Image: Wiki Commons by Journalist 1st Class Kristin Fitzsimmons
About This Quiz
"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair pretty much summed up wrestling in the 1980s when he said, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man." That's exactly what all of the top competitors in the business were trying to do throughout the decade, as they clawed, spit and body-slammed their way to the top of sports entertainment.
The wrestlers from the decade, of course, weren't always gracious either, but they were fun to watch. Luckily, they were also easier to watch with the rise of cable television, giving fans all over the country more access to their favorite stars and turning regional promotions into national powerhouses.
The exposure the wrestlers obtained during the '80s and the soaring popularity of the business have led many to declare it the Golden Age of wrestling, and considering some of the biggest names in the wrestling world came from the decade, it's easy to see why it received that title.
Now, find out if you can identify those wrestlers by acing this quiz. Be careful though, because you'll have to remember both babyfaces and heels from a variety of promotions.
If you're ready to name these '80s wrestlers, step in the ring with this quiz and see if you can get the pinfall.
Jake Roberts
Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper was given his own interview segment in the WWF because he was one of the best performers on the mic. However, during the segment, Piper often started feuds with wrestlers he was supposed to be interviewing.
Harley Race
Jim Duggan
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Tito Santana
Harley Race
Jake Roberts
Jake Roberts relied on fear to get in his opponent's head even before a match ever began. His most famous way of intimidating an opponent was by carrying a snake named Damien anywhere he went, including to the ring.
Jim Neidhart
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The Ultimate Warrior
Andre the Giant
Throughout the 1980s, Andre the Giant was the star of stars in the wrestling world. Aside from his drawing power, Andre was also the leader in the locker room, and few wrestlers dared question him when he demanded something.
Harley Race
Big Bass Man
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The Iron Sheik
In 1984, Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik to win his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden. The match became iconic after Hogan broke loose of the deadly Camel Clutch that The Iron Sheik used to defeat so many opponents.
Tito Santana
Junkyard Dog
George "The Animal" Steele
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Bob Orton Jr.
Jim Duggan
Jim Duggan is best remembered for the 2x4 he carried with him to the ring during matches along with an American flag. The gimmick he developed as a 2x4-wielding mad man earned him the nickname "Hacksaw."
Big Boss Man
Shawn Michaels
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Junkyard Dog
Junkyard Dog rose to popularity in Mid-South Wrestling, where he became known for his charisma in the ring. Fans were so in love with JYD that they roared from the stands anytime his entrance music, "Another One Bites the Dust," came on.
Big Boss Man
Ric Flair
Brutus Beefcake
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Randy Savage
"Macho Man" Randy Savage proved he was truly the cream of the crop anytime he was in the ring. Much of Savage's success was due to his meticulous planning before a match took place, where he planned out every spot that was going to happen.
Hulk Hogan
Roddy Piper
Jake Roberts
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Roddy Piper
Jimmy Snuka
Bret Hart
Calling himself "The Excellence of Execution," Bret Hart truly was one of the most gifted performers to ever step in the ring. His greatest matches wouldn't come until the '90s, but he did make a name for himself as part of the tag team The Hart Foundation during the '80s.
Ricky Steamboat
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Dusty Rhodes
King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy had the honor of competing in the main event of WrestleMania II against Hulk Hogan. The two superstars went at it in a steel cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship that ended when Hogan escaped the cage.
Paul Orndorff
Hercules
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Big Boss Man
King Kong Bundy
Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund rose to the top of the wrestling world at the end of the '70s when he won his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship. His first title reign lasted from 1978 until 1983 for a total of 2,135 days.
Sgt. Slaughter
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The Honky Tonk Man
Proud and cocky, The Honky Tonk Man initially tried his luck as a babyface in the WWF but couldn't ever win over fans. Unable to get fans behind him, he took a heel turn by adding Jimmy Hart as his manager while using cheap tricks to win matches.
Don Muraco
Sgt. Slaughter
Paul Orndorff
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Ted DiBiase
"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase couldn't ever win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship for himself, though he did once purchase the championship from Andre the Giant for a short period. Desiring a title of his own, he created a belt that suited his persona, calling it the Million Dollar Championship.
Harley Race
Jim Duggan
Bob Backlund
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Mr. Perfect
Everything Mr. Perfect did in the ring was nothing less than perfect. The former AWA World Heavyweight Champion even named his finishing move the Perfect-plex, which he would use on opponents no matter the size.
Jimmy Snuka
Bob Orton Jr.
Big Boss Man
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Brutus Beefcake
Jesse Ventura
Ric Flair
Greg Valentine
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine proved his superstar status by winning several titles across different promotions. His title reigns include the NWA and WWF World Tag Team Titles, the NWA United States Championship and the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
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Greg Valentine
Bruiser Brody
Bruiser Brody became known for his use of blading, where he would purposely cut open his forehead for the appearance of blood. Some of his matches with Abdullah the Butcher are the bloodiest in wrestling history.
George "The Animal" Steele
King Kong Bundy
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Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels teamed up with Marty Jannetty to form the tag team known as The Rockers in 1985. The duo finally broke up in 1992 during an interview segment where Michaels delivered a kick that sent Jannetty through a glass window.
Ric Flair
Jesse Ventura
Dynamite Kid
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Big John Studd
Trying to prove he was the strongest man in the business, Big John Studd challenged Andre the Giant to a Body Slam Challenge at WrestleMania I. Studd failed to lift the Giant, forfeiting $15,000 when Andre finally slammed him.
King Kong Bundy
Sgt. Slaughter
Brutus Beefcake
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Jesse Ventura
Sgt. Slaughter
Davey Boy Smith
Big Boss Man
Big Boss Man's career wouldn't really gain any traction until he became one of the top competitors in the WWF's Hardcore Division when the Hardcore Championship was created in 1998. Boss Man finished his career with four Hardcore Championships on his resume.
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Dusty Rhodes
Haku
The Warlord
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus didn't take on the Sgt. Slaughter gimmick until 1980 when he joined the WWF. Both strict and volatile, the gimmick served him well as he earned matches against some of the business's top competitors like Andre the Giant and Bob Backlund.
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The Honky Tonk Man
Demolition Smash
Don Muraco
Bob Orton Jr.
"Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr. was a star throughout the '80s, wrestling for several different promotions throughout the decade. However, his star power pales in comparison to his son, Randy Orton, who was the youngest WWE World Heavyweight Champion ever.
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Tito Santana
The Iron Sheik
Ricky Steamboat
Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka was a pioneer in the wrestling business, where he utilized a style that relied on highflying moves. His signature move was the Superfly Splash, which he famously used off a steel cage in a match at Madison Square Garden in 1983.
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Jim Neidhart
Don Muraco
Tito Santana
Tito Santana became one of the earliest stars of the WWF, competing in the company across three different decades. He has the distinction of being one of only two wrestlers to take part in the first nine WrestleManias.
Shawn Michaels
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Rick Martel
One Man Gang
Ric Flair
Sneaky and brutal, Ric Flair was easily one of the best in-ring performers the wrestling world has ever seen. He became known for putting over fan favorites like Bret Hart, Harley Race and Sting.
Gene Okerlund
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Mr. Perfect
Jake Roberts
The Ultimate Warrior
Hulk Hogan
After gaining the WWF Championship, Hulk Hogan launched an entire movement that became known as "Hulkamania." Idealizing their favorite wrestler, kids all over the United States wore bandannas and ripped their shirts off to the dismay of their parents.
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Dynamite Kid
Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura's wrestling career, which began after he left the military in 1975, lasted through the mid-'80s. He was forced to take a step back from wrestling after he discovered that he had blood clots in his lungs, though he would remain as a commentator.
Haku
Rick Martel
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Paul Orndorff
Paul Orndorff found a home in the WWF in 1983 and quickly provided his services to manager Roddy Piper. It was Piper who gave Orndorff the nickname "Mr. Wonderful," which he continued to use throughout his career.
Hercules
Haku
The Warlord
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The Iron Sheik
Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat competed against Randy Savage at WrestleMania III in a classic matchup that helped launch the WWF to the top of the wrestling world. Steamboat defeated Savage in the match to win the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship.
Tito Santana
Jim Neidhart
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Jesse Ventura
Jim Neidhart
Known as "The Anvil," Jim Neidhart was the power behind The Hart Foundation during their run in the late '80s. The tag team won their first World Tag Team Championship in 1987 by defeating the British Bulldogs.
Dusty Rhodes
Big John Studd
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Davey Boy Smith
Big Boss Man
George "The Animal" Steele
George "The Animal" Steele earned his nickname in the ring through his chaotic and often unpredictable behavior. His wild behavior put him at odds with not only his opponents but with his managers as well.
Dusty Rhodes
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Koko B. Ware
After joining the WWF, Koko B. Ware became widely recognized for the macaw that he carried with him everywhere he went, including to the ring. The bird, named Frankie, was a major reason he became so popular with fans.
One Man Gang
Kamala
Dino Bravo
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Dynamite Kid
Dino Bravo
Dusty Rhodes
The hardworking son of a plumber, Dusty Rhodes truly was "The American Dream." He proved it every night in the ring, as he became one of the top babyfaces in the business through charisma and dedication.
Adrian Adonis
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Davey Boy Smith
Ric Flair
Don Muraco
After joining the WWF in 1981, Don Muraco rose through the ranks of the promotion, earning two Intercontinental Championships. However, it was by winning the first ever King of the Ring in 1985 that he cemented his legacy.
Dynamite Kid
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Bob Backlund
Greg Valentine
The Honky Tonk Man
Harley Race
The winner of seven NWA World Heavyweight Championships, Harley Race proved he was one of the toughest wrestlers in the business by defeating stars like Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair. After finally joining the WWF, Race became the second winner of the King of the Ring event.
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Greg Valentine
Don Muraco
Rick Rude
Rick Rude knew how to work a crowd during his time in the business. One way he did this was by mocking male fans for being out of shape and overweight while showing off his chiseled body to the female spectators.
Tito Santana
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Rick Martel
Hillbilly Jim
Paul Orndorff
Brutus Beefcake
It wasn't until WrestleMania III that Brutus Beefcake finally realized his full potential when he was called to the ring to cut the hair of Adrian Adonis after Adonis lost a Hair vs. Hair Match against Roddy Piper. After the incident, he was forever known as Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake.
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Brutus Beefcake
Davey Boy Smith
The British Bulldog was one of the many star wrestlers trained by Stu Hart in Calgary, Canada while Hart was running his Stampede Wrestling promotion. Hart trained these wrestlers in his basement, which became known as "The Dungeon."
Hercules
Dynamite Kid
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Bob Backlund
Ted DiBiase
Rick Rude
The Ultimate Warrior
Prior to becoming a wrestler, The Ultimate Warrior was a professional body builder. That physique would serve him well in the ring because he looked every bit the part, quickly launching him to superstar status.
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Tony Atlas
Rick Martel
Rick Martel was part of several tag teams during his wrestling career including the Can-Am Connection with Tom Zenk and Strike Force with Tito Santana. Martel was able to win the WWF Tag Team Titles as part of Strike Force in 1987.
Rocky Johnson
Marty Jannetty
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Ken Patera
Tony Atlas
Rick Martel
Dynamite Kid
Standing only 5 feet, 8 inches tall, Dynamite Kid had to rely on his agility and athleticism to get victories in the ring. He proved to be a master of this style, utilizing many techniques he learned during his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling.
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One Man Gang
The Warlord
Haku
Pitching himself as being from the island of Tonga, Haku's signature move was known as the Tongan Death Grip. This move only increased his fierce reputation and helped him earn the nickname "King Haku."
Kamala
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