So based on the "How Popular was Randy Savage?" thread I started thinking.
Who were the actual most popular stars in the WWF during the 80's?
As someone who was around for the entire decade I came up with this list, and posted it in the Savage thread. But I thought it might be a good discussion starter for a thread of its' own.
Am I missing someone?
So here are who I think were the most "over" guys in the WWF during the 80's. Longevity plays little here, it's solely based on how hot they were at their peak.
1. Hulk Hogan 1983-89
2. Sgt Slaughter 1984-1985
3. Ultimate Warrior 1988-1989
4. Randy Savage 1987-1988
5. Andre the Giant 1980-1986
6. Jimmy Snuka 1982-1884
7. Junkyard Dog 1984-1987
8. Ricky Steamboat 1985-1988
9. Hacksaw Jim Duggan 1987-1988
10. Roddy Piper 1989
Piper may have been more popular than that, or it may just be me really liking him more than I did almost everyone else. He certainly didn't benefit from a nationalism angle. I might consider putting Backlund on there. He seemed pretty big from 80-83. Tony Atlas would be near the top 10 as well. Andre may not have been as hot, but he was more beloved than most on the list. You did do a good job on the names for the list.
Agreed on Roberts, probably overlooked him. Not sure he cracks the top ten though.
He was popular but never as widely popular as he could have been. He was a trendy "smark" popular as a heel, and there just were not as many of us back then. When he went face they never booked him strong enough IMO. It hurt his "overness".
Dibiase was never popular, he was a heel and not one that generated a lot of "smark" cheers.
@THE SHIV agreed on Atlas and Backlund too, they are in the conversation but neither had the fanatical following the others did. Bruno was still more popular in "semi-retirement" than either of them IMO.
If truth be told Jimmy Snukas run from 1982 to 1984 could be a debatable #2 with Hogan still of course at #1 . He did not have the total media machine of the Rock n Roll and Golden Eras but IMHO relative to his era he was just as popular as anyone else on the list not named Hogan.
Good thought, I would still put him at 3 at best. I just remember the crowds were beyond rampant for Slaughter. I mean for about 7 or 8 months Slaughter was easily as popular as Hogan.
I do think people remember Savage's run with "rose colored glasses" more than others, mainly because the guy was so good. He was obviously very popular, but you are right Snuka may have been hotter during his run after his face turn.
This was a different era. An era where heat meant you were hated, and that was a good thing but it did not mean you were popular, it meant you were over. Maybe if Ted were wrestling today he would have his buck the system, cheer for the heel tribe, but those folks were far and few between in the 80's...fact.
didnt JYD go like 2 full years with only a hand full of losses in the mid 80s in wwe? i like that he's on the list. sometimes forgotten how over he was.
It would have made no business sense one bit at all to put Savage over Hogan. Savage was an all time icon and arguably #2 behind Hogan in the Golden Era of the WWE. However, from a business and money making perspective it does not get better than Hogan.
Hogan and is not even close. People wll tell you about the Flairs but Flair was not huge. Savage and Slaughter were more huge than him
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Wrestling Forum
23.4M posts
266.5K members
Since 2002
A forum community dedicated to all Wrestling enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor, Impact and all forms of professional and amateur wrestling.