Image: WWE via YouTube
About This Quiz
For many of the kids raised in the 1980s, there were three things we held close to our hearts on a given Saturday morning. The first was breakfast, which (if we were lucky) consisted of a sugar-rich cereal and chocolate or strawberry milk. The second was our Saturday-morning ritual: a few hours of our favorite cartoons with no parental interference. The last thing was, after our dose of cartoons, in the early afternoon, we'd get to see the soap opera of wrestling unfold.
With the matches set as a backdrop, these men and ladies were often found in bitter rivalries revolving around friendships, love and at times revenge. There were two different camps in the 1980s: There were the faces, which is slang for wrestlers who often project a positive and heroic attitude (think of Hulk Hogan during the Hulkamania days). Then there were the heels, who would often threaten to steal belts, interfere with matches and were general menaces to the ring; Ric Flair back in the day was considered one of the greatest heels in the industry.
But at the end of the day, these performers had to do the same menial tasks as us, wearing more clothing (hopefully not made of spandex) than at their jobs. When it comes to signing credit-card receipts or grocery shopping, you're probably going to see a completely different name than their stage name. Do you think you know the birth names of these performers? Hop in the ring, and let's hope our questions don't piledrive you!
The Undertaker
Kane
Sting
The Ultimate Warrior
Back in the 1980s, many wrestlers would stroll towards the ring, but the Ultimate Warrior charged the ring, setting the energy for the match. He was so quick that when he wrestled against Honky Tonk Man in 1988, he won the Intercontinental belt in around 30 seconds.
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Andre the Giant
What made Andre the Giant so tall? As a child, Andre the Giant was affected by a rare disease called acromegaly. Though typically found in middle-aged adults, this disease is a hormonal disorder that results from the pituitary gland producing too much of the growth hormone.
The Honky Tonk Man
Million Dollar Man
Lex Luger
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Ric Flair
Rick Steiner
"Ravishing" Rick Rude
When it comes to playing the game on all fronts, "Ravishing" Rick Rude was a master. Often wearing the faces of his opponents on his tights, he would get into his opponents' heads while mocking their flabby bodies and disrobing, showing off his physique and earning the love of the ladies at the events.
Rick Martel
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Sgt. Slaughter
The Sultan
The Iron Sheik
Even though he was known for his rivalry with Sgt. Slaughter, The Iron Sheik had a match that would help drive wrestling into the mainstream during the 1980s. When he defended the WWE title that he'd earned a month prior, Hulk Hogan defeated him, giving Hogan his first belt of many.
Nikolai Volkoff
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Honky Tonk Man
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
When you're part of a wrestling family, it's often hard to step out of the shadows of your predecessor to make a few strides of your own. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine took his famous father's (Johnny Valentine's) legacy and made it his own by winning both tag-team and individual titles.
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
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Mr. Perfect
Honky Tonk Man
The Million Dollar Man
With his immense wealth, the Million Dollar Man would often stick wads of money into his fallen opposition's mouths. In addition to this, he created his own title (which was never recognized by the WWE) and purchased the contract for a wrestler called The Deadman, who later became The Undertaker.
The Undertaker
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Lita
Rockin' Robin
Fabulous Moolah
Even though some of her male counterparts have been able to hold a title for more than a year, the Fabulous Moolah held the Women's Championship for 28 years! It was in 1984 when Wendy Richter ended Fabulous Moolah's reign in a bout that aired on MTV. Richter's Manager? Pop Princess Cyndi Lauper.
Sensational Sherry
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Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Junkyard Dog
Many wrestlers have had the opportunities to play other sports, and Junkyard Dog was no exception; in the late '70s, he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. His ability to work on teams helped him land several tag-team belts.
Honky Tonk Man
Sgt. Slaughter
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Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
George "The Animal" Steele
Unlike his persona in the ring, George "The Animal" Steele was anything but a savage. When he wasn't in the ring, he was a teacher in his hometown of Madison Heights, where he would coach football.
The British Bulldog
Dusty Rhodes
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Lex Luger
With an amazing body and moves that would make the best technician green with envy, it was no surprise that Lex Luger earned the nickname "The Total Package." He then won the United States Championship three times with the last time being the most memorable; he held onto the title for over 500 days!
Larry "The King" Lawler
Larry Zbyszko
Larry Stephens
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The Million Dollar Man
The Honky Tonk Man
With his Elvis Presley-style jumpsuit and pompadour, it should have been no surprise that The Honky Tonk Man was going to make a big splash in the WWE. He did, but only after taking a break, which was when the character evolved to becoming the baddie we know and love today.
"Ravishing" Rick Rude
Bam Bam Bigelow
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King Kong Bundy
When "Wrestlemania 2" debuted in 1986, King Kong Bundy wrestled against Hulk Hogan, and because Bundy's performance as a heel was so good, everyone had to root for Hogan, which helped create Hogan's face persona. Outside of the ring, the two remained friends until Bundy's death in 2019.
Razor Ramon
The Honky Tonk Man
The Million Dollar Man
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Mr. Perfect
After his Mr. Perfect days, Curt Hennig went by his given name in the ring, where he was a heel who would constantly flip0flop between WCW's Four Horsemen and the villainous NWO.
Honky Tonk Man
The Million Dollar Man
Dino Bravo
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Honky Tonk Man
The Undertaker
Koko B. Ware
Even though Koko B. Ware never possessed a belt, this Hall of Famer was an amazing singer. He performed "Piledriver," the title track of the second album that the WWE released in 1987.
Big Boss Man
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King Tonga
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
If you've ever wondered how tough of a wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was, check out a skit he did with Roddy Piper. It involved a coconut that both parties believed to be hollowed out; Piper hit Snuka in the head with it and caused a feud to ignite between the two.
Bam Bam Bigelow
King Kong Bundy
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Sting
The Ultimate Warrior
Shawn Michaels
Even though he became a part of the WWE family in the '90s as a solo act, Shawn Michaels got his start as part of a tag team called The Midnight Rockers. If you watch some of their footage, you'll notice that they have team moves, which wasn't seen often prior to their debut.
Honky Tonk Man
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John Cena
Johnny Valentine
Big John Studd
One of Big John Studd's main opponents was a fellow Goliath, Andre the Giant. In the first Wrestlemania, it was a clash of the titans where the two massive men competed in a $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge, which Andre won.
John Morrison
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Hulk Hogan
Virgil
Even though he was somewhat known in wrestling, Jones wouldn't become the fan-favorite that he was until 1987, when he became The Million Dollar Man's bodyguard, Virgil. His job was simple: soften the opposition so his boss could take the win.
Koko B. Ware
The Million Dollar Man
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"Ravishing" Rick Rude
Rowdy Roddy Piper
With his larger-than-life personality, Rowdy Roddy Piper was part of the reason why people tuned into wrestling week after week. As he was one of the most wicked villains in wrestling history, fans would go wild when his bagpipes started to play.
Macho Man Randy Savage
Randy Orton
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Ric Flair
Ric Flair isn't the only Flair to win bling in the ring. His daughter, Charlotte, has paved the way for women's wrestling in the WWE: She has held eight belts, and when Flair found out, he was one proud papa, telling fans that she was "no longer Ric Flair's daughter," but he was "Charlotte Flair's dad."
Rick Steiner
Rick Martel
"Ravishing" Rick Rude
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Honky Tonk Man
Brian Knobbs
As part of The Nasty Boys, Brian Knobbs was known as one of the most hardcore teams in wrestling in the 1980s. One of their earliest rivalries was between The Midnight Rockers, which featured Shawn Michaels.
Shawn Michaels
The Million Dollar Man
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Scott Hall
Bam Bam Bigelow
Scott Steiner
When you think of tag teams in wrestling, the Steiner Brothers should make the list as one of the best. They are the only team to hold three belts from three different organizations (WWE, WCW and IWGP).
Honky Tonk Man
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Honky Tonk Man
King Tonga
As a fierce competitor, King Tonga started his training at the age of 10 in Japan, where he learned how to sumo wrestle. These skills helped him transition into the pro-wrestling circuit, where he eventually changed his name to Haku.
Jimmy Snuka
Dino Bravo
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Scott Hall
Bam Bam Bigelow
If you wanted to watch brutal wrestling, you would turn to ECW, the franchise that utilized broken bottles, razor wire and Singapore canes as only a few props that wrestlers could use on one another. And to be the champion, that's a whole new game, which was what Bam Bam Bigelow brought to the WWF in 1987.
Scott Steiner
The Warlord
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"Ravishing" Rick Rude
Brutus Beefcake
Sometimes nicknames are born when you're in the ring, which is the case in the creation of Brutus Beefcake's nickname "The Barber." After Roddy Piper defeated Adrian Adonis in a Hair vs. Hair match during Wrestlemania III, Brutus helped Piper cut Adonis' hair, earning him that nickname that night.
The Honky Tonk Man
Bam Bam Bigelow
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The Undertaker
Sting
If you watched WCW back in the 1990s, you'd be familiar with a Sting who was darker with black and white face paint and black trenchcoat; however, in the 1980s, Sting was a surfer with bright blonde hair and gold tights.
Kane
The Ultimate Warrior
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Colonel DeBeers
General Adnan
Sgt. Slaughter
At the height of his career, Sgt. Slaughter had a unique decision to make. Should he stay with the WWE and wrestle or become part of the G.I. Joe Universe? It took maybe a millisecond for Slaughter to decide that he was going to hang with Joe, Duke and the other recruits.
Colonel Mustafa
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Randy Winn
Randy Orton
Randy Moss
Macho Man Randy Savage
When Macho Man Randy Savage first entered the ring in the 1970s, he was known as "The Spider" and had a costume similar to Spider-Man. In the 2002 movie "Spider-Man," Savage portrays Bone Saw McGraw, a wrestler who stands it the way of Peter Parker and $3000.
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"Ravishing" Rick Rude
Ric Flair
Rick Steiner
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
With his hard-working ethic and incredible physique, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was not only beloved among the fans but his peers as well. It is that work ethic that brought him out of retirement in 2009, where he wowed the fans in a series of bouts with Chris Jericho.
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The Honky Tonk Man
Million Dollar Man
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
In addition to his cunning and snakelike personality, Jake "The Snake" Roberts also inspired another trend in the 1990s. During a bout between Stone Cold Steve Austin and himself, Austin mocked Roberts's quoting of the Bible, creating his own verse "Austin 3:16." The rest is history.
Grizzly Smith
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The Fabulous Moolah
Lita
Sensational Sherri
Rockin' Robin
When it came to the Smiths, Rockin' Robin wasn't the only one in the ring. Her half brother Aurelian Jake Smith Jr. was also a bit of a thing; he ruled the ring as Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
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Sgt. Slaughter
Lex Luger
British Bulldog
When he returned to WWE in the 1990s alone after his partner suffered an injury, the British Bulldog was a double threat. He could hold his own in the ring, winning the European and Hardcore Championships and winning the World Tag Team Championship with Owen Hart.
Sting
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"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Hillbilly Jim
Hillbilly Jim had a sweet introduction into the WWE. As an admirer of Hulk Hogan's moves and heroic persona, Hillbilly Jim would often protect those he'd ally himself with a loyalty that few wrestlers display.
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Big John Studd
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George "The Animal" Steele
Big Boss Man
After he debuted in the late 1980s, Big Boss Man was approached by The Million Dollar Man, who wanted to purchase his contract. Because he turned him down and stuck by his morals, Big Boss Man became beloved by fans.
Sgt. Slaughter
British Bulldog
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Ember Moon
Chyna
Sensational Sherri
Even before setting foot in the WWE ring, Sensational Sherri had three belts from the AWA. When she arrived at the WWE, her first fight was against her trainer, the Fabulous Moolah, who was defending the Women's Championship Belt.
Madusa
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Boris Zhukov
Sgt. Slaughter
Nikolai Volkoff
As the evil Russian master villain, it would only be natural that Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik joined forces to further their nefarious agendas, and in the first Wrestlemania, they beat U.S. Express and won the World Tag Team Championship.
The Iron Sheik
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Rowdy Roddy Piper
Lex Luger
Hulk Hogan
In the 1990s, when Hulk Hogan transitioned from the WWE to the now-defunct WCW, he flipped the script. Instead of playing a hero, he was a villain who recruited other baddies together to create the NWO. Why? He figured his fans were getting bored of his heroic persona.
Ric Flair
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Dynamite Kid
As part of The British Bulldogs, the Dynamite Kid had nothing but the stars to reach for; however, it wasn't in the cards. After leaving the WWE with his partner Davey Boy Smith, he suffered a back injury that ended his career.
British Bulldog
Davey Boy Smith
Steven Regal
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Dustin Rhodes
Cody Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes
Because he had a less-than-stellar physique and wasn't much of a technician, Dusty Rhodes used his charisma to get people to their feet, and by being true to who he was and where he came from, he was given the nickname "The American Dream" and that made fans adore him.
Cody Runnels
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Rick Steiner
Road Warrior Hawk
Road Warrior Animal
Even before setting foot on the WWE stage, The Road Warriors were some of the most intimidating and successful tag teams in wrestling, with five different titles, excluding a WWE Hall of Fame Induction.
Davey Boy Smith
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You Got:
/40
Image: WWE via YouTube
About This Quiz
For many of the kids raised in the 1980s, there were three things we held close to our hearts on a given Saturday morning. The first was breakfast, which (if we were lucky) consisted of a sugar-rich cereal and chocolate or strawberry milk. The second was our Saturday-morning ritual: a few hours of our favorite cartoons with no parental interference. The last thing was, after our dose of cartoons, in the early afternoon, we'd get to see the soap opera of wrestling unfold.
With the matches set as a backdrop, these men and ladies were often found in bitter rivalries revolving around friendships, love and at times revenge. There were two different camps in the 1980s: There were the faces, which is slang for wrestlers who often project a positive and heroic attitude (think of Hulk Hogan during the Hulkamania days). Then there were the heels, who would often threaten to steal belts, interfere with matches and were general menaces to the ring; Ric Flair back in the day was considered one of the greatest heels in the industry.
But at the end of the day, these performers had to do the same menial tasks as us, wearing more clothing (hopefully not made of spandex) than at their jobs. When it comes to signing credit-card receipts or grocery shopping, you're probably going to see a completely different name than their stage name. Do you think you know the birth names of these performers? Hop in the ring, and let's hope our questions don't piledrive you!
