Bundy was as big as the difference between up and down. You knew where they stood. Today things are completely different. Everybody wants to appear rough, tough, and edgy.
With this in mind, I will talk about 5 of them, who I believe to be, the most popular wrestlers of the 1980s. For ease, I will restrict this list to those who wrestled in the WWF so you won't be seeing Dusty Rhodes, Rock and Roll Express etc.
Here are the top five.
#5 The Ultimate Warrior
Unfortunately, with the Ultimate Warrior, it was too much too soon. He suffered from the Bill Goldberg syndrome. When he first hit the scene, he was the biggest thing the sport had ever seen.
He was cheered more loudly than even the Hulkster. Fans went bonkers as he sprinted to the ring. He was all about satisfying the fans. He had his craft so finely tuned that even Hogan had to be in awe and shaking in his boots.
The Warrior could have been the one to carry the torch through the 90s, and into the 2000s. He was that charismatic, that appreciated, that good. Too bad he faded as fast as he lit.
Maybe the world wasn't ready for two wrestlers of equal popularity. Maybe deep down fans still needed Hulk Hogan to be their hero. Maybe it was something else. The world will never know.
Whatever it was, that time has passed. We all just need to be thankful for the few moments that we had with the Warrior. He forever changed wrestling by giving any wrestler the hope that they, too, could rule the wrestling world, with the right mix of the right ingredients. Goldberg knew this and followed in his footsteps, and he had his time to rule the world. It can still be done.
Unfortunately, it was his fast-paced and quick rise to the top that made his fall not only painful to watch but inevitable. What if the world never had Hulk Hogan? How popular would the Warrior have been? Would he be the one we now consider the greatest of all time? Another question that can't be answered.
The fact that when he returned to the WWE in WrestleMania 12 to take on Triple H, he ended up selling more tickets than the classic iron match between HBK and Bret Hart. He had an aura aroud him which resonated well with the fans and he ended up being bigger than what the WWE could contain.
Regardless, the Ultimate Warrior is still on the Mount Rushmore of wrestlers, nobody can take that away from him.
#4 "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Randy Savage began his WWF career as one of the most hated and least respectful wrestlers around. He would treat manager Miss Elizabeth as a piece of meat. He would even use her as a shield against other wrestlers. He stooped to every level, he was rude, he was deplorable. But he was popular as hell. Fans loved to hate him.
Some fans loved to love him. He made each match something different and spectacular to watch. You never knew what he would do next. He was as likely to use the ring's bell off the top rope as he was to use his elbow. That flying elbow was one of the most recognized moves of all time. When he climbed to the top, you knew it was over.
He participated in one of the greatest matches of all time at WrestleMania III, Macho Man vs Ricky Steamboat. The two guys battled forever in that match. They gave everything they had. Every wrestler since then should have to view that match as an instruction manual on how to succeed at wrestling.
Randy Savage was perhaps the most popular bad guy that wrestling has ever seen. When he went 'good' later on, it just didn't work as well. Randy Savage is the originator of all the Stone Cold Steve Austins that we have today. Macho was real, he was a jerk, he was his character. He wasn't acting or pretending, he wasn't a persona, he was the Macho Man.
His longevity included him going aboard the WCW as well during the monday night wars. But he was unable to replicate his success in Ted Turner's brand.
#3 Rowdy Roddy Piper
Here is another wrestler who spent much of the 80s as a bad guy. Doesn't matter, fans still loved him. His Piper's Pit segment was the greatest thing on TV, from the instant fans heard his theme song's intro, so when he walked out, to the guests, it rocked.
But what really made Roddy Piper so popular was his energy. Honestly, can you name another wrestler who was as hyper, all-out, pure adrenaline-laced as the Rowdy one? You didn't know whether he was going to wrestle or be put in a straight jacket and taken off to the loony bin at any given moment. He had that innate charisma.
Another reason that he was so popular was that he was original. He was a normal guy. He wasn't much bigger than your average man in the audience, but he put all he had into each match, no matter who he faced.
His approach to wrestling Andre The Giant was the same way he would approach wrestling The Haiti Kid. He didn't discriminate. He never shied away from a fight. He wanted to fight more than he wanted to win. It was the enjoyment of the experience that mattered to him.
He couldn't care less about having a championship belt around his waist. He just wanted to kick some ass and chew bubble gum, and he was always out of bubble gum. Roddy was the Chuck Norris of wrestling. He wasn't the biggest, he wasn't the strongest, but for some reason, you feared and respected him the most.
Maybe it was his unpredictable nature? Who knows? The wrestling world had never seen anybody like him when he came along, and sadly we still haven't seen somebody like him since. He was one-of-a-kind.
#2 Andre the Giant
If there was no Andre, there would be no Hogan.
Andre was a giant in every sense of the word. His physical stature had a gargantuan quality to it. He was over 7 feet tall. To further punctuate this point, early in his career he would stand on boxes and crates during interviews. This made him well over 8 feet.
No matter how tall Andre was, he was the gentlest of giants and men, in and out of the ring. He wouldn't hurt a bug. He was the mildest-mannered, softest spoken personality that wrestling has ever seen. He was respectful and feared for the same reasons.
He knew that he could squash any opponent in one second flat, but he could carry the match longer for the sake of the fans. He made it fun. Kids would love and fear him.
When he turned heel and challenged Hogan, people were heartbroken. How could he do such a thing? It wasn't Andre. He was always alright with not being in the spotlight, that was Hulk's role.
Andre didn't wrestle every week and the fans clearly understood. In fact, there weren't any wrestlers in the 80s who wrestled as infrequently as the Giant. It just made us appreciate him even more. He was a legend, and he will be missed.
#1 Hulk Hogan
Do you even need an explanation as to why he is number one? He is wrestling, he defined it, he made it what it was then and what it should be today. He was the most popular wrestler to ever step a foot inside the WWE ring. He made the fans want to be him. He made you tune in to watch his life.
When he wrestled, you not only wanted him to win, you needed him to win. Hogan had many rivalries that still inspire memories. Who could forget the legendary matches against King Kong Bundy around 1986? They headlined WrestleMania 2, which was on Saturday Night's Main Event, and they were amazing. Hogan always won. It was understood. It was necessary. The rivalry would last for months, not weeks. They fought and fought, and fans loved every minute of it.
Then there was that fateful day when the Hulkster appeared on Piper's Pit and Andre The Giant turned his back on his friend. You can't unsee Andre ripping the cross necklace from around Hulk's neck. The expressions on Hogan's face as Andre did it were priceless. His pain was felt by all the little Hulkamaniacs.
The infamous Hogan vs Andre match at WrestleMania 3 was one of the most popular sporting events ever witnessed. That was wrestling at its best. Every part of that match is legendary. When he slammed the Giant, the place was going to crumble to the ground.
That's what Hulk Hogan was. He may not have been the greatest tactical wrestler, he only had few moves - first came the finger wave at the opponent and then came the leg drop, and then we got the hand on the ear for the audience, but it didn't matter. He had it so finely tuned that it flowed as well as a Jimi Hendrix solo.
Hogan has transcended the eras to establish himself as the greatest wrestler of all time. No superstar in the last thirty years has gained a fanbase like Hulk Hogan has.
When his music hit, you knew that the roof was about to be blown off.
