5 Most popular wrestlers of the 1980s
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.